56
Eric’s mother turns out to be witty and enchanting.
During the meal, she laughs and jokes around constantly and makes me feel as if we’ve known each other our entire lives. She tells me stories about Eric when he was little; and horrified, he tries to temper her, though he’s also obviously delighted. I love watching him interact with her. It’s clear he loves her very much, and that makes me very happy.
When Eric’s cell buzzes, he gets up to take the call.
“Thank you,” Sonia says as soon as he’s out of earshot.
“For what?” I ask, surprised.
“For making my son smile. It’s been years since I’ve seen him so happy, and that makes me very grateful. I see how he looks at you, how you look at him, and it makes me want to get up and shout, ‘Finally! Finally, my son is letting someone love him!’”
“He’s been a tough nut to crack, I assure you of that!” I tell her, even as her words touch me.
“Oh, Jude . . . what I don’t understand is how a young woman with so much vim and vigor can stand him! Eric is so moody. Well . . . I’m sure you’ve noticed. When he gets something in his head, he just won’t stop.”
“Well, in that respect, I think he’s met his match,” I say, laughing.
I look over at Eric and notice he’s watching us from the back of the restaurant. I sigh as I check out his body. He’s so handsome in his dark pants and blue shirt. He winks at me from across the room, and I shudder. I want him with every inch of me.
“Jude, may I ask you a question?”
“Of course, Sonia.”
She quickly glances in her son’s direction. “What do you know about Eric?”
I think I know where she’s coming from. “If you mean Flyn, Betta, and his health condition, I know everything. He told me, and I still love him.”
Sonia takes my hand, and I can tell she’s making a great effort not to cry. She takes a sip of her wine.
“Eric deserves someone like you. Someone who loves and understands him.”
“He’s easy to love. He just has to let it happen.”
She lets me know she understands and leans in.
“That damned Betta made him suffer so much. Eric had a very difficult time, and I really thought I’d never see him find joy with a woman again. But you . . . I’m so delighted to see him happy that I’d spend all night saying ‘thank you.’”
I demur and take a sip of wine.
“Every time I think of the anguish he experienced, it makes me so upset. Finding his father in bed with his girlfriend, that was a terrible day, just terrible.”
“It’s OK, Sonia; it’s OK,” I say, squeezing her hand on seeing her getting all worked up.
Suddenly, I recognize the woman Eric is talking to. It’s the same young blonde with whom I saw him leave the office a few days ago. Sonia follows my line of vision.
“Oh my God,” she whispers, “what is she doing here?”
Eric takes the young woman by the hand and says something to her. She yanks away and heads toward our table. I have no idea who that woman is. All I see is the bewildered look on Eric’s face, and it alarms me.
“What are you doing here?” Sonia, now standing, says to the young woman.
Eric arrives at the same time, but the blonde doesn’t let him talk.
“Mamá, I don’t care that this stubborn jerk keeps putting me off. I’ve come to get him, and I have no intention of going back to Germany without him,” she declares.
“Love,” Eric says to me, “this is my sister Marta.”
The young blonde with the girlish face turns to me and grins.
“Hi, Jude . . . I’ve heard about you, not a lot, but it’s all good. You and I should talk about my stubborn brother.”
“Marta!” exclaims Eric.
“Oh, Eric, zip it. I’m pretty tired of you.”
“You two . . . don’t start,” Sonia says, imposing a motherly truce. I’m staring at Marta when Sonia explains, “Marta is my daughter from my second marriage.” Then she turns to Marta. “Judith is Eric’s girlfriend. Did you know?”
Eric rolls his eyes, and I laugh.
“His girlfriend?”
“Yes, my girlfriend,” insists Eric.
“How can you stand this grump?”
“Pure masochism,” I say, and they all laugh, including Eric.
We relax for a minute, but Marta has a mission, and she turns to her brother, giving no quarter. “Good, the introductions are out of the way,” she says. “Now when are you coming back to Germany, Eric? Mamá and I can’t deal with Flyn for much longer, and the nanny will strangle him any day now. That boy is going to be the death of us. And there’s also your surgery. You have to do it. I told you it’s imperative, to decrease the pressure in your eyes. Why don’t you come back so we can get it over with? I’m sure your girlfriend will understand your need to travel.”
I let her know by my expression that I’d of course understand. But the surgery is news to me. I didn’t know he has been putting it off to be with me.
“Why do you have such a big mouth, little sister?”
“Because I’d like to continue having a grump of a brother who can see my sour expression when I’m scolding him.”
