DESI
“Yeah,things are kind of crazy at work right now. I don’t know when I’ll be able to see you again. Soon, I promise,” I lied to Scout. I clutched the phone to my ear, silently pleading for her not to hang up on me.
“You promise this has nothing to do with your arrest?” Her voice sounded so far away, despite just being across the town.
“I swear. The theater gets crazy around the holidays. People are coming home, they hate their families so they come, catch a show and—”
“Take a load off?” She giggled. My heart ached that I couldn’t see her right now, but, all in good time.
“Exactly. Are you doing anything on Christmas Eve?”
“No, are you?”
“Just seeing you.”
“Please don’t make promises you can’t keep. You have a tendency to be late.”Scout sighed deeply.
“But I always show up,” I reminded her.
“Desi.”
“No, I’ll be there. Christmas Eve. Keep your lights on for me. I’ll be there, on your doorstep, with a present in my hand.”
“I don’t need a present.”
“It’s too late, I already bought it.”
“Fine. But if you don’t come by midnight, I’ll consider it your final goodbye.”
“I could never say that to you, Scout,” I whispered. “I love you.”
“I love you too, Desi. I’ll see you in a few weeks.”
I hoped I’d be able to call her soon, but with Aleida around, I couldn’t be so sure.
My shoulders and stomach sank, and I trudged out of my kitchen and back to my bedroom.
“Who was that?” Aleida looked up from the fashion magazine she was reading on my bed.
“Randy,” I told her. “He wanted to smoke. I told him I was spending time with my dearest fiancée.”I recited.
“Good boy. Come here.” She hooked her finger and motioned with it.
“What?” I snapped. She hadn’t left my house in a week, except to feed.
“You’re so tense, let me rub your shoulders.” She opened her arms and made squeezing motions with her hands.
“I’m good. Are you going out tonight?”
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”
“I would. I’d like that very much.”
“You act like me being around is such an inconvenience to you.”
It was.
She scooted to the edge of the bed. “What are you going to do when we start permanently living together?”
