Alex poured himself a cup of tea and then stirred in some sugar. “I take it you liked what was in it.”
“Yes. I love it,” she said. “And I have a present for you, but you’ll have to wait until Bermuda.”
“Oh no, you can’t do that to me. Give me a hint, or I’ll go nuts trying to figure out what it is.”
“My boobs are getting huge,” she said with a giggle, “I mean, I read about women’s breast getting larger. I could barely get my costume on earlier tonight.”
“Well, that is a great present. Makes me wish I were there with you now.”
“Me too. I can’t help thinking of your package,” she said with a laugh. “Just think, we’ll soon be sitting on the beach drinking virgin piña coladas.”
“Isn’t it ironic—you drinking virgin piña coladas,” he chuckled.
“Yeah, that’s hysterical,” she replied, making fun of his stupid joke. “It’s going to be so great: just you, me, and nothing else around but beach and ocean.”
“Don’t forget the baby,” he said.
“Yeah, but she’s too young to know anything,” Frankie replied.
“How do you know it’s a girl?” he asked.
Frankie rubbed her belly. “A mother knows.”
“Do you know Josh’s girlfriend is pregnant? They’re getting marriage in a few months,” said Alex, “So you’ll have someone to hang out with and swap baby talk.
“Really . . . is she nice?” asked Frankie.
“Yeah, Marie is real cool and down-to-earth. You will really like her. And then there’s Nick’s wife Julia, who is the nicest person on the face of the earth. You’ll never be alone,” he said. “See? It’s all working out perfectly; there will be family and friends waiting for you when you get to England.”
“England,” Frankie sighed. “Never imagined myself living in England.”
“We can travel between the States and England. When you think about it, England is closer to New York than California,” he said. “Everything will work out, you’ll see. I promise.”
As the days grew nearer, Frankie couldn’t wait to start packing. In fact, she pulled out her suitcase as she soon as she got back to her bedroom after hanging up with Alex. She opened her closet and sorted through her dresses. What should I wear when we get married? she thought. Can I wear white? She then shivered with excitement at the idea.
She pulled out a cream-colored sequined cocktail dress that she had worn to a dinner given for her father. With the thought of her dad, she put the dress back. She needed something new—something a little more fashionable and sexy that Alex would like. That was it; she just had to go shopping.
Curling up in bed, she rubbed her belly, closed her eyes, and cried. She just couldn’t believe this was the turn her life was taking. In seven months she would be living abroad as a mother, married to a world-famous musician. She fell asleep that night dreaming pleasant thoughts of her future.
The next morning she greeted both her parents at the kitchen table for breakfast. She poured herself a large helping of milk. Her stomach was still queasy with morning sickness, and she reached for a piece of toast.
“How you feeling this morning?” asked Marcus.
“Much better,” Frankie replied as she took a bite of dry toast.
“You never did tell us what Dr. Joe said,” replied Geraldine.
“Flu, just as I expected,” said Frankie. “Hey, I was talking to my friend Katie who is an actress in Hollywood. You remember Katie Todd? You met her family on the boat back from Europe last year. Anyway, she and a few girls are meeting for a few days in Bermuda next week. They asked if I could go.”
“How are you coming with your studies?” asked Geraldine.
“I’ll be done with finals,” said Frankie, “and the show will be over on Friday.”
“I was counting on you to help me with the Christmas pageant,” said Marcus.
“I’m sure you find someone to take my place,” said Frankie. “Besides, that is so old; I’ve been helping out since I was a kid.”
“But it was always kind of our father/daughter thing,” said Marcus.
“Marcus, for God’s sake, let her go,” scolded Geraldine. “She’s a young woman who wants to holiday with a bunch of girlfriends.” Geraldine turned to Frankie, “Of course I’m going to need to speak to Katie’s parents. A bunch of pretty girls alone in Bermuda could be trouble.”
“Mom, you’ve met the Todds,” said Frankie. “They’re good people.”
“It’s okay with me,” said Geraldine, looking up at Marcus, “but it’s up to your father.”
Marcus’s hesitation was evident. She was a young woman, but he knew well the type of people out there and was constantly worried about his beautiful daughter being taken advantage of.
“Dad, please,” Frankie begged.
“All right,” he said.
Frankie leaped from her seat and hugged her mother. “Thanks!” She ran around the table to hug her father.
Marcus gave her a hug, but it was clear he was not at all eager to see his daughter off on her own.
Later in the afternoon, Frankie took to the streets of Madison Avenue for one purpose— shopping. She felt a little like Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, staring dreamily into store windows, but unlike Holly, Frankie could afford almost anything she wanted.
She tried on several dresses. Being Christmastime, it was hard to find something white, so she settled for a silk cream sleeveless cocktail dress that fit all her curves snuggly. Pearly satin pumps were the perfect accessory, and long silk gloves were a nice sexy touch. Admiring her look in the store mirror she paused. Maybe it’s too much, she thought. Maybe I need something more casual. After giving her wedding outfit more thought, she decided on a casual flowing silk pleated dress with spaghetti straps, but she stuck with the pumps.
