I’m forced to speak. “I have nothing more to say. We can talk tomorrow. Believe me, I love you. Isn’t that all that matters in the end?”
“No, it’s not enough. If we don’t deal with this now, it will come up again and may be worse next time.” I look at the bedroom clock; it’s almost midnight.
“Adam, it’s late. I’m going to bed.”
“You were just laughing your head off. How can you be tired?”
“I was releasing my anxiety and tension over the situation. It just happened and I couldn’t help myself so, no, I don’t find you funny and I wasn’t laughing at you.”
“I think you were laughing because you think you’ve put me in my place.” He deliberately leaves the light on as he leaves the room, clearly more frustrated than when he walked in. I don’t know why I want to laugh again, but I manage to stifle it as I get up to turn off the light, shutting the bedroom door so I can hear if he comes in again. I lie in the bed just thinking. He gets so angry when his feelings are hurt. I guess this really is all new to him too, just like me. I manage to fall asleep and wake up the next morning to find Adam not in bed beside me. There’s a note on the kitchen island.
Violet, I’ve left for work already. Enjoy your train ride! Adam. I laugh so hard that I have to bend over, using the island to keep myself from falling to the ground.
Whatever! He’s at least giving me what I want. I smile to myself as I walk to the train station, feeling great about making my own way to work. It’s quite refreshing.
§
It’s just before noon when Paul calls me into his office. After exchanging a few pleasantries, he gets to the point of our meeting. “Violet, I’d like to talk you about joining me in Chicago for a six-month period.”
I know I must look surprised. He’s only ever asked me to help him get the office set up and staffed administratively. “I thought you only needed my help getting it set up and we’ve hired four strong paralegals, an experienced receptionist with capacity to do more and two strong assistants. Wouldn’t one of them support you there while I support you here?”
Paul shakes his head and says, “Firstly, you’re excellent at your job, probably the best paralegal I’ve ever worked with. Secondly, there are some budget restraints and the firm feels your role is best suited with me in Chicago. We would cut back on one of the four paralegals there.” I quickly realize, Oh shit, I could be out of a job if I don’t consider his offer.
“Is there a temporary role for me here in this location until you come back?”
“Not at your level and selfishly I’m hoping six months isn’t too much to ask. Look, this has come as a surprise and I know you have a personal life to consider as well. Why don’t you take some time to think about it?” He sweetens the deal. “I’ll make it worth your while. I can offer you a ten percent salary increase that will remain in effect even after the six months and a $5,000 bonus at the end of the six months.” That does sound really good. The five grand I could put to good use even give it to Adam towards the summer house we’ve been discussing.
“Okay, Paul. Let me think on it and get back to you.”
“Great, and if you have any questions, just ask.” I nod as I walk out of his office, actually feeling a bit excited at the opportunity he’s presented to me. The morning flies by so I’ve had little time to think of Adam and the events from last night. I check my personal email and there’s nothing from him. I check my phone and there’s nothing from him there either. He’s probably sulking. A tiny part of me wants to call him, but I decide I’ll see him tonight. I delve into my work and just before 4, my office phone rings, the name across the screen is Laurier & Stone. I pick it up immediately, thinking it’s Adam.
“Hello Adam,” I say with controlled politeness.
A women’s voice replies, “Hi, Violet. It’s Alice. How are you?”
“Is everything alright?” I ask immediately.
“Yes, everything’s fine. Mr. Stone asked me to call you to let you know he was called on an urgent business trip so he won’t be back until Saturday morning. He’s at the hangar now and has been in meetings all day. He’ll be boarding the plane any minute now. To be honest, he only had time to drive home to pack and has been on back to back conference calls.”
“Okay, thanks Alice, I appreciate the call. What time does his flight leave today?”
“In about 10 minutes. I’m sorry, he only just asked me to call you a few minutes ago, likely because of all the rushing around.”
“Thanks again, Alice. One more question, what time does his flight land on Saturday?”
