Jackpot! Page 22

  We wanted to be alone. We had so much to talk about, and we had no privacy at the station since everyone had begun swarming us, congratulating us and asking us questions about how we ended up together.

  A few minutes later we managed to sneak out of WGB. We hailed a cab and made out in the back seat the entire way to my apartment. The kissing even continued while we walked through the lobby.

  “Jamie, nice going!” Rick, the doorman called to me as we passed the front desk.

  “Thanks, Rick!” I shouted with a giggle. Then I went right back to mauling Drew. We got into the elevator and kissed all the way up to my apartment. My home phone was ringing when we walked in.

  “I think we should get right down to business,” said Drew, picking me up and throwing me over his shoulder, “Let’s get the sex out of the way and then we can talk.”

  “I totally agree,” I said with a giggle, having a hard time talking while upside down.

  We had crazy, mad, passionate, love hate sex (although the hate part was just for dramatic purposes. We didn’t hate each other, obviously.) And then we talked. I told Drew about my mother’s breast cancer and how I’d found out about it.

  “Is she going to be okay?” he asked.

  “Yes, and she’s going to want to meet you, so get ready.”

  “I’m up for it. The girl you marry turns into her mother as she ages. So, it’s important to see what I’m going to get.”

  “So you think you’re going to marry me?”

  “Yup,” he said with a smile, “Unless I hate your mother.”

  “You won’t,” I answered, tears now in my eyes, “You won’t.”

  We fell asleep in each other’s arms for awhile, and when I woke up I was so happy that this whole day wasn’t a dream. What had happened at the station was real. Getting Drew back was real.

  Feeling more relaxed and at peace than I could ever remember, I slipped into an old pair of jeans and a sweater, and snuck out of the bedroom so I wouldn’t wake up Drew. I retrieved my Blackberry from my purse and giggled when I saw I had eighteen missed calls.

  Frankie took the lead, attempting to phone me eight times. Danny was next with four attempts, and the rest were from friends and reporters.

  I called my mother back first. “Hi, Ma…”

  “Oh my God! Honey, I’m so happy for you!” The drama queen was in her glory.

  “Thank you, Ma,” I giggled.

  “He’s so cute! When do I get to meet him?”

  “Soon Ma, soon.”

  “How about tonight?”

  “Give me a couple days,” I requested, “There’s something else I need to take care of.”

  I talked to her a little while longer, asking how she was feeling and if she needed anything, to which she replied, “Yes, I need a wedding!”

  My next call was to Danny. “Holy shit, Jamie!” was how he answered his phone.

  “Can you believe it?”

  “I’m happy for you.”

  “Thanks,” I smiled.

  “Listen, I’ve gotten some calls from reporters.”

  “I knew you would. I hope you’re saying ‘no comment.’”

  “I have to,” he said, “If I say one word to anyone, there’s absolutely no chance Courtney will ever come around.”

  “I understand,” I said, “Have you talked to her? Did she get the flowers?”

  “I’m sure she did, but she still won’t call me back. I’ve left so many messages,” he said sadly.

  “Keep trying.”

  “I am. Actually, I’m at the Hallmark store right now. Do you think those cards with the songs in them are stupid?”

  I smiled sadly. My poor brother… “No, I don’t.”

  “Thanks.”

  Just as I hung up the phone, I felt Drew’s arms wrap around my waist. “What should we do for dinner?” he asked, “I’m starved.”

  “Listen, Drew, I have to go somewhere.”

  “Where?”

  “I’ll explain later. It’s really important. Will you stay here and be here when I get back?”

  “Sure,” he smiled.

  Fifteen minutes later, I was standing on Armitage Avenue, looking into the window of You Sexy Thing, You. It was almost 6:00 and the store would be closing then. I watched Courtney working. She was showing a woman several different bras. I could tell she was trying to act happy, but she didn’t fool me. She was acting robotically, seeming depressed, defeated almost.

