Chapter Nine: Appointment
Bonny trotted along side her mother, struggling to keep pace with Addison's determined stride. She eventually fell into a rhythm of three big steps for every two clicks of her mother's heels against the linoleum.
The floor was shiney, slippery and grey. Bonny remembered it from when she had first come to Seattle with her mother.
They were in the airport. She knew from recognizing the floor and the men and women in navy blue uniforms and from reading the sign in the parking lot, "Seattle-Tacoma International Airport," with a picture of a plane on it in case someone didn't know how to read as good as she did.
Inside there were lots more signs, too many to read when her mother was walking so fast, even if she had known all the big words. That was okay. She knew the important one was "Security". That was where you should go if you got lost and someone would use the intercom to call your parents. Other signs said "Arrivals" and those were planes that were coming to the airport, and "Departures", the ones that were going.
Her mother stopped in front of these signs and started to read them. Bonny guessed she was looking for what plane she wanted to get on and asked where they were going.
"Nowhere," her mother replied, taking Bonny's hand and leading her towards a bench. They sat down and her mother pulled her cell phone out of her purse and handed it to Bonny incase she wanted to play the games. That meant they were going to be there for a while because her mom's cell phone was usually off limits.
Except today was not a usual day. On a usual day her mother didn't have time to sit on a bench in the airport. On a usual day her mother picked her up from school and they drove to the trailer and her mother made dinner while Bonny played and did homework.
Or some days, if she was lucky, her mother would say,
"Just eat what you want," and then Bonny would make Pop-tarts and microwave popcorn and after dinner her mother would read her stories and tuck her into bed.
But today her mother came to school in her black Prada coat and black Prada heels and hurried her into the car. Her mother stared straight ahead as she drove and didn't say anything and her knuckled were white on the steering wheel. Whenever Bonny asked,
"Where are we going," her mother said
"Nowhere."
And now they were sitting on a bench in the airport. Waiting.
Bonny played five games of snake and five games of space ship and then asked her mother,
"Are we waiting for a plane?"
Her mother nodded.
"Which plane?"
"A plane from New York."
"Why?"
"Because I said so."
Her mother was not in a good mood today. Neither was her father. Both her parents had been tense and irritable that morning. They'd carried on a whispered argument when they thought Bonny wasn't paying attention. She had watched her Fruit Loops turn the milk grey and listened to them.
"Derek, I said I don't want to talk about it."
"You never want to talk about it! You didn't want to talk back then either!"
"I talked! I told you I'd made the appointment. I told you I wanted you to come with me."
"What was I supposed to do, Addison? Hold your hand? You knew I didn't support the decision. We could have at least discussed it!"
"I tried to discuss it! You wouldn't listen!"
"Well if you'd just..."
"If I'd what, Derek? What was I supposed to do? Do you have any idea how hard I had to work after Bonny? Do you have any idea how hard it was for me to reestablish myself as a surgeon? I didn't want another baby."
This conversation had confused and frightened Bonny. What was this mysterious appointment? Did her parents have another baby somewhere that they weren't telling her about? What if her mother decided she no longer wanted Bonny? Maybe the other baby was on the flight from New York and her mother wanted to switch one child for the other.
A woman's voice came on the intercom and said,
"Flight 269, New York to Seattle, now arriving gate S-five."
Bonny snatched her mother's hand.
They walked to gate S-five. Bonny clung tight to her mother and scanned the crowd for infants or young children. There were none. She felt a little better. Then she saw a familiar leather jacket edging towards them through the swarm of people. She sighed.
It was just Mark.
He was using his big shoulders to cut through the crowd and make his way towards them. He dropped his carry-on at her mother's feet, leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. Then he pulled back, put his hands on her mother's hips and grinned, flashing all his big white teeth. Like boy gorillas did when they wanted to scare other boy gorillas who might be watching.
"So, do I get a smile?" he asked her mother.
Her mother pursed her lips.
"Well, at least I know someone here'shappy to see me," Mark said and knelt down in front of Bonny. Bonny smiled so wide her cheeks hurt, barring her own small white teeth. There was a gap where one had fallen out the week before. Mark gave her a dollar.
Then they went to a hotel.
Her mother drove. Mark sat in the front and watched her mother. Bonny mostly looked out the widow. Her mother looked straight ahead.
When they go to the suite there was a T.V. Her mother turned it on and said,
"Look Bonny, Crocodile Hunter. You like that program right?"
Bonny said she did.
Mark was standing behind her mother with his hands on her shoulders. Her mother was tall but next to Mark she looked fragile. Her slight, pale shoulders were all swallowed up in his hands. Mark had big hands. He could wrap his fingers all the way around the top part of her mother's arm. Her mother's entire fist disappeared inside of Mark's two hands.
Mark was always touching her mother, putting his hands on her, standing close behind her so that his entire body was right against her back. In New York they slept in the same bed. She wasn't supposed to tell her dad about that, or about living with Mark for two months.
"Why don't you watch T.V. for a little while. Okay, sweetheart?" her mother said.
Bonny nodded. The way her mother was talking sounded more like a command than a request. Besides, there was no T.V. at the trailer.
Her mother and Mark didn't like Crocodile Hunter so they went into the other room.
While Bonny watched Steve Irwin wrestle an alligator Addison dug her fingernails into Mark Sloan's back and smothered her moans in his neck, the edge of the door frame cutting into her back.
Twenty minutes later Mark carried her to the bed, set her down and settled on the duvet beside her, wrapping his arms around her waist. Her head rested under his chin, her face against his chest and he could feel her breath, against his skin.
"I miss you Addison," he whispered and thought he felt her nod against him. He held her tighter, brushed a kiss to her hair.
"Come home with me."
She stiffened. He felt her breath get shallower. She was weighing her options.
"It'll be different, Addison. I promise. Just, come home with me."
She shook her head.
"I can't... Bonny..."
He swallowed. "Maybe it could just be you and me."
Addison sighed and rolled away from him. He watched her dress, hastily, refusing to look at him. He stood and reached for her but she dodged his grasp.
"Addison..."
"Don't."
"Addison..."
"I can't leave her, Mark. I just... can't," she sighed, slipping out the door without meeting his eyes and pulling it shut firmly behind her as if to emphasize her point, the sharp click of the latch expressing finality, end of discussion.
He heard her telling her daughter it was time to go, heard Bonny protesting that her show wasn't over yet.
"You can watch the end some other time. Let's go," was the last he heard of Addison before the door to the suite clicked shut and she was gone.
He sighed and fell back on the bed, closed his eyes and contemplated phoning room service and getting smashed. He decided against it. He still had time to go to a bar, find a girl and have some fun before his return flight tomorrow. Might as well get something out of the trip.
Wow, Mark. Way to taint the adultery. Oh, and you don't ask your lover to leave her child for you. It's just not done. Another major faux pas of adultery.
Reviews please.
