The Proverbial Mr. Universe Read online

  “Thank you.” Olivia said again, as she was the one first to break away from his gaze.

  “Sure—”

  Nick opened the door for her but before sliding into the back of the cab, she gave him one more glance.

  “I know you won’t believe it now, but I have this overwhelming feeling we’re going to see each other again,” he told her.

  “Are you telling me you’re a closet psychic as well?”

  He smirked. “Of course. You’re the ‘Where’s Waldo’ in my life. I seem to find you everywhere I go.”

  Olivia smiled, and his half-smile turned into a whole one. “See you around, Montiano.”

  “See you around, Montgomery.” She slid inside the back of the cab as he closed the door behind her. She looked through her calling list as the cab drove off. Olivia didn’t understand why she was so disappointed when she discovered Nick didn’t program his phone number into her phone. What had she expected?

  Olivia placed her phone back into her purse, slouching further into the back seat of the cab as it drove into the night, toward what she had hoped would be a very, very lonely apartment.

  Nick arrived at the bar Tuesday afternoon to find Dan behind the counter, taking inventory and stocking up for the evening. The bar opened their doors at five in the afternoon and closed at three in the morning all week long. Nick didn’t realize what he was getting himself into when he agreed to work for his brother over a year ago. He realized soon enough why it was never a good idea to work with family, but Nick needed the money, and it would free his days to create art. That was something he desperately wanted to start up again. Dan handled the administration while Nick ran the bar when his brother wasn’t around.

  “Sorry were closed … Oh, it’s you.”

  “I see someone’s in a good mood,” Nick smiled coyly.

  “Yeah, well …” Dan flipped through the papers he laid on the counter.

  “You had another argument with Amanda?”

  “Something like that.”

  Nick tucked a barstool under the counter and gave his brother a sideways glance. “Hey, were you ever planning on telling me about the blind date?”

  “Yeah, about that …” Dan smirked.

  “Why didn’t you tell me this morning when I saw you?”

  “I tried. Besides, don’t look at me. It was all Amanda’s idea.”

  Nick blinked. “So you guys planned the whole thing behind my back? Didn’t you think maybe you should have run it by me first?”

  “It wasn’t behind your back. You weren’t there when we discussed it.” Dan grinned.

  Nick shook his head in disbelief. He wasn’t upset because he knew his brother’s intentions were always good. Nick just thought based on the last disaster with Amanda’s cousin and her issues with his medical history; they had given up hope of setting him up with anyone again.

  “I appreciate what you guys are trying to do, but honestly, I don’t think I’m up for it,” Nick said.

  “Wait, hear me out. Amanda’s friend Lucy … she’s smart and cute. I know you guys would hit it off.”

  Nick was always skeptical when people tried to set him up. It always started off the same way: the girl was always beautiful and brilliant, they’d have so much in common that she was destined to be his soul mate. Guaranteed.

  But Nick had already given it a few shots to know it always fell short of something. He didn’t choose to be single, being single chose him.

  He understood Dan’s need to help him with his love life. His brother struggled with some personal guilt. He had Amanda, and they were about to start their lives together. Nick had no one, but truthfully he couldn’t be happier for the pair. There was not one ounce of jealousy. If anyone deserved some happiness, it was Dan. He was always there for him growing up and continued to be. Nick just wished Dan would understand that there was no need to feel any guilt.

  Nick shook his head. “I’m sure, but I’m going to pass this time.”

  “Come on, don’t think of it as a blind date. It won’t be like the last time, I swear. We’re all going to be there so no pressure. Just a couple of friends having dinner. So if you and Lucy should hit it off, well great. If not, it’s not a big deal.”

  Nick frowned. “I’m only going to waste my time. Once she finds out about me, she’ll bolt for the door. They always do.”

  “Lucy is not what you think. Amanda told her all about you this time.”

  “And she still agreed to come?”

  “Yup.”

