One Wish

Curving his lip up one side, he answers, “Oliver Lyons.”

I glance down at my phone, and sure enough, I see his name there. I quickly press the call button and wait for it to go through. After four rings, I’m met with a sigh.

“Kendra, how nice it is to hear from you.”

His tone of voice holds a hint of sarcasm. I’m guessing I’m not his favorite either. It seems my hate list is ever increasing.

“Hi, Oliver, how are you?” I note that my tone is overtly cheerful, but already he’s making me nervous.

“What do you want, Kendra? I don’t have time for pleasantries.”

I hold the phone away from my ear and stare at it. He’s rude.

Deciding to ignore him, I put the phone back to my ear. “Can you please let me know if Eli has a free day soon?”

“Why?” he asks, quickly.

Getting a little miffed, I answer, “Well, by the tone of your voice, I would say it’s none of your business, but I want to do something nice for Eli for a change. Something special. That’s why I need to know his schedule and that’s why I’m asking you, not him. Otherwise, it won’t be a surprise, will it?”

I’m met with total silence for a few seconds before he speaks. “Hold on, let me check his diary.”

“Thank you,” I respond, and then he puts me on hold.

“The man’s rude,” I report, crinkling my nose up.

Jack laughs at my statement. “He’s not, he just doesn’t like you.”

I groan. “Yeah, him and everybody else.”

Jack’s about to respond when I hear Oliver on the line asking if I’m still there. “Yes, I’m here,” holding my finger up at Jack.

“Eli is pretty busy for the next week, but he has a free day next Thursday the nineteenth of May.”

I’m bummed that it’s not sooner, but at least there’s one day I can play with. “Okay, thank you. If that’s the case, can you please pencil me in for the whole day?”

Flippantly, he replies, “I will, but if something more important comes up, then I will have to…”

“Oliver, please. I am his wife. Surely he can fit me in somewhere? I have a right to want to spend quality time with my husband.”

He sighs down the line before answering. “Okay, I will make sure that day stays free.”

“Thank you.” I’m about to tell him to have a good day when he curtly says goodbye and hangs up on me.

“Well, that was interesting.” I place the phone frontside down, not wanting to see the mounting messages.

“Well, can you blame him? You’ve had it in for Oliver since the moment you met him.”

Confused as ever, I ask, “Why?”

Finally finishing off the last burrito, Jack licks his fingers and wipes his mouth, a tank-is-full sigh leaving his lips. “I don’t know. Maybe he’s another person who doesn’t bow down to the almighty, powerful Kendra Banks. Or maybe, you wanted to sleep with him and he rebuffed you. I mean, he is kinda hot.”

Would I be that shallow? Judging by my antics with pool boys and waiters, why should I be surprised?

I grab two sodas from the fridge and hand one to Jack. “Considering you’re my brother, this is going to sound terrible. What do you do for a living?”

After opening his can, he slouches over the island. “I’m a pro surfer. Even won some national tournaments. I occasionally model, which I don’t mind as it helps sell my product, but it’s not really my thing.”

“Product?” I ask, inquisitively.