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CHAPTER SEVEN: - RESTAURANT GIRL

Eric stared widely at Clarisse, wondering what would be the source of her for bringing up this kind of question.

“Why are you asking this?” He asked quietly.

“I don’t know. Just asking. And I really think Sam should know that you are his father.”

“Clarisse…,” Eric spoke hesitantly. Not sure if he should really ask this, “… let’s get married.”

Clarisse was dumbfounded, her face molded into a quizzical sculpture, “what!” she was loud and then, after realizing they were at a public place, her voice fell.

“Yes, Sam would get a family, and you would be free from worry.”

“No, Eric, I can’t marry you.” She said, “… no I can’t.”

Eric looked at her dubiously and said plainly, “Okay”.

They sat in the theatre, and the movie began. Sam jumped for popcorn, he sat between Clarisse and Eric. Throughout the movie, Clarisse drifted into her thoughts. Why does this keep happening? She thought. She would’ve been the happiest woman on the earth to marry Eric a few years back, but now it didn’t feel the same. All these years she was on the journey of finding the passion she once had with Eric, and now she is with Eric she feels nothing. She feels only in her memories of the nostalgic moments.

Clarisse didn’t really see the movie; she doesn’t remember what it was about. She took her phone out again.

‘SO, I AM BACK. DAD HAS LEFT. WAITING.’ Wichita’s text flashed on her screen and her heart stopped for a second and then relapsed to beating a lot faster.

‘AT THE MOVIE WITH SAM WILL BE THERE IN SOME TIME.’ Clarisse wrote back.

The animated protagonist from the movie has reached the climax. He was in a fight. He screamed and the whole multiplex might’ve shuddered. The movie was about a boy whose favorite toy was a superhero of other toys. And somehow, this boy winds up becoming his favorite toy and now saves other toys.

Clarisse made a stupid face and noticed Sam enjoying the movie like nothing else had ever excited him until now. Every parent here seemed awfully annoyed by the movie, but they were good parents who had fulfilled their duty of good parenting. Clarisse thought about the parenting of this era, including herself. She thought about how these parents would’ve promised their children that they would make it up to them by taking them to the movies, or maybe they would’ve bribed them “if you did this you would get a movie treat.”

Now, Clarisse has doubts about her parenting. She didn’t want to raise Sam as other parents raised their kids; she wants Sam to be thankful for whatever he has with him. If he doesn’t get a movie well, fine, at least he got to go to the park. This way, when he grows up and something doesn’t work the way he wanted, then Clarisse doesn’t want him to feel miserable like her. Instead, she wants him to be thankful for having what he has and making the best out of it. And finally, the movie ended.

Sam was utterly pleased with Eric after the movie. They might’ve had a father and son moment when Sam said, “I felt like I was out with mom and dad.” Eric hugged him and a tear dropped from his eye.

Clarisse felt she couldn’t fill in the father’s place in Sam’s life. She thought she did. She tried to. But she knew she couldn’t. A child needs both of his parents for a healthy upbringing. Clarisse hoped for Sam to grow up without any childhood traumas.

Eric insisted on dinner. They went to a Chinese restaurant; Their egg roll delighted Sam. Clarisse excused herself to the bathroom. She washed her face and applied a little of lipstick. She dug in the purse for the phone and called Rebecca to look over Sam while she went away for tonight. Rebecca agreed after Clarisse's helpless pleads.

Eric dropped them around seven in the night and promised Sam that he’d take him out again later. Sam seemed attached to Eric. Clarisse was afraid her concern regarding Sam was growing stronger than ever now. She feared that Sam might have to go through what she had. She didn’t want it to happen but she couldn’t stop Eric from seeing Sam. After all, it’s his flesh and blood too.

“Now, I have to go out. I don’t know how long it may be before I return.” She said to Sam, “… Rebecca will be here. You will go brush your teeth now and go to bed. No TV or else you will be in trouble.”

Sam nodded his sleepy head, didn’t much care what his mother said. All he wanted to do was sleep. He’d gotten too exhausted for anymore mischief. Clarisse sprawled on the couch for a moment, trying to catch up with her breath. She needed to prepare herself to meet Wichita, the billionaire.

Wichita owned and founded a network of five stars and seven stars hotels all over the United States. She was young, only twenty-Seven. Clarisse felt the nervousness slowly taking over her.

She rose from the couch when she heard the doorbell.

She answered the door and Rebecca said, “It’s Sunday, Clarisse.”

“I am so sorry, Beck. Please, just this once. He’s already asleep.” Clarisse limply fell on Rebecca.

Rebecca held her and said, “it’s okay girl. But tell me what happened?”

Clarisse, she was talking about this morning. She tried not to dwell there and kept it as brief as she could. She recited all the events that had occurred today.

“Damn…,” Rebecca exclaimed, “… you had a hell of a Sunday dear. But where are you going now?” She asked.

“Well, you know that hot shot Wichita Bradford?”

“That restaurant girl? Hell yeah. What about her?”

“She called me personally to cook dinner for her from my catalogue.” Clarisse feigned excitement.

“What!!!!” Rebecca squealed and they both submerged into brief jumping and screaming.

Clarisse went into the bedroom and made sure she wouldn’t wake Sam up. She looked for her best dress and found one. The floral knee-length top she had bought at the Bloomingdale’s sale.