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“Me either. At all. And I haven’t heard a word from him since. It’s almost as if neither of us wants to believe it ever happened.”
“If only. I’m sorry though…I shouldn’t have brought that back up,” Holly says, already pouring herself a second glass and offering to top mine off.
“That’s okay. It did in fact happen and there’s no use denying it,” I return, brushing off her refill attempt.
“So…then you are still crushing on flower guy?”
“Bo’s the name, and I never said I was crushing. As a matter of fact, I haven’t even been on the phone with him in months now and the entire notion seems like a silly, distant fantasy. I guess I’m finally getting lonely in life. Perfect time for my ex husband to start ruling over me with an iron fist.” Holly has slapped a hand over her mouth to contain her apparent mirth.
“What?” I ask.
“His name is Bo?”
“I know! He sounds like the classic central-Florida hick farmer, does he not?” I can’t help but laugh with her. “See what I’m getting at…it’s not worth calling a crush, or even an interest. He’s simply the first theoretically heterosexual male I will have ever met at this thing and…well I guess I’m easy to please these days.”
Holly is fully guffawing now, so I will myself to drop my bashfulness and join her.
An hour later we’re out of the tub and winding down, Holly fishing through films to watch despite my protests. My flight isn’t that early, but I’m still wiped out from everything about my entire week that could cause someone to feel like a zombie. I figure I’ll humor her until I start dozing off on the couch, then happily transfer myself to the guest bed.
But instead, Holly puts on the chick flick, I gently recline down one length of her luxurious wraparound couch, and I awaken seven hours later in a puddle of drool. So much for a night in a real bed…Holly’s living room couch is apparently more comfortable than anything I’ve ever slept on.
***
At eleven thirty I’m boarding a plane next to my sweet little protege, Maxine. This kid is the stuff every employer’s dreams are made of. In addition to being an ace floral designer, she’s conversational, full of smiles, and has an adorable…albeit cheap…fashion sense. I only hope she won’t expect me to be great company on our flights, after the sleep deficit I’ve recently accrued.
I am, however, willing to chat her up during the initial half-hour flight to Chicago. It goes by in a flash and we’re dumped into the O’hare for a ninety minute layover. After hitting the bathroom and securing lunch, we sit at our terminal…Maxine’s face buried in a book and mine in my phone, which has exploded with texts and messages from Quade. After our days of silence, my hands are shaking as I read them.
Hey Cookie! How was your week? I know you’re on your way to FL but please check in with me when you get there.
Hey Cookie, you at the O’hare yet? Maybe give me a call. If you can. Please.
Hey honey, sorry if I was overly aggressive the other night. Lately I feel like you’re drifting away and it scares me a little bit. You can’t blame a guy for caring too much.
I officially want to hurl my phone against a wall and break it after reading that last one. Can’t blame a guy! What a zinger! I excuse myself and begin rapidly pacing down the aisle as I pull up the voice messages. The actual sound of him takes my repulsion to a whole new level. I feel my breathing escalate as my shakes become almost too violent to hold the phone. I want to vomit.
Hey Cookie…are you almost there yet? ………Okay…… well…give me a call. I hope you’re out there having fun. Just not too much fun without me…heh heh…just kidding. Love ya bunches, talk to you soon. Bye.
Aaand…he’s back to the same old sickly sweet doormouse of a man he ever was. All breathy into his phone and calm as a hindu cow. Next message, while I still have the nerve to even listen to this shit.
Hey there…gotta land sometime. If you didn’t have time at O’hare…just……call me as soon as you get into Fort Lauderdale, okay? There are some things we need to discuss before you’re gone for the entire weekend, okay? I’ll be waiting for your call. Have a nice flight.
Some things we need to discuss before I’m gone for an entire weekend? An entire weekend? What is that even supposed to mean? As if I owe him some sort of check-in before I’m allowed to go on a field trip. My mind is spinning with the sheer number of trips I’ve taken over the past nine years, never having gone through any sort of exit requirement by Quade before. The guy has gone bananas, and I’ve a mind not to call him at all. I continue storming indignantly in the opposite direction of our gate, not wanting Maxine to see me with my blood boiling this early in the weekend.
On the other hand, I do have a good half hour before boarding…and I know what happened last time I ignored him. Maybe if I get this over with now, I won’t have to think about Quade after I’m in Florida…which would be quite the perk. After making a quick pillow and bottled water purchase, I stroll into an empty gate and sit down to dial him, fingers wobbling with nervous rage.
“Cookie! I thought I’d never hear your voice again!”
And the truth comes out. After his outrageous stunt the other night, Quade clearly thought he’d lost me. Suddenly he doesn’t seem so powerful and scary after all.
“Well ta-daa! Here I am. Just trying to do diligence to a bajillion messages before boarding my second flight. As requested.”
My response is met with a surprising interval of silence. “There’s no need to get sarcastic with me,” he says at last, that eerie, calm control having returned to his voice.
My memory flashes to the creep driving beside me at five miles an hour, the threats about my business and the home I live in. I remember with clarity that this is not a guy I want to piss off.
“Quade,” I start back in with a laugh, “I’m just playing around. What did you wanna discuss? Just a heads-up, I have about ten minutes before I need to hightail it back to my gate.”
“Ah, well.” He clears his throat nervously. “I don’t really think that’s adequate time for the topic I have in mind Fiona. Maybe…why don’t you just give me a call from your nice quiet room after you get there. After Maxine’s gone to the meet-and-greet.”
