It explained some of the comments he had made, his need to start fresh, his decline of alcohol anywhere in public. It made his hard exterior easier to recognize as a defense mechanism and not just who he really is as a person. I never would have suspected that detail about his past if I hadn’t seen his parole officer with my own two eyes or heard that gossip in the salon. He doesn’t look like a criminal or even act like one. Hell, he’s a man holding down two very physically grueling jobs and seems responsible and loyal, which leads me to believe that perhaps his time behind bars was a result of an unfortunate circumstance or moment of regret.
But you can certainly tell he has a story that’s jaded him and caused him to push people away, even though I was starting to see the playful and endearing sides of Javi in our short time of knowing each other. And yet as soon as I chiseled away at his armor, he was eager for a fight, ready to chain the gates up again.
“This is what I was afraid of. You’ve been so focused on being pissed for the past four days, I’m just waiting for the breakdown to come.”
“Well, as much as I’d like to give you that satisfaction that I feel it coming on, I can’t melt down on the way to work right now. I love you, Ally, but I can’t talk anymore about this.”
“Okay, okay,” she relents as I pull into the parking lot of the law firm and shut off my car. “Let’s get together Friday night for wine and trolling Jared around the neighborhood. He’s probably only got a few more weeks of ice cream man duties before he has to return to school.”
Her diversion makes me laugh and succeeds in helping me keep it together. “He’s got at least a month and a half, Ally. It’s only the end of June.”
“Well, every moment counts my friend. Maybe you should consider giving him a test drive to help you get over Javi.”
I scoff. “Ha. Yeah, no. I don’t think anyone could make my toes curl like he did.”
“You really were into him, weren’t you? It wasn’t just about the sex …”
A long sigh leaves my lips as I reach for my purse, preparing to exit my car. “I wanted it to be, but the things he did to my body, Ally … I don’t know how you start to imagine never having to live without that again. He gave me exactly what I was craving and before I knew it, I grew attached.”
“Yeah, unfortunately that can be a side effect of mind-blowing orgasms.”
I chuckle and then stand from my car, disconnecting our conversation from the Bluetooth as I hold my phone between my shoulder and face while I walk into the office.
“It will be alright. Sounds like the boy has baggage he needs to deal with anyway.”
“Don’t we all though, Ally? Does someone’s past mistakes dictate who they are now as a person? Shouldn’t we be inclined to believe that people can learn from their poor choices? I sure have my own baggage to deal with too, but his didn’t make me want to stop seeing him. I just wish he knew that.”
As I place my purse on my desk and fire up my computer, Tessa walks through the door and greets me with a wave.
“Listen, Ally. I gotta go. I love you and I’ll see you Friday night.”
“Sure thing, Syd. Hang in there. Everything will work itself out. And if not, I have plenty of book boyfriends to keep you warm at night and help you fulfill those fantasies that Javi never got to.”
“Yeah, thanks.” I end the call and then Tessa comes back into my office, holding a piping hot mug of coffee.
“Do you need another cup this morning?” she asks, while blowing the steam off hers.
“Yes, please. It’s going to be a long day.”
She offers me a soft smile and then spins on her heel to fetch me a cup of coffee while I start to settle into my chair and check my emails.
“Here you go.” Setting down a navy blue mug, she winces and bites her thumbnail.
“What’s up, Tessa?”
“Well, I know you said you have a long day, but I forgot to tell you that your father scheduled a lunch with you for today…”
“Crap.” I fall back in my chair, exasperated.
“Yeah. But at least he called to make an appointment this time instead of surprising you.” She beams, as if that makes everything better, although she does have a point. I’m sure there’s an imperative reason for this lunch if he took the initiative to call my assistant to put it on the schedule.
“Guess that means I’d better get to work then since who knows how long this lunch will take.”
Tessa throws me a wink as she exits my office. “Good luck, boss.”
I bury my mind in this contract negotiation sitting on my desk, which helps block out the misery plaguing my mind thanks to Javi and the impending lunch with my father. The morning flies by after one appointment with a client and a few interruptions from my paralegal, Yerelin, leading me into scurrying across town to make lunch with my dad.
Amity Bistro is nestled in a shopping center near Main Street, offering outdoor dining on their terrace with ivy climbing up the wrought iron fencing that encloses the space. Misters hang from overhead to ward off the humid Texas air so that an outdoor dining experience can still be enjoyable, but my father has always insisted that we sit inside near a window when we dine here.
I arrive five minutes late, which isn’t the end of the world to me, especially if it cuts into time I have to listen to him offer more disapproval of my life. I haven’t spoken to
