A spark of cautious optimism warmed my chest as I thought of the reason for the time change. “I finally convinced my mom to do the intake for that support group for Spanish speakers the DV center from the Bronx is doing.” Ayako’s face lit up at that. She was well aware how much I’d struggled to get my mom to do anything related to her trauma history.
“I’m so happy to hear that. It’ll be so good for her to talk to other women.” She sounded genuinely excited. Ayako knew how long I’d been trying to cajole my mom to do a group.
I nodded, still not wanting to call this development with my mom a victory. “I’m a little bit worried that she seemed to say yes too easily. Maybe she’s doing worse than she’s letting on.”
Ayako leaned and smiled in that way she did when I was getting “too pessimistic.”
“Maybe she’s just ready. We talk about meeting people where they’re at until our tongues fall out around here. If it’s good enough for our clients, it should be good enough for us.”
I exhaled, conceding her point. “You’re right. I just worry.”
“Take this as a win, friend. This a good step toward Dinorah starting to believe that what happened to her isn’t who she is. I’ve heard really great things about that program; they use a good model.”
I dipped my head in agreement. “Iwilltake it as a win, and yes, I’ve only heard positive things.” I glanced at my office door, checking for eavesdroppers. “I ended up blabbing to Tom about it and by the time we were done talking, we’d arranged to meet at the botanical garden tomorrow.” Ayako widened her eyes at this development. “These meetings sound more and more like dates, and I’m pretty sure I donothave the self-control it takes to resist Tom Hughes if he even hints at a repeat from the night at the gala.”
I stared up at Ayako, hoping she would give me the talking to I needed. Instead, she got up and walked over to the door, shut it, and walked back to my desk.
“I’m not going to tell you to have a torrid affair with a donor, because that would beterribleadvice.”
Awesome, I was about to get another, “just go with the flow” pep talk. I needed a fucking reckoning, before I ruined my career and this project, not one more person telling me this wasnota terrible idea.
“Don’t think I don’t know you’re internally rolling your eyes at me.” She leaned over to smack my shoulder playfully. “Camilo, I know that despite your insistence that you have terrible judgement and can’t be trusted to be sensible when you have feelings for someone,” she leaned in close, so she was looking straight at me. “You are anexcellentjudge of character —” she held up her finger and waved it in the air, “—andyou have very good self-preservation instincts. I also know that your mother has always been sacred ground for you. If your gut is telling you this guy is trustworthy, then fucking go with it, babe.I’ve seen shit go down in flames between you and some of the clueless assholes you’ve dated.” She hooked her thumb over her shoulder as she talked. “But that was on them,notyou.”
After a moment of me just staring at her, she threw her arms up as if recalling a particularly compelling piece of evidence.
“Fuck, I don’t think you ever even told that dickbag Paul Dinorah’sname, and you dated for almost two years. Yet from one meeting Tom already knows how she came to the States. It took you three years to tell me, motherfucker!”
I broke as soon asdickbagcame out of her mouth. “Fine” I said, too amused by her to keep arguing. “But if I end up getting fired for this shit, I’m moving in with you.”
She laughed and got up from the spot on my desk where she’d perched. “I would not mind splitting Astoria rent prices, but I don’t think you’re going anywhere. Just chill out and go on your meeting/date with the Dominican billionaire with the BDE.”
“Stop,” I pleaded as she back walked out of my office with a huge grin on her face.
Why did I think I could go to Ayako for sensible advice?
I was completely sure that doing this with Tom was the road to perdition, but it seemed like I’d at least have some friends with me when I got there.
Tom
I sensed him before I saw him coming up the path to the conservatory.
He had his hair in a bun again, but this time he was wearing dark red slacks and a gray sweater under a leather bomber jacket. A messenger bag slung across his chest. There wasnothing particularly remarkable about the outfit, but to me he looked perfect.
He glanced up as he started walking towards the steps where I was standing. As soon as he saw me, his face broke into an easy smile, and he lifted a hand in greeting. Before I knew what I was doing I started walking to meet him halfway.
“Hi,” I said holding myself back. The need to kiss him felt like a gravitational force, every part of my body wanted to get closer, to touch him.
Camilo looked up at me, and I could see just a slight tremor go through him. I wondered if he was having the same reaction. After a moment, he blinked and pointed to the glass doors of the conservatory.
“Shall we?”
I realized that we were standing in the middle of the steps and people were having to walk around us. I felt a little embarrassed but nodded and turned toward the glass doors.
Once inside, Camilo stopped to look around. “I haven’t been here in ages,” he said, inspecting the glass-encased building. “My mom used to love to come see the orchid show in the spring.” His smile faded a bit then. “We haven’t come in a while.”
I stepped closer to him, looking up at the glass dome above us. “It’s quite a building. I didn’t come here until I’d been in New York for a few years and was pretty blown away by it when I did.”
We looked at the tropical plants as we talked. “And a little homesick.”
