Page 2 of Spotlight
She groans. “Okay. I’m off to bed. Are you staying up?”
“Yeah. I’m not tired yet.”
“Maybe you should go down to the hotel bar and see if your cute guy is still there.”
“Good night,” I say with a laugh.
Ruby flashes a grin as she heads into her room and closes the door.
I drain the rest of my wine and then glance around the suite. The publisher put us up in a really nice hotel. We each have our own bedroom, and the living area alone is nearly bigger than my entire apartment back in Arizona. It has a dining table that can seat twelve and a balcony that overlooks the busy streets.
Unlike Ruby, I’ve already packed, so I grab my phone. Dozens of texts wait for me from friends, but what catches my eyes is a new text from Gigi. Finally. I open the text to a picture of a smiling Greer. I’m happy to see my daughter’s face, but it only makes me miss her more.
While I’m still holding my phone, it vibrates with an incoming call from Jake.
My gaze narrows as I stare at my ex’s name flashing on the screen. Actually, calling Jake an ex gives him far too much credit for the one decent night we spent together, but it’s easier than explaining to people he’s my baby’s daddy.
“Hello?” I answer, keeping my voice low.
“Hey, finally.” His tone is part irritation and part relief. “Did you not get my texts?”
“One second,” I say as I unlock the sliding door that leads to the balcony and step outside.
I don’t love New York City the same way some people do, but I love the way it lights up at night.
I use the view to push away the frustration that always seems to surface while talking to Jake. Co-parenting is hard. Putting the phone back to my ear, I say, “I’m in New York with Ruby. I told you before I left, I would be hard to reach.”
He’s silent on the other end.
“What’s up?” I ask. We aren’t friends, but we are friendly. Still, he isn’t calling without reason.
The cold wind whips around me as Jake says, “I’m not going to make Greer’s birthday party next weekend.”
“What?” That frustration that I was trying so hard to let go of comes roaring back. “You promised.”
A chill moves down my bare arms and legs. I’m cursing my short dress and the winter breeze, but I want to soak up the last night here, even if I am eager to get back.
“And I meant it at the time, but something came up at work and I can’t miss it,” Jake says, a hint of annoyance creeping in more with each word, like explaining it to me is the real frustration and not missing his daughter’s birthday.
“That isn’t how promises work.” My teeth grind down as I walk out toward the edge of the balcony, resting my elbows on the ledge and peering down. The street is still busy with bumper-to-bumper traffic. People out enjoying their night, hurrying to parties or bars or back home. That’s where I wish I were. Home in sweats and not having this conversation.
Jake sighs, further driving home the point that he thinks I’m the unreasonable one. “I have some vacation time in early June. She can come to San Diego then, and I’ll take her to the beach or Sea World.”
“June?! That’s six months away.”
That’s a long time even by my standards, but to the five-year-old in question, it will feel like a lifetime. Greer can barely comprehend waiting a week for something she’s really excited about, let alone several months.
“It’s her birthday, Jake. She’ll be devastated if you aren’t there. Can’t you rearrange your schedule or have someone else cover you?”
“I can’t. I’m sorry. This is the best I can do,” he says, with a note of finality. I can’t force him to be here. I know because this isn’t the first time he’s bailed or the first time I’ve tried to talk him out of it. He’s never missed her birthday though.
Dread washes over me as I picture Greer’s face when he breaks the news to her. She mentions her dad every single time we talk about her birthday next weekend—and it’s basically all we talk about. She’s been counting down for weeks and saying how happy she is that everyone will be there.
“I’ll call her the day of, and my assistant already mailed her gifts. She picked out a new princess costume that I’m sure Greer will love and a pink iPad.”
“That is more than we agreed to spend.” We have always had a strict fifty-dollar limit on birthdays. Co-parenting can be tricky when it comes to gifts. It’s like each birthday, holiday, or celebration we’re both trying to make up for the fact we’re raising our daughter separately. Both of us going above and beyond in our own ways. Jake’s way is with money, and I don’t want our daughter to grow up having more stuff than memories.
“Fuck, Liv, there’s no winning with you.”
