Page 54 of Meet Stan

“In fact, I think I’d like to make the position permanent. The caveat is you’d have to move to Singapore. I wasn’t going to offer it to you, because you and Stan seemed to be getting serious…”

“I’ll take it,” I said, blowing my nose again. “I appreciate the opportunity.”

“You’ve earned it.”

I tried to hand him back his handkerchief. He waved me off and exited the elevator. I tucked it into my palm, knowing that before the night was over, I would be needing it again.

Lots more.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Stan

I paced back and forth in my living area, phone to my ear as I left another voicemail for Ivy. Sweat coated my body and rolled into my eyes, making them sting and tear.

“Hey, I got cut off before I had a chance to get to my point. My point is—bravo. Fucking bravo. You played your role to perfection. Perfection. You humiliated me in front of my friends, my peers—great fucking job. I should give you a bonus.”

The phone almost slipped out of my sweat slickened palm. I fumbled it, ending the voice mail.

“Fuck!” I almost sent the phone flying across the room. Only the thought that Ivy might possibly call me back kept me from doing so.

I called again, and once again it went straight to voicemail. Her phone must have been off.

“Might I remind you, this was a fake relationship.” I ran my free hand through my damp hair. “So how come you’re for real pissed off at me? I mean, fuck, this is what we agreed upon. You can’t be mad at me for this. It’s just not fair.”

I realized what I sounded like. It’s not fair. How old was I, twelve?

I heaved a huge sigh, the anger abruptly draining out of me.

“Ivy,” I said, the ache and yearning in my tone evident even to my own ears. “Ivy, Ivy, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I didn’t want you to get hurt. The truth is, I’m hurting too. I know it was fake, but at some point it—”

The voice mail cut me off.

“Fuck me!” I dropped the phone on the carpet with a heavy thunk and went to the window. I smacked my forehead against the window and groaned, but not from physical pain.

“I fucked it all up. How did I fuck this all up? Brilliant plan, Stan. Fucking brilliant. Start a fake relationship to prove to your friends there’s no such thing as love, and then you… what? Fall in love?”

I looked up at the ceiling and laughed.

“How am I even supposed to know if I’m in love or not? My mom and Ernesto looked happy, but then again, so did my mom and dad. How do I know it’s not all going to fall apart? It’s the law of thermodynamics. Things fall apart. Chinua Achebe was so, so right.”

I ran a hand down my face. I decided that maybe I could try another tactic. I remembered that Chandler was a mentor of sorts to Ivy. Maybe he knew where she had gone.

He answered my call on the third ring.

“Stan, it’s two o’clock in the morning and I have a very pregnant wife.”

“Is it that late?” I shook my head. “Shit. Listen, Chandler, I’m sorry to call so late, but I can’t seem to get a hold of Ivy. Do you know where she is?”

“I think maybe I should let her explain that.”

I sighed and pressed my head against the glass again.

“Chandler, I’ve been trying to get a hold of her and she won’t answer her phone, and she’s not home. I checked.”

“Maybe you should have tried to call her right away instead of waiting twenty-four hours.”

“I was giving her a chance to cool off.”

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