Read Online Bundle of Joy? by Ariella Papa - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Ariella Papa
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the “you are so dumb, of course I would sacrifice ever again tasting ginger beer and dark rum mixed in an amazing concoction if I could only get Raj’s wayward sperm to find my egg” laugh.
Our salads came—seaweed for her, house with ginger dressing for me. I ordered a Sapporo. “So give me the dirt on the latest installment of Three’s Company. How is she, really?”
“Not bad, honestly. We went out for drinks last night.”
Jamie looked shocked. “Wow!”
“What?”
“That’s pretty big.”
“What do you mean?”
She kind of laughed. “I don’t know, you just don’t usually, like, like people.”
“I know, but she seems nice.” I didn’t say that I was probably so open to it because I didn’t want to be alone.
“I’m sure she is, but I rarely hear you say that about anyone.”
“Maybe I’m changing,” I said, twisting my face from side to side so she could see the possibilities. Our meals arrived before she could say anything else.
“Hey, how was your cousin’s party?” Jamie asked, stirring up the egg in her bi bim bop.
“Can I get a fork?” I asked the waitress. I never learned to use chopsticks. I figured, I’m a westerner, I use western silverware. “Fine,” I said to Jamie.
“So, how was your mom?”
“She was…herself. You know, I should be more like Georgia or my other cousins Roula, Toula, and Sula—I know it’s ridiculous—and marry a Greek man.”
“I can’t believe she actually can mention men to you.”
“As long as it could be sanctioned by the church and I promised to only use sex to give her male grandchildren, it would be all right.”
“Jeez.”
I thought about telling her about Helen, but for some reason I never talked about my sisters to Jamie anymore. And since I didn’t talk about them to her, I didn’t talk about them to anyone. If she had been home when I called, I probably would have told her. But it was a new day and I didn’t think I had the energy to mess with my emotions again.
“How’s Georgia?”
“She’s good. You know her. Well, you don’t really, but you know that she brings it all back to mental illness.”
“Right.” She continued to play with her meal. “So, I looked at the tapes of the finalists for Raj’s show.”
“Oh, I love those.” There was nothing better than seeing how far people would go to get on TV. “Do you have any left for me to see? Has Raj agreed to let me write about them yet, anonymously?”
“Well, you’re going to have to take that up with him, but I do have one.” She reached into her bag and pushed a VHS across the table. I picked it up. The name on the sticky was “Warren Tucker.” My mouth dropped. It had been so long since I had thought about that name, and yet, somehow I think I thought about him every day. Mr. Number Two of my two-and-a-half.
“Wow!” I couldn’t quite get my voice back to say anything more.
“I know, I couldn’t believe it. Remember when you had that crush on him? Remember that night?”
“Yeah.” I nodded. “I think I do.”
“Now, he wants to be Mr. Right…Now.”
“Oh panayia mou, ” I exclaimed in Greek. “Can we get some ice cream tempura?”
“Sure.” She ordered it. “Voul, are you okay?”
“How was it?” I asked, gesturing to the tape.
“Well, he is almost as cute as he was when he worked at the pub with us. I don’t know. I didn’t watch the whole thing, just saw the intro. The weird thing for me was thinking this guy, you know, pushing thirty guy, wanting to be on TV like everyone else in America is Warren Tucker. The Warren Tucker.”
“Oh.” I dropped my face into my hands. Was everyone deciding to resurface in my life all at once? Dan the Man, Helen, and now, oh, now Warren.
“Are you sure you want to see the tape?” Jamie said, reaching across the table to take it back.
“Yes!” I practically screamed. “I’ll watch it…when I’m ready.”
We got our fried ice cream and talked about what the weather
Our salads came—seaweed for her, house with ginger dressing for me. I ordered a Sapporo. “So give me the dirt on the latest installment of Three’s Company. How is she, really?”
“Not bad, honestly. We went out for drinks last night.”
Jamie looked shocked. “Wow!”
“What?”
“That’s pretty big.”
“What do you mean?”
She kind of laughed. “I don’t know, you just don’t usually, like, like people.”
“I know, but she seems nice.” I didn’t say that I was probably so open to it because I didn’t want to be alone.
“I’m sure she is, but I rarely hear you say that about anyone.”
“Maybe I’m changing,” I said, twisting my face from side to side so she could see the possibilities. Our meals arrived before she could say anything else.
“Hey, how was your cousin’s party?” Jamie asked, stirring up the egg in her bi bim bop.
“Can I get a fork?” I asked the waitress. I never learned to use chopsticks. I figured, I’m a westerner, I use western silverware. “Fine,” I said to Jamie.
“So, how was your mom?”
“She was…herself. You know, I should be more like Georgia or my other cousins Roula, Toula, and Sula—I know it’s ridiculous—and marry a Greek man.”
“I can’t believe she actually can mention men to you.”
“As long as it could be sanctioned by the church and I promised to only use sex to give her male grandchildren, it would be all right.”
“Jeez.”
I thought about telling her about Helen, but for some reason I never talked about my sisters to Jamie anymore. And since I didn’t talk about them to her, I didn’t talk about them to anyone. If she had been home when I called, I probably would have told her. But it was a new day and I didn’t think I had the energy to mess with my emotions again.
“How’s Georgia?”
“She’s good. You know her. Well, you don’t really, but you know that she brings it all back to mental illness.”
“Right.” She continued to play with her meal. “So, I looked at the tapes of the finalists for Raj’s show.”
“Oh, I love those.” There was nothing better than seeing how far people would go to get on TV. “Do you have any left for me to see? Has Raj agreed to let me write about them yet, anonymously?”
“Well, you’re going to have to take that up with him, but I do have one.” She reached into her bag and pushed a VHS across the table. I picked it up. The name on the sticky was “Warren Tucker.” My mouth dropped. It had been so long since I had thought about that name, and yet, somehow I think I thought about him every day. Mr. Number Two of my two-and-a-half.
“Wow!” I couldn’t quite get my voice back to say anything more.
“I know, I couldn’t believe it. Remember when you had that crush on him? Remember that night?”
“Yeah.” I nodded. “I think I do.”
“Now, he wants to be Mr. Right…Now.”
“Oh panayia mou, ” I exclaimed in Greek. “Can we get some ice cream tempura?”
“Sure.” She ordered it. “Voul, are you okay?”
“How was it?” I asked, gesturing to the tape.
“Well, he is almost as cute as he was when he worked at the pub with us. I don’t know. I didn’t watch the whole thing, just saw the intro. The weird thing for me was thinking this guy, you know, pushing thirty guy, wanting to be on TV like everyone else in America is Warren Tucker. The Warren Tucker.”
“Oh.” I dropped my face into my hands. Was everyone deciding to resurface in my life all at once? Dan the Man, Helen, and now, oh, now Warren.
“Are you sure you want to see the tape?” Jamie said, reaching across the table to take it back.
“Yes!” I practically screamed. “I’ll watch it…when I’m ready.”
We got our fried ice cream and talked about what the weather