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“Hi,” he says like I should automatically know it’s him. I mean, I do. His name and number are programmed into my phone. But it still strikes me as arrogant since we haven’t spoken in so long.
We’re both silent for a few awkward moments. I’m not going to make this easy for him.
“Were you asleep?” he finally asks.
“Yes.”
“Oh.”
No apologies. Just …oh.
“I heard you moved to that mountain town,” he continues.
I still talk to a friend in the office, so I’m sure that’s how he knows where I am.
“Sullivan’s Way,” I say, but I don’t like putting Zane’s last name in a conversation with my former boss. Somehow, this place is still pure. And I don’t want Dr. Cooper to taint it. He’s already taken enough from me.
“I’ve been there a time or two,” he says like this is any casual conversation between friends. “The skiing is top-notch.”
“Yep,” I say.
There’s another beat of silence.
“How are you?” he finally asks.
“I’m good,” I say honestly.
“Where are you working?”
“At an urgent care.”
“Do you like it?”
“I do,” I say. “We see a lot of orthopedic patients because it’s so close to the slopes. It’s shift work, so no calls and no overnight stuff. And they’re paying me well.”
“Better than me?” he asks.
“Yes,” I say, knowing it will bother him.
He always prided himself on compensating me more than everyone else would. Higher pay and bigger bonuses. But again, it was more about stroking his ego, not as much about rewarding me for my hard work and long hours. If there’s one thing Ilearned from my relationship with Ron, it’s that most of what he does is about him, not me.
“Well, that’s good.” His voice fades, and it sounds like he’s driving somewhere. From his girlfriend’s house perhaps?
In the aftermath, I wondered if he used me as a decoy for his relationship with Casey. Maybe he put her in his cell under my name. Since we worked so closely together, we were in constant contact. So, I could have been a way for him to hide his affair all this time. But I know I won’t get a straightforward answer if I ask, so I don’t bother.
“How’s Toby?” I ask.
“He’s good, I guess,” he answers. “He doesn’t start until the first of next year.”
“So, you’ve been doing it all on your own?”
“Yeah. Unfortunately.”
“That was your choice,” I remind him. “I would’ve come back for a few weeks to properly give my notice.”
“And been pissed at me in the process,” he mumbles.
“Probably. But I also know how to be professional.”