“Oh, it lands at 11 in the morning.”
“Thanks. I appreciate you calling me. Have a great evening.”
“Yes, you too. Bye, Violet.”
I sit back in my chair, trying to think. I know he wouldn’t fabricate a business trip to avoid me. I wish now we had resolved our discussion last night. A trip only delays the inevitable. I try calling his cell and it goes into voicemail. I don’t leave a message, figuring he will see that I called him. It’s almost 6 when I decide to leave my office. I call Ann to see if she wants to meet for dinner now that Adam is traveling. “I can’t tonight, but how about tomorrow night? Ted’s out and we haven’t been out on a Friday night in ages.”
She’s right. “Sure, that works. Adam isn’t back until Saturday morning so I’m free Friday night now.”
Ann sounds happy. “Good. Let’s go out for dinner and a few drinks then.”
“Okay, sure. It’s a date. See you tomorrow. Bye for now.”
A wonderful feeling of freedom engulfs me as I look forward to quality time with Ann. I’m going to talk to her about Chicago tomorrow. I could use her advice about the offer. On Thursday night, I receive an email from Adam.
From: Adam Stone
To: Violet Cole
Subject: Wednesday Night
Violet, sorry I had to rush off. It was an urgent matter. I hope we can talk when I get back about why I make you feel oppressed and why you find me so funny. I love you. Adam
I email back saying, yes, we can talk when you’re back, and tell him I love him too. I am still annoyed at him. I have another day and a half to figure out what I want to say to him. I’m starting to feel very independent all of a sudden.
Chapter 21
It’s finally Friday. On my way home from work, I feel excited about going out with Ann tonight. When I get in, I turn on the stereo really loudly. Avril is now heard through the surround sound in the apartment. I dance around as I get changed into jeans, a red V-neck top, and boots. I grab my leather jacket and text Ann: Be there by 7:30.
Ann replies: Great. See you soon.
We meet at a restaurant and bar that we used to go to when we were in university. It’s an old large three-story house conversion where university, college, and thirty-something crowds all like to hang out. Each floor has a bar area, pool tables, and tables and chairs spread out. The second floor has a dancing area and DJ. In the summer, there’s a roof-top patio as well.
Ann’s waiting for me just inside. “How’s it going?” I hug her. We decide to go to the second floor and grab a table just to the side of the bar.
As we walk up the stairs, Ann replies, “Great and thanks for saving me from a night of overeating and bad reruns!” She laughs and then says, “Oh, I did tell Ted we were coming here, so he may meet us here for a drink later. I hope that’s okay.”
“Sure, that’s fine.” I feel light and free right now. A waiter comes over to take our drink orders. I look at Ann, waiting to hear what she’s drinking.
“I’ll have a cosmo, please,” Ann says. The waiter nods and then looks at me.
“I’ll have the same, please, with a straw.”
“Okay, two coming right up,” he replies with a smile. I immediately check my phone to make sure I haven’t pocket-dialed Adam. The screen’s clea
r and I press the lock button before putting it back in my purse. The last thing I need is to give him more ammo. The waiter returns with our drinks.
“Cheers!” I say as I raise my glass. The drink is tasty and goes down really quick. The waiter comes back and we order two more. Ann is looking at the menu while I find myself thinking about Adam and what he might be doing tonight.
“I think I’ll have a burger and fries,” says Ann. I look at the menu and decide on an order of chicken wings. We wave over to the waiter whose name we find out is Scott and place our food order and two more drinks. Why not? We’re eating, so we’ll be fine.
“So where’s Adam if you’re free on a Friday night?”
“He’s traveling, last minute emergency business trip.”
“Does that happen a lot?”
“He travels quite a bit for work. We had a bit of a break, but I expect it will pick up again. I am used to it now and that’s why we keep our weekends sacred. I miss hanging out with you though.” I smile over at her.
