Chapter 8 (as it often happens with me, this number goes together with kind of crucial...)
They did not go out that night. At the office, one look at Julia’s calendar was enough for her to remember Dr. Merrick was to see her after work. Julia made a face: how could she have forgotten! and what a pity it was to have to reject Mason’s invitation!
Of course he understood it was more important; he even asked if he could go with her, but really, she did not think so. There was no ultra-sound scheduled, nothing that could interest Mason, and there was no need for him to be there.
“Ok,” he said. “Then please bring me the tapes.”
“What tapes?”
“Dr. Merrick knows.”
“What tapes, Mason?”
“Lying-in.”
“You mean?” said Julia, stunned.
“Don’t you know?” Mason raised his eyebrow. I have discussed it all with Dr. Merrick. Since I plan to be there for you, as many fathers do these days—”
“Are you?”
“Of course I am. What do you think I am, a sperm donor?”
Julia smiled. She knew Mason never lost a chance to make fun of her original plan and to emphasize his own role in creating the baby.
“Ok I am glad,” she said. “So, what do you need the tapes for?”
“It’s a general rule. Would you like me to fall in a dead faint at the sight of blood or scream at an unsuitable moment when you’re busy pushing our baby out?”
He made it sound funny. “I can’t imagine you fainting at the sight of blood,” Julia said.
“I don’t think I have ever fainted,” Mason said thoughtfully. “But you never know; so they make expectant fathers watch those tapes, you know. The normal childbirth process and some more problematic cases.”
“No!”
“It’s okay, Julia, you don’t have to watch. It will look different when you’re doing the lead, anyway.”
“For you it will look different, too, when it’s your own baby being born,” said Julia smiling.
“I know.” Mason turned grave. “Thank you that you do not object to my being there; it’s important for me.”
Julia knew what he was thinking of. “You’re welcome,” she said. “I think I will be just happy to have you there with me. Only you must promise--”
“What?”
“When I’m shouting and yelling at you and calling you a thickhead and other names, you won’t be cross with me.”
She wanted Mason to forget his fears, and for a moment he did. He smiled. “Okay.”
“And when I throw things at you, you’ll try to dodge silently.”
“I’m not so sure--”
“You must try to,” she pouted. “I want you to promise.”
“Okay, I’ll try to.” He looked at her in quiet contemplation. “Shall we practise this tonight? You can start with softer objects, like pillows...”
This mood Julia definitely liked better.
*
They did not go out the next night, either. This time it was Mason who said he had forgotten an important appointment.
Neither did they succeed the next few days. Mason was very busy. Julia did not mind it – as long as he came home sober (and he did) and paid attention to his fiancee, talking to her, massaging her back and kissing her good night.
The nights seemed quieter; Julia was afraid to hope, but it seemed to her Mason was getting over his trauma.
However, after a few days that’d passed like this, the routine was broken.
Julia was at home, working at her briefs and discussing them with Matt who was busy with his toys. Both were quite pleased with each other. Mason was meeting another client, and Julia was, rather successfully, fighting her fear that he could be drinking. After all, the last few days had been quite serene, she told Matt; she really needed this. If she was asked, she said, she’d prefer a life like this to go on forever. Of course she missed Matt’s daddy, she confided, as she was sure Matt did, too, but business was business, and though Mason said nothing of the kind, Julia hoped he was trying to get as much done as possible, to free a little time just after the wedding.
There was a knock at the door. “Coming,” shouted Julia. It took her some time now to stand up and get out of the desk; she felt rather awkward.
It was Eden; and though her makeup was perfect, a woman’s eye could see she had been crying. “Is Mason at home?” she said.
“No, not yet. He’s meeting a client. I don’t know how long it’s going to take him – you can wait here and play with your nephew,” Julia suggested.
Eden squatted. “Hi honey,” she said.
Matt said something in his language.
“Are you all right?” said Julia gently.
“Yeah,” Eden answered flashing a smile at her. “...No,” she said then and started crying. Julia sat beside her and embraced her by the shoulders. Matt was watching his aunt in surprise, and Julia knew it would not take him long to get frightened and to join auntie in her weeping.
“What’s wrong?” she asked with concern.
“It’s Cruz – no it’s Mason. I want to ask him a question or two,” Eden said, and Julia saw she was angry. “Do you know where he is?”
Julia shrugged her shoulders. “Meeting a client, I suppose. I am not sure where.”
“At the restaurant. Orient Express, to be precise.”