  Nick knew everyone had skeletons in the closet. His wasn’t something that could be kept hidden easily. It wasn’t something that defined him either, but it was very much part of his life. After his surgery, Nick had an ongoing fear that he would be un-dateable, like damaged goods. There was no easy way around it, so Nick decided early on that if he met someone he was very much interested in, he would be upfront about his situation. That way it gave a girl an opportunity for a way out, and it would be early enough in the relationship he wouldn’t be too hung up on it. That was why he preferred to be single. Nick learned that some girls couldn’t handle stuff like that. He was so exhausted of having to explain his story over and over again; it just became easier to be alone. Since his last long-term relationship went up in flames, he got used to being on his own. What was wrong with that?

  “Come on, buddy, what else were you going to do on a Saturday night?”

  “I’m a very busy man. I’ve always got stuff to do.”

  “Yeah, like what?”

  “Wash my hair, read a book. Oh, clean my fridge.” Nick folded up an empty cardboard box. “Wait, I’m scheduled to work!” Now Nick had the perfect excuse.

  “No, you’re not. I already asked Ted to take your shift.”

  Nick shook his head. “So what you’re telling me is I have no choice?”

  “Seems like it, unless you want to deal with Amanda. I’ve got to warn you; she’s not herself these days. I don’t know what’s going on with her, but she’s been so damn moody.”

  “Yeah, tell me about it. This morning I was using your washing machine, and she went crazy on me for mixing my darks with my whites. What’s up with that?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe it’s the stress of planning a wedding. Women. Who fuckin’ understands them,” Dan said under his breath. Then he gave Nick a hard nudge that almost hurt. “Alright, are we doing this, or what?”

  “Yeah,” Nick said.

  Dan patted him on the back. “You’re not going to regret it.”

  “Something tells me I already do.”

  “I have a good feeling about this.” His brother smiled.

  Nick wasn’t convinced. He just hoped that one day he could just find the right girl, the one he could trust so he wouldn’t have to continue to tell his story. And maybe finally he’d get Dan off his case.

  “Good job,” Dan said as he inspected the metal bar stool that Nick brought in with him. The night before it had fallen apart. Nick had always been a tinkerer and worked well with his hands, opposed to Dan, who was more of a paper pusher.

  “I told you I could fix it.”

  “Yeah, you’re a real fuckin’ MacGyver,” Dan smiled. “Were you able to get any work done at the studio?”

  “Sort of. Nothing to write home about.” Nick opened another box and stacked bottles on the shelf behind him.

  Anyone blessed with the talent of creativity knows it doesn’t come at your beck and call. It’s not something you can conjure up. It comes in waves and sometimes at the most inappropriate times. For Nick, it used to come at night when his mind was never still. As soon as his head would hit the pillow, his thoughts would wander. His inspiration came so fluidly. Instead of smothering the desire, he’d run down to his studio. He didn’t know where the energy came from; it was like a spark that needed to get out, and through his art is where that energy went. These days he had plenty of sleepless nights, only his ability to create art was lost.

  Seeing his brother’s
frustration, Dan added, “Don’t worry, it will come back to you.”

  “Do you think I’ve changed in some way? I’ve been reading up on cellular memory.”

  “You believe that shit? No, that has nothing to do with it.” He paused. “Nick, you’ve been through a lot these past years. What did you think? You were just going to bounce back and expect everything to be the way it was?”

  Nick ran his hands through his hair, sighing. “I just thought when I decided … when I was ready … it would just come back to me naturally. I never thought it was something you could lose.”

  “Stop being hard on yourself. Just give it time.”

  “Yeah, I know.” He shrugged.

  “Look, you painted that.” Dan nodded toward the large canvas.

  “That’s different. It’s not what clients are used to seeing from me.”

  “Why is that different? I’m not going to pretend to understand how your talent works or the business of art, because I just fucking don’t. Maybe you’re going to have to paint in a different way.”