“I do too. But don’t worry, I totally get it. Same for Ted and I. The work week is so busy it only leaves the weekend for quality time together. Hey, at least we see each other at dance class so that’s good. We really should hang out as a foursome more often. We always have fun.”
“Yeah we should. So what’s new in your life and how’s work going?”
“Life’s good. I still like my job, but have started thinking about teacher’s college again.”
“Hey that’s great. Would you take a sabbatical from work or quit and work part-time? What does Ted think?”
“He says he’ll support my decision either way, so that takes some pressure off and with his promotion his salary’s gone up. I’d probably work part-time and go to school full-time. With my specialization in languages, that may help me land a teaching job in one of the higher-end private schools or one of the government agencies for translating and communications. I’ll cross that bridge when I get there. What about you? How’s work?” The waiter comes back with our food. It’s just so nice being together just the two of us. It’s been so long since we’ve done this without having other obligations cutting our visits short. I decide to tell her about Chicago.
“My job’s great. I have some news though.” I feel compelled to check my phone again and feel secure when I see it’s still locked. “Paul, my boss, has asked me to do a six-month stint in our new Chicago office. He’s offered me a ten percent raise that I get to keep after the six months and a $5,000 bonus at the end of it.”
“Wow, that’s a great offer, Vee. What does Adam think?”
“I haven’t had a chance to tell him yet. Paul only just asked me yesterday. The other part is they can’t fund my existing job here. I only have a job if I go to Chicago, so I have that to consider as well.”
“That’ll be an interesting conversation for sure, Vee, but it’s an opportunity as well. Six months isn’t forever. I’m sure Adam will understand and between the two of you, you’ll work something out.”
“I think so. He also has the means to visit me whenever he wants. I was also going to ask Paul if they would consider a monthly, one-week trip home as part of the arrangement. If I book flights early, the fares will be very reasonable.” I feel pretty good that Adam and I can make it work. After sipping my drink, I say, “And with Adam’s travel schedule, it won’t be as obvious for him. He can easily spend weekends with me in Chicago. Like you said, it’s only six months.”
Ann says, sounding very hopeful, “It sounds doable and let’s face-it, six months will fly by.” We finish our meal and decide to move to the bar. We begin to reminisce about some of the fun times we’ve had at this place and the interesting characters we’d encountered here during our school days. We’re laughing a lot and feeling happy and order two more drinks. The DJ plays one of our favorite songs by ABBA. We both look at each other and get up and head to the dance floor. Ann is a good dancer and having recently learned that I can dance well too, I actually enjoy myself on the dance floor. We move our hips and snap our fingers as we mouth the words to each other and then laugh. This is so much fun, as I twirl around moving my hips to the beat of the music. Three songs in, we decide to sit back down. I know I’m tipsy, and go to the bathroom. On my way back, I see two guys talking to Ann. I shouldn’t be surprised. As I sit down beside Ann, one of them introduces himself to me.
“Hi, my name’s Kevin.”
To be polite, I introduce myself, “Oh, hi. I’m Violet.”
Ann’s having a friendly harmless chat with his friend, whose name I don’t know. The seat next to me becomes available and I cringe inside as Kevin takes it. I’m not sure if he’s his friend’s wing man or interested in me. I hope neither and sip my drink, not sure if it’s number six or seven. I am drunk, the alcohol makes me more chatty and I begin to talk with Kevin. He could’ve been a stuffed animal and I would’ve probably still chatted. Kevin’s friendly and every now and then leans in too close to me. I have my arm propped up on the bar and my head resting on my hand, only half paying attention to what he’s saying. It’s shortly after he leans in again way too close that I feel a presence behind me. I turn around slowly to see Adam’s tall and overpowering body standing right behind me. The sight of him makes me swallow hard and I get nervous when I see a flash of anger cross his face. I watch his jaw and then one of his hands clench into a fist. He looks right through me for a moment and then his attention goes to Kevin when he says, “She’s mine. Back off.” I catch Ted, who’s also just arrived, out of the corner of my eye, standing next to Ann. Kevin looks up at Adam, probably sizing him up. Adam’s over six foot and very fit frame is a force to be reckoned with; I hope Kevin sees that too. My gut wrenches at the thought of a bar brawl. Adam’s next words don’t help that feeling. “I hope I don’t have to knock your fucking head off. Move on, she’s taken. We live together.”
