Chapter 3
"Oh so nice of you to finally, once again, grace us with your presence Mr. Cohen." Maureen told him sarcastically as she let him into the apartment.
"Hey Mark." Joanne said with a slight grin. She was sitting on the couch reading the Sunday paper, still in her pajamas. "Long time no see."
"Well, I've been busy with work." He walked through the door.
"Work! Ha!"
"Maureen leave him alone. We all get busy with work sometimes. So what have you been doing Mark?"
"More like who have you been doing Mark?"
"Maureen! Behave."
"It's okay, I guess I sort of deserve that. But I come bearing bagels as a piece offering. Can you forgive me?"
"No. You can't blow me off for over a week. And then show up here with a bunch of bagels and think that just makes everything okay in the world."
"Bagels?" Joanne perked up. "You brought bagels?"
"And cream cheese. And a little lox."
Joanne hopped up off the couch. "Okay. You're forgiven."
"Pookie!" Maureen pouted.
"Oh all right! Bad Mark." She smacked his hand. "Now don't do that again." She took the bagel bag from him.
"He was supposed to come over here a week ago Friday to set up the new sound system. You can't just forgive him like that."
"Yes I can. Besides, I'm hungry." Joanne got plates and knives out as Mark poured himself a cup of coffee. He tried to hide his grin behind his cup, but Maureen still saw it. Joanne saw her pout grow but chose to ignore it. "So Mark, while I do forgive you, I don't for a minute believe you blew us off for work. Not this time. So what's her name?"
"Okay, it wasn't work."
"I knew it." Maureen said triumphantly.
Mark and Joanne just looked at her before he continued. "Her name is Chelsea. Chelsea Curtis."
"Hey that's funny, we used to know a Chelsea Curtis." Maureen said, suddenly forgetting she was supposed to be mad at him now that she was getting details.
"Hysterical. Especially because it's the same one." Mark laughed at her. "She moved back to the East Village. She's a nurse up at Sloan Kettering."
"Wow that's like a major blast from the past."
"Who is she?" Joanne asked.
"She used to sing with the Well Hungarians once in awhile. She went to NYU then."
"I didn't think the Well Hungarians had a female singer."
"They didn't really." Mark explained. "Some how she got hooked up with the band. She wasn't really in it, just sang a song here and there."
"Yeah, she was good, considering what she had to work with back then." Maureen laughed.
"Yeah well," Make gave a small laugh too thinking back on some of the stuff Roger was writing when they first began. "She was mainly just friends with the guys and liked the music. She understood it. I think that's how she got in with them in the first placed. She could always see where Roger was going with something as he wrote it. Roger used to say she could visualize what he was trying to write. The music part, not just the lyrics."
"So she just moved back and called you or what?" Maureen asked.
"No, I ran into her at the video store and we started talking and had coffee. That's it."
"That's not just 'it.' That explains last Friday. Now what about the rest of the week?" Maureen demanded.
Mark got a slight smirk on his face. "Okay, so maybe I saw her a few times since then too."
"How many more times Mark?" Joanne asked him.
"A few." He told her. She cocked a questioning eyebrow at him. "Okay, everyday since then."
"Go Marky!" Joanne said biting into her bagel.
"Oh my god Mark! You can't just meet or re-meet someone and then just run off to bed with them for a week. What are you doing?" Maureen demanded.
Both Mark and Joanne just looked at her for a moment like she suddenly developed two heads. Over the years they had developed a sort of kindred spirit with one another where Maureen was concerned. Originally it bothered her greatly, but eventually she realized there was nothing she could do about it and dealt with it. "Perhaps you should stay quiet right now Maureen." Joanne told her before turning back to Mark. "So where is she today that you're suddenly free and able to hang with us inconsequential beings in your newfound universe?"
Mark knew she was teasing. He could tell Joanne was thrilled for him. Maureen too, she just couldn't show it, right now she still had to act somewhat put out. "She went to Long Island to pick up her son. He's been at her parents all week while he went to day camp."
"She's got a kid?"
"Yeah, his name's Adam. He's eight. Cute kid."
"I can't believe you're seeing someone with a kid!"
