21. MAYBE WE BROKE IT.
Can Cookie and Lucious fix their love?
After Lucious' petulant, temper tantrum, Andre and Teri had excused themselves upstairs with Teri mumbling underneath her breath about how hungry she was. Cookie and Hakeem remained seated at the dining table. Cookie paid no attention to the food scattered across the floor curtsy of her childish husband as she dug into her food and sipped on her wine. Eventually, she glanced sideways to see Hakeem eyeing her plate with pleading eyes. Cookie sighed before pursing her lips as she slid her plate over to her youngest baby and watched him stuff his face as though he was a starving child. It was apparent that he followed his Father with the theatrics.
"Ma, you gotta go talk to him," Hakeem announced through a full mouth. Cookie's lip curled. "Ma."
Her eyes rolled skyward. "Talk to him about what, Hakeem?" she questioned, feigning innocence as she sipped her red wine.
Hakeem gave her a look that mimicked her own whenever she was about to tell her sons they were stupid. "He's been miserable all day, Mom. Shouting and snapping at people. He took over the whole Empire Movie production!" he exclaimed.
Cookie shrugged a shoulder of nonchalance. "You're describing how your Father acts on an everyday basis, son."
Hakeem chewed his food slower as he watched his Mother play dumb. "What about just now?" he retorted. Cookie's lips twisted as she glanced around the floor again. "That's more your style." Cookie opened her mouth to protest but knew it was true, so she closed her lips and grunted. "Can you two old folk just make peace? For the sake of the movie before he makes everyone quit, or fires them all."
"Watch it, boy," she warned at his 'old folk' comment before slowly, and reluctantly, pushing back her chair and rising to her feet. Cookie knew her youngest son was right. It seemed like that whenever she and Lucious fell out, he went on a rampage, determined to destroy everything and everyone in his path; family be damned. "I'll make peace, but I ain't happy about it."
"You ain't gotta be." He chimed back.
Cookie sucked her teeth before she stepped over the food and trudged down the corridor with her mind running wild with possible scenarios as to how she and Lucious' talk would go. Her heart was heavy, knowing the two had plenty to talk about and none of it was good. As she sauntered into the kitchen, she saw her man looking more stressed than ever as that mighty vein made its appearance on his forehead as he went over the Empire script.
"Why do I have a feeling that your little performance at dinner had more to do with me than Andre?" she questioned as she leaned against the island, deciding to get straight to the point. Cookie didn't have the time, nor the patience to try and small talk her way to the root of the problem between her and Lucious. It was better to just rip the Band-Aid off and let the wound breathe.
"Because you think too much of yourself."
Cookie's lips flattened into a frown. She knew just from his smart-mouthed response that this conversation wasn't about to go smoothly.
"We need to talk, Lucious." She sighed.
"What have we got to talk about?" he retorted back, not once looking up at her. Tired of his attitude, Cookie pulled out a seat before she grabbed the script to tug away from his grasp. "I don't have time-"
"What don't we have time to talk about?" she snapped back. Seeing that he still refused to look at her, she exhaled. "Look, Lucious, I forgive you, okay?" she announced, truthfully.