It takes Kevin about 2 seconds to get up from his chair and say, “Sorry man, I didn’t know.” We both watch him walk away. Adam’s attention now comes back on me. This is not a good thing as I know he can tell I am drunk. He looks at Ted, who’s helping Ann off her bar stool. She seems to be able to walk by herself.
“Can you stand?” he almost snarls at me. His lips are curled in disgust.
“Of course I can.” I’m pretty sure I’m slurring. This last drink has taken me over the edge. I’m sure I was fine before that. As I stand up, I fall back towards the stool. Adam grabs my arm, preventing me from losing my balance. He puts his arm around my waist and takes me outside and sits me down.
“Don’t move from here,” he snarls again as he moves to the curb to find us a cab. Ted’s doing the same thing, although Ann doesn’t seem as drunk as me and is standing beside him. I try to stand up and fall down and watch my purse contents fall on the ground in front of me.
“Oh shit!” I yell out. Adam hears and runs back to me. He calls out to Ted, “Please hold a cab for us. She’s wasted.” I find that insulting and begin to protest to Adam.
“I can hear you. That was a rude thing to say.” If looks could kill, I’d be dead. He stares back at me, shaking his head while on his knees picking up the spilled contents of my purse from the ground. I turn my head away because I’m mad at him now and don’t want to look at him. He strides back with my purse over his shoulder, which makes me laugh hysterically. Seeing Adam’s six-foot-two frame with a black purse strap over his shoulder and a small purse swinging at the end of it is very funny to me.
He takes my arm, saying, “Stop being so ridiculous!”
I continue to laugh and pull away from him, stumbling back, but somehow magically manage to regain my footing. Feeling proud about my save, I say confidently, “I didn’t ask for your help, Adam. Why are you here, anyway?” I then puke a little on the sidewalk in front of me. That proud feeling is gone. Adam sits me back down.
He says gently, “Just sit here for a min
ute. Put your head between your legs if you feel like you’re going to be sick again.”
“Sure, Adam. All you can think about is sex right now. That’s fucking awesome,” I yell at him. Adam’s shaking his head and I can tell he doesn’t know what to do with me. Without warning, he just picks me up and throws me over his shoulder to carry me to the cab. Ted holds the back door open. It takes about 3 seconds for me to puke down Adam’s back. I can see Ted’s face turn red with embarrassment for me and for Adam. I can only see the back of Ann’s head as she’s sitting in the back seat of the cab in front of us. Adam stands me up slowly, holding one arm around my waist, using his other hand to take off his soiled hoodie. He throws it to the ground in frustration and disgust. He’s just in a T-shirt now and it’s cold. I’m pretty sure that hoodie was expensive, but as I’m about to remind him of how wasteful he is, I puke again, just barely missing the inside of the taxi. I stand up straight, trying to look civilized. He must be cold in just a T-shirt. His eyes are cold too and his demeanor is very controlled. I know he wants to tan my hide or something like that. We wait a few minutes and then he slides me into the cab and shuts the door and quickly runs to the other side to jump in beside me. I lean my head against the window, unable to move or talk.
At some point the cab stops and there’s some interaction between the two of them and I hear the cab driver say, “Thanks for the generous tip man, and good luck with her.” Adam carries me into our building. He leans me against the hallway wall as he opens our front door and carries me inside, sitting me on one of the dining table chairs. He stands back, trying to compose himself. He’s breathing heavy and fuming. I manage to look up at him and he’s shaking his head in complete disgust.
Solid Stone: Odyssey Page 26
