“At least it sounded like you were having fun.”
“We were. So, what all did you learn about me the other night, was I a leaky faucet?”
My smile got wider. “No, you were fine. But I know that you were trying to call your former sister-in-law. You hate that she moved away. You never talk anymore since Eric passed. I’m sorry by the way, I know it must be hard.”
“You have no idea,” Vivian whispered, and I ached for her. I knew loss but in a totally different way. My loss was by choice.
“You told me about the wedding you had just been to.”
“See, you actually know quite a bit about me, tell me about you.” I could imagine Vivian tucking her dark hair behind one ear. Hell, for all I knew, she could be a blonde or a redhead, but for some reason, neither of those felt right.
“I’m sort of boring. Work consumes a lot of my time.”
“What do you do?”
I could just tell her who I was, but I didn’t want her to see me as a walking, talking wallet. “I work for Romero Holdings.”
“Oh, I’ve never heard of them.”
Not a shocker there.
“They own a lot of businesses.”
“Yeah? Like what?”
“Well, they are mainly an investment company, and the owner, Carmen Romero, runs a bunch of large and small franchises. I’m one of many who help keep it all running.” A roil in my stomach let me know that I was crossing the line to dishonesty. I was misleading her, and that wasn’t fair. But my brain kept saying, give it a little longer.
“How about family? Any siblings?” Vivian’s voice softened, as if she were relaxing into the conversation.
“I’m an only child, parents are gone.” Well, sort of gone, but that was a story for another time. “How about you, family close?”
“Parents are both gone, but I’m close to my friends.” We were both silent for several seconds. “So, if you don’t mind, can I ask how old you are?”
“Sure, I’m twenty-four.” The sound of Vivian coughing echoed across the line. “Are you okay? Is something wrong with my age?”
“Nope, you’re fine. Twenty-four is a great year for you, for scotch, but for me that was eight years ago.”
“So? You’re thirty-two. I bet you’re a sexy thirty-two-year-old.”
“Umm, no. I’m a tired, been-through-more-than-anyone-should-have, working nonstop thirty-two-year-old.”
“Nah, I’m thinking that I have a hot cougar on the line.”
“No. Not quite but close. Hey, we are just talking on the phone after a drunk dial, we might be friends, and that’s a big might, but we’re still pretty much strangers.”
“We can change that, want to FaceTime?” I asked, knowing that was a huge jump that I hadn’t really considered the ramifications of. What if she recognized me?
“Absolutely not. I’m not ready for that.”
“Okay, calm down, I didn’t mean to worry you, it was really more of a joke. Let’s spend more time talking and texting, okay?”
“Yeah, okay.”
“Vivian?”
“Yes?”
“I’d like to be friends, let’s build that first, okay?”
“I’d like that.” The sigh of relief that escaped her mouth assured me I had just done the right thing.
Vivian
Day Seven . . .
Vivian: Hey
Aaron: Hey to you.
Vivian: Did I catch you at a bad time?
Aaron: It’s never a bad time for you to text. How was work? Just get home?
Vivian: Yep, just got home. Work was work, always the same, which is what I like. I’m a creature of habit. I don’t know if I told you, I call it a bar but we also serve food so I guess it is more of a grille.
Aaron: What’s the name again?
Vivian: Ha ha, haven’t told you yet.
Day Ten . . .
Aaron: Heading to the airport, I’m exhausted. Can’t believe we stayed up until three this morning talking.
Vivian: I can’t believe it’s already noon.
Aaron: Tell me something about yourself that others don’t know.
Vivian: Okay, but you will have to do the same.
Aaron: Absolutely.
Vivian: I stole a pack of gum when I was four, and my mother made me take it back inside and apologize. I was so upset because she wouldn’t go in with me. I remember turning and glaring at her because she just stayed where she could still see and hear me and refused to give me any moral support.
Aaron: Oh, but I bet you were so cute that the store owner just smiled and let you walk off.
Vivian: I don’t remember what the guy at the store said, I was too busy being mad at my mom.
Aaron: LOL
Vivian: Okay, now you.
Aaron: I’ve never broken a law, not even speeding.
Vivian: WTF? Really? I’m a speed demon. Are you uptight?
Aaron: No, my mother was in and out of jail all of my life and I would get shoved off to foster care. In my mind, I can’t mentally let loose enough to risk getting in trouble with the law.
Vivian: Oh, I’m so sorry, but that makes total sense. It’s okay, I speed enough for the both of us.
Day Fourteen . . .
Vivian: Good morning.
Aaron: Wow, it’s before ten.
Vivian: I have a few errands to do before work. Where are you headed today?
Aaron: San Antonio.
Vivian: I was just scrolling up through all of our messages, do you realize we’ve texted every day since I drunk dialed you?
Aaron: Yeah, and we’ve also talked every day since then as well.
Vivian: Or night, we usually talk at night.
Aaron: I like our nightly talks. I fall asleep talking with you.
Vivian: Literally, you’ve fallen asleep several times.
Aaron: Sorry.
Day Twenty-One . . .
Aaron: I’m heading back to Orlando a week from Thursday and will be home for a while. What do you say we go out for dinner?
Vivian: Yeah, I think that would be nice. Want to FaceTime first?
Aaron: Yes, but I was afraid to ask.
Vivian
My eyes were set on the next table, cleaner in one hand, rag in the other, as I strode for it keeping my head down and making no eye contact with anyone. There was
