Page 29 of Lovesick

Chapter 10

Louise had kept true to her word, though it killed her, to stay away from the Star Wars event in the toy department. She’d had plenty of last-minute details, phone calls to make, small metaphorical fires to put out to keep her busy.

At the Back to the Future event, Louise stood front and center, watching the crowds flow in and greeting their VIP guests. Max sat in a mini old-fashioned doctor’s office on a wooden chair, a big, old-fashioned porcelain doll on his lap and the stethoscope in his ears, smiling at several fascinated children. The photographer they’d hired had rigged up a state-of-the-art digital camera inside an old-fashioned camera box to make it an official old-meets-new statement.

She didn’t see George approach and jumped when he spoke to her.

“Look who I found. Dr. Max’s son Tim.” He presented a boy who looked exactly as Max might have looked at eight years old. Darting a quick glance in Max’s direction, she banished any guilt and figured he wouldn’t have brought the boy if he was worried about her meeting him.

Bending slightly, she said, “Hello Tim. I’m Louise.” She put out her hand and he shook it.

“I bet people tell you all the time how much you look like your father.”

“Sure. About every day. They say dumb things like spitting image. Mostly my mom and step-dad and my grandma.” He eyed her with what she could swear was speculation.

“Don’t worry, Tim. You could do worse. I have it on authority that your father is a handsome man.”

“You’re kind of pretty… and charming”

“Well thank you. You’re kind of a charmer yourself.” The kid was old before his age. What did they call it? Precocious? Max was going to be in trouble when his son reached puberty.

“Okay. You’re both charming,” George said. “Let’s go. We’re all getting our pictures taken with the doc.” He ushered them forward.

Louise leaned down and whispered to Tim, “Don’t mind him. He’s used to being the most charming one in the room.” Tim nodded his head with the kind of knowing look that convinced her he really did know what she meant. Extraordinary.

“I heard that,” George said. “The Times is doing a piece. It’s the hit of the event. And we have some cool things going on around here.” They had a life-size model of a Jetsons spaceship and a Norman Rockwell version of a schoolroom with blackboards, among other things.

Louise let George guide her over to where Max sat, and where other family members mingled among media types. Men and women with cameras of all kinds, including for television, seemed to be gathering at Doc’s “office.”

She arrived and nodded at Max. Margo waved at Tim who ran forward, acting like the kid he was now as his face lit up when he reached his dad., Prompted by Margo, Tim sat in Max’s lap. The kid looked exactly like him. Margo directed the official photographer to take a photo, but Tim, objected.

“Can we use the teddy bear instead of the doll for our prop?” he said. Everyone laughed and Margo handed him the teddy bear.

“Good call,” Max said.

Louise stood watching, but as people gathered, she was pushed close by so that she stood within a few feet, on the other side of the desk, just off the braided rug that denoted the set piece.

The last thing she wanted to do was engage with Max right now. She needed to confront him at some point about Sosi’s offer, but that would have to wait. But not too long, because keeping it all in was giving her major stomach pain. All the anxiety hadn’t been good for her health.

After about a hundred photos of Max with his son were taken, Margo looked around at everyone.

“We’ll take one more individual photos and then we’ll have a group photo of the Regal family.” Margo zeroed in on Louise, making her knees nearly buckle. Barely maintaining her poise, she didn’t put up a fuss when Margo told her she was the next for a photo with Max, instructing her to stand at his side. Close.

“Which would you like, the doll or the teddy bear?”

The crowd that continued to gather laughed. She smiled and had trouble concentrating with his arm holding her, her face close enough to his to breathe him in, feel his warmth and strength. He spoke under his breath.

“Don’t worry, I won’t bite. Think of me as Dr. Love.” She stifled a laugh.

“I’m afraid that’s the problem. I do think of you as Dr. Love,” she whispered back. In spite of everything, she resorted to her wisecracking. It had always been her default and she needed something to rescue her now, to keep her from kissing him.

“Put your arm around him,” Margo said. “How about a hug—no a kiss.”

Louise laughed nervously with the crowd and eyed Tim standing nearby, still holding the teddy bear. He was smiling, going along with the fun. Max put his arm around her and then he turned to her.

“No sense fighting city hall.” He leaned in and kissed her. On the mouth. Right there in front of everyone, including his son.

The hoots and laughter were raucous and as soon as the kiss was over, to preserve some sense of decorum, she jumped from his lap and thanked him.