COUNTERPOINT
An original romantic serialFrom Alina Adams the author of "When a Man Loves a Woman" (DELL 4/00), "Annie's Wild Ride" (AVON 8/98), "Inside Figure Skating" (METROBOOKS 11/00 & 9/99), "Thieves at Heart" (AVON 12/95) and "The Fictitious Marquis" (AVON 6/95)
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CHAPTER 62
Nicole was having a very full week. What with Victoria threatening her, her marrying Gabriel, and now this -- who could blame her for feeling a touch overwhelmed?
"You?" She asked Robin. "YOU are asking ME -- "
"You heard what I asked you."
"And so charmingly, too."
"I figured the two of us were beyond the Prince Charming stage."
"And obviously beyond the simple politeness one, too."
"Oh, come on, Nicole. It's me. It's me and it's you and we know how this game works. You're the one who kept saying you're the only one who understands me. Well, understand me now. Don't make this hard for either one of us. Come on, babe, this is what you claimed you always wanted."
"And what might that be?" She was playing it cool, although, inside, Nicole felt like even her lungs were trembling. Nevertheless, she thought that if she played it cool, she might be able to understand what exact trick Robin had up his sleeve now, and stop him before he utterly humiliated her. Because, obviously, that's what this had to be about. What else could it possibly be about, after all?
"Me," Robin answered. "You said it over and over and over again. You want me. Well, this is it -- you've got me. I give up. I surrender. No more fighting it. You and me, Nicole, we're soul-mates, destined to be together for all time."
"You're full of it, Robin."
"I'm just quoting your own words, darling."
"Go away."
"No."
"Fine, then, I'll leave."
Nicole headed for the door. Robin grabbed her by the arm. "No."
She turned to face him, more exasperated than anything else. "Whatever game you're playing, haven't you had enough?"
"I'm not kidding, Nicole," Robin squeezed her arm tighter and he looked into her eyes with an intensity and passion he'd never quite managed to summon up all during their marriage. "I'm leaving San Francisco for good. Come with me and you can name your price -- "
"Oh, you are being romantic."
"I'll give you anything you want. This time, I promise, it's going to be exactly the way you've always wanted it."
After his chat with Victoria, wherein they both admitted to currently being embroiled in a pair of less than functional relationships, Gabriel bid his sister good-bye and headed home after a thirty-six hour shift at the clinic, intending to shower, nap, and change clothes.
He hadn't even parked his own car when he noticed Robin's across the street from his apartment. Gabriel figured the Cooper heir wasn't in the neighborhood scouting out bachelor pads.
He looked from the car up to his apartment window. Through the half open blinds, Gabriel could make out his brother deep in conversation with Nicole.
Gabriel's wife.
He considered going upstairs to break up the intimate tete-a-tete. He considered charging in like the betrayed husband, expletives and fists flying at an equally zippy rate. He considered throwing Robin out bodily, then grabbing his wife and kissing her as fiercely and as desperately as he'd been wanting to for months.
He considered telling Nicole, to hell with waiting for her to come to him. She was his wife, she belonged to him and that was that. None of this Robin Cooper crap.
He knew he could do it. Gabriel had tussled with men a great deal more muscular, not to mention angrier and seedier than Robin. If he wanted to, he knew he could dispose of his brother without so much as irritating his recently healed back.
And as for Nicole, Gabriel knew it wouldn't take much. She was eager to please, so guilt-ridden when it came to him, that she would do anything he said or asked or commanded without a peep of protest. He could play on her insecurities and vulnerabilities, and she could be his in minutes. All Gabriel had to do was request it.
Except that, for the life of him, Gabriel couldn't see how that wouldn't put him in the same category as a rapist. Or a professional seducer. Like Robin.
He looked up again at the window.
Nicole and Robin were still talking.
Gabriel put his car into reverse gear, and drove away.
"I'll give you anything you want," Robin said. "This time, I promise, it's going to be exactly the way you've always wanted it."
Nicole wrenched her arm out of his grip. She rubbed it, even though he hadn't hurt her. She just didn't like the touch of him on her skin. Not anymore.
"You're lying."
"Probably." He switched tactics, and went from feverish intensity to boyish charm. It wouldn't be the first time she was mesmerized by his dimples, after all. "How about, this time, I promise it will be... better."
"Setting the bar pretty low there, aren't you, Robin?"
"I need you, Nicole."
The yearning with which he said it might have moved another woman. Except that Nicole had heard it all before.
"Take a cold shower. Or order take-out."
"I didn't mean it like that."
"You always mean it like that."
"Not this time."
"Why not?"
"I -- I've grown up."
"Like hell you have."
"I realized how much I hurt you."
"That isn't maturity, Robin, that's recognizing the obvious."
"I want to make it up to you."
"No, you don't."
"Damn it, why are you doing this? I thought you'd be happy. I thought I was finally giving you what you wanted."
"You mean, you're give me you? Wrapped up like a puppy at Christmas time with a ribbon around it's neck?"
"Come with me, Nicole. This is your last chance, I'm warning you."
She laughed. It tasted bitter. And she said, "Oh, no, darling. You're not the only one who's matured recently. Don't you think I know what you're doing? Don't you think I know that you're the one facing your last chance?"
His original plans for the afternoon scuttled, and with an unexpected couple of hours to kill, Gabriel figured he might as well bite the bullet and do the one thing he'd been avoiding for weeks, all the while knowing that it would have to be done sometime.
He went to see Douglas.
No, he went to see his father.
It was a surprise to them both.
Douglas didn't know what to say. Neither did Gabriel. So, for a beat, they just stood there, staring at each other across Douglas' office desk, identically mute.
"Well," Gabriel observed, as much to crack the tension as to have something to say. "I guess we're definitely related. Tell me, Douglas, do we Coopers come from a long line of mimes?"
Douglas smiled. Gabriel secretly exhaled. At least dear old dad had a sense of humor. Somehow, Gabriel had always assumed that money bred that quality right out of a man.
"It's good to see you," Douglas said. "Thank you for -- thank you for stopping by."
Okay, now they'd exhausted that topic of conversation. Time for another tack. Gabriel said, "I talked to Robin a little while ago. About my moth - about Beth."
"Yes. Robin told me. I hope he gave you what you needed."
"He was surprisingly kind," Gabriel conceded.
"Good."
"Yes."
"Yes, well, you know, Gabriel, if there is anything I can do for -- anything I can do." Douglas stopped. He looked away for a moment, and he took a deep breath. "It's ridiculous, isn't it? Me asking if there is anything I can do for you. You're a grown man. You have a life and a career and a family that has nothing to do with me. I can regret it, but I suppose it's foolish to think I can change it. We're strangers. There's nothing you need from me."
"Well, to be honest, I can't think of anything, no," Gabriel said, somewhat surprised by Douglas Cooper's unsentimental grasp of the situation. Frankly, he'd been expecting much more of a call to Cooper blood. It was a relief not to be rushed, and not to feel compelled to either reject or lie.
"I thought as much."
"Yes," Gabriel said.
"Yes," Douglas said. And sighed.