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Chapter 7
In the morning, Julia had to collect herself before facing Mason. She realized she was
afraid to see him; she was afraid she would not be able to contain her temper, and then
she would feel ashamed, of course, because – if a man drank a bit too much once in a
while, was that a big deal? Especially when he had every reason to? And was it wise of
his wife (not even his wife yet) to make a scene? Was he not a grown-up man?
Julia bit her lip and stood up. She did not remember how she had got the blanket –
could that be Mason who’d taken care of her?
If that was him, it’d be easier not to lash out.
Julia expected to find Mason still asleep on the couch but he was not there. She heard
his voice from the nursery… singing?!
Hush, little baby, don’t you yell;
Daddy’s hung over and he feels like hell…
Julia smiled. She loved the man.
“Didn’t know you could sing,” she said from behind the nursery door. “Or compose
lyrics.”
There was a short pause, and then the door opened. Mason, with Matt in his arms, was
smiling his best disarming smile. “Just tell me how many apologies I must fit into my next
poem.”
Julia shrugged her shoulders.
“I don’t think I like this gesture,” Mason commented. “It’s like saying, what do I care?
And I know you care. At least I hope so.”
He looked at her questioningly.
Julia did not quite expect this. Her good intentions went the way all intentions of the kind
go. “I do,” she said. “And I see I am the only one who does. I mean, I think I was the last
thing on your mind yesterday when you went to that bar. Went to get drunk – just after
you blamed me it was me who was pushing you to drinking – just after I told you my
father was an alcoholic--”
“I’m sorry,” Mason said.
“Yeah, right!” Julia interrupted. “You ARE sorry; very sorry; you despise yourself, you
do not like yourself; how hard it is to live with yourself under the circumstances! And to
forget it you go and drink more. I know the mechanism, Mason, I’ve got a first-rate
training, I told you!”
“I’m sorry but I think you’re overreacting, Julia,” Mason said frowning.
Julia took a deep breath. “Tell me, Mason, what were you thinking of when you were
about to order your first drink yesterday?”
After a short pause, Mason replied, “As far as I remember I tried not to think of anything.
I know it proves I am self-centered. I am sorry.”
Julia nodded, tears glistening on her eyelashes. She hated it when she was losing self-
control, and though she knew she could blame it all on her hormones, she was still
displeased with herself.
“But Julia,” Mason went on in a reasonable tone Julia detested, “I am what I am! The
man you fell in love with. A woman cannot reform a man, and there shouldn’t be any
illusion about it; I am not going to--”
Suddenly, Julia inhaled sharply and sat down on the side of the desk.
“What is it?” Mason rushed to her. “What is it, Julia?”
“Nothing – I just got a good, swift kick!”
“Are you all right? Is this – the baby?”
“Of course – what else can it be?”
She smiled and quickly reached out for his hand that she pressed to her belly.
“Oh – but this is – unbelievable!” he said. “You can actually feel the foot!”
Julia laughed, the offense immediately forgotten. This was her baby – their baby; she
cherished the sensation of her precious baby pushing inside and the man she loved
sharing in the happiness. Mason’s facial expression was priceless!
Mason shifted his gaze from Julia’s belly to her face. Meeting her laughing eyes he
smiled back, and then he took her head in his hands, leant down and kissed her.
His kiss differed from those the day before, in bed. It started almost like a token of
gratitude and awe for the woman carrying his baby. Julia’s lips tasted salty, and Mason
wanted to kiss the tears away, to make her forget she cried. And when he kissed her
once, he could not stop. He got almost aggressive in his passion, crushing her lips with
his, drinking her breath, pressing her to him as close as her belly would allow. He was
hungry for Julia, and he wouldn’t let her go.
Julia threw her arms round his neck and gave in to him with abandonment. Mason saw it’
d be impossible to stop if it lasted another second; he made a tremendous effort and
drew back.
“Mason?” Julia pouted.
“Julia,” he said breathing heavily. “I want you so. We’d better stop right now, you know.”
She looked so lost.
The doorbell rang. “Must be the nanny,” Mason commented. He rearranged his jacket
and his tie and opened the door. “Good morning, Mrs. Cobb.”
“Morning,” said Julia automatically and started for the bathroom.
“Counselor!” Mason called, and she turned back. “May I ask you out for a date tonight?”
Was there ever born a woman who could say ‘no’ to Mason when he was like this, Julia
wondered.