"Give it up Mo, you can't believe I'm actually seeing someone. Forget the fact they've got a kid." He gave it right back to her, but he wasn't mad, actually he was having fun at the moment.
"I think that's nice Mark. So when do we get to meet her?" Joanne asked him.
"I don't know. Sometime soon. Like I said, she'll be gone all day." He turned to Maureen, knowing kissing up to her always works. "So that means I get to spend the whole day with my two favorite girls. We can do anything you want."
"Well, okay." She told him. "But technically, if you're seeing this girl, we no long qualify as your two favorite girls." Maureen pouted.
"True. Well then I get to spend the day with my two favorite lesbians." He said as he grabbed her and tickled her till she fell to the ground. All the while Joanne just watched, laughing as she ate her bagel.
********
"Well today was fun." Joanne said climbing into bed.
"I suppose."
"What's the matter Honeybear?"
"I don't know. I just worry about him."
"Why? This was the happiest I've seen him in years. Literally years. For one of the first times since I met Mark, he was genuinely happy for something going on in his life. Not because of what was going in Roger's or Mimi's or even yours. Just be happy for him and let him be."
"I know. I should. I want to be happy for him. I just worry about him. It's been so long since he's been with anybody. But somebody with a kid? That's a lot of baggage for Mark to take on."
"Mark's used to baggage."
"But a kid's different baggage."
Joanne sat up in the bed some. "I think it could be good for Mark. Kids are a lot of fun, and that's what he needs. Mindless fun that only a couple of eight year olds can have. And trust me, Mark can relate to an eight-year-old. You used to call Roger an over grown kid." She gave her a soft smile.
"I just don't want to see him screw this up. You know how he gets. At this point I think he's scared of commitment."
"There's nothing to hold him back now." Joanne said sadly, not looking at her.
"I know. I just know he still misses them. Especially him. I don't want to see him sabotage another relationship because of Roger."
"Honeybear, Roger's gone. He has been for two years. Maybe Mark's ready to admit that to himself and move on with his life. God knows he deserves it."
"I hope so. I really, really hope so."
"Oh so nice of you to finally, once again, grace us with your presence Mr. Cohen." Maureen told him sarcastically as she let him into the apartment.
"Hey Mark." Joanne said with a slight grin. She was sitting on the couch reading the Sunday paper, still in her pajamas. "Long time no see."
"Well, I've been busy with work." He walked through the door.
"Work! Ha!"
"Maureen leave him alone. We all get busy with work sometimes. So what have you been doing Mark?"
"More like who have you been doing Mark?"
"Maureen! Behave."
"It's okay, I guess I sort of deserve that. But I come bearing bagels as a piece offering. Can you forgive me?"
"No. You can't blow me off for over a week. And then show up here with a bunch of bagels and think that just makes everything okay in the world."
"Bagels?" Joanne perked up. "You brought bagels?"
"And cream cheese. And a little lox."
Joanne hopped up off the couch. "Okay. You're forgiven."
"Pookie!" Maureen pouted.
"Oh all right! Bad Mark." She smacked his hand. "Now don't do that again." She took the bagel bag from him.
"He was supposed to come over here a week ago Friday to set up the new sound system. You can't just forgive him like that."
"Yes I can. Besides, I'm hungry." Joanne got plates and knives out as Mark poured himself a cup of coffee. He tried to hide his grin behind his cup, but Maureen still saw it. Joanne saw her pout grow but chose to ignore it. "So Mark, while I do forgive you, I don't for a minute believe you blew us off for work. Not this time. So what's her name?"
"Okay, it wasn't work."
"I knew it." Maureen said triumphantly.
Mark and Joanne just looked at her before he continued. "Her name is Chelsea. Chelsea Curtis."
"Hey that's funny, we used to know a Chelsea Curtis." Maureen said, suddenly forgetting she was supposed to be mad at him now that she was getting details.
"Hysterical. Especially because it's the same one." Mark laughed at her. "She moved back to the East Village. She's a nurse up at Sloan Kettering."
"Wow that's like a major blast from the past."
"Who is she?" Joanne asked.
