“I’m moved in with Tammy. She had a spare room, so … the apartment is all emptied out and cleaned. I didn’t leave it a mess so … you should get your security deposit back.”
“Thanks,” I say, still plastered to Aiden’s side.
Mom is standing there with her mouth wide open, watching this exchange.
“Mrs. Adler? Can you come sign these papers?” A nurse calls out from the desk. Mom dashes off. Stephanie’s giving Aiden another peruse from head to toe.
He’s in black chinos and a chocolate brown button down under a black leather jacket, with black shoes. He exudes money and power. His body language. The way his clothes hang on his body. His confidence. His looks.
“Bye,” I dismiss her.
She swallows. “Bye, Car.”
She scurries awkwardly away.
I would’ve maybe felt guilty if it hadn’t been for the way she looked at Aiden and then at me with jealousy and then tried, in her usual Stephanie style, to make me feel small. I don’t feel guilty at all. This is progress for me.
It takes a minute to realize I’m still standing here with my arm around his middle and he’s still got his arm around my neck. When it hits, I go to break away, but he tightens his grip.
“Thanks for that. She fucked me over,” I whisper. “She fucked me over for ten years straight, only, I just realized it just before I left for San Diego. She was looking at you and me with envy and I… it was petty, I know, but thank you. I could kiss you right now.”
“Yeah?” he asks.
“I mean… I…” I stammer.
“Not a hardship,” he whispers back and gives me an affectionate squeeze.
I side-step away from him. “So, are you gonna head back, or…”
“What do you plan to do?” he asks.
“Um. I’m thinking of staying and then maybe catching a flight back Thursday morning as planned. I won’t be able to do any of the stuff you guys wanted me to do for the rest of the conference, but I can do a video call with that guy that your Dad wanted me to meet with and…”
“No. Don’t worry about work. Take until Thursday. If you need longer, just let me know. Kieran can report to us on the rest of the conference. Geller can come see us in San Diego if he wants to pitch us that badly.”
I swallow. “Thank you. I really wanted to do more for this conference. This timing sucked.”
“Never a good time for what happened today, peaches.”
My shoulders droop. “Nope.”
“In six months, there’s Westmark. We’ll go to that. Just as good as Eastmark. They even have a beach party. Don’t have a beach party during Eastmark.”
Oh. Six months. Will I have a full-time job with CC by then?
He glances at his phone. “I have some stuff to do in the office tomorrow, so I think I’ll head back there and do that and then see you back in San Diego Thursday.”
“Oh. Okay. Um, thanks for everything today,” I say. “Sincerely. Oh, and about the plane fare…”
He shakes his head. “Stop.”
“But…”
He puts his index finger to my lips to halt me.
I’m still for a second, sort of shocked, but then I pretend to bite his finger. He gives me look. That sex potion look.
Mom is back, breaking the spell with, “So, are you driving us, Aiden?”