Striding down the avenue, happily swaying her bags in her arm, she dared to stop outside the actual Tiffany’s. No, she didn’t have a diamond. “Diamonds for girls under forty is tacky,” she said softly. She did enter and took a browse by the wedding bands. She was tempted to buy a ring for Alex, but then remembered Nick, who was married, didn’t wear a ring. She wondered if Alex would wear a wedding ring. Probably not, she thought. She then wondered if he was out looking at rings for her. It was the first time she had doubts about her marriage to Alex. She realized she had no idea what he was doing on the other side of the Atlantic.
While Josh was reluctantly planning his marriage to his pregnant girlfriend, Alex was as silent as a stone about his plans to elope with Frankie. “What is it with women and weddings?” asked Josh, taking a large gulp of ale. “And why do us guys have to help pick out flowers and cakes?”
Alex reclined in his chair and smoked a cigarette, feeling thankful that Frankie was not bothering him with that stuff. He figured she was doing some planning of her own, but anything she decided would be fine with him. He was just looking forward to seeing her. “I don’t know,” replied Alex. “Maybe it’s because they have nothing else to do. For many women, their main goal is marriage.”
“And getting knocked up is one way of getting what they want,” Josh said with another large drink of his ale.
“In some cases, I guess,” said Alex. “Sometimes it is an accident.”
“So, us guys are supposed to be chained and shackled to a bird because she accidently gets pregnant?” asked Josh.
“Come on, Josh, Marie’s a nice girl. You’ve been dating her for a while. There isn’t anybody else, so who are you waiting for? Do you think Ann Margret is going to walk through your door?” asked Alex, dumping ashes from his cigarette into a tray.
“That’s easy for
you to say; you’ve been pullin’ Frankie Robinson, one of the hottest chicks around,” said Josh. “So yeah, Marie’s cool. She does a great job ironing shirts, but there are girls and then there are girls.” Josh paused to finish his ale. “Don’t get me wrong, I love Marie; but when you think of getting married, it’s because you want to or because you love them, not just because they’re in the family way.”
Alex wanted to confess to Josh he too shared a similar situation. But in his case, Frankie’s pregnancy was the break he had been waiting for. He wanted to be with Frankie and now he had to marry her. There was no question or deliberation. All he had to do was go to Bermuda, collect his pregnant bride and bring her home. He was about to get what he was longing for. There was a God and he was answering Alex’s prayers.
Lighting another cigarette, Alex said, “Sometimes things happen for good reasons.”
“When did you get such a positive outlook on life?” asked Josh.
Alex blew a puff of smoke. “When life got positive,” he said with a grin.
He returned home pleasantly buzzed and the amount of alcohol in his bloodstream gave him more confidence to have the conversation he had been dreading with Sarah. He found her in the kitchen making dinner. She loved to cook, especially for him. Every night seemed to be a grand occasion, and that occasion was mostly because he was home alone with her.
Sarah turned from the stove and gave him a wide smile. “Dinner’s almost done.”
“Yeah,” he said, glancing at the dining room table decorated with china and lit candles. She looked so sweet with her hair tied back in a ponytail and an apron wrapped around her waist. It was nice having her live with him; his house was so warm and smelled like a freshly cooked meal, but it wasn’t right. No matter how warm and welcoming, he was beginning to feel like a guest in his own house. “We need to talk.”
“Okay,” she said without looking at him.
Alex shoved his hands in his pockets. “There’s someone else.”
Sarah listened to his words, but she chose not to hear, continuing to focus on stirring peas in boiling water.
“She’s pregnant,” continued Alex.
“How convenient for her,” replied Sarah, still not turning around to face Alex. “Are you sure it is yours?”
“Yes.”
“Well, no bother, just have Darren take care of it.”
“Take care of it? No. That’s not the answer,” replied Alex.
Finally Sarah turned around and asked, “What is the answer?”
Alex shrugged his shoulders and stared at her, hoping she would get the clue that he was no longer in love with her and wanted out of their relationship.
She got it, but wasn’t going to give in. “Those women just make me so angry. They really believe if they get pregnant they can bribe a man for money or expect him to marry her. Honey, don’t fall into the trap. Alex, you are with me. I say it’s her problem.”
“It’s my problem, too,” he said.
Sarah approached Alex and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “I think it is great that you are taking responsibility, but it doesn’t have to be like that. Have Darren take care of it. If it’s money she wants, give it to her.”
“It’s not about money or fame,” he said.
“Alex, I love you. I’m willing to work through this with you. And one day you and I will have our own children and this will just have been a bump in our road.” Sarah smiled. “Look at it this way, it is our first crisis as a couple, and I will stand by you completely. We’re going to survive this.” She returned to her boiling pot on the stove and said to him, “You’ll want to make sure this does not become public knowledge. Think of what it would do to the band’s reputation.”
Alex stared at Sarah’s back and said, “Just whose reputation are you concerned about—mine or yours? If this goes public, it’s your reputation on the line as well.”
She reflected on the peas in the bubbling water. “You want to destroy us both?”
“I want to do what is right!”
