No Strings Attached(48)

“How about I take you to the movies this afternoon?” she asked. “We’ll go to Gigi’s after.”

✶ ✶ ✶

Micky had let the kids pick the movie, and it had been an unbelievably violent affair with supposed superheroes beating the crap out of everything. Perhaps she was getting too old for some things. Surprisingly, after they exited the theatre, Olivia’s mood had brightened entirely, and she and Chris dissected the action parts of the movie with enthusiastic voices, agreeing on most things. This made Micky care less about the violent—and frankly ridiculous—nature of the film. She was just glad her teenagers were getting along for once.

When they arrived at the ice-cream parlor, while she was contemplating whether she could get away with ordering two scoops—it was Sunday after all—the first person she saw was Darren. Then her glance landed on the woman who was accompanying him. That picture Chris had shown her that morning didn’t do her justice. It was as though some sort of force field radiated from her, the way her skin glowed and her eyes sparkled.

“Dad!” Olivia shouted when she clocked them.

“Hey, guys.” Darren rose and threw his arms around Liv, then gave Chris a pat on the shoulder.

“Micky.” He tensed when he approached Micky and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. They weren’t exactly estranged—just divorced. Still, Micky thought it was funny how things could go in life. Falling in love, getting married, and spending time on that fluffy cloud of love where everything seemed perfect. Having children and going through the subsequent trials and triumphs. Having a life so tied to another person’s, you can’t ever imagine not being with them. Until it’s all you want. “What a surprise. Please, meet Lisa.”

If she didn’t know him better, she would have guessed Darren was gloating—but he really wasn’t the type. He was probably feeling very uncomfortable about having to introduce his ex-wife to his new girlfriend in front of their children.

Lisa had already jumped out of her seat. God, the woman was tiny—petite but beautiful. Perhaps, once the day came that everything was out in the open and she and Darren had reached a space where they could just be friends again, they could compare women. “You picked a very striking one,” Micky imagined herself saying. Inadvertently, she tried to gauge what Darren would think of Robin. The thought just popped into her head, even though it had no business being there. Robin still hadn’t texted back, which was for the best. What did Micky expect? A big love declaration? Yeah right.

“So nice to meet you, Micky.” She stretched out her hand. Micky thanked her lucky stars that she wasn’t the hugging type. Micky shook Lisa’s hand and was relieved to find it a bit clammy.

“Do you want to join us?” Darren asked.

“Sure.” Micky could hardly say no. She might as well get this over with.

After they had all ordered their ice cream, sat huddled around a too small table, and had discussed the movies they had seen—the new Woody Allen for Darren and Lisa, though Micky couldn’t for the life of her remember Darren ever saying a word about Woody Allen movies—the first awkward silence descended.

“So you work at Goodwin Stark,” Micky said. Although it was a perfectly acceptable question, asking it had an unmistakable connection to Robin. Perhaps, if the children weren’t there, she would have asked Lisa more about Goodwin Stark’s glamorous new Diversity Manager, but now, she really couldn’t.

“We actually kind of have the same job,” Darren said. He looked into Lisa’s eyes when he said it. Christ, he was smitten. As happy as she could rationally be for him, it was still odd to see her ex-husband mooning over another woman like this.

Lisa explained her job, which did sound a lot like Darren’s, but if Micky was really being honest, she had lost track of Darren’s career a decade ago. All she knew was that twelve-hour days were more normal than not, and that he was very handsomely paid for all the time he spent away from his family. Good for him that he’d found a girlfriend who worked the same hours as he did. And that the children were growing up fast. In fact, she pondered, Darren really was starting over. Something Micky had yet to accomplish. Though she did have a job now. And she’d had her first sexual encounter with a woman. Despite not having actually said the word out loud, not even to Amber, Micky knew she was a lesbian. At least she was no longer in denial about that. That was progress.

“How about you come to dinner at mine next Saturday, Micky?” Darren asked, seemingly out of the blue, though Micky had been zoned out of the conversation. “I could invite Josh and Charlotte. They’ve been asking after you.”