by Girard, Dara
"Dad made sure I was on the plan. They have a great menu."
"I'm glad he's so thoughtful." A thoughtful bastard.
* * *
Brenton Girls' Academy loomed like a Victorian mansion as they approached the circular drive. Manicured bushes and brick stone steps led up to large glass doors. Adriana felt like a servant in her little Acura, driving behind Lexuses, Cadillacs, and Mercedeses filled with children and their drivers.
"Do I need to tell you when school ends?" Nina asked as she opened the door.
"No, I'll remember."
"Since this is bothersome, you can go to the main office and schedule the academy bus to pick me up. I don't mind."
"Thank you."
Nina hesitated. "Do you want me to kiss you?"
Adriana lifted her cheek; Nina kissed her. It was an awkward scene for both of them and fortunately short. Adriana watched her daughter walk up the stairs as the solitary little figure she was. She didn't greet other girls or find a group in which to belong. Even though all their uniforms were the same, Nina stood out like a disco suit in Bloomingdales. Adriana sighed and found a parking space. It would be better to have her driven to school; perhaps she could make friends on the bus.
Fortunately, ordering the academy bus wasn't as harrowing as she had feared. Another group of girls lived nearby, so the bus would remain on its route.
At home she quickly showered and changed, bemoaning her lost hours of sleep. After masking her puffy eyes with makeup, she went to work.
Sya said, "You look exhausted."
She walked past her. "I don't want to talk about it." She called Cassie for lunch and they scheduled to meet at the Golden Diner, a pricey restaurant with an easygoing atmosphere. A few hours later they sat in one of the booths.
"Fate hates me," Adriana said, pushing food around on her plate.
Cassie poured dressing on her chicken salad. "No, it doesn't."
"Laurence came by yesterday. He's getting married. His new love doesn't like kids. So now I have Nina permanently."
"She's a good kid."
"That's not the point. We're strangers. She thinks I'm a moron. Always has. She even frowned at me as a baby."
"She does not think you're a moron."
"She hardly talks to me."
"She's probably upset."
Adriana chewed her food, thoughtful. "I would actually be pleased to know that, but she doesn't give anything away. She just... she's not a normal kid. Never was. I swear the doctor had to whack her twice to make her cry."
"Stop exaggerating."
"Come with me to pick her up and I'll show you what I'm going on about."
"That's not necessary. I've met her before."
"Please? I need the support. She makes me feel like Edina on Absolutely Fabulous. Some selfish, incompetent tart."
"You can't be Edina, because that would make me Patsy and you know that's impossible," she said, referring to Edina's svelte, alcoholic best friend. "You know what I mean."
"I think you need to relax. But I will come with you."
* * *
Nina was not hard to spot on the red front steps, her clothes as perfect as that morning. She sat reading a book, while a few leaves blew past and students and teachers walked around her.
"I wonder if anyone knows she's there," Adriana said. "I'm surprised no one has stepped on her."
Cassie poked her. "She's just shy."
"No, grave. She'd be a nice addition to the Addams Family."
"Be nice. She's your daughter."
Adriana put down her visor and checked her makeup. "With her father's blood." She pushed the visor up. "He has some real kooks on his side." She pulled up to the curb.
Nina looked up, walked to the car, and climbed into the backseat.
"Hello, Nina," Cassie said.
She nodded politely. "Hello, Auntie Cassie."
"How was school?"
"Quite enjoyable."
Adriana shivered in disgust. Cassie nudged her. "That's wonderful. What did you learn?"
"The samurai of ancient Japan. Samurai warriors were skilled in all kinds of fighting. They didn't use shields, only two swords, a katana and wakisashi."
"How did they use them?"
Nina spent the rest of the drive explaining samurai fighting and their armor. At home she went straight to her room to complete her homework.
"Well?" Adriana asked once they heard the door close.
"She's delightful. I never knew the samurai... Oh, I forgot she's an intellectual."
"It's not just that."
