CHAPTER 4
The Freedman family and friends gather at Giorgio's for the Christening of Charlotte and Cooper's third grandchild. Broken Spell plays soft pop-rock style music for the event.
Andie strolls around carrying Michael Nikolas in his white Christening gown. Harper Ava is wearing a light blue party dress. She holds holds onto her grandma, Charlotte's hand, while Cooper holds two year old Charley in his arms. Charley rests his head on Cooper's shoulder, sucking vigorously on his thumb.
"Congratulations, again!" Violet and Pete approach Charlotte and Cooper. Violet toussles Charley's red hair. "I love it." She smiles. Charley turns his head the other way facing into Cooper's neck. "Is he shy?" Violet asks.
"He doesn't know you." Cooper replies. "You spend half the year in Maine."
"And we love it there." Pete adds. "We've got a home on the east coast and a home on the west, what can be better than that?"
"Thank you for coming home for this." Cooper hugs Violet and shakes Pete's hand. "How is the second home in Maine coming along?"
"We're finally living the dream. It's so beautiful in the fall when the leaves are changing and picturesque in the winter." Violet beams. "You'll have to come visit us and see it for yourselves."
"Yes." Charlotte nods. "Noah told us it was *wicked* when he and Marley visited you. It seems lately whenever my son is on a shool break he chooses to stay on the east coast."
"Don't worry." Pete grins. "We'll take care of your boy if he decides to stay on the east coast."
Amelia and Sheldon walk over to greet everyone.
"So, I understand you're one of the last of us old-timers still working at the practice?" Pete asks Amelia.
"Yep. It's Surfside Wellness Clinic now. It's just me, Jolie and we call in Addison in if we have an interesting Ob-Gyn case."
Addison joins the group with a martini in her hand. "They can't get rid of me, can't have my mind to go to mush if I stop working completely."
Sheldon informs Pete. "Lucas is doing an excellent job running things when Amelia and Jolie can't be around. He's a hard worker."
Cooper adds. "Surfside Wellness will do great with Chase, Lucas and Danielle running it one day."
Charlotte sighs. "And hopefully one day Noah and Marley will come back home to work with them."
"Speak of the devils." Cooper gestures to Noah and Marley walking in the front entrance of Giorgio's.
Charlotte hurries over to Noah, giving him a tight hug. "Relax, momma. You do know I'm staying at your house for a few days while I'm in town for the Christening? We'll have plenty of time to catch up."
Marley hugs Cooper. "Congratulations on becoming a grandpa again."
"Thank you. I can't wait until you and Noah start having babies." Cooper hugs Marley.
"Dad!" Noah's face turns red. "Can you hold off with the baby talk until we're out of med school?"
Charlotte warns. "Don't rush them, Coop."
Broken Spell starts jammimg on stage. "That's my poppa!" Harper yells out, making sure everyone knows. "That's my poppa!"
Drew and Sarah head out onto the dance floor along with Dylan and Lila. Seven year old Harper bops around to her father's music. Danielle and Lucas's five year old daughter joins her. "Do it like this!" Harper instructs five year old Rosie.
Rosie shakes her light brown hair around while wiggling to the music, copying Harper. "Am I doing it right, Harper?"
"Now do this." Harper shakes her whole body up and down.
"K" Rosie copies, wiggling up and down to the music while whipping her hair around.
Pete laughs. "Lucas and Nicky are going to have to buy a shotgun to keep the boys away when those two girls are older."
Cooper grins. "Paybacks a bitch."
"Where did Harper learn to dance like that?" Marley asks Noah as they walk onto the dance floor.
"Uh...her father is the lead singer of the band. How can she not dance like that?" Noah reminds.
Marley watches Harper bounce around the dance floor now. "No wonder they all call her rabbit. I feel like we're missing out on so much of her life since we've been away at school. She's getting so big."
"I guess." Noah shrugs.
"Don't you miss your family here in LA?" Marley gets in position to dance with Noah.
"How does that saying go?" Noah thinks. "I love my close family as long as they're in another city."
Marley laughs, looking at her own mother dancing with her father, Cole. "Ain't that the truth."