“God, when you get in your doctor-patient mode, you really make me nervous.”
“Back at you—when you turn into a stubborn jerk. And just so you know, Flyn pulled another stunt at school yesterday.”
Eric sighs.
“Eric,” says Sonia, “you still don’t want to send him to boarding school? You know I love that boy, but his behavior . . .”
“Enough, Mamá!”
“Hey, don’t talk to her like that,” admonishes Marta.
Furious, Eric looks back and forth between his sister and his mother.
“I’m old enough to decide for Flyn and for me.”
“Perfect,” says Marta. “Then move your ass, get back to Germany, and take care of him. Because if you don’t, it’ll be Mamá and I who decide what to do about him.”
Eric lets loose with a string of profanities. The Iceman is back!
Then very quickly, the fight stops. I’m fascinated by how these three challenge one another with just a look. Finally, mother and daughter get up and leave.
Eric turns on his cell. “Tomás . . . my mother and sister are about to leave the restaurant. Take them to the hotel. We’ll take a cab later.”
“I’m pretty mad at you,” I say as he ends the call.
“Listen, Jude, they’re right. I need to go back to Germany and deal with him, but I’m not going to stick him in a boarding school. Hannah would never forgive me, and I wouldn’t forgive myself. As for me, don’t worry. I’m at the top of the list of people who don’t want me to go blind, OK?”
The word “blind” makes me shudder.
And now once more, I’m aware that the man I adore has a terrible condition, and my anguish returns. I flinch, and when I breathe hard to keep my tears from falling, Eric takes my hand.
“Easy, sweetness . . . I’m fine.”
I nod, but I don’t say a word.
Eric tugs on me, and I get up and sit on his lap so I can hug him properly, without any concern about how people might look at us. I need to feel him next to me. I need to smell him. I need to have him, and more important, I need him to know he has me.
Fifteen minutes later, I’m calm. Eric pays, and we leave the restaurant in silence. We take a cab back to the hotel.
We stay quiet once we get to our suite. At first, I don’t have the energy to fight, and when we settle in, Eric takes my hand again.
“Listen, Jude . . .”
“No, you listen, you goddamned stubborn jerk. In terms of Flyn, whatever you decide is fine. He’s your nephew, and you know better than anyone what you need to do. But in terms of your condition, if you love me and you want us to continue, please do me the favor of going back to Germany and doing what you need to do.” My tears flow freely now. “You’ve officially made me your girlfriend, so I suggest you take care of yourself, because I love you and I want to spend many years with you. If you want, I’ll go with you. I’ll be there for as long as you need. But please, I need to know you’re OK. Because if something happens to you, I . . . I . . .”
Eric hugs me, and I crumble.
“I’m sorry, sweetness, I’m sorry.”
But I shove him off me.
“Go fuck yourself,” I say. Eric’s face is serious and desperate. “If you love me, be responsible and take care of yourself! That’s how you can show me you love me.”
“Come here, love.”
“No.”
“Please . . . come here.”
“No, I don’t want to.”
He finally sits down on the bed, determined to wait out my temper. He knows me well enough now to understand it’s better if he gives me a little time to calm down. Ten minutes later, I feel ridiculous, and without him having to say anything, I go and sit on his lap again. We stay like that until I try to kiss him and he pulls away.
“Did you just pull ‘the cobra’ on me?”
Eric smiles and squeezes me tighter.
“I had to do it sometime, don’t you think?”
I smile, and then he comes closer and gives me a honeyed kiss as he squeezes me tighter and tighter. He lifts me in his arms and places me on the bed. He raises my dress, takes off my panties, and without taking his eyes off me, he undoes his belt and lets his pants and briefs fall around his feet.
He lies down on top of me, finds me wet and waiting, and, taking both my hands in his, slowly submerges in me.
I tremble and close my eyes.
“Look at me, love. I need you to look at me.”
His plea makes me open them. I gasp, and Eric puts his mouth on mine as he hammers me, accelerating his pace each time to give me more and more pleasure.
“Harder . . . harder,” I demand.
Eric lets go of my hands and takes hold of my hips. He plows into me while I scream and convulse.
“Yes, Jude . . . yes, love.”
My orgasm arrives in tandem with his, and he folds on top of me. We stay like that for a few minutes, out of breath, until Eric lifts up his face.
“All right, Jude. I’ll go back tomorrow and have the surgery. But I need you to think very seriously about coming to live in Germany with me and Flyn. Will you think about it?”
I nod.