"She used to sing with the Well Hungarians once in awhile. She went to NYU then."
"I didn't think the Well Hungarians had a female singer."
"They didn't really." Mark explained. "Some how she got hooked up with the band. She wasn't really in it, just sang a song here and there."
"Yeah, she was good, considering what she had to work with back then." Maureen laughed.
"Yeah well," Make gave a small laugh too thinking back on some of the stuff Roger was writing when they first began. "She was mainly just friends with the guys and liked the music. She understood it. I think that's how she got in with them in the first placed. She could always see where Roger was going with something as he wrote it. Roger used to say she could visualize what he was trying to write. The music part, not just the lyrics."
"So she just moved back and called you or what?" Maureen asked.
"No, I ran into her at the video store and we started talking and had coffee. That's it."
"That's not just 'it.' That explains last Friday. Now what about the rest of the week?" Maureen demanded.
Mark got a slight smirk on his face. "Okay, so maybe I saw her a few times since then too."
"How many more times Mark?" Joanne asked him.
"A few." He told her. She cocked a questioning eyebrow at him. "Okay, everyday since then."
"Go Marky!" Joanne said biting into her bagel.
"Oh my god Mark! You can't just meet or re-meet someone and then just run off to bed with them for a week. What are you doing?" Maureen demanded.
Both Mark and Joanne just looked at her for a moment like she suddenly developed two heads. Over the years they had developed a sort of kindred spirit with one another where Maureen was concerned. Originally it bothered her greatly, but eventually she realized there was nothing she could do about it and dealt with it. "Perhaps you should stay quiet right now Maureen." Joanne told her before turning back to Mark. "So where is she today that you're suddenly free and able to hang with us inconsequential beings in your newfound universe?"
Mark knew she was teasing. He could tell Joanne was thrilled for him. Maureen too, she just couldn't show it, right now she still had to act somewhat put out. "She went to Long Island to pick up her son. He's been at her parents all week while he went to day camp."
"She's got a kid?"
"Yeah, his name's Adam. He's eight. Cute kid."
"I can't believe you're seeing someone with a kid!"
"Give it up Mo, you can't believe I'm actually seeing someone. Forget the fact they've got a kid." He gave it right back to her, but he wasn't mad, actually he was having fun at the moment.
"I think that's nice Mark. So when do we get to meet her?" Joanne asked him.
"I don't know. Sometime soon. Like I said, she'll be gone all day." He turned to Maureen, knowing kissing up to her always works. "So that means I get to spend the whole day with my two favorite girls. We can do anything you want."
"Well, okay." She told him. "But technically, if you're seeing this girl, we no long qualify as your two favorite girls." Maureen pouted.
"True. Well then I get to spend the day with my two favorite lesbians." He said as he grabbed her and tickled her till she fell to the ground. All the while Joanne just watched, laughing as she ate her bagel.
********
"Well today was fun." Joanne said climbing into bed.
"I suppose."
"What's the matter Honeybear?"
"I don't know. I just worry about him."
"Why? This was the happiest I've seen him in years. Literally years. For one of the first times since I met Mark, he was genuinely happy for something going on in his life. Not because of what was going in Roger's or Mimi's or even yours. Just be happy for him and let him be."
"I know. I should. I want to be happy for him. I just worry about him. It's been so long since he's been with anybody. But somebody with a kid? That's a lot of baggage for Mark to take on."
"Mark's used to baggage."
"But a kid's different baggage."
Joanne sat up in the bed some. "I think it could be good for Mark. Kids are a lot of fun, and that's what he needs. Mindless fun that only a couple of eight year olds can have. And trust me, Mark can relate to an eight-year-old. You used to call Roger an over grown kid." She gave her a soft smile.
"I just don't want to see him screw this up. You know how he gets. At this point I think he's scared of commitment."
"There's nothing to hold him back now." Joanne said sadly, not looking at her.
"I know. I just know he still misses them. Especially him. I don't want to see him sabotage another relationship because of Roger."
"Honeybear, Roger's gone. He has been for two years. Maybe Mark's ready to admit that to himself and move on with his life. God knows he deserves it."
"I hope so. I really, really hope so."
