Up & Out - Ariella Papa [100]
“So you don’t want to go, Rebecca?” he asks, not looking my way.
“No, no thanks.”
“Is that your dad, Tommy?” Nancy points to a picture of Tommy and Robert De Niro who he met once. I can’t believe she doesn’t know that. That’s got to turn Tommy off, in spite of the skinny ass.
“No, it’s Bobby D. He’s an actor. So we’ll see you later, Rebecca,” Tommy says.
“See ya,” I say.
“It was nice meeting you,” Nancy says genuinely.
“You, too,” I say, smiling as brightly as I can.
When they’re gone, I stare up at Bobby D and Tommy. I took that picture of them. I can’t believe Tommy is all right dating someone who doesn’t even know who his favorite actor is. But what I really can’t believe was how Tommy barely looked at me the entire time he was in the room. He wasn’t intentionally ignoring me, but I guess in the past whenever we’ve been near each other, I have been certain that he was paying full attention to me. Now that he isn’t doing it anymore I realize that is what he did.
I wait up for Tommy. I’m working on my concepts. They are still very rough, but it’s starting to come together. Tommy comes in at a respectable eleven-thirty. I can tell that he is alone. I am going to quietly listen to see what he does and not approach him. I don’t want to appear to care too much. I hear him humming as he walks toward my room.
He knocks. I use my most carefree voice and say, “Come in.”
When he opens the door, I can see a change in him. He is glowing. I suck in my breath.
“Hey, are you all right?” he asks. He doesn’t lose his smile. I think he is in love.
“Fine,” I say, swallowing. “How was your date?”
“Great,” he says. I think I see him close his eyes for a second.
“Great,” I say.
“I think…” He looks away and decides not to say what he is going to say. “She has such a funny and cool way of looking at the world.”
“Mmm,” I say, nodding. I have to be happy for him. If this friendship is going to work like I want it to, I can’t be selfish for no reason. “She seems really nice.”
“She is. She thought you were great, too.” He is even talking differently, like his whole persona has turned upside down. He wasn’t supposed to find someone else first. He was supposed to wait patiently while I did.
“How’s the stuff coming?” He gestures to my notebooks.
“It’s going okay.”
“I don’t see any sketches.”
“I’m just doing concepts,” I say. I know he doesn’t want to be talking about this, but he is trying not to harp on her for my sake. “I don’t want to tie it down to animated or live action.”
“That’s a good idea.”
“Thanks. When are you going to see her again?” I know he thinks he needs permission to talk about her to me. I can see the relief on his face.
“Well, I’ll probably see her in the park tomorrow. I was actually thinking of making dinner for her tomorrow night. Do you mind?”
“No,” I say really fast. “You know, Lauryn is coming in and we are going to Nobu.”
“Oh, wow, you are going to love that.” Now I think he is trying to establish how close we are, how well he knows me. It’s my consolation prize.
“Yeah,” I say. I feel my eyes narrow. No, I have to be positive. I have to help him through this whole dating thing in the way he helps me with everything. “Do you want me to help you? You know, think of something to make.”
“Rebecca.” He smiles and shakes his head. “I was going to ask. I totally want you to. Will you?”
“Sure,” I reply, smiling. Tommy can cook some Portuguese specialties and that’s about it. “We want to impress the girl.”
“Thank you so much.”
“No problem.” I shrug. I glance back at my notebook just so I can make sure I won’t have any tears in my eyes.
“I feel so happy that I can talk to you about this.”
“You know you can,” I say, smiling again. “You always can.”
“Thanks. You know there is no one who knows me better than you.”
“I know,” I say, and look back at my notebook.
20
Good Fortune
I help Tommy prep all the food for his big dinner. We are making crab cakes and fresh tomato salad. I picked the tomatoes out myself this morning at the Union Square Market from