Part 18 (1/2)
”Until he answers,” I said, ignoring his att.i.tude. I chewed on my lower lip, worried.
I was in California with Kyle for three days. Truly, it was mostly business, but at the end of the working day, it was just us. No work, no Jess, and no Luke, but Luke wasn't answering my phone calls. My departure from his house the night before my trip did not go well.
”I don't understand why you need to go,” he had argued when he found out about the business trip.
”It's part of my job. Sometimes I have to travel with my boss. It's not the first time.”
Before I ever had eyes for Kyle, I went away with him twice. It was h.e.l.l and I stayed as far away from him as my work would let me. This time it would be different, but Luke didn't need to know that.
”Why can't he take Eliza?”
”Eliza isn't qualified,” I said absent mindedly. I was working at the kitchen table.
”How qualified do you have to be to look pretty and follow your boss around like a servant for three days?”
I looked up at him. ”It's not like that.”
”It is exactly like that. You're there specifically to wait on him hand and foot. It looks good to the clients, except in your case it's an incentive that you're good looking.”
”I actually happen to know a lot about the business and about the clients,” I argued. ”You make it seem like I'm just a dumb bimbo.”
”No one is going to ask or care for your opinions.”
I stared at him. He was being such a d.i.c.k.
”You're being such a d.i.c.k,” I said out loud.
”You don't have to go.”
”I do have to go, Luke,” I sighed, rolling my eyes.
”Lawyer, remember?” He pointed to himself. ”It's not in your job description to go anywhere with Kyle.”
”Okay, so you being an attorney makes you smarter than me?”
”I didn't say that. I am just very knowledgeable of the employment contracts in the company.”
”So, what? You want me to tell Kyle I can't go?”
”Yes.”
”You're on crack.”
”I tolerate all of the time you spend with him here, but going away with him is unacceptable.”
”All of what time?”
He gave me a knowing look, and when I looked at him with a blank expression, he growled growled.
”You 'work late' with him at least twice a week, and you two go drinking at the bar often.”
”Would you like to go drinking with us at the bar, Luke?”
”I don't want to hang out with that d.i.c.khead.”
”Then you want me to stop hanging out with the d.i.c.khead.”
”Actually, yeah.”
I stared at him with my mouth slightly open. When all we could do is glare at each other, I saved my work and started packing up my laptop.
”What are you doing?” He asked.
”I can't work here. I need quiet, and since it's impossible for you to shut the h.e.l.l up, I guess I need to leave.”
He followed me through his tiny house as I collected some of my things.
”Where are you going to go? To Kyle's?” He asked tauntingly.
”What is wrong wrong with you?” I demanded after several more similar comments. with you?” I demanded after several more similar comments.
”If you were half as smart as you say you are, you'd have that figured out already.” He picked up his keys and started out the door. ”Lock up my house when you go.”
The door slammed behind him and I stood there for a few seconds, shocked and anxious. By the time I had enough sense to go after him, he was gone.
I gave Luke the rest of the night to cool off, but after all business was conducted for the day, I called him three times, and three more times on the second day. I never got an answer or a call back. He answered my text messages, but they were short and cold.
My mood was not at all cheery. I couldn't enjoy the fact that I was in L.A or my alone time with Kyle, and Kyle was losing his patience with my unhappy att.i.tude. We ended up fighting for almost the entire trip. The flight home was silent between us. When we landed, we went our separate ways with few words. Now both of my boyfriends were mad at me, and what was worse was that I had to go home to my mother.
Ugh.
When I stepped outside of my terminal to hail a cab, I saw a familiar face on the sidewalk approaching me.
”I thought you could use a ride home, if your boss doesn't mind.”
”My boss left already,” I said.
His eyes narrowed and he took a deep breath to try to shake away some of his anger.
”What a standup guy,” he muttered and took my bag from me.
”Wait,” I said, stopping him. ”I'm not going anywhere with you if you're going to be all growly and mad. I'd rather risk my life with a crazy cab driver.”
Luke sighed and looked like he was really trying to find a way to calm down.