Page 37 of Storm in a D Cup

I washed the tears from my face and trudged down to the kitchen, eyeing Julian as he threw down a glass of orange juice, kissed the top of Maddy’s still-sleek head, patted Warren on the back and headed toward the front drive where Genie Stacie was already tooting her horn, probably because she was dying to get past the first bend in the road and out of view to jump into his lap and—

At the door Julian turned to look at me, waiting for me to kiss him. All I wanted was to throw my arms around him and tell him that IVF had been a failure. But I couldn’t bring myself to give him yet another reason to be disappointed by me. Besides, I was still mad at him. Even more now, as if the IVF disaster was his fault.

‘Aren’t you going to wish me luck?’ he said.

‘Good luck,’ I said through clenched teeth. I wanted things to go well for him, for these Hollywood talks to lead to a movie. He deserved success. But I also wanted him to have a horrible time with Genie Stacie. I wanted her to get air sick and puke on his trousers. And he’d be stuck with Smellie Stacie all the way over the Atlantic. Talk about turning a man off.

Maddy and Warren stared back and forth between us. They were used to kisses and hugs and all sorts of mushy stuff between us. But thanks to Genie Stacie, in the space of a week, all that had changed. She had worked her Hollywood magic on him, while I had turned from loving to resentful, and Julian from sweet to impatient and distant.

But now he cocked his head at me, halfway between being with an expression that was half hurt and half wanting to say,Come on, sweetie – it’s still me, your loving husband Julian.Only he didn’t actually say it, but the look on his face was enough for me. And so I flew into his arms, burying my face into his shoulder as he squeezed me tight.

‘That’s more like it,’ Warren murmured and Maddy snorted. She never liked our public displays of affection. While good old Warren had always been faithful, I realized I had to win my daughter back from the Shallow World of the Paper Dolls. And after this sudden turning on me by my former little, precious princess, I stillwantedkids? I had to be absolutely insane. But for Julian, and our family, I was ready to do it all over again.

‘Have a safe trip and call me the minute you know something, OK?’ I whispered as we walked through the front door, still a tangle of arms and hands, toward Genie Stacie champing at the bit in her Lamborghini.

‘I will, honey. And please be happy in the meantime, OK?’ he whispered, and I swallowed hard and nodded.

‘Don’t worry, I’ll take super-extra care of him,’ my nemesis chimed as she drove my husband off our property and away from me.

I drifted upstairs and put my burgundy sheets on the bed. Even if Julian wasn’t there, I needed a reminder that I wasn’t going to have any sex this week, and as per the mathematical transitive property, wherever he was, neither was he.

*

‘Hi, sweetie,’ came Julian’s deep warm voice over the phone and immediately that Julian-shaped place inside my heart tingled with warmth. He’d been gone only one day and I alreadymissedhim beyond normal.

‘Julian…’ I breathed, half-expecting he’d forget to call. ‘How was the flight?’

Julian groaned. ‘Gruesome. Genie Stacie was sick all over me.’

Was I a witch or what? I hoped something and it had happened! What had started on my behalf as a dainty, controlled giggle turned out into a big healthy belly laugh. ‘Oh, Julian, that’s horrible!’

He chuckled. ‘I’ve had a shower but I still can’t get the smell out of my nose.’

As much as that was ungentlemanly, I loved him for it.

‘How are the kids?’ he asked.

‘Warren’s in his room studying.’

‘Without Stefania?’

‘Without Stefania.’

‘Wow.’

‘And Maddy’s out with Angelica.’

‘Again?’ School was out and the two were relatively free to rampage around town. I was confident, everyone’s eyes would be on them in the village, from Nando, owner of the bakery-café in the piazza to our butcher, baker and even the candlestick maker (I’m not being funny; there actually is one in town). There was nowhere they could go (they weren’t allowed outside of Castellino without our permission; Angelica’s mom agreed with us on that long ago) without being seen. We had them practically tagged like two little bunnies.

‘Uh-huh. And oh, she still hates me.’ Which was the usual lately.

‘Nonsense. Hug them for me, will you?’

‘Oh, I don’t think I can get that close to Maddy. She’s at the hissing stage.’

Julian laughed and more than ever, I really, really wanted him home next to me. ‘Look, sweetie, Terry’s due in a minute and I have to finish getting dressed. Talk tomorrow, OK?’

‘Is Genie Stacie with you?’

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