Proposition (23 page)

To her disappointment, the area of the beach where she usually preferred to lounge was occupied. There was a small crowd of people gathered there  and the spot was enclosed, the security units not allowing people to enter. She wondered what was happening, but she couldn’t see over the crowd of onlookers. Thankfully, she spotted Barbra and George Emerson, friends of Stacy’s.

Barbra saw her first. “Amy!” she cried, waving enthusiastically. “Come here. How are you?” The older woman smiled at her.

“I’m fine, thank you.” Any smiled back politely at Barbra. Her more taciturn husband just nodded his head in greeting, but his eyes smiled warmly at her.

“I see that junior is growing fast,” Barbra cheered, pointing to Amy’s tummy.

Amy touched the bump. “Yes. At last, I feel pregnant. Earlier, I’ve barely shown.”

“Does your husband know it’s a boy?” Barbra wanted to know.

“Yes, I phoned him just after the doctor had recognized the baby’s sex on the ultrasound. He’s already planning to teach him hockey, but I think that he would be even more pleased with a girl.”

“All men are suckers for little girls,” Barbra announced with authority. “A daughter can easily wrap a grown man around her little finger. My husband here is a prime example.” She gestured to George, earning a frown on his part. “Have I told you that we have three sons and only one girl?

Amy shook her head with a smile.

“Yes and George still cannot refuse our daughter anything,” Barbra chatted happily, ignoring her husband scowls. “Though he had no such problems with the boys. Alice is impossibly spoiled not only by her father but by her brothers as well. You see, she was unplanned,” the woman giggled, glancing at her husband knowingly. “She was born when our youngest boy was eight and the oldest one was in high school. She started college this year.”

“I see.” Amy wanted to laugh at George’s disgruntled expression. “Have you got grandchildren?” she enquired.

Instantly Barbra’s previous enthusiasm turned flat. “Unfortunately, no, we haven’t. And I must tell you, my dear, that I am quite worried about that. Our sons somehow cannot settle down and Alice is too young, of course, to think about such things. And can you imagine that Jordan, our eldest, will be thirty-four this year and he doesn’t even have a steady girlfriend.”

“No wonder,” George voiced himself at last, both his voice and expression grumpy. “You scare all the girls away. Even if he has one he probably hides her from you, afraid that you’ll scare her too, the same as the previous ones.”

“That’s not true!” Barbra snorted, narrowing her eyes menacingly at her husband. “Don’t listen to him, honey.” She turned to Amy. “Since he retired he’s not his own self. I admit that I do not approve of most of the girls my sons date but I do not scare them away.”

George leaned toward Amy, whispering. “If one of our sons had ever dated you and brought you to our house, she would have mopped up the floor with you. She’s worse than the holy inquisition in Medieval Europe.”

“I would have done nothing of the sort,” Barbra exclaimed, outraged. “And do not talk such nonsense. Amy may think I’m some kind of a monster. Had they brought home such a nice young woman like Amy, I would have welcomed her with open arms. It’s such a pity you are taken, my dear,” she sighed. “Stacy is lucky indeed to get you for her son. Do you have sisters, perhaps?”

Amy shook her head with a smile. “No, just one brother.”

The thought of Peter saddened her instantly. They still didn’t know where he was. He hadn’t contacted any of them for months.

“Oh, it’s a shame,” Barbra said.

“What’s going on there?” Amy asked pointing to the large gathering on the beach. “I planned to sit there and read but I see they aren’t allowing anyone.”

Barbra’s eyes shone with excitement. “Don’t you know? They are making a movie here. Susan Spencer plays the main part.”

Amy’s heart squeezed involuntarily, hearing the name of the actress. “Really?” she asked, her throat suddenly dry, heart beating faster. “I’m curious as to how she looks in person.”

“Oh, me too,” Barbra seconded with eagerness. “But she hasn’t come yet to the set.”

Amy stood for a while on the beach together with George and Barbra, hoping to see the famous film star. The actress came at last and they started to shoot but Amy couldn’t see much from the spot where she stood. Soon she found it hard to stand for so long. Her ankles were starting to swell so she excused herself from the Emersons’ company and walked slowly down the beach in the opposite direction from the film crew. She spotted a nice vacant spot and spread her blanket on the warm sand. The book she brought with her promised to be a good one. It was the next episode in a series of vampire stories written by one of her favorite authors, who didn’t disappoint this time, as well. The story was sweet, romantic, and captivating.

Around midnight she couldn’t focus on reading anymore because she felt hungry, and junior, who had been quiet, so far, started moving.

“You’re hungry, too?” She touched her tummy. “Let’s find some nice place to have lunch.”