Tess walks in with Chase now. "Look at Harper go!" Tess points her out on the dance floor to Chase. "Nicky's teaching her how to move like a rock star."
"Yep." Chase nods. "Harper's a daddy's girl. I'd love to have a daddy's girl one day."
"Oh would you stop already." Tess playfully nudges Chase.
Andie over hears them and tells Tess. "Harper loves to go in to work with Nicky and watch Broken Spell practice. She's definitely her daddy's little girl."
"Who's that woman in the red dress out on the dance floor?" Tess gestures to a pretty brunette with long bouncy curls.
"I don't know." Andie replies.
"That's Michelle." Chase tells them.
"Who's Michelle?" Tess asks.
"She's a new nurse at Surfside Wellness."
"Oh?" Andie asks. "Is that the one you were telling Nicky about? You said she was a huge fan of Broken Spell?"
"She'd be the one." Chase smiles, watching Michelle dance. "Nicky said to invite her down to watch them play."
"Nicky's good to his fans." Andie tells. "He'd give any one of them the shirt off his back."
Chase laughs. "He has. I've seen him take off his shirt and throw it into the crowd during his concerts"
Andie shakes her head, watching Nicky perform on stage. "My husband is a crowd pleaser."
"And his fans love him for it but at least you know he's in your bed at night." Tess smirks.
Andie watches Michelle rock out to Nicky's band. "She's beautiful." Andie Comments. "Why's she a nurse? She could be a supermodel."
"Michelle may be beautiful but she's not shallow about her looks." Chase tells them. "She's a dedicated nurse and a hard worker."
"You're obviously a big fan of hers." Tess ribs Chase. She trusts him, she's not the least bit concerned about her fiance being attracted to the pretty new nurse he works with.
"Do you want to dance?" Chase asks Tess. He takes her by the hand to the dance floor.
After ten minutes of dancing Tess starts to feel a little light headed. "I'm going to sit this one out." She tells him.
"Are you okay? He asks.
"Yeah, I rushed home from work to change for the party. I haven't ate anything since this morning. It's catching up to me."
"Okay, go grab something to eat." He gives her a sweet kiss on the forehead. "Do you mind if I ask Michelle to dance? She doesn't know many people here."
"Not a problem." Tess steals a kiss from him before sitting down at a table near the dance floor. She grabs a roll out of a bread basket on the table and bites into it to combat the light headedness. She watches Chase dance with Michelle for a few minutes before she decides to look at the calendar on her phone in search of a wedding date. As she looks at the calendar she just notices that she's four days late. She's never really been this late before, but she's normally on the pill so her periods are regular. She stopped taking it two months ago at her doctor's suggestion to give her body a break since she's been on it for years. She's been using condoms with Chase but remembers the condoms broke on more than one occasion this past month because Chase bought the wrong size. Now, she's worried. She's not going to be able to focus on anything else until she knows for sure. She walks up to Andie. "I got called into the hospital. I have to step out a minute but I'll be back as soon as I can." Tess grabs another buttered dinner roll to eat off of Andie's table.
"No, problem." Andie tells her.
"Hopefully, I'll be back before anyone notices I'm gone but if they do can you explain?" Tess bites into the roll. She doesn't want to drive if she's light headed.
"No, problem." Andie watches Tess leave.
After about five minutes, Chase walks back to the table. He looks around for Tess. Michelle follows him. Chase asks if anyone knows where Tess is, nobody knows. He finally asks Andie. "Oh yeah." Andie tells him. "Tess got called into work. She said she'll try not to be too long."
"Thanks." Chase sighs and Andie walks off.
"What's wrong?" Michelle notices the grimace on Chase's face.
"I'm just thinking if this is how life's going to be once Tess and I get married." Chase takes a seat at the table.
Michelle sits down next to him. "Spill it, bud" She smiles and when she does, it does something to Chase. She's so beautiful. He tries to figure out what it is that makes him feel butterflies in his belly when she smiles. Is it her straight white teeth with the red lipstick or is it her green eyes? They seem to twinkle. It could be her distinct jawline or her high cheekbones. He stares at her.
"I said, spill, bud."
Chase snaps out of it. "Okay. It's just that whenever there's a party Tess gets called into work."
