Missed Calls: 19.
All from Rod Stone.
Fearing something happened to Juliana tonight, I take the risk and call Rod, even though it’s technically too late. When he answers, I immediately know he’s three sheets to the wind.
“Daisheee, where have you been? Have you been a naughty, naughty girl tonight?” He slurs his words, and he’s slightly belligerent.
“Why did you call me nineteen times tonight, Rod? Are Juliana and Isa okay?”
“They’re fine. Well, as fine as you can be with cancer. But you didn’t ask about me. Don’t you care if I’m okay, Daisheeee?”
I pinch the bridge of my nose between my thumb and index finger. I’m not in the mood to deal with drunk Hot Rod tonight. “Rod, it’s late. We should really have this conversation tomorrow, if you still want an answer to your question then.”
“No. No, no, no, no, no. You’ve been out with that other guy again, haven’t you? Camelot…Cameo…Camaro…whatever the fuck his name is. Did you let him steal you from me?”
“I’m really not having this conversation with you when you’re too drunk to remember it tomorrow. I’m hanging up now. Don’t call me until you’re sober.”
“If you hang up on me, I’ll just come over there and blow your door down.”
The thing is, I’m not entirely sure he wouldn’t try, at least in his current state. “Fine. What do you want to know? Have I moved on and forgotten about you?”
“Yeah, that’s eshacleee what I want to know, Daisheee.”
“There’s no h in my name, Rod, or in ‘exactly’ for that matter. But here’s your answer, anyway. Yes, I have, and it is past time you did the same. Punta Cana was fun, but it’s over.”
“What about last week? That meant nothing to you?” He’s so drunk, I’m not even sure he realizes what he’s asking me. I expect him to pass out mid-sentence any second now.
“You’ve got to be shitting me. Look, we talked about it before I left, and all you had were lame excuses for why you always pull away from me. I don’t believe for one second you’re not strong enough to fix your flaws. I’m not one to chase after you like a lost puppy, waiting for you to throw some scraps of your love and attention my way. I’m a grown woman with a child to raise to be a man, and I’m doing my damnedest to make sure he’s an admirable man. If you can’t be a worthy example for him, you don’t belong in my life. Plain and simple.”
“I want you back, Daisy, and I don’t want to share you with anyone else. Please give me another chance to prove I’m worth all this trouble.” His inebriated confession shocks me.
Thoughts fly through my head as I hesitate to respond. I’m visualizing every conceivable outcome of his request. My heart says yes, give him another chance, live happily ever after, go for what I want.
“No, Rod. I can’t do that. I’m sorry. Good night