There was a restaurant nearby and though she’d never eaten there before she decided to give it a try. When she walked closer, she saw that it looked very inviting, elegant, and expensive. She had only a little cash with her, about twenty dollars, but there was always one of the credit cards Jake had given her, insisting that she use them. She stood for a moment undecided in front of the place. She didn’t like this fancy type of restaurant in general. Often, they intimidated her as she was never sure that she was dressed well enough.

“Yes, can I help you?” the hostess asked her, after Amy climbed a few stairs from the beach onto the large shaded patio.

“Yes, a table for one, please,” Amy said shyly, looking around the crowded place, trying to spot some empty table.

She sensed that the woman was assessing her, her eyes crawling over Amy’s cotton clothes and her cheap beach bag. Amy hated when shop assistants and the restaurant hostesses did that, calculating how much she was worth.

“I’m afraid that all the tables are taken,” the hostess said coolly, clearly not impressed with Amy’s casual look. But then her eyes stopped on Amy’s right hand.

There was little doubt that the wedding band, accompanied with the diamond engagement ring, and the designer watch on her wrist, the gift Jake gave her for Christmas, caught the woman’s attention instantly, making the right impression. The pleasant smile crawled back over her face.

“I am so sorry, but really there’s little I can do. We have a film crew here today,” she added excitedly. “They booked the whole place a few days ago.”

“Oh, I see,” Amy murmured worriedly.

That didn’t sound too good. She was rather far away from home, hungry, tired after the long walk she’d made today. Her feet were killing her, and on top of that, the baby was rolling actively inside her belly. She was about to ask if there was any other restaurant nearby but a soft elegant voice was heard behind her, drawing her attention.

“There’s lots of room at my table. You can join me. I don’t mind company.” Amy turned her head and her mouth fell open in shock. The woman behind her removed her large straw hat, and huge sunglasses. It was Susan Spencer, with a friendly smile on her face.

Chapter Twenty-One

“If that’s not a problem,” Amy found her voice at last.

The actress’s marvelous smile grew only bigger. “Not at all. You must be tired,” she said, looking pointedly at Amy’s rounded tummy.

“Yes, a little,” Amy admitted.

“So, shall we go?” the film star asked, maneuvering her way through the crowded place. Amy hesitated for a moment but then she followed her. The hostess led them to an empty table in a quiet corner of the restaurant. One of the men from the crew, stood up from the nearby table, and pulled a chair out for Amy, winking at her at the same time.

Amy smiled at him. “Thank you,” she said, sat down heavily, and turned to her companion. “I don’t know how to thank you. I was really tired. I think I walked too far today. My feet are killing me and I’m hungry. I hope I’m not imposing.”

“That’s ok.” The actress smiled easily. “Actually, I don’t like eating alone.”

Amy stared at her for a long moment. The other woman bore Amy’s inspection calmly.

“I’m sorry,” she said, embarrassed. “I shouldn’t stare at you. It’s just that it’s the first time I’ve ever seen a real film star.”

“It’s ok.”

Amy gaped at her. “You’re so beautiful,” she said sincerely, taking in the perfect features of the woman sitting in front of her. Thick deep brown naturally wavy hair, big emerald eyes, perfectly shaped lips and nose, smooth skin, high cheekbones. “You look even more beautifully than on the screen or in pictures in magazines.”

“Thank you. So, you recognized me.” The actress extended her right hand. “Susan Spencer.”

Amy shook the professed hand. “Amy Barry.”

Amy observed the other woman carefully, and when she said her surname something seemed to flicker in the beautiful face, but then the pleasant expression returned. Susan kept Amy’s hand a little longer, touching her ring.

“It’s very beautiful.”

Amy smiled. “Thank you.”

“An engagement ring?” the actress guessed.

Amy nodded.

“Your husband has very good taste,” Susan praised, examining the ring carefully. “I saw the hostess staring at it. She must have figured out how expensive it is.”

“Yes, I noticed.” Amy pulled her hand away. “I think she wouldn’t have even considered letting me in, if I hadn’t been wearing it. Clearly my clothes didn’t impress her,” she murmured apprehensively.

“Yes, I think that you’re right on that. It’s quite common. You are valued because of what you wear. I know it very well.” She smiled at Amy’s half-curious, half-confused expression. “I was a poor girl once, and I still remember well how I felt back then.”

Amy stared at her right hand with a frown. “You said expensive. Perhaps you know how much it is worth?”

The other woman glanced fleetingly at the ring and the wedding band once again. “At least twenty to twenty -five thousand, for the engagement ring alone, I’d imagine.”