  “George is expecting abstract … not this.” Nick held out his hand to the painting he brought in, leaning against the wall. “He’s expecting me to bring him the stuff I painted four years ago. I don’t think I’m capable. Not anymore.”

  George was the art director of DuPont Art, an exclusive gallery in Montreal. Nick had met him six years ago when he was nineteen. It was George that believed in him, gave him the opportunity to exhibit his work in his gallery. It was thanks to George, his canvas “Life and Other Stories” sold at a record price of sixty-five thousand dollars. Nick never thought he could have a career in art, let alone make a living out of it.

  “You shouldn’t worry. You have a natural talent. I think you get that from Dad.”

  Nick sneered. “Please don’t compare me to that man.”

  “Nick, you can’t deny where you came from and pretend the man doesn’t exist.”

  “Well, he doesn’t exist. Not for me anyway.”

  “Look, I’m not trying to justify what he did, but at some point, you’re going to have to come to terms with what happened and just let it go.”

  “Are you serious? Are we having this conversation again?”

  Nick hadn’t seen his father in over fourteen years. He couldn’t wrap his mind on why his brother had kept in touch with him over the last three years.

  “All I’m saying is you only know one side of the story. He’s trying to make amends, make things right. Why don’t you give the guy a chance to explain—”

  “I don’t need to know his side. I was there, remember?” Nick replied. “Shit, he left Mom while she was sick. He left us with no financial support …” He paused. “Where was he when we needed him? He ran off to Calgary, making his fucking fortune. It was Mom who mustered all her strength to raise us.”

  Dan walked back behind the counter. “I know, he made a mistake …”

  “That’s not a fucking mistake.” Nick scowled. “You don’t do that to your family, not to the people you’re supposed to love.”

  Dan gathered his paperwork up. “I’m not asking you to be best friends with him, or even like him. I’m asking you to at least listen to what he has to say.”

  “You can fuckin’ forget about it.”

  “At some point, you’re going to have to face him. He’s coming to the wedding.”

  “Yeah, I know … with his new family. I still can’t believe you invited that asshole.”

  “Look, don’t get upset …”

  “I’m not getting upset. This is your life, and it’s your wedding. You can invite whoever you damn well want. Just leave me out of it.”

  Nick didn’t want to believe his brother wanted to have their father back in their lives, but it had only been the two of them for some time. Dan was getting married soon and would start a family shortly after that. Nick could understand the desire his brother had to belong to something bigger, because Nick secretly wanted it too. Who wouldn’t want a Victorian house with a white picket fence, a beautiful wife, and a couple of screaming kids? Shit, even going home for the holidays … a world where his mom was still alive and his parents married. It was a dream, and some dreams were simply not possible.

  How could he forgive a man who ultimately walked out on his family while his mother was fighting for her life? No, Nick couldn’t let go of his anger, not yet. There was no way around it; this was his truth, his reality.

  “If Mom forgave him, why can’t you?”

  Nick shook his head. “Please don’t bring Mom into this.”

  “He regrets what he did and wants to make things right with us.”

  “Well, he’s a little too late for that now. You want him in your life, that’s your fuckin’ business, but don’t expect me to do the same.”

  “Alright, let’s not talk about it anymore.” Dan was afraid of upsetting him any further. His brother tried to avoid confrontation at all costs. Nick had noticed it after he got out of the hospital.

  “Yeah, let’s not.”

  Nick didn’t push it because Dan was the only person he had left. They didn’t speak to each other for the rest of the night.

  When Dario announced himself at Olivia’s front door, wanting to collect more of his belongings, Olivia scrambled for her phone. She was relieved to see things were finally moving along with their break-up, but the thought of spending the entire day at home with him in the other room repulsed her.

  “I miss this,” Nina said as they sat in a crowded breakfast place, a few small blocks down from her condo.

  Olivia glanced up. “What’s that?”

  “Finally having you all to myself,” Nina began. “You without Dario.”