"You'll just have to get used to each other."
"My daughter likes homework. I went down in history as having the best excuses of all time."
"Children are not meant to be our clones."
"Obviously."
"Then again she could have been your clone and driven you crazy. You'll eventually find things in common. She's your daughter, find ways to bond."
"Bond," she scoffed. "Neither of us bonded with our mothers. It's just some Western word to make us feel guilty."
"Whatever it is, you have to live together. You might as well get use to it."
* * *
Adriana opened her fridge trying to think of something for dinner. She usually lived on the single girl's diet: anything frozen or prepackaged. However, Nina would probably choke on a Lean Cuisine after living on gourmet meals. Tonight they'd go out for dinner. At least there they wouldn't be alone together.
They went to a Greek restaurant and settled in a booth amid low lights and blue vinyl cushions. In the corner of the restaurant they could hear a man alternatively whispering "moussaka" and "baklava" to himself.
She lifted the menu. "I'm not sure what pastitsio is, but it sounds interesting."
Nina spread her napkin on her lap. "It's a Greek lasagna. I usually prefer stuffed cabbage leaves."
Adriana stared. Her seven-year-old knew more about Greek food than she did. She'd probably seen and done more in her little life. She was knowledgeable and cosmopolitan. Wasn't that what Adriana had wanted for her?
At the price of making her a stranger? They attempted a stilted conversation, but ended up eating in silence.
The week progressed in the same manner. Eating out soon became costly and totally defeated her new budget. She would have to think of an alternative like... she shivered at the prospect: cooking.
Short awkward conversations became routine. They'd chat, then separate. Nina to her room and Adriana to her office, where she tried to focus on her designs.
She dreaded the weekend. What would she do with Nina all day? What would she feed her for lunch? Would she stay in her room the entire time? When Saturday arrived the day moved along slowly. By three Adriana was ready to tear out her hair. She wasn't used to staying in. She was used to shopping, hanging out at a friend's place, going to a club. Staying indoors was maddening.
Then the doorbell rang.
She checked through the peephole and groaned. Fate was making her life more complicated. She had forgotten her date with Eric.
Chapter 7
She opened the door. A part of her was glad to see him, grateful for the reprieve, another part relieved that she now had the perfect excuse never to see him again. "Eric, I am so sorry. I completely forgot about our date."
He stepped inside, his calm presence bringing serenity to her frantic nerves. She wanted to scream out, "Help me!" but refrained. Elissa came up to him in greeting, winding around his legs. He gave her a quick pat. The rough buccaneer of last weekend was gone. Dull, ordinary Eric with his dark, remote eyes was back. For a moment she wondered if it had all been a dream. "That's okay," he said.
"I'm afraid I'll have to cancel."
"Why?"
She closed the door behind him. "I've had a very crazy week."
He nodded. "You want to reschedule?"
"No, there's a lot going on right now and I don't think I can handle it all."
His eyes searched her fac
e. "You're worrying again. Tell me what's wrong."
She tugged on the hem of her shirt. "Nothing is exactly wrong. I mean it shouldn't be wrong. It's something I should be able to handle. Any levelheaded adult with common sense could deal with it. It's just..." She trailed off. She was babbling and he knew it.
He glanced over her shoulder and saw Nina on the couch. "You have a visitor."
Adriana turned around, bewildered. Nina had been in her room. Perhaps she had heard the doorbell and thought it was her father. Adriana's heart sank in pity.
"Yes, my daughter," she admitted with both pride and shame. "She's come to stay with me."
He waited. There was no sign of surprise. "Are you going to introduce us?"
She walked toward the couch. "Nina, this is Mr. Henson. Eric, Nina."
The girl stood and held out her hand. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Henson."
He shook her hand. "The pleasure is mine." He glanced at them and then headed to the door. "Let's go then."
Adriana stared at him, appalled. "I can't leave her here."
He scowled. "I didn't expect you to. I'm sure they still allow children into the museum."