  I took a deep breath and walked in. When the door opened, Courtney turned around to greet who she thought was a last minute customer. When she saw it was me standing in the doorway, however, her pleasant welcoming smile instantly turned to a cold frown. Her eyes got smaller and it made me scared of her.

  I smiled nervously and waved. She ignored me. I felt like she hated me. Could I blame her? I wondered if she’d seen or heard about the lottery earlier. If so, it obviously didn’t change her opinion of me.

  An older guy approached her. “I like this, but two hundred dollars? Come on…” he said, holding up a nightgown.

  “How much did you want to spend?” Courtney asked politely.

  “Less than a hundred.”

  “What a cheapskate,” I mumbled under my breath, feeling sorry for the girl who was getting a gift from this guy. I waited while Courtney showed him some other options. A few minutes later, Big Bucks finally decided on a white cotton tank top and pants that were on sale for seventy nine dollars. I felt like telling him he was making a huge mistake, but for my own good I kept my mouth shut while Courtney rang up the sale and said good-bye. The second the guy was out the door, her gracious demeanor turned ice-cold.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked. It was hard to believe that this was the same girl, who just a few nights earlier had said to me, “I’m so glad we ran into you guys! I had so much fun!” She had gone from treating me like a really good friend, to acting like the sight of me disgusted her.

  “I was hoping we could talk,” I said.

  “What’s there to talk about? All I have to do is read the tabloids tomorrow and I can find out all about you.”

  “I take it you saw the lottery.”

  “It’s all over facebook.”

  “Really?”

  “It doesn’t change the way I feel about you.”

  “I understand. Can I talk to you about Danny?”

  “Why bother? He’s a liar, just like you.”

  Ouch. This was worse than I thought.

  “Look,” Courtney continued, “Save yourself the time and energy. I have no interest in associating with you or your brother ever again. You both disgust me.”

  I stood there not knowing what to do. And then, it got worse. Horrifying, actually. Courtney put her head down and began to sob. I wondered if I should hug her, but I was afraid.

  “Please, just leave me alone,” she managed to say through tears.

  I turned to go. It was over. We had hurt this girl too much for her to ever let it go.

  “I’m really sorry,” I said softly. Then I walked out, feeling helplessness and defeat like never before. And that’s when I saw John walking toward me, waving and smiling. My ex-husband looked different. I barely recognized him, in fact. John, who was once a hot babe was now balding and a little on the chubby side.

  “Hey! It’s Miss Celebrity!” he exclaimed. Then he hugged me.

  I stood there frozen.

  “Due, you’re all over YouTube. You look amazing, way better than when we were married!”

  “Thanks,” I responded in an unemotional tone.

  “When I saw the video I almost died!” He went on and on about how he was sure I would end up on Jay Leno, and how he hoped I wouldn’t talk about him because he had a reputation to protect.

  I wasn’t really listening because all I could think about was Courtney, a wonderful woman who was just a few feet away from me, the girl my brother loved, and let’s be honest, the girl I loved, too. I had to do something. I had to get rid of t
his loser in front of me and run back in there.

  “Listen, I don’t mean to be rude but I really have to go,” I said to John.

  “Alright, but hey…” he grabbed my shoulders and that’s when I noticed a wedding ring on his left hand.

  “Are you married again?” I asked.

  “Oh…yeah” he said, nonchalantly, “But back to you. You’re something else! You’re famous! If you ever need a warm body in the middle of the night, I live on North Avenue and Damen, and I’m listed.” He added with a creepy chuckle, “My wife travels a lot.”

  I was stunned for a moment, and then I got my second wind.

  “John,” I said with a sugary smile.

  “Yeah?” he flirted.

  “You’re such a schmuck.” Then I rolled my shoulders back, held my head high, and marched back toward the door of You Sexy Thing, You.

  “Fame’s really gone to your head!” John shouted, “Bitch!”