  “We’ve gone out before, only us …” Olivia scanned her menu.

  “Not recently.”

  “Sure, the time we went shopping downtown, and you bought those tacky curtains for your living room.”

  “No, the last time I was pregnant with Anthony. That was three years ago.” She paused. “Hey, those curtains are not tacky, by the way!”

  “Sure, if you like Grandma’s rose garden kind of thing,” Olivia smirked, looking up from her menu, trying to recall more of the day in question. “It wasn’t that long ago?”

  “I guess I’m not considered cool enough for you or your friends.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “You always like to hang with around cool people.”

  “I don’t think I’m cool.”

  “I said your friends.”

  Her sister, her rock, the one that helped her pick up the pieces, could pass judgement all at the same time. Olivia had surrounded herself with Dario’s friends and their self-indulgent significant others. They spent a substantial amount of time together, many vacations and dinner dates. Olivia wondered how she strived to belong to a group that required a Chanel bag.

  She remembered one outing, in particular: the girls in the group compared their diamond rings as if they were one of the wonders of the world.

  “I’ve got the biggest ring! Mine is 4.5 karats and Suzie is 2.5.” Nancy had held out her hand out to everyone to see.

  At that moment something crossed her mind; she wondered if these supposed friends ever thought about more important issues, bigger problems in the world, like starving children.

  No, she guessed they didn’t.

  When her turn came, and Dario presented her with a wonder of her own, she couldn’t help but feel like such a hypocrite. Olivia acted the part, but the truth was she couldn’t be less comfortable in her skin.

  She hadn’t intentionally left out her sister. Not for the reason Nina thought.

  “I thought with the baby and all, you wouldn’t be interested in hanging around Dario’s superficial friends.” She glanced up at her sister and Olivia’s stomach twisted. Perhaps her behavior wasn’t appropriate, especially for the people she loved most.

  “Honestly, if it bothered you that much, why didn’t you say someth
ing?”

  “I didn’t want you to think I was jealous.”

  Olivia glanced up at her sister. “Listen, I’m sorry for being such a jerk … for not realizing sooner.” She reached out to touch Nina’s hand.

  “All I’m saying is, it would have been nice to be invited from time to time.”

  Olivia placed her menu on the table. “Do you think I’ve changed?”

  “What?”

  “Do you think I’m superficial?”

  Nina observed her for a long moment, and the silence confirmed what Olivia suspected.

  “Oh geez, thanks.” Olivia gave her a funny grin.

  Nina laughed. “You want the honest truth? Dario had some hold on you. Like the time when he decided to go vegetarian and forced you to do the same.”

  “He didn’t force me. I thought it was a healthier choice.”

  Nina gave her the ‘I know you better’ face.

  “Which reminds me, which combo has the most bacon and breakfast sausage?” Olivia glossed over her menu again.

  “I don’t understand why you even put yourself through that. For God’s sake, Olivia, you’re Italian.”

  “So is Dario.”

  “No, Dario is a reptile.”

  “Aren’t reptiles meat eaters?”

  “Whatever, I don’t care. The point is I didn’t think you could live off seeds and tofu forever.”

  “I didn’t only eat tofu … and where did you get seeds from?”

  “Okay, you got my point. Shit, do you even know what you put Mom through? Or us on Sunday dinners? She thought you were starving yourself.”

  “Yeah, she always thinks I’m starving myself.”

  Olivia never talked to anyone about her relationship, how much shit Dario put her through, how he manipulated her into becoming this person she didn’t recognize anymore.

  After some time, Nina said, “Mostly, what I saw was a repressed, empty shell of the Olivia I use to know. You just seemed so unhappy.”

  Olivia sighed. “I was … unhappy … I mean, I am. There’s nothing to be happy about these days. Dario’s finding every excuse not to sell the condo and Dad … well, Dad is not doing well.” Olivia rubbed her eyes, wiping the tears away.