Michelle opens a beer bottle and takes a sip. "Job hazard. She's doing her Ob-Gyn residency."
"Yeah but..." Chase explains. "She could ask someone to cover for her on special occasions like this."
"She's doing her residency." Michelle tells him. "Same as you are...you know how it is; you need to prove yourself. How would it look if you called in sick a lot?"
"I'd look like a slacker." Chase watches Michelle sip on the beer botttle. "But she could have got someone to cover for her, she didn't need to call in sick."
"Want some?" She hands him the bottle, he takes a sip before giving it back to her.
Michelle runs her finger around the rim of the bottle to wipe off his germs. He watches her finger work it's way around the tip of the beer bottle. It looks so hot, he thinks. "Chase are you paying attention to me?"
"What did you say?" He snaps out of it and looks back up at her face.
"I said if Tess didn't show up or got someone to cover for every party she went to she'd look like a slacker. Who would hire her after residency?"
"We would at Surfside Wellness." Chase tells her.
"Still, she wants to do a good job and show up when they call her. There's nothing wrong with that. I respect people like that." Michelle takes another sip of the beer.
Chase watches her lips wrap around the beer bottle again. He explains, "I'm not saying I want Tess to be a slacker. I just wish she'd make her personal life as much a priority as her work life. For example" He says. "We've been engaged for over a year and she won't sit down with me and pick out a date for our wedding. She wants to wait a while longer before we start planning the wedding."
"Are you in a hurry to get married?" Michelle rolls the beer bottle between her palms.
Chase sighs. "My sister just had her third kid and I haven't had one yet. You know how that makes me feel?"
"Sort of." Michelle shrugs. "My younger sister recently had her first baby. She's three years younger than I am and I don't even have a boyfriend. I'm no where close to having a kid unless I went to a sperm bank."
Chase laughs. "A beautiful girl like you shouldn't have any trouble finding a boyfriend. You must be picky."
"I am. I got burned a couple of times so I'm super careful about who I date."
"Mind if I ask how you got burned?" Chase takes her beer from her and sips it. He wants to watch her finger the rim of the bottle again. He hands it back to her.
"I met my first serious boyfriend in college. He was my first everything. I fell in love fast and hard until it all went sour."
"Did he cheat on you?" Chase asks.
"No." Michelle swirls her finger around the tip of the bottle again. "He liked to hit me."
Chase is surprised. "Why would you date a dude that hit you?"
"It didn't start out that way. Everything was great until I called his best friend an asshole for doing something stupid. That's the first time he slapped me. I blamed myself for talking bad about his best friend. The next time, I criticized something his mother did and he punched me, he gave me a bloody nose."
"And let me guess." Chase says. "You thought it was your fault for saying something bad about his momma."
"Never talk bad about anyone's momma." Michelle warns Chase. "That's a lesson I learned. Anyway, it escalated, he started throwing me up against walls, kicking me."
"Is that when you finally broke it off?"
"No. I broke it off after he beat me up so bad I ended up in the ER. The doctor told me if I didn't get away from my boyfriend he'd end up killing me. I went for counseling and drummed up the courage to break up with him. I had to get an order of protection against him." Michelle shakes her head. "It was a nightmare."
"Was he the only guy you ever loved?" Chase asks.
"I fell in love again a year later with a guy named Benn. Benn was perfect. He treated me like his queen." Michelle tells Chase. "I don't think I'll ever find a guy like Benn again."
"What happened to Benn?"
"Promise not to laugh at me or think I'm an idiot?" Michelle looks at him with her green eyes.
"Cross my heart." Chase makes a cross over the left side of his chest.
"After dating Benn for two years he dumped me, turns out he was married."
"Wow!" Chase exclaims. "How did you date him for two years and not know he was married?"
"He rented an apartment where we would get together, turns out he also had a house he shared with his wife but in all fairness to myself, Benn and his wife were having marital problems at the time he started the affair with me. They were seperated a good part of the time we dated so we spent a lot of time together at the apartment. I had no reason to suspect he had a wife or a house. He introduced me to a few of his friends and they never let on that he was married."
"How did you find out he was married?"
Michelle sighs. "He ended up telling me himself. His wife was pregnant, he wanted to give their marraige another shot for the baby's sake so I got the boot."
