The Fortune Cookie Chronicles
 
Author: Cecilia
 
Email: cecihz@adinet.com.uy

Rated: all audiences (I´d love to be able to write an xxx fic, but even
when my imagination and my wallpapers take me far away many times, I don't
trust my writing skills-in English, at least-enough. So I´ll keep writing
for babies and enjoying the others´ R-rated stuff!)

I want to thank Niki, whose support makes life brighter and warmer in this
non-tg-lover corner; and Sainte Suz for her betareading, comments,
compliments and help. If there are mistakes it´s my fault, I keep changing
little things while reading!


 
--+--


Nick Fallin reaches across the linen-topped table for the dark
leather credit card folder. Sitting on top of the folder are fortune
cookies and he carefully chooses one. He then snaps the crispy,
wafer delicacy in two, as the cookie's contents falls onto the
table. Very carefully, he picks up the tiny, paper fortune and
unrolls it in his fingers.

"Nick?!..."

Even though he recognizes the voice, he keeps reading the paper. He isn’t
reading at all: He is stunned by his own reaction to her voice. After
everything that has happened he is feeling the same anger and frustration
she used to bring him.

"Nick!" This time the voice is too close to ignore and he turns his head.
Lulu is walking towards him, smiling and as beautiful as he remembers, her
shiny hair touching her shoulders, a little fuller, her dimples still
giving her that childish air.

"I didn’t believe my eyes! But your head it’s so…yours! Wow, you look as
good as usual. Years don’t pass by your door, do they!" Lulu hugs him,
drops her briefcase and takes his hand in hers, seemingly oblivious to his
cold reception.

"Hey, you can say something…Nick? Can I sit? Do you have time for a coffee?"

"Uh, yes…how are you doing?"

Lulu decides to ignore his tone and sits in front of him, still holding his
hand.

"Great! I’m just great! I’m back to work again this week, you know, after
the baby."

Nick’s face clearly says he doesn’t know and he isn’t ease with the situation, 
to say the least.
She releases his hand and keeps silent for a minute.

"Barb told me about you and your family… I was really happy for you… I mean
I am…How does it feel parenting twins?" 
 
She giggles, imagining him with two toddlers around.

"I don’t know-" he looks down, smiling slightly.  "I never had a single so I
can’t compare-" He looks at her with a gleam in his eyes.

Lulu laughs and taps his arm. "You fool!"

Ten minutes before she wasn’t able to remember Nick’s eyes and now she has
the feeling she is drowning into them. She feels unsettled. She has spent
the last three years building a new life and she loves Steve and the
children. Calling the waitress is the way she finds to escape his look.

"I’d like a cup of tea, please."

"Coffee."

A painful cloud of silence falls over them and Lulu feels unable to pierce
it. Seeing Nick was so unexpected that she didn’t stop to think before
running to him. Now, after her failed attempt to talk she realizes it was a
bad idea. Really bad. The sadness she had left behind so long ago is there
again, like a sticky stain.  Sipping her tea, Lulu makes another effort to break 
the ice.

"Can I have a cookie?" She asks, taking one before the answer comes.


"Sure."

Lulu breaks it open, reads it and starts to laugh loudly. She passes the
tiny paper to Nick, who broadly smiles for the first time.  She sighs.

"I know it’s pointless to have a conversation after all this time. I just
want you to know that I loved you. I did. I don’t know what happened or why
I ran away. I was probably scared or worried that things could turn bad. I
guess I couldn’t bear more sorrow and you seemed so distant sometimes!
I’m sorry…I know I hurt you…I was so glad for you when I heard you were
getting married.  You are one of the sweetest memories that I have and ever will 
…I’d like to
believe you have forgiven me…Have you?"

Nick stands up and puts some bills on the table.

"I have work to do, Lulu… and a plane to catch. But you can finish your tea."

"No, its ok …it was just an excuse to talk to you..."

She holds her briefcase and follows him to the street. She stands still,
looking at him. She feels that she is about to cry.

"What did you call it?"

"She. It’s a she-" Lulu recalls her baby and this enlightens her again. She
smiles.  "Rose."

Nick barely touches her face with his fingertips.

"Does she have dimples?"

"Yes, she does…"

The warmth of the afternoon sun seems to reach them.

"Goodbye, Lulu"

"Goodbye, Nick"

Nick moves on. When he reaches the corner, he turns and smiles. She waves
and starts to walk away.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

After the couple left, the waitress takes the bills, picks up the cups and
cleans the table. She reads the little papers they left behind, wondering
if they have meant something to their customers:

“The social scene can be fun today.”

“You are what you are when no one is looking.”


fin