In the morning, Julia had to collect herself before facing Mason. She realized she was
afraid to see him; she was afraid she would not be able to contain her temper, and then
she would feel ashamed, of course, because – if a man drank a bit too much once in a
while, was that a big deal? Especially when he had every reason to? And was it wise of
his wife (not even his wife yet) to make a scene? Was he not a grown-up man?
Julia bit her lip and stood up. She did not remember how she had got the blanket –
could that be Mason who’d taken care of her?
If that was him, it’d be easier not to lash out.
Julia expected to find Mason still asleep on the couch but he was not there. She heard
his voice from the nursery… singing?!
Hush, little baby, don’t you yell;
Daddy’s hung over and he feels like hell…
Julia smiled. She loved the man.
“Didn’t know you could sing,” she said from behind the nursery door. “Or compose
lyrics.”
There was a short pause, and then the door opened. Mason, with Matt in his arms, was
smiling his best disarming smile. “Just tell me how many apologies I must fit into my next
poem.”
Julia shrugged her shoulders.
“I don’t think I like this gesture,” Mason commented. “It’s like saying, what do I care?
And I know you care. At least I hope so.”
He looked at her questioningly.
Julia did not quite expect this. Her good intentions went the way all intentions of the kind
go. “I do,” she said. “And I see I am the only one who does. I mean, I think I was the last
thing on your mind yesterday when you went to that bar. Went to get drunk – just after
you blamed me it was me who was pushing you to drinking – just after I told you my
father was an alcoholic--”
“I’m sorry,” Mason said.
“Yeah, right!” Julia interrupted. “You ARE sorry; very sorry; you despise yourself, you
do not like yourself; how hard it is to live with yourself under the circumstances! And to
forget it you go and drink more. I know the mechanism, Mason, I’ve got a first-rate
training, I told you!”
“I’m sorry but I think you’re overreacting, Julia,” Mason said frowning.
Julia took a deep breath. “Tell me, Mason, what were you thinking of when you were
about to order your first drink yesterday?”
After a short pause, Mason replied, “As far as I remember I tried not to think of anything.
I know it proves I am self-centered. I am sorry.”
Julia nodded, tears glistening on her eyelashes. She hated it when she was losing self-
control, and though she knew she could blame it all on her hormones, she was still
displeased with herself.
“But Julia,” Mason went on in a reasonable tone Julia detested, “I am what I am! The
man you fell in love with. A woman cannot reform a man, and there shouldn’t be any
illusion about it; I am not going to--”
Suddenly, Julia inhaled sharply and sat down on the side of the desk.
“What is it?” Mason rushed to her. “What is it, Julia?”
“Nothing – I just got a good, swift kick!”
“Are you all right? Is this – the baby?”
“Of course – what else can it be?”
She smiled and quickly reached out for his hand that she pressed to her belly.
“Oh – but this is – unbelievable!” he said. “You can actually feel the foot!”
Julia laughed, the offense immediately forgotten. This was her baby – their baby; she
cherished the sensation of her precious baby pushing inside and the man she loved
sharing in the happiness. Mason’s facial expression was priceless!
Mason shifted his gaze from Julia’s belly to her face. Meeting her laughing eyes he
smiled back, and then he took her head in his hands, leant down and kissed her.
His kiss differed from those the day before, in bed. It started almost like a token of
gratitude and awe for the woman carrying his baby. Julia’s lips tasted salty, and Mason
wanted to kiss the tears away, to make her forget she cried. And when he kissed her
once, he could not stop. He got almost aggressive in his passion, crushing her lips with
his, drinking her breath, pressing her to him as close as her belly would allow. He was
hungry for Julia, and he wouldn’t let her go.
Julia threw her arms round his neck and gave in to him with abandonment. Mason saw it’
d be impossible to stop if it lasted another second; he made a tremendous effort and
drew back.
“Mason?” Julia pouted.
“Julia,” he said breathing heavily. “I want you so. We’d better stop right now, you know.”
She looked so lost.
The doorbell rang. “Must be the nanny,” Mason commented. He rearranged his jacket
and his tie and opened the door. “Good morning, Mrs. Cobb.”
“Morning,” said Julia automatically and started for the bathroom.
“Counselor!” Mason called, and she turned back. “May I ask you out for a date tonight?”
Was there ever born a woman who could say ‘no’ to Mason when he was like this, Julia
wondered.
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