"Why was he still sleeping with his wife if he was with you?" Chase shrugs. "I mean he had to sleep with her to get her pregnant."
"He told me it was a momentary lapse of judgement that made him have sex with her one more time and he ended getting her pregnant."
"You believed him?"
"Benn wouldn't lie to me. He's a stand up guy. I believe it happened the way he said."
Chase shakes his head and screws up his nose. "He cheated on his wife with you and then got his wife pregnant, then he dumped you because of it. That's not a stand up guy."
Michelle defends her ex-boyfriend. "I know it sounds bad but if you met him you'd see what I mean. He's best guy I know."
"It sounds like you're still in love with Benn."
"Maybe." Michelle shrugs. "So, you see why I'm picky about the men I date?"
"I do see and you should be."
Michelle lets out a long breath while fingering her beer bottle. "Sometimes I think I'll never meet my Mr. Right. I'll end up having to go to a sperm bank to have kids."
"You want kids?" Chase asks.
"Of course, kids are what life is all about. It's the circle of life." Michelle sips her beer.
Nicky's band plays 'What a Wonderful World' for the Christening. "Do you want to dance?" Chase asks.
"I love this song." Michelle gets up. "It's one of the most beautiful songs of the century."
"Actually, it's from the last century." Chase tells her. "I think it came out in the 1990's"
"You know what I mean." Michelle playfully hits Chase in the arm earning her a chuckle.
Chase puts his arm out and leads her to the dance floor.
Tess drives across the street to a convenience store. She picks up the first pregnancy test she spots and pays for it. "Do you have a bathroom?" She asks the clerk.
"Follow the sign." The clerk tells her. Tess follows the sign for the restroom. She urinates on the stick and waits. Soon her phone buzzes and she looks at the results. "Damn." She says. "We're not even married yet." Now she really has to pick a wedding date soon and she probaby can't wait until the summer either or she may be showing in her wedding dress. She gets back in the car and drives back to Giorgio's. She decides that she's not going to tell Chase tonight. This is Andie and Nicky's party for their baby. She's never been the type to steal the show. She'll wait until the morning to tell Chase that they have their own baby on the way. She's sure he'll be over the moon. She walks back into the party room and spots Chase slow dancing with Michelle on the dance floor. She sits back down at the table and watches them.
After the dance is over Chase and Michelle walk over to Tess. Chase introduces them. "Tess this is Michelle, I work with her."
"Michelle, this is Tess, my fiance." The two women exchange hand shakes.
"I'm going to get a beer." Chase tells Tess. "Do you want one?"
Tess suddenly realizes she can't drink any alcohol. "No thanks."
"Do you want something else to drink?" Chase asks. "A dirty martini?"
"Water is fine." Tess has to think up a reason. "Just in case I get called back into the hospital, I shouldn't drink."
Chase sighs and looks at Michelle. "Can I get you another beer?"
"I'll go with you." Michelle strolls to the bar with Chase.
"See what I mean?" Chase says. "She won't even relax and have a drink at the party because of work."
"Aw, cut her some slack." Michelle defends. "If I ever was pregnant and in labor I'd want a dedicated doctor like her around."
"Yeah, you're right. I know she's a good doctor. I just want her to be mine."
"She is yours. You're engaged."
"She's not mine. She's a slave to her work."
Chase and Michelle order their beers and talk at the bar some more. Tess sits at the table, talking to Noah and Marley.
Sarah and Drew sit outside on the steps of Giorgio's talking. Mary, Cooper's biological mother steps outside. "How are you kids doing?"
"We're good."Drew answers. "Just getting some fresh air."
"In a couple of years you two can come work for me if you need some spending money. How's that sound?
"It sounds good, grandma"
"Sounds good to me too." Sarah answers.
"Well, this old lady is going to take her dancing feet inside and make sure everyone's having a good time." Mary walks back through the front door.
"I'm going to run this place one day." Drew tells Sarah.
"Why do you say that?" Sarah asks.
"My grandma owns it. She's getting older."
"She looks great for her age. Did you see her moving on the dance floor?" Sarah compliments.