Sarah turned around and glared at Alex. “The right thing would have been keeping your willie in your pants.” She sighed heavily and slammed the spoon on the edge of the pot. “I know it must be hard with all those women, but Jesus, Alex, there are such things as fidelity and loyalty. I’m not even going ask if you love her, because how you can fall in love after such a short time is beyond me. What do you really know about this girl? And, more importantly, what does she have that I don’t?”
Alex shrugged and shoved his fists deep into his pockets. He couldn’t answer; he didn’t have the words to express what was inside him. It was all just a feeling.
“That’s what I thought—you’re confused,” said Sarah. She kissed him on the cheek. “We’ll get through this. I am sure of it.”
“I’ll talk to Darren tomorrow,” Alex said without returning Sarah’s affection.
Precipice of Indecision
After returning from a day of shopping, Frankie scoured the refrigerator for a snack. Nothing appealed to her sense of taste and then she thought of an incredible taste sensation—sardines and mayonnaise on toast. The combination would just hit the spot.
She sat at the table munching on her new favorite dish while staring at her psychology book, but her mind was on Alex and the baby. She imagined how the baby would look—tall with dark hair. The baby would have her eyes, but they would be dark brown like Alex’s. And then she thought of names—Genevieve if it was a girl, Samuel if a boy.
Geraldine returned home to find Frankie staring off into space with a half-eaten slice of toast topped with mayonnaise and sardines. “What are you eating?”
Frankie twirled her blonde hair. “I had a craving.”
Her choice of words startled Geraldine and suspicion set in. “So are you over the flu?”
“Oh, yes,” replied Frankie. “I’m feeling fine—great, actually.”
“Good, because for a moment there I thought you might be pregnant,” said Geraldine.
“Oh!” Frankie laughed. “No!”
“Then you wouldn’t mind if I called Doctor Joe for the results of your last visit?” questioned Geraldine.
Frankie stopped twirling her hair. “Why would you do that? Don’t you trust me? I wouldn’t lie about being pregnant. I couldn’t lie about being pregnant. People would notice.”
Geraldine nodded. “Honey, I’m a mother—your mother. I know you better than you know yourself.”
Frankie sat upright in her seat. “You don’t know about this.”
“Who’s the father?”
Frankie laughed nervously. “Mom, what are you talking about? There is no father.”
“Is it Alex Rowley—the one who took you to the ball in September?”
Frankie slammed her psychology book shut. “I don’t have to take this interrogation,” she said with indignation and walked out of the kitchen.
Geraldine chuckled. “Honey, you’d better keep studying that psychology book.” She looked down at the half-eaten toast, “Oh, and don’t forget your sardines and mayonnaise sandwich!”
Frankie stormed upstairs and slammed the door behind her. Plopping on her bed, she buried her head in the pillow. Shit! she thought.
Geraldine opened Frankie’s bedroom door, stood above her with her arms folded, and then glanced at the pictures of Alex on Frankie’s wall. She sighed, trying to figure the best way to handle the situation. Dealing with a daughter was always tricky, but now she had an emotional and pregnant daughter on her hands. “You like him a lot, don’t you?” asked Geraldine.
“We’re in love,” said Frankie. “We’re going to get married.”
“Yet h
e is not here. You’d think he’d be on the first flight to New York upon hearing the good news,” said Geraldine.
“His schedule is very busy,” explained Frankie. “He loves me, Mom. He asked me to marry him.”
Noting the seriousness of the situation, Geraldine sat on the corner of Frankie’s bed. “So when were you going to let your father and me in on the news?”
Frankie stared at her pillow and responded, “Once Alex and I were married.”
“Seems you two have it all planned.”
Turning around to face her mother, Frankie said, “Yes, we do. This is between me and Alex. We’re adults and don’t need anyone’s interference.”
Geraldine nodded and stood from Frankie’s bed. “Well, I’m glad to see you have it all figured out. I wonder how much you know about him. I mean, how long have you dated, seen each other? Obviously you two get along well, but there is more to a relationship than sex.”
“Our relationship is more than sex,” Frankie stated angrily. “I talk to him more than I talk to anyone one else—ever!”
“Yeah, you can learn a lot about someone over the telephone,” replied Geraldine. She walked out of Frankie’s room. Learning this news, Geraldine had to get her thoughts together to stop her daughter from making the biggest mistake of her life.
Geraldine closed Frankie’s bedroom door and headed back downstairs to the kitchen. She poured herself a big glass of wine and lit a cigarette. Leaning against the countertop, she sipped her wine and took a long drag on her cigarette. I should have seen this coming, she thought. She could not believe Frankie had fallen into the exact same trap.
His name was Mike Matthews, tall and dashing just like Clark Gable. He was a man whom Geraldine had had a hard time resisting. And why should she have? Before her romance with Mike Matthews had taken root, Geraldine had already imagined them being shining stars together like Olivier and Leigh.
The only downside to her relationship with Mike was his love for the ladies—all ladies. Proud Geraldine had a difficult time understanding why Mike would care to wander. She was smart, she was beautiful, and they made a great pair. Everyone thought so, so why was she spending most of her nights at home alone, crying?
Saying Goodbye (What the World Doesn't Know) Page 21