Things I Want My Daughters to Know_ A Novel - Elizabeth Noble [36]
Stephen made the grave error of turning to look at her, a smart retort on the tip of his tongue, and fell hard on the ice. He actually felt sick at the impact. When she skated over, contrite and sympathetic, to help him stand up, he grinned sheepishly at her. “Except snow isn’t this bloody hard!”
BY DECEMBER 31, THEY HAD TICKED ALL THE TOURIST BOXES EXCEPT the Circle Line cruise around the island, which only a raving idiot would attempt at these temperatures. They spent the afternoon in Macy’s, buying cheap Levi’s and Calvin Klein underpants. The crowds gathering to watch some ball drop in Times Square on New Year’s Eve started to thicken in earnest at around 6:00 P.M. The police herded them like sheep through an elaborate system of fences toward their target. It was freezing cold. Even wearing hats, gloves, scarves, and their thickest coats, and even in the midst of a pressing, eager crowd, Jennifer was so cold that her face hurt, and her feet felt like they might shatter. At 9:00 P.M., by mutual agreement, they had abandoned their plan to wait for midnight, and come back to the hotel, while you could still extricate yourself from the crowd. Stephen had run her a hot bath and ordered a cheeseburger and chips for them both from room service. She was luxuriating in the bath, enjoying sensation returning to her feet, while he gazed out of the window at the ever-increasing crowd milling around below.
“They must be crazy. All to watch some ball drop.”
“But it was exciting out there—the atmosphere and everything. Bet it’s great when the music starts.”
“Bet it’s not that great. There’s hardly any room to stand upright, let alone dance.”
“I’d like to have seen when they drop all the confetti and stuff.”
“Yeah, well, I’d rather watch it from up here.”
“You’re getting middle-aged.”
“Watch it!”
HE APPEARED AT THE BATHROOM DOOR, CLUTCHING TWO MINIATURE bottles of champagne he’d procured from the minibar.
“They’re not that cold, but there’s that ice machine out on the landing. I’ll be back in a minute.”
“Don’t they cost more than a full bottle bought outside the hotel?”
“Oh, give it a rest, Ebenezer. It’s New Year’s Eve!”
Back with the ice, bottles plunged into it to chill, Stephen pulled his sweater over his head.
“Shift over. I’m coming in. Bags you get the tap end. You’ve already been soaking for half an hour….”
Jennifer smiled and turned around in the water, laying her head to the left of the taps. He climbed in, but the bath wasn’t really big enough for both of them, and he sat, with his knees clasped to his chest, looking uncomfortable, until she laughed and climbed out, bubbles running down her legs onto the bath mat.
“Here…you have a go on your own.”
She put on a dressing gown and went to the window, toweling her hair. She loved the city. It throbbed with life, twenty-four hours a day.
Mum and Mark had had a honeymoon of sorts here—just a weekend. Mum said it was her favorite place on earth. Jennifer could see why—it would suit her mum.
STEPHEN WAS CALLING AGAIN, FROM THE BATH.
“You know what we should do?”
She walked over to the doorway and leaned against the frame, watching him, and hoping this new plan of his didn’t involve getting dressed up and heading out into the cold night again.
“What should we do?”
“We should make a baby.”
“Right now?!”
“Well, not right now, obviously—there are burgers on their way. Tonight. A New Year’s Eve, New York baby. Can you get a U.S. passport if you’re conceived here?”
“Don’t think so.”
“No matter. You’d still have been conceived here. Great place to get made.”
“Are you serious?”
“Perfectly.”
She shook her head, smiling, and not quite certain how in earnest he was.
“Think about it. A baby conceived tonight would be born in…what…September? Don’t you remember what an easy ride the September kids had at school? They were always the oldest ones in the year.”
“You’ve really been thinking about this, haven’t you?”
“Not really.” He grinned. “But why not?”
“Are you