  I never turned around to respond. He wasn’t worth it. Instead, I opened the door to the store and walked back in. I looked around for Courtney and called her name. Her head popped up from across the room. She was sitting on the floor on the other side of the store folding some underwear and putting them in drawers. I noticed that she’d stopped crying, but her eyes were really red and her mascara was a little bit smeared. I walked over and knelt down beside her. Gently, I asked, “Will you go somewhere with me?”

  Chapter 41

  I told the cab driver the address, and then I looked at Courtney and said, “I’m taking you to meet my mother.”

  “Why?”

  “Because if you meet her, I think you might understand things a little bit better.”

  Courtney didn’t respond, and neither of us said a word for the entire cab ride except at one point, she asked, “How’s Danny?”

  Secretly, I was elated when I heard the question because even though her sadness and anger clearly showed she still cared about my brother, her asking about him confirmed it.

  “Other than you two being apart, he’s pretty good.”

  The cab pulled up to Frankie’s building. When I went to pay the driver, my hand was shaking. Bringing this woman to meet Ma was just as scary if not scarier than it would be to bring Drew to meet her. Plus, I had no idea how Danny would feel if he knew I was doing this.

  We walked up the stairs and then I knocked on the door. I’d called Ma on my way to Courtney’s store and told her I might be bringing someone over, and that it wasn’t Drew.

  When Frankie opened the door, the first thing I noticed was how much better she looked. She was starting to look like herself again, recovering nicely from the surgery. Of course, chemotherapy was in her near future and she would be losing her hair and probably losing weight, and I certainly wasn’t looking forward to that. However, if poison was going to get her back to normal, it was well worth seeing her look and feel bad for a few months.

  “Hi Ma,” I said, hugging her. I stepped back and said, “This is Courtney. Courtney, this is our mother, Frankie Jacobson.”

  “Hello there,” Ma exclaimed with a wide grin, “What a nice surprise.”

  “Nice to meet you, Mrs. Jacobson,” said Courtney in a very businesslike tone. She extended a handshake. Ma shook it and then gave me a look, like she thought that was weird. It was hard not to giggle.

  “Come in, please…” Frankie said, leading us into the living room.

  “Hi, Jamie!” said Rose, with her usual enthusiasm.

  I loved this woman. She was always happy. Just the kind of roommate my mother needed right now. “Hi, Rose!” I said.

  “Sit down,” Frankie said, “Would anyone like something to drink?”

  “I just made lemonade,” offered Rose.

  “No, thank you,” replied Courtney, “I can’t stay long.”

  Ma looked really uncomfortable. Rose seemed like she had no clue what to say at this moment. We were all just sitting there, the tension in the room almost unbearable.

  “So, Courtney, I brought you here because I want you to know the whole story about my mother. She has breast cancer. That’s why she was so desperate for us to have children.”

  “Not that it makes what I did okay,” added Ma, “But I think fear makes people act a little crazy. At least that’s what happened to me.”

  “My mother really is a good person. She’s very selfless, and she’s a great mother.” I looked at Ma.

  “Thank you, sweetheart,” she said.

  “It’s true, Ma.”

  “I’m really sorry you have cancer, Mrs. Jacobson,” said Courtney.

  “Please, call me Frankie.”

  Courtney stood up, walked over to Ma and sat down next to her on the couch. “Frankie, I really mean it. You seem like a good person and I’m sorry I judged you without knowing all the facts.” She looked at me. “And I appreciate what you’re trying to do. But it doesn’t make a difference for Danny and me.”

  “Why not?” I urged, “Danny loves you. I’ve honestly never seen my brother like this.”

  Courtney’s eyes filled with tears and she stood up. “Frankie, I truly hope you get better soon. I think I should go.”

  “Before you leave,” Ma said, sounding loud and confident, “I’d like to tell you about the favor Danny asked of me. Is that alright?”

  “Okay,” replied Courtney.

  “My son called me and asked if I was willing to donate a large amount of money to the Endometriosis Association of America.”

  When I saw Courtney’s reaction, I felt the first glimpse of hope for Danny.