“What of it? Your restaurant is great and it’s a usual place for us to meet--”
“—beautiful women and go dancing with them?!”
Julia was speechless.
tbc
Chapter 9
“Mason is not in the habit of dancing with his clients,” Julia said.
The vulnerable woman in her got frozen with terror; the lawyer took the upper hand. “And if he did, why should YOU get so upset about it? And why did you say it was about Cruz?”
Eden sighed. “I know the woman. She works together with Cruz, and believe me, I’ve had many unpleasant encounters with her. She gave it to me to understand that she wanted Cruz and that I was in her way.”
“You doubt Cruz?” Julia asked incredulously. “I’ve never heard anything as preposterous in my life! You belong together, you’re Eden-and-Cruz, spelt in one word; and if you’d forgive me – you’re just being silly, Eden.”
Eden blew her nose. “Maybe. I don’t know. Cruz spends so much time with her, and he would not give her up even if I ask him to. I just do not know what to think.”
“Remember, last year there was this actress you were worried about; what was her name? Victoria something. You almost pushed Cruz away then; and where’s Victoria now? Away and forgotten,” said Julia reasonably. “The threat was not in Cruz’s alleged infidelity, but your own ungrounded jealousy. So relax and tell me what Mason’s got to do with it.”
Eden looked at Julia; she would have liked to be reassured a bit longer, but she felt she had to explain her reaction. “When I saw MASON with her, all smiles, I just felt – cheated and – disgusted and – betrayed. My own brother! The woman’s really beautiful and sexy, Julia, and I thought, were all men like this, and Mason’s getting married in a week or so--”
“I know,” Julia said.
She gave it some thought. “You said the woman works with Cruz; that is in his detective agency? So, Mason could have a professional interest in her; if she’s a detective he can be using her services.”
“Not the way he was treating her,” Eden said with conviction. “And talking, talking – oh my, I know my brother is quite a phrase-monger; women would just gape and melt if he wants to impress--”
“Talking is okay,” Julia said. “They were talking over a case, I’m sure.”
“I did not like the way he was looking at her,” Eden argued. “He was doing his best to IMPRESS.”
“It means he needs her,” said Julia shrugging her shoulders. “Eden, I hate to say it but the way I see it now, you only want to be convinced the woman is not after Cruz any longer.”
Eden shook her head. “I don’t like her with Mason any more than I like her with Cruz. One could think YOU like it?”
“I’m not too thrilled,” Julia admitted, “but dancing is not a crime. I remember once Mason had even ME dancing with him, and we hated each other then. His Mary was alive, and I – it was when your cousin got killed.”
“You did NOT hate each other then. Look at yourselves, you’re getting married.” Eden hesitated. “I thought – I – you told me you were not to have sex, and I thought maybe Mason was not happy with it and--”
Julia’s heart was throbbing painfully. Still, she tried to stand by her fiancé. “You did not see them have sex, or kiss, or anything,” she pointed out. “Stop borrowing trouble, Eden; there’s nothing to prove Mason and this – what’s her name?”
“—Elena--”
“—and this Elena were having anything other than a talk on professional topics. And if Mason WERE having an affair, don’t you think he’s smart enough to have it well concealed?” Eden was undecided. Julia looked closer. “Either there’s nothing in it whatsoever,” she said, vexed, “or you’re keeping something else from me, Eden. Which is it?”
Mason’s sister sighed and absent-mindedly patted Matt’s head. Matt crawled away from under her hand; he did not appreciate such caresses.
“If you’re afraid to hurt my feelings, don’t be; you already have,” Julia cheered her up.
“I was so angry and frustrated when I saw them together,” Eden said softly, “I could hardly control myself. I thought maybe they were having a professional talk, Julia, but when they got to dancing… They were sitting at the table closest to the bar, you know?”
“Next to the curtain--”
“Exactly. This is my restaurant, Julia, and I got behind the curtain--” She caught Julia’s eye. “I know I should be ashamed; I am; I just wanted to be sure.”
“So, what did you hear?”
“Mason was telling her things – intimate things.”
“Like what?” Julia was losing her patience. “Like what positions he prefers in sex? Like an oath of love? Like quoting Shakespeare? WHAT KIND OF INTIMATE?”
“He was telling her stories of his childhood, Julia,” said Eden gravely. “How father mistreated him. How unhappy he was when Pamela left.”
Julia understood. This was serious; a million times worse than if he’d been telling Elena about sex positions.
Eden did know her buttoned-up brother. “I’m sorry Julia,” she added almost inaudibly.
tbc
