Page 54 of Call Out
I am. The strain has well and truly smacked me in the ass. When Nonna passed away, Wini stepped in as my voice of reason to talk over daily dilemmas. Now that she’s gone, I’ve barely managed to stay afloat without her direction. I guess that’s adulthood right there. Now Danny and I have reached another level in our relationship. I’m desperately trying to hitch a ride on cloud nine, but I’m still trapped under a sodden cloud of grief.
“It’s been a tough ride. I’m not ready to welcome a newbie into this room.”
“Oh honey, it’s all business. Someone else deserves to be part of our family,” she reasons. “Wini would want you to move on. Oh, before I forget, there’s a woman waiting to speak with you. She asked to wait in your office, so she could take a seat. I bet it’s about the opening.”
I groan. I’m too tired to show interested parties around the facilities at this time of the day. My shoulders slump when I check my watch and realize it’s after three in the afternoon. There’s another two hours of my shift left. “I’ll schedule an appointment for another day. Who doesn’t phone ahead to make plans?” I tap open the calendar on my phone. “I’ve got a few things to complete before I want to show anyone around.”
“I understand. What date works best for you, and I’ll tell Miss Palmer to come back then.”
“Miss Palmer?”
“Do you know her? I’ve never seen the woman before.”
“Blonde hair? Blue eyes?”
“Yeah, late twenties, maybe.”
The world screeches to a halt. It can’t be Zoe. She’d rather lurk in the shadows than face me. For some reason I stroke the braid draping my chest, running my fingers to the tip. The soft woven strands are a comfort to my spiky nerves.
“Do you need a vodka, Viv? You’re a shocking pale color.”
“I’m fine,” I lie. “I’ll speak to the woman myself. Thanks for clearing out her room. I know that was hard for you.” My words roll with sincerity, but they come out rushed. I offer her a hurried half hug and then suck in bravado.
Leaving Wini’s old room, I fidget with my shirt buttons and smooth down my skirt. Then I pause in the corridor and shake out the knots in my shoulders and crick my neck as if I’m prepping for war.
I seriously hope she’s not here for an argument or to stake her claim on Danny. I can hold my own if that’s why she’s here… if I have to. She’s in my territory, and I’m not a shriveling wallflower, or any type of flower. This girl is a pair of sharp scissors, ready to snip the head off any unwanted weed. I thumb my chest, whispering inwardly, coaxing myself into a rhythm of confidence. “Who’s the scissors?” I ask myself. “I. AM.” A muttered reply wisps past my lips, and I launch forward like a woman who means business.
If she tells me to back off, I’ll go all snippety, snip, snip on her. I’m still mimicking scissor blades with two fingers when I reach the door to my office.
Zoe spins around the second I enter the room. Her hip dips, and tumbling golden locks frame a slightly older version of the woman I recognize from the photo. I cross my arms, trapping my dangerous scissor fingers. The gaunt woman glares at me with icy blue eyes and no hint of friendliness. Then, in a flash, her features relax and a wide smile warms frost to tropical azure.
“You must be Vivian?” She holds out her hand and ambles closer. “I’m Zoe.”
“I know who you are. I got the photograph—remember?” My reply is curt, returning her handshake with a firm warning. “Unless you have an elderly relative who wants a room, then why are you here?”
“Those are gorgeous flowers.” She closes in on the bouquet of white roses that Danny sent me this morning. The florist attached a cute note with a date, time and destination. He’s so thoughtful, even though I was hoping for a meat feast this evening. I locked the note away in my keepsake drawer to mark our official public date as a couple. “He must really like you.”
“Why are you here?” I say coolly.
“To apologize.” My brows hitch. “We got off on the wrong foot.”
“Yeah. We did.”
“Look, I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking straight back then. I’d like to make up for it. How about we go for a drink later?”
“I’d rather not, Zoe.” Poking hot sticks in my eyes would be more fun. “Danny and I are going out for dinner later.”
She shrugs lightly. “It’s okay, I understand. My sponsor told me to own up to my indiscretions. He said it’s the only way to heal. Which is why I stopped in to see you. I thought we should meet face to face.” She drifts closer, batting her lashes. “I’m not asking for best friend status, more like allies. I’ve never known Danny to date a girl. He’s a serial one-night stand kinda guy.” Her gaze drifts behind me like she’s reminiscing. “And if you're important to Danny, then we should be on speaking terms.” Her pupils flare, eclipsing blue with an endless black. “You’re his happily ever after, Vivian Swann.”
Tingles of something unknown crawl down my spine. Perhaps it's a warning or jealousy.
Their young hearts were tossed into the fire, by no fault of their own, and over time they helped each other to cauterize the scars. If I’m going to fully understand and support him, then maybe I should be pleasant.
“If you step foot in my home again, I’ll call the police.”
“Understood.”
“Okay. Apology accepted.”
