“Not really.”
“That’s true, it couldn’t really have been any worse. But it seemed like the right thing to say just now.”
She turned and put her arms around his shoulders. “I’m sorry I freaked out and told them about the pregnancy.”
“The good thing was, your mother really didn’t have much to say after that. I think you actually stumped her.”
“True.”
They kissed for a long time. Red’s lips pressed greedily against hers, and he cupped a hand over her breast.
“Thank god Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum took off,” Red said, after they broke off.
“Don’t call Danielle that,” she said, secretly kind of glad he’d said it.
“Don’t worry, she’s Tweedle Dee. He’s Tweedle Dum.”
Nicole laughed. “That’s messed up.”
“Tweedle Dum is the insulting name. Tweedle Dee is harmless.”
Kane and Danielle had departed soon after stopping in. They’d gone out to “hit the local bars” together, offering to meet up with Red and Danielle later on if they’d wanted.
Nicole had politely declined, saying how tired they both were and that they still had a long drive back to Connecticut ahead of them.
“Do you think Kane Wright is really okay hanging out in Brooklyn at the local dive bars?” she said. “I thought he was more into the trendy Manhattan Michelin restaurants. Nobu and places like that.”
“I have no idea what Kane Wright actually enjoys. The guy doesn’t have a genuine bone in his body. He’s probably doing whatever he can to make Danielle think he’s a regular, down-to-earth guy.”
“Sort of like you’re doing with me.”
“No, I am a regular, down-to-earth guy but sometimes I pretend to be a rich businessman.”
“Sure.”
“Can we get out of here now?” he asked, taking her by the hand.
They cleaned up the mess from dinner and left the apartment, heading to Red’s car.
Nicole felt happy again, even though the night had been a complete and utter train wreck. She’d unburdened herself by telling her parents the happy truth. What was there to hide, anyway? Nicole wasn’t about to be ashamed of the fact that she’d gotten pregnant out of wedlock.
The important thing was that she and Red were in love and going to be married. They were starting their own family and Nicole didn’t intend to let anyone make her feel ashamed about it.
Red drove through the streets of Brooklyn, heading for the highway to take them to Connecticut. He was driving much slower, Nicole realized.
“Someone took the lead out of your foot,” she said, smiling as he slowed to a full stop at a stop sign. The old Red would have done a rolling stop and then darted out the moment he saw the coast was clear.
“It’s funny how light my foot feels now,” he said, leaning forward and looking both ways before continuing on. “Maybe when the kid graduates high school I can have the led weight reinserted.”
“I’m glad we were together tonight,” she said, after a time. “Now we’ve both met each other’s crazy parents and dealt with the insanity up close and personal. Did it make you have any doubts about going through with this whole wedding fatherhood package deal?”
Red glanced at her. “No. It did make me have doubts about whether I want your mother giving a toast at our wedding, though.”
Nicole giggled. “I’m going to sneak a couple Valium in her drink and knock her out so she can’t say a peep during the reception.”
When they got on the highway, Nicole looked at Red. The way he’d been with her all night being so patient, so loving—she felt like he’d become a new person. She loved him for trying to be who she needed right now, but part of her worried that he’d also resent her for forcing him to change too much, too fast.
“I hope you really want all of this,” she said.
“What would make you think otherwise?”
“Red, when we first met you were taking random women back to your secret apartment and doing god knows what to them. Now you’re spending your evenings eating roast chicken with my parents from upstate New York.”
He chuckled. “But I’m with you. That’s the difference.”
“I just want to make sure you don’t feel trapped, bored, stifled by this new life.”
“Are you kidding me?”
“I want you to take me to your naughty apartment,” she told him. “I want you to do whatever you want to me.”
“You’re my wife now,” he said. But she could hear some eagerness in his voice just the same.
“So what? I still want all of you—I don’t want this to change what we had with one another. I like it when you take me to your apartment and have your way with me.”
He glanced at her again, and she saw the change in his expression. “We don’t need to go to the apartment. It’s not about that.”
“What is it about?” she asked. Already, she could feel herself getting wet.