“It’s stuffy in here.”
“You’ve got a fever, Chris.”
“Any wonder after the calisthenics you put me through.”
“I’m concerned. Do you have a doctor I can talk to? You need Keflex.”
“I’ve got it.”
“Are you taking it?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“It upsets my stomach.”
“Christopher-”
“I’ll take it.” He finished up the bottle of water. “I’m probably just dehydrated. Stop nagging me.”
“I care.” I sat in his lap. “Please?”
“Yes, I will take Keflex.” He nibbled my upper lip, then kissed me. “Happy?”
“Yes.”
We began to kiss. Then he broke away.
“So who are you dating?” he asked me.
“No one.”
“Don’t lie to me, angel. Who are you dati-”
“No one,” I insisted.
He pulled out a nutrition bar from a file cabinet, ate half, then offered it to me. I shook my head, so he finished it.
“Not dating anyone?”
“No, I am not dating anyone.”
“Then why’d you go to the Hilton with your classmate? What was his name? Michael Bonocelli? Did I pronounce it right?”
His eyes were dead, just waiting to pounce. I said, “Your spy wasn’t thorough. If he had been more watchful, he would have seen me walk out as well as walk in.”
His face told me he was unconvinced.
“They have a very good Italian restaurant, Chris. When Mike invited me to go to dinner, I had no idea he meant room service.”
“You still went out with him.”
“We were working on a paper together-‘The Implications of Iatrogenic Causes in Radiation Deaths of Stage-Three Breast Cancer Patients’-a subject that interests me since both of our mothers died from the disease. Thank God we had a son. The lead professor’s name is Doctor Edwin Alvary. Mike offered me a dinner meeting, and I took him up on it. Sue me. I get tired of mac and cheese or peanut butter every night.”
I pushed his face away from mine.
“I don’t date, Chris. When would I have time? Besides, the last thing I want is a parade of men going in and out of the apartment. Gabe is everything to me. He is not going to grow up with a slut for a mother.”
“You wouldn’t be a slut if you had a toss now and then.”
“But I don’t! You know that cause you’re watching me all the time. I only sleep with you, and that’s different because you’re Gabe’s father. In fact, you’re the only guy I’ve ever been with, period! For twenty-four years old, that is truly pathetic!”
“Not to me. I still get this incredible jolt every time I lay you down and spread your legs.”
Again I pushed him away. “Stop being crude.”
“That was a compliment, angel.”
I scrunched up my face. “That’s such a male perspective. I want to have sex with you, ergo you should feel honored!”
“Men are dogs.”
Stated without expression. I quickly remembered whom I was talking to. I kissed his cheek. “At least, you’re a very generous dog.”
He took in my eyes. “How much?”
“That wasn’t a hint.”
He reached over to the second drawer of his file cabinet. Inside was a shoe box stacked with pictures of Ben Franklin. He pinched some bills off the top, then folded them into a wad and offered it to me. Longing in my heart, but I held my ground.
“I said that wasn’t a hint.”
He counted them-eight hundred dollars. He added two more bills and then stuffed them in my hand. “Buy something nice for yourself and the kid.”
“Thank you.” I kissed his cheek again. “It won’t go on forever, Christopher. I’ll be earning money in a few years.”
“I’m not complaining, Teresa.”
“You never do,” I told him. “I should marry some sugar daddy just to give you a break.”
“I am your sugar daddy. What do you need someone else for?”
I shrugged.
He gave me a stare. “Anyone specific in mind?”
“I’m talking theoretically.”
“You’re pissing me off!”
“Some good-looking, much older man who’ll baby me for the rest of my life. Someone who wouldn’t be much competition for you.”
“He wouldn’t be any competition for me because he’d be dead.”
“I mean much, much, much older, Chris. Like in his forties or fifties. That wouldn’t bother you, right?”
“Forties maybe. Fifties, probably not.” He raised his eyebrows. “Who would you go for, baby doll? Decker?”
“You’re sick!”
“Yeah, you’re right. No money.”
I faced him, suddenly turning serious. “So you two are working together?”
“Beats me.”
I didn’t like the attitude. I said, “Christopher Sean Whitman Donatti, I swear if you hurt that man I will never ever, ever forgive you for the rest of my life!”
Rudely, he pushed me off his lap. “What is it about that guy that inspires such loyalty?”
“Besides the fact that he got you out of prison? Besides the fact that he sent me money when no one else would? Besides the fact that he is the only heterosexual male I’ve ever met who hasn’t tried to sleep with me?”
“You forgot your father.”
“I stand by the original statement, Chris!”
He jerked his head up, taking in my eyes. “What? When?”
I waved him off. “Before I met you. He wasn’t insistent. He wound up not doing anything.” My eyes watered. “He couldn’t. He was too drunk.”
“What else is new?”
“Jean caught us-him. To her credit, she didn’t blame me. Didn’t support me, but didn’t…” I wiped the tears away. “Melissa’s that age now. I call her nearly every day. I tell her over and over that if he tries something…” I didn’t dare finish my thought.
“You never told me.” He pulled me back onto his lap. “You should have said something, angel. I could have sympathized. I was molested, you know. Joey, right after my mom died, he used to comb out my hair and make me give him blow jobs.”
“That’s horrible!” I meant it. I touched his face and kissed his lips. “Poor Chris.”
“Yeah, poor me.” He shook his head. “You know, I keep my mouth shut for years. Then I wind up telling two people about it within twenty-four hours. What the hell is wrong with me?”
“Who was the other person?”
“Rina Decker. I don’t know why I brought it up. She has this way of getting stuff out of you. She and the lieutenant are suited to one another.”
“I’m sure that’s true.”
“Jesus, I can’t believe your old man actually-”
“It was over before it started.”
“I should pop him.”
“Chris-”
“I won’t, but I should.”
“Can we switch the subject? It’s so painful! Especially after making love.”
He brought me close to his chest. “Is that what you consider it? Making love?”
“Yes, of course.” I looked at him. “What do you consider it?”
“Making beautiful love.”
“So we’re in agreement.” I leaned against him, my head to his heart. “Does he know what he’s doing? Lieutenant Decker?”
“He’s no dummy, but New York’s different from Los Angeles. He’s in foreign territory, doesn’t really know what or who he’s dealing with. On top of that, he’s not packing.”
I looked up. “He doesn’t have a gun?”
“I tried to give him one. He refused. The man is stubborn.”
“Who’s he up against?”
“I’ve got some definite ideas-amateurs trying to look like some pros we both know. That means they’re stupid. And stupid is dangerous. If I were his wife, I’d start looking at his life-insurance policy.” He took another gulp of water. “It probably would be easier if someone popped him. More elbowroom for me. This problem has got to be taken care of.”