"Not bad for an eighty-two year old woman. I guess that's where Nicky inherited his moves if his grandma can still rock like that in her eighties."
"I think she's just a young soul. She's happy to be alive. She's got all her grandchildren and now great grandchildren to live for and this restaurant, which is doing great." Sarah tells Drew.
Drew nods and swallows before asking. "So, do you want to go out with me?"
"Out where?" Sarah looks around.
"Like on a date. My parents can drop us off at the mall, we can see a movie." Drew suggests.
Sara scrunches her lips together, this is awkward. "I'm not attracted to you like that, Drew."
Drew looks dejected. His gaze shoots directly to the floor. "Is it because I'm an inch shorter than you? My father says I'm due for a growth spurt. I'll probably be taller than you in a few months."
"It's not that, Drew." Sarah explains. "You're my best friend, you're like my brother. We grew up together since we were in diapers. I don't want to be your girlfriend."
"Okay." Drew nods.
"Are you mad at me?" Sarah asks.
"I mad at myself."
"Why?"
"I just asked you out on a date and got rejected. How am I supposed to feel?"
"It's because you're like my brother. I already told you that. I can't go out with my brother." Sarah defends.
"Let me ask you this, if you didn't know me all these years, would you consider dating me?"
"Yeah" Sarah shrugs. "Why not?"
"Me being shorter than you wouldn't bother you?"
"You're too hung up on height, if you ask me." Sarah gets up and rejoins the party, leaving Drew sitting there.
Violet sits down next to Andie. Charlotte's sitting at the next table feeding the baby. "Taking a little break?" Violet asks Andie as she watches Charlotte feed the new baby. Cooper holds two year-old Charley on his lap, sitting next to Charlotte.
"Yeah, my parents really love my kids."
"You're lucky to have them here in LA to help. I think Lucas and Danielle wish Pete and I would live here all year to help out with Rosie."
Andie nods. "Maybe they'd have another kid then. They're both so busy with the practice and taking care of Rosie."
"Uncle Pete and I want to enjoy our retirement while we're still healthy."
"I can't blame you. You're lucky to be alive after you were shot at Danielle and Lucas's engagement party. Does it feel weird to be back at Giorgio's?"
"It might if your grandmother didn't do so much to change it. It looks like a completely different restaurant with the huge salt water fish tank and all the changes she made."
"Yeah," Andie look around. "I hope to run this place one day."
"Don't you have enough on your plate between the kids and your job at the veterinary office?" Violet asks.
Andie shrugs. "My momma worked two jobs and had four kids plus I'm only working at the veterinary hospital part time right now. I can handle the restaurant."
"Running a restaurant is a full time job." Violet advises.
"I can do it." Andie tells Violet. "If my momma could run a hospital, work at the practice and take care of us, I can work part time as a veterinarian, take care of my kids and run a restaurant."
"You inherited your mother's ambition." Violet smiles before her gaze moves to Addison out on the dance floor with little Rosie. Addison twirls Rosie around.
Andie notices. "I think Rosie looks like you."
"You do?" Violet turns to look at Andie again. "I always thought she looked like Danielle."
"You can see a combination in her." Andie nods. "Why don't you go out there and dance with her?"
"No." Violet sighs. "She's having fun with her other grandmother. Uncle Pete and I are going to babysit for her tomorrow, knowing Addison she'll want to tag along." Violet does an eyeroll.
Andie chuckles a little. "It's hard to share but I think Addison expects Rosie to be her only grandchild. Danielle and Lucas don't want anymore kids so Rosie is her world, at least you have a chance for another grandchild with Lila."
"If I'm still alive by then." Violet sips her drink.
Cooper strolls over holding Charley. "Somebody wants their momma." He hands a tired Charley to Andie. Charley sucks his thumb and buries his head into his momma's chest, hiding from the strange lady.
Violet looks on with half a smile. "He's afraid of me."
"That's because you're big and scary." Cooper teases his old friend.
"I should come back more often before all the kids run away from me." Violet replies.
"You should." Cooper sits down next to his best friend with a big smile on his face.
"You look happy." Violet smiles back at him.
"I am. I'm living my dream." He looks around at Giorgio's, the party room is full of his family and friends.