“He owns his own business. He doesn’t work for you.”
Billy’s father smiled. “Let me rephrase that: I am one of his biggest clients.”
“So that means you know about his love life?”
“I know about a lot of things. Something else I know is that my son is a good man and—”
“Dad,” Billy said, a mortified expression on his face. “I thought you told me that you had talked to him—”
“Ian?” I interrupted. “Are you saying you got your dad to talk to Ian?” The realization hit me—and of course, it was so obvious now. That had been the impetus for Ian’s sudden decision that we just stop seeing each other. I knew there had to be something more, that I wasn’t getting the whole story.
“Daisy,” Billy said, turning to me, “I’m sorry, I know it probably seems really weird that my father would talk to Ian.”
I stared at him. “Um, yeah, that’s putting it mildly.”
“We’ve known Ian a while,” he continued, as though that somehow made it okay. “He and I went to school together.”
“Yeah, I think he might have mentioned that. But what does that have to do with the fact that you got your father to talk to with Ian, and basically made him break up with me?”
“I didn’t realize the two of you were together,” Billy said. “I mean, he had mentioned that you guys were sort of seeing each other, but . . . well . . . knowing Ian, and his past . . . he’s always seeing someone. Or that’s how he used to be anyway.”
“I see. So you figured I was just another disposable name on Ian’s list.” It occurred to me as I said it that I thought I had been too, for a little while, but I knew that wasn’t really the case. “And I know Ian,” I said. “Why would he just do what you told him to? That doesn’t even make any sense. He’s not the type of person that you can just tell him what to do and he’ll go along with it.”
“You’re right,” Billy’s father said. “He’s really not. That’s something that I’ve respected about him all these years, too. But . . . there are a few things one could say to him that he’d have reason to go along with.”
“Like what?” I asked, narrowing my eyes. “What did you say to him?”
“Do you really want to get into this? It’s all water under the bridge now.”
“No, it’s not, because whatever it was you talked to him about directly affected me. So it’s not just ‘water under the bridge now’ or whatever it is you want to call it.”
“Perhaps this isn’t the time or the place for this,” Billy’s mother said.
“I don’t think it’s ever the time or place to have your parents interfere with something like this.” I could feel my anger rising, my voice getting louder; I didn’t care. Who the hell did these people think they were? Why did they think for a second that it would be okay? “You know what? You don’t have to tell me what you said to Ian—I’m sure it was something vile. Or it was probably a lie. Or some combination of the two. But now let me tell you something. I am not interested in dating your son.”
The air seemed to hang heavily between us. Billy’s mother blinked like she couldn’t believe that someone was actually saying this about her son. His father’s expression was harder to read, though it might have been bordering on one of amusement. Billy, I could only see out of the corner of my eye, and his head was in his hands.
“It’s not that I don’t think he’s very nice—because I do,” I said, wanting to backpedal a little, but not enough so they’d get the wrong idea. “He seems very nice, and we actually get along quite well, but I will never date him. And would you like to know why?”
“No, it’s really okay,” Billy said, picking his head up. “It’d be great if we actually just terminated this entire conversation. Is that possible? Can we do that? Or should I just get up and leave?”
His mother reached out and patted his hand. “Sweetie, it’s your birthday,” she said. “I want this to be a happy celebration.”
He grimaced. “Well, there’s no way in hell that’s going to happen.” He looked at me. “Daisy, I’m really sorry. I think I got the wrong idea, or maybe it was just wishful thinking. I think you’re really great—I’ve got no shame in admitting that. And if you wanted to date me, I’d be thrilled. But if it’s just a friend thing for you, that’s cool. I’m fine with that. I don’t want you to feel like you’re being pressured into anything.”
“That’s good,” I said. “I’m glad to hear you feel that way, even if it seems that your parents don’t. And please don’t take this the wrong way, but there is no way in hell I am going to date you. I realize that sounds pretty harsh, but I think that’s required in this sort of situation.”
I was looking at Billy’s dad as I said this though, and he was just sitting there like he couldn’t be more amused. Is that all he thought this was? Did he think this was funny?
“I can see that you mean business,” he said finally. He held up his hands. “I apologize if it seems that any boundaries were crossed. That wasn’t my intention.”
“Just because it wasn’t your intention doesn’t mean it didn’t happen,” I said. “But I do mean exactly what I’m saying, an
d that is that regardless of whether Ian and I end up back together or not; I’m not dating your son. You don’t get to make that choice for me.”
Billy’s dad nodded. “I can see that you mean it,” he said. “I won’t interfere.”
“And I don’t know what exactly the terms of all this were with Ian, but he certainly doesn’t seem like the type of person who just goes and does something because someone asked him to. So whether you were going to take your business elsewhere or do something to him, may I suggest that you don’t do that.”