Jackpot! by Jackie Pilossoph Page A

said.
    “What about him?”
    “Why’d you dump him?”
    “I didn’t dump him. I broke up with him. There’s a difference.”
    “Okay, why’d you break up with him?”
    “Because I didn’t love him.”
    Drew put his burger down and began clapping his hands.
    “Stop,” I said with a giggle, scanning the room to see if anyone was looking at us.
    Drew laughed, “I’m giving you a round of applause for finally realizing that.”
    I smiled.
    He went on, “And for realizing you and I needed to give it a shot.”
    My smile vanished instantly, the look on my face turning to terror.
    “Why are you so afraid of me? Actually, why are you so afraid of men? Was your ex-husband that much of an asshole?”
    “Yes, he was. Subject change. Did you hear about Kevin Beckerman? He’s leaving the station and going to work for WLS radio.”
    “I don’t give a shit about Kevin Beckerman,” he said. Then he looked me right in the eyes and said softly, “Talk to me,” and I pretty much found myself melting. I wanted so badly to open up to him. I couldn’t, though. This was business.
    “I’m not afraid of men.”
    “Well, you don’t really like them.”
    “Why do say that?”
    “Two words. Lucy Chi.”
    “What about Lucy Chi?” I asked, although I already knew he had me.
    Lucy Chi was the entertainment reporter for WGB. About a year earlier, she was dating a guy she thought she was probably going to marry. She brought him into the station to meet everyone on a Friday afternoon, seeking approval from all of her co-workers. So on Monday morning, she popped her head in my office and asked, “What’d ya think?”
    I stopped what I was doing (checking my e-mail rejection letters) to give Lucy my full attention, and said, “He seems great.”
    “What about looks?” she asked next, “Do you think he’s cute?”
    “Very,” I said with lots of enthusiasm. He really was.
    “Thanks, girlfriend!” Lucy said with a smile, as she moved on to hear other opinions.
    At that moment Drew walked into my office. He yelled after Lucy as she walked down the hall. “He’s a hottie, Lucy!”
    Lucy turned around. “Thanks, sweetie!” She was ecstatic.
    “I’m happy for her,” he said to me, “The guy seemed pretty cool, huh?”
    I barely looked up from my computer. “Looza…” I said.
    “What?” Drew defended, “No! He seemed like a good guy!”
    “Whatever,” I said, apathetically and without looking up.
    “Am I missing something?” asked Drew.
    I finally looked up. “He seems too perfect. You know, too nice, too good looking, too…I don’t know. What’s the word I’m looking for?”
    “Bitchy?” said Drew with a chuckle.
    “What?”
    “Sorry, I thought you were looking for a word for yourself,” he joked.
    “I just don’t trust guys like that.” And that was the end of the conversation.
    Lucy Chi ended up marrying the guy. Currently, she’s pregnant with twins.
    “Okay, fine,” I said to Drew, “I was wrong about Lucy Chi’s husband. But there are a lot of jerks out there.”
    “And there are a lot of really great guys, too. Like me!”
    God, he was cute! But he wasn’t marriage material. He wasn’t polished. Or ambitious. And he wasn’t Jewish. Ma would hate him, I kept thinking. But I didn’t hate him. I liked him. And now, I needed him. And as sad as it was to say, I needed his sperm. I wanted to kill my mother right now. I wanted to shout, “How could you do this to me?!”
    But then I had a really nice thought. I realized right then, if Drew did end up getting me pregnant, and if I did have his baby, I wouldn’t only get Frankie’s money, but I’d get sweet revenge, as well, because if Drew was the father of my child, he would be in our lives forever. Frankie would have to see him all the time! That was the silver lining.
    “So, how about you, Drew? Have you ever been in love?”
    “Twice. My first love was Mrs. Lefler, my fourth grade math teacher, and the second was Monica