He was once again her savior. She would get out of the house and not be alone with Nina. She felt bad using him this way. Especially since she knew what he really wanted. "You don't have to do this."
He opened the closet and pulled out her coat. "I suggest you put some shoes on."
She wouldn't argue. At least she wouldn't have to worry about dinner and be annoyed that her child preferred her bedroom to her mother's company. She went to her room and grabbed sneakers. She came out and saw Eric helping Nina with her coat and asking her a few questions. Nina nodded solemnly.
Adriana watched the pair, her heart sinking. The evening would be a disaster. A night caught between two nerds. The bright side was they would keep each other company. The question was, what would she do? What could they all talk about? She briefly thought about her last disastrous evening with Eric. She sighed. It would be a long night.
* * *
Eric would never have pictured himself as a knight in shining armor. Yet the relief with which Adriana had looked at him gave him the same feeling. Her anxious caramel eyes tugged at some protective instinct he hadn't had for anyone outside his family. He was glad to be here, recognizing how eager he was to see her again. He didn't analyze the feeling. He didn't deny that her vibrancy attracted him. Today she wore jeans and a purple, long-sleeve tunic with slit sleeves, large, silver earrings, and a pendant. His hummingbird looked ready to dart away from her cage.
When he'd figured out the situation, he couldn't understand her distress. Her daughter—a word that seemed strange when he looked at Nina's solemn face—was an amiable child who kept to her room except when her mother took her out to dinner, as she described it. They were awkward with each other. Tonight he would try to change that.
* * *
"So what do you think?" Eric asked Nina as they stood in front of a wall covered in various mutilated toys.
She said, "It's nice."
He patted her on the shoulder. "An obvious reflection of your mother's upbringing. Personally, I think a drunken elephant would have more talent."
"Keep your voice down," Adriana ordered.
"Sorry. Am I embarrassing you?" he asked without apology.
"You're being closed-minded and obnoxious."
"I have behaved myself for two floors." He glanced around him. "I find the design of the building very impressive in fact."
The Hirshhorn Museum was a four-story cylindrical building that surrounded an inner courtyard. Sculptures stood proudly around the building as well as in the sunken garden across Jefferson Drive.
She rested a hand on her hip. "There are impressive figures inside also."
His eyes skimmed hers. "To that I agree."
She narrowed her eyes and went into the next room. She stood in front of a large wooden sculpture set under recessed lighting. "This was carved out of a tree trunk. It represents breaking away."
"From what?" Eric asked.
"Lots of things."
"I like it."
She frowned at him, doubtful. "No, you don't."
"Yes, I do. You've convinced me."
"You're making fun of me."
He sighed and pinched her chin. "Worry, worry, worry." He looked down at Nina. "Do you think I'm making fun of your mom?"
She hesitated, then nodded.
He grinned. "All right. I'm caught. Show me something else so I can tease you some more."
She endured his teasing good-naturedly after that. He knew a little about art and argued his points well. Their conversations occasionally dipped into harmless debates.
"Look at this Hans Hofmann," she said. "The lines, the colors."
"Actually it's a Rothko," Eric replied.
"It's a Hofmann. The brushstrokes and bleeding colors make it obvious. I'm the art expert. I can tell."
"It's a Rothko, miss," a woman gently corrected.
"Creatively called Blue, Orange and Red," Eric added in a dry tone.
"Oh." Heat burned her cheeks. Her ignorance bare for all to see. Even Eric knew more about art than she did. She had stepped out of her league, which wasn't unusual. Even in school she knew she was stupid when it came to academics. The only time she felt clever was in a store or in her office surrounded by her designs.
Despite Eric's teasing, she didn't say much after that, wanting to keep her ignorance to herself. She was glad when he turned his attention to Nina, leaving her to chastise herself. She wanted to go home and hide.
Instead, Eric took them to a Chinese restaurant. Peach walls, white tablecloths, a bubbling aquarium of goldfish, and watercolors of the sea and mountains created a sedate environment.
