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She gave me a quick hug and turned her head to the side when I moved to kiss her. I pecked her on the cheek and pulled away, “How was your day?”
“It was good,” Rachel replied without looking at me. “Dinner is almost ready.”
I peeled off my jacket and draped it over the back of the chair. “It smells delicious.”
“Thank you.”
“How about you, buddy? How was your day?”
“I don’t like having homework,” Ron declared, pausing to give me a look over his shoulders. “It’s boring.”
I walked over to him and crouched. “I know. I’m sorry, bud. It’ll get better.”
Ron set his sheet down and sighed. “Can I go play now?”
“Dinner is almost ready, so make sure when you’re done, you put away your toys and wash your hands.”
“Thank you, mommy.” He jumped off the chair and charged in the direction of the living room. I stood up and wandered over to the kitchen. When I leaned against the counter and folded my arms over my chest, Rachel still wouldn’t look at me.
“I was thinking we could go out after dinner.”
“Ron has school tomorrow.”
“I can call the babysitter,” I offered with a smile. “So you and I can go out.”
“I’ve had a long day.” Rachel knelt in front of the oven and peered inside. “Can we go out some other time?”
I cleared my throat. “Yeah, sure. Whatever you want.”
During a dinner of roasted potatoes, grilled chicken, and rice, the sound of cutlery filled the air. Now and again, Ron spoke up, telling us stories about his day, but for the rest of the meal, we ate in silence. Once dinner was done, Ron helped Rachel clear the table before scurrying off in the direction of his room.
I helped her dry the dishes as she washed them.
When she was finished, Rachel left without a backward glance.
The next morning, she wouldn’t look at me at all during breakfast or when we were in the car together on the way to dropRon off. I spent the entire day in meetings, trying to solve one problem after the next. By the time the sun dipped below the horizon, I was in a worse mood and didn’t want to go home.
Instead, I had Jonathan take me to a restaurant a few blocks away.
As soon as I walked in, I made a beeline for the bar and signaled for a drink. The bartender, a man with dark hair, bulging arms, and glasses, set a glass of whiskey down in front of me before he moved away. I was nursing my third glass of whiskey when Carla dropped onto the stool next to me.
“You look like you could use the company.”
“Not really.”
“I’ll keep you company anyway. No one likes to drink alone.”
I twisted to face her and eyed her over the rim of the glass. “What are you even doing here, Carla?”
“A bunch of us like to come here after work.” Carla waved at a group of my employees seated at a booth on the other side of the restaurant. “They’ve got good food and good drinks.”
I raised an eyebrow and finished off my drink. “Good for you.”
Carla sat up straighter and tossed her hair over her shoulders. “I know things haven’t been going well at work, but I’m sure you’re going to find a way to turn it around.”
I signaled for another drink and didn’t respond.
Carla touched my arm, and I caught a whiff of her floral perfume. “I don’t know if I told you this, but I’m really proud of you. You’ve done such a good job with the company.”
