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This daily call has been a fixed part of our life for seven years.Ever since we both started working after college.The first time was on his third day in his first job.He called to grumble about a work colleague.I then called him at the same time two days later when I needed to vent about something.It became part of our routine after that.
These days, even when he’s being smashed by the demands of his company, he blocks off fifteen minutes each day for the call.The only day we’ve missed in all these years is when I refused to answer because I was angry with him over a bullshit fight he got into with Slade and tried to tell me how to conduct my professional life.I’m not proud of shutting him out that day, but I was angry with him in a way I never have been.
I answer his call.“I see you’re still alive.Did Abigail forget to bring her poison to work today or have you been on your best behavior?”
“Smartass.”
I grin.His assistant has a love/hate relationship with him.Mostly, she loves working for him, but when he becomes moody because his days are long and he’s traveling a lot, which he has been, she threatens to poison his coffee.Abigail is firmly on my list of people I adore.She handles Callan perfectly and is skilled at letting him know when he’s being an asshole without overstepping boundaries.
“Question: are you busy Wednesday night at seven?”I ask.
“I might be.Not sure yet.Why?”
“I’ve got a contractor coming to give me an estimate for the remodel I want to do in my bedroom but I forgot I’ve got a hair appointment that afternoon.I’m hoping you’re free to come and talk with him until I get home.I should only be about fifteen minutes late.If you can’t make it, I’ll just cancel my hair because this guy is super busy and I’ll have to wait a couple of months to reschedule.”
“I’ll make myself free.Don’t cancel your hair.And who’s this guy you’ve booked?”
I know what he’s saying without saying it.He would have sent his guy, Brett, who has never found something he can’t fix, build, or demolish.
“He’s a guy that one of the girls at work recommended.I didn’t want to bug you about this while you’re so busy.”
“I’m never too busy, Liv.I’ll get Brett to come over too and give you a quote.Fuck knows there are enough shady assholes out there who’ll take you for a ride.”
I frown at the shift in his tone.“You sound like you’re dealing with one today.”
He exhales a long breath.“Because I am.”
“You wanna talk about it?”
“No.I want you to tell me one of your highs from this morning to take my mind off it.”
“That bad, huh?”
“You’ve no idea.”
I don’t push him to talk about it.He’ll open up later, once he’s moved through whatever it is.Instead, I file through the possibilities of what I could tell him, smiling when I hit on the one I know will work best.“Okay, prepare yourself for the most amazing news of life!”I pause for dramatic effect before gushing, “My favorite planner is being released in orange.Orange!Can you believe it?”
He chuckles and I take that as the sign my mission was accomplished.“How many emails have you sent her requesting orange?”
“One on the first of every month for the last year.”
He’s silent for a moment, like he’s distracted.“Okay, so orange is popular.They’ve already sold out of the smaller planners.It’s a good thing you prefer the larger ones.”
“Stop right now, Callan Black!Get off their website and do not pre-order one for me.I’ve already placed my order.”If he thought I wouldn’t have, that’s just another sign there’s something off with him today.I mean, I feel like my love for Edith Corin planners should surely place me as her number one fan, but there must be at least a million other women around the world who feel the same way.Probably more.There could be no chances taken this morning when I received my Monday morning email from her announcing the orange planner.
Halle, my assistant pops her head in my door.“Have you got a minute?Slade’s on the line for you.”She rolls her eyes.“He’s being quite dramatic about needing to speak with you right now.”
I nod.“Gimme a minute.”
She eyes my cell and calls out, “Hi, Callan.Such a shame your team fucked up on the weekend.”She grins.“You owe me.”
Callan groans.“Put me on speaker.”When I’ve done that, he says, “You’ll owe me after this weekend, Halle.”
With more of that grin, she says, “We’ll see.Now, hurry up and get off the phone so Olivia can get back to work.”
“She’s been hanging for this phone call so she could say that to you,” I say after Halle leaves.These two bet with each other on the baseball and love ribbing the other over losses.
“She won’t be hanging for next Monday’s call after her team loses.Shit…I’ve gotta go.”