It was after they had ordered, Adriana noticed something missing from the table. "Where are the utensils?" she asked, picking up the chopsticks.
Eric looked at her. "Right in front of you."
She dropped them back on the table. "I can't eat with these."
"Sure you can."
Nina picked hers up to demonstrate. "It's really easy, Mom."
Of course she would know how to use them. Great, another humiliation. "I want a knife and fork."
"At least try," Eric said.
"Why don't you laugh at me now and get it over with? I don't feel like entertaining you." She caught a waiter's attention. "I'd like a knife and fork, please."
"She's mistaken," Eric said. "Thank you. She'll do fine without."
Sensing his authority, the waiter nodded and left.
Adriana glared at him. "You had no right—"
"At least try it. Why are you so afraid of trying?"
"Who are you to talk about fears? You can't even—" She met his eyes and stopped. No, she wouldn't throw his fear of heights in his face. Fine, he wanted to humiliate her, she'd do it and never see him again. This was why she never went out with intellectuals. She always had to prove herself, to perform.
When the food came, she sat and looked at it. She was prepared to starve until she was able to take it home and eat it properly.
Eric had other ideas. "Let's try this." He came around the table to stand behind her.
"Sit down," she ordered in a whisper. "People are looking."
"Nobody is looking. Now pay attention."
It was difficult to pay attention when her eyes kept noticing how huge his hands were as he tried to guide her movements. "Keep the bottom one still while you move the top one against it," he said.
Nina spoke up. "Like this." She picked up her rice.
Adriana tried and splashed herself; rice landed on her blouse and in her lap.
Eric said, "Try again."
She glared at him.
"Just do the movements first before trying to pick up anything. You'll be a little sloppy, but it's your first time."
He helped her through the movements until she seemed to capture them. He nodded, pleased. "Very goo
d."
She looked to see if he was teasing but his praise was genuine. She amazed herself by how quickly she got the gist. The rest of the meal went well. Although there was one moment when she lost grip of her broccoli and it sailed across the table into Nina's plate. Another time a shrimp kept slipping from her grasp and she speared it instead. She glanced at Eric; he pretended not to notice.
Nina and Eric talked about their first experiences with chopsticks and the messes they'd made, and then they all discussed their favorite foods. The evening ended sooner than Adriana had expected. She took her chopsticks home as a souvenir, pleased Eric had forced her new skill. Though she would never tell him so.
* * *
"Are you going to marry Mr. Henson?" Nina asked as she brushed her teeth.
Adriana stopped herself from bursting into hysterical laughter. "No, we're just... friends."
Nina rinsed her mouth. "He's nice."
"You get used to him."
Nina looked suddenly concerned. "Do you think he minded me having to come?"
"No. He likes kids."
"If... he comes again, do you think you could take me too?"
The end of their affair. "I'll ask him. I'm sure he won't mind."
Nina flashed one of her rare, brief smiles and went to bed.
Adriana went into the kitchen and saw Eric with two mugs. He held out one to her.
She frowned at it.
"It's tea," he said.
"Oh."
"Why are you so tense?"
"I'm not tense." She took a sip and gagged. "Did you melt an entire sugarcane in this?"
"Too sweet?"
She dumped the tea in the sink.
He came up behind her. "You haven't answered my question."
"I'm not tense."
He wrapped his arm around her waist.
Her body responded like a light switch. "Eric, you promised."
"I promised not to sleep with you. You said nothing against this." His lips brushed against her neck. She leaned against him, too tired and too comfortable to argue.
"Why does Nina make you nervous?"
She inwardly winced. It was that obvious? "I'm not a good mother."
He paused. "What do you mean?"
"Just what I said. I can't relate to her. I don't know what to do or say. She probably knows more than me anyway. She's traveled, she's socialized. Her father could give her everything. All I have is a three-bedroom apartment and Lean Cuisine."