Amy’s eyes widened and she gaped at Susan. “You can’t be serious,” she squeaked.

The actress laughed. “You really didn’t know?” she asked and lifted her hand to call the waiter.

Amy stared at her finger as if it didn’t belong to her. “No, I thought it to be expensive, but rather around two or three thousand dollars. Is he out of his mind to let me wear it? What if I lose it?” she cried fretfully.

“Oh, I’m sure it’s insured,” the other woman said calmly.

“I still cannot believe it,” Amy shook her head. “It looks so simple, so I thought ...”

“That it cost less,” Susan finished for her. “It doesn’t work like that. It’s supposed to look simple, but this is a first rate stone. Trust me, I know something about that. I bet it’s an original Tiffany or some other high brand.”

The waiter came and they placed their order. Susan chose the salad without dressing, and green tea while Amy chose French fries, fish, salad with extra dressing, and a strawberry shake.

“Which month is that?” Susan asked when the waiter walked away.

Amy smiled proudly. “Just started the sixth.”

“Kicking already?”

“Yes, but it’s not that bad yet, I mean he isn’t kicking my ribs or kidneys.”

“He?”

Amy nodded, stroking her tummy with a warm smile. “Yes, a boy and my first child. I got married just last year, but my husband wanted a baby very much so we decided not to wait.” It wasn’t the exact truth but she didn’t intend to reveal the details of her marriage life to a complete stranger, especially to this woman.

Susan stared at her belly for a moment. “Can I touch it?”

“Sure.”

Susan leaned over. “It’s hard to the touch.” She palmed Amy’s belly gently, “Strange but I always thought that a pregnant belly would be softer to the touch.”

“Nope.” Amy knocked at her tummy. “Hard as a rock,” she grinned.

Their food arrived, and Amy’s stomach growled loudly, reminding her how starved she was.

“I’m sorry,” Amy mumbled apologetically from the pile of food on her plate, her mouth already full. “I know I eat too much.” She swallowed what she had in her mouth. “But I’m constantly hungry.”

Susan gave her an understanding smile. “I heard it’s nothing unusual in your state.”

“Actually I lost some weight in the first months, because I was so sick and I kept hovering over the toilet bowl every single morning.” Amy took a gulp of her shake. “But now that I’m really eating for two, sometimes I wake in the middle of the night because I’m so famished. I bet that he’ll have an appetite like his Daddy.” She looked up self-consciously at her companion. “I’m sorry, I must be boring you with the tales of a pregnant woman.”

“No, no,” Susan assured her quickly. “It’s really refreshing, so real, and down to earth.”

“You’re very nice, but I think it can only be interesting for my husband. He phones me every day so I can tell him how I feel.”

“He’s not here?” Amanda guessed, nibbling at her salad.

Amy managed to swallow this time before she answered. “No, he isn’t. He’s actually in LA now. His building company invests there and he wanted to keep an eye on it.”

“You must feel lonely,” her companion guessed.

“Yes, a little but we talk every day. And my mother-in-law keeps me company and takes care of me.”

Susan made a funny face. “Mother-in-law? That sounds rather scary.”

Amy laughed. “Not really. She’s not like the MIL’s in the movies. She’s very nice to me. I’m staying with her now. She moved here after she retired.”

Susan smiled, sipping her green tea. “I see.”

Amy smiled back, then concentrated all her attention on the food. She dug with enthusiasm into the freshly fried fish on her plate. Susan must have taken pity on her because she didn’t ask any more questions for some time, allowing Amy to finish her meal without interruption.

“So you’re not from here?” Susan enquired when Amy pushed her plate away, feeling full and satisfied.

Amy shook her head, looking straight at the other woman. “No, I’m from Minnesota.”

The actress’s perfectly groomed thin eyebrows raised slightly up.

“Minnesota,” she repeated, titling her head. “Funny, but me, too. I was born there, and spent the first nineteen years of my life there.”

At that moment, Amy’s phone rang and she started searching through her large bag to locate it. “It’s my husband,” she said, opening the phone. “I must answer otherwise he’ll be worried.”

“No problem.”

“Hi.” she said warmly. “I’m fine...I’m at a nice restaurant, having lunch. No, I’m alone, Stacy had plans to go somewhere with her friends today... Yes, the baby’s fine, he’s very active today....Jake, please I’m in a public place,” she whispered. “Well, all right,” she said, putting the phone to her tummy so Jake could talk to the baby. She flushed bright red at the nonsense he talked to their child. She was sure that everyone around her heard. “I don’t need to take a taxi,” she tried to convince him when he finished the one-sided conversation with his son. “Ok, I promise.” She rolled her eyes. “I’ll take a taxi back home, ok, yes... me, too. Bye.” she said softly, finishing the call.

