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Talk about confusion.
“I guess I got a little lost there.”
“Like being transported back in time?” he asked.
“Something like that,” she said. “Only we are staying on this floor tonight.”
“I didn’t expect any differently.”
“I’ll go light the grill,” she said. “I need to cool off.”
He threw his head back and laughed. “I’ll come with you. I might need to do the same thing.”
14
MEANS SOMETHING
It’d been almost two weeks of pleasant interactions and communications with Gabe.
If someone had told her six months ago she’d be dating the guy she lost her virginity to, she’d laugh them out of the room after she gave them the middle finger.
But things seemed to be working better than she thought they could.
Not that they saw much of each other because she was taking it slow and it seemed he was too.
After dinner at her place, the following weekend she went to his house and they ordered pizza.
They talked about work or just the world in general and she was shocked to find how much she had in common with him.
Each day they normally had one text, maybe two. It was him reaching out first all the time.
There was part of her that didn’t feel good about that, but she didn’t have much to say either.
But when she saw her mother calling at the end of January mid-week, she figured she’d find plenty to say then.
She should have let it go to voicemail, but she’d been doing that more times than not.
After a debate, she answered. “Hi, Mom.”
“Hi, Elise. How have you been?” Starting out nice. She could handle this.
“Good,” she said. “Busy with work.”
“It’s always all about work with you,” her mother said snidely. Starting in right away. About five seconds. Might be a record. “One of these days you’re going to have to decide if you want a life or you want a job.”
This was what her mother never seemed to understand. “It’s not a job. It’s not a career. It’s our family business and it means something. Maybe that it’s part of my life and if someone can’t accept that, it’s on them and not me.”
“Just like your father. You always sound like him. I’m surprised Royce and Chloe have lasted as long as they have. She’ll get sick of it like I did. More so with a child.”
She wasn’t going to let her brother get shit on. Her mother didn’t know Chloe. She didn’t know anything about her brother’s life or relationship because she couldn’t be bothered to ask. Just like her mother hadn’t met her granddaughter in person yet though Elise knew Royce and Chloe texted pictures often.
Be the better person, her father always told her she should try to do and she was. Somewhat. At least her voice was calm right now. She wondered why when the results were the same.
“If you bothered to get to know Chloe you’d know what she is like. They have something good and strong and it works for them. It’s not for you to judge, but you love to do that.”
“Your father used to say the same words to me,” her mother said. “I told him what I wanted and liked, but he never listened.”
“It’s not all about you, Mom,” she snarled. Don’t mess with her father. That would set her off every single time.
