Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 88656 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 443(@200wpm)___ 355(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88656 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 443(@200wpm)___ 355(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
Right now, Kage was an enigma, I was the clueless new guy, and everyone around here seemed eager to watch me make an ass of myself.
I smiled and worked my way back to my cubicle, noting how everyone was still eyeballing me. Alicia’s curious gaze burned a hole in me as I passed by, and the whole office seemed to be holding its breath.
Yeah, if day one was any indication, it was going to be a long, strange summer.
6
MY SECOND day of work was a Friday, so while everyone else was dying for the day to end so that they could start their weekends, I was just getting warmed up. I had no Kage to guide me. Or distract me. He sent me a text to tell me we’d meet sometime during the next week to discuss the “plan” I was supposed to be devising. I was glad he’d texted, because the thought of looking him in the eye and trying to act like I knew what I was doing was terrifying. I had a lot of homework to do if I was going to become an expert publicist by Monday.
Yeah, right.
I gave it my best shot over the weekend, though. Following the tips I’d learned from the internet on Thursday and Friday, I crafted a loose plan and set up a website and multiple social media profiles for Kage. It was going to be a lot of grunt work getting those things established, but I promised myself I’d hunker down and get it done. What else did I have to do? I was a lonely guy in a strange city trying to prove I was fit for employment.
When Sunday proved to be too boring to handle, I called my mom.
“I hope you’re taking care of yourself,” she said. “You sound tired.”
“Not tired. Bored.”
“Son, how can you possibly be bored in Vegas? Isn’t that the most exciting travel destination in the entire country? There’s supposed to be something for the whole family. Shows, dancing, partying till the sun comes up… Remember, what stays in Vegas stays— wait, I think I got that wrong.”
I laughed. “You’ve been watching too many tourism commercials, Mom. Get off the Lifetime channel, okay? It gives you women a distorted view of the world. There’s no rich Prince Charming waiting to sweep every plain Jane off her feet, everyone’s mother does not die of cancer, and Vegas is not as great as they’ll have you believe.”
She was silent for a moment, as if I’d hurt her feelings with my insolent social commentary.
“Hey, don’t take what I say personally,” I told her. “I’m just in a crappy mood.”
“It’s okay, Jamie. I know you didn’t mean it. It’s just…” She let out an anguished whimper. “I just got a call from the doctor last week.”
“Is everything okay?” My heart was racing.
“They just want to look at something again. On my mammogram. I’m just paranoid because of what happened to your aunt. These things run in families. It’s probably nothing.”
It didn’t sound like she thought it was nothing.
I called Layla before I went to bed, because I hadn’t returned her call, and because I had no one to talk to about my mom.
“So good to hear from you, Jamie. I thought you might not ever call me back. I can’t blame you after what I did to you.”
“It’s okay, Layla. I’m not upset about that. If you’re not feeling it, you’re just not feeling it. I’d never want you to stay in a relationship that wasn’t doing it for you a hundred percent.”
“That’s the thing,” she said hesitantly. “I was happy in our relationship for the most part. I think I just got a little nervous. It felt like it was going nowhere, but that’s stupid ‘cause we’re young. There’s no need to have a ring on my finger or something to know you care about me. I’ve got years before I need to start thinking about settling down and having kids, you know?”
“That is true,” I said.
“So what I’m trying to say is that maybe I jumped the gun on breaking up with you. I mean, you weren’t horrible to me. You were good to me. You’re just a little… distant, I guess. My parents are all up each other’s ass all the time, you know? And my friends? They’re like fucking Siamese twins with their boyfriends. But you’re just not like that, maybe.”
I bit my lip, wishing I hadn’t called, trying to think of what to say. “But you want the Siamese twin thing.”
“Yeah, but—”
“No buts, Layla. You were right to break up with me. You and I want different things. Hell, I don’t even know yet what it is that I want. I’m just crossing my fingers that I’ll know it when I see it. For now, though, I think it’s best for me to be single.”