  “Really?” she asked.

  Ma nodded her head and smiled, and then Courtney pretty much just lost it. She broke down again and began to sob.

  “It’s okay,” said Ma, gently taking Courtney’s hand, “Really, I’m happy to do it, but I just want you to know what a good person Danny is.”

  Courtney looked up at her and nodded, tears streaming down her face. “I know he is.”

  The two women hugged and it was the best feeling in the world. I looked at Rose and she winked at me.

  “You seem like a wonderful girl,” Ma said to her, “I hope I get the chance to get to know you better.”

  “I hope so, too,” said Courtney, “Just give me a little time. Let me get used to everything.”

  “I understand,” said Frankie.

  We all headed for the door, and just before leaving Courtney turned to me. “Are you going to stay?”

  I nodded.

  “Thank you for bringing me here.”

  “Sure,” I smiled.

  Courtney dug through her purse, pulled out a business card and gave it to my mother. “Please call me if you need anything. I mean it.”

  Ma looked at the card. “Bernstein is your last name? Are you Jewish?!” she asked.

  Courtney and I both burst out laughing.

  “Are you sure you won’t stay for dinner?” Rose asked, “I’m making chicken parmesan.”

  “Thanks Rose. Another time?”

  “Any time!” Ma practically shouted.

  “Thanks,” she smiled. When she opened the door to go, her smile turned to shock. Standing there with his fist in a knocking position was my brother. He had the same look of surprise on his face.

  “Hi,” they both said at the same time.

  “What are you doing here?” he asked her. “What is she doing here?” he then asked the other three of us.

  “I brought her here,” I said, afraid to make eye contact with my brother.

  “I was just leaving,” said Courtney, “Walk me out?”

  “Okay, sure.”

  “Good-bye, everyone,” she said with a smile. She looked at Ma one last time and said, “Be well.”

  Ma blew her a kiss, and the second the door closed she said, “I love her!”

  “Me, too,” I said.

  The three of us sat and waited for Danny to come back up. A few minutes later, he walked through the door, looking both sad and happy at the same
time.

  “So, what happened?” asked Ma.

  Danny sat down. “She thanked me for the flowers.”

  “That’s good,” I said, trying to sound enthusiastic.

  “And she was really happy that I asked Ma to make a donation.”

  “Good!” said Ma, “Anything else?”

  Now he seemed sad. “She said she wants to be friends.”

  “Well, that’s a start,” said Rose.

  “I can’t be friends with her. I love her too much.”

  “That doesn’t make sense,” said Ma.

  “Give her a little time, Danny,” I said, “I can tell she really loves you.”

  “How?”

  “She cried.”

  “Right,” Rose added, “She cried.”

  “She cried hard,” I said.

  “When?”

  “When Ma told her about the donation.”

  Danny looked at me. “Thanks for trying, Jamie. I really appreciate what you did.”

  “You’re not mad?”

  “No,” he said with a big grin, “You’re a really good sister.”

  I smiled at him.

  “I don’t understand,” said Ma, “Courtney’s not a Jewish name.”

  It was nice to see Danny laugh.

  Chapter 42

  I went back to Ma’s place the next night, only this time, as promised I brought Drew. To say I was nervous to introduce him to Ma, the woman who’d hated every guy I’d ever brought home (except for Max) was putting it mildly.

  Rose answered the door. As always, she was a delight, so socially talented, making Drew feel comfortable right away. Frankie was another story. She made her grand entrance by walking out of her bedroom singing Frank Sinatra’s I’ve Got You Under My Skin, which made me pretty much want to crawl into a hole and die. Drew, however, seemed to think it was funny. Either that, or he was trying to suck up to his new girlfriend’s mother.

  “Ma, why are you singing?”

  “I’m happy,” she gushed, “happy that my daughter’s in love.”

  “Ma, this is Drew, Drew, this is my mother.”

  Ma extended her hand, “Frankie.”

  “Nice to meet you, Frankie,” Drew said with a big grin.