“I’m sorry,” she apologized again, putting her phone back into her bag.

Susan was silent for a while, before she asked, her tone composed but somehow different from before. “Your husband’s name is Jake, Jake Barry?”

“Yes,” Amy managed calmly.

“And Stacy... it’s the name of your mother-in-law, yes?”

“Yes,” Amy swallowed. It took her a moment to gather her courage and ask, “Do you know them?”

“I’m not sure.” Susan bit her lower lip, not looking at her. “When I lived in Minnesota I knew a guy named Jake Barry,” she acknowledged quietly. “But it’s probably just a coincidence. Barry is quite a popular name after all,” she said with a shrug of her shoulders.

“It could be him,” Amy hesitated, before taking out her wallet. “Here... I’ve got our wedding picture.”

Susan stared for a long time at the small photo. “No, it’s not him,” she said, and then rapidly changed the subject. “Look we’ll be relocating soon to a different place. We can drop you by your mother-in-law’s house.”

“Really? It won’t be a problem?”

Susan smiled, but her eyes were unsmiling and sad. “No, no problem at all.”

They didn’t return to the subject of Amy’s pregnancy or talk about Minnesota. Susan talked with enthusiasm about the film they were shooting. Soon the whole crew started to leave the restaurant.

* * * *

Amy and Stacy arrived at the Miami International Airport half an hour before the flight’s arrival time. They had left home earlier as both of them were afraid to be late to pick up Jake, who was arriving from Los Angeles. When they arrived, it turned out that his flight had been delayed. The airport terminal was very crowded, but they managed to find two unoccupied seats in the waiting area. It looked like they would have to wait some time yet until they announced Jake’s flight had landed. Stacy went to get Amy something cool to drink, leaving her to her own thoughts.

For the last two days Amy had been beating herself deep in thought. She wondered whether she should have talked with Susan Spencer at all. Perhaps it would have been better if she’d just walked away from that restaurant the moment the actress offered her a place at her table. But she’d been really tired and hungry and frankly curious. And the woman had been so nice to her, a complete stranger, even before she’d learned who Amy had been.

The actress had treated her very kindly and she’d been so friendly. She had even pretended that she hadn’t known Jake, though Amy was sure she’d recognized him from the picture. Probably she hadn’t wanted to upset her, telling her that she’d once known and had been in a serious relationship with her husband. It was certainly not the kind of information, which a pregnant woman would have liked to hear about the father of her child. Especially from a woman who occupied the top place on the list of the most beautiful, sexy and desirable year after year.

Why on earth had she shown her that picture at all, giving the other woman the final proof of who she and her husband were? Seriously, what had got into her to do that? Had she needed to see with her own eyes that Susan regretted what she’d done in the past? Had she wanted to see some kind of remorse on that beautiful perfect face?

It was even stranger, because, at the same time, somewhere in the back of her mind, Amy was afraid that that woman could try to take Jake away from her. She knew that it was totally irrational on her part to even think like that. Jake was married to her. They were expecting a baby. They were a family already. But the woman was so beautiful. Simply breathtaking, tall, statuesque, with a remarkable face. Compared to her, Amy felt short, fat, ugly, and common.

“Amy, dear, are you all right?” Stacy touched her hand drawing her away from her thoughts.

Amy smiled. “Yes. “

“Here’s your drink.”

Amy took the cup with the chilled orange juice. “Thank you.”

Her mother-in-law eyed her carefully. “You’ve been very quiet for the last few days.”

Amy shrugged. “I just want Jake to be here with me again.”

“Well, your wish came true.” Stacy smiled, nudging her to look at the group of travelers walking out of the security area.

Amy stood up and ran to her husband who was walking quickly, scanning the crowd for her. His face brightened instantly when he spotted her among the sea of people. Before she knew it, she was in his arms. He cupped her face, kissed her, and then pulled her tightly into his arms, crushing her to him.

He didn’t speak, just held her. Amy concentrated on inhaling his familiar scent and his warmth. She felt instantly better. He kept her very tightly pinned against him for a long time, until ‘junior’ protested being crowded. He made a decided move that even his father felt.

“What was that?” Jake pushed her gently away from him.

“It seems that your son wanted to say hello.” Amy smiled, putting his hand on her tummy where she was certain he would feel the baby’s fluttering. When dressing this morning she’d purposely chosen to wear a closely fitted dress so Jake could see the baby bump.

He palmed her belly. “He’s grown so much,” he whispered in amazement, his eyes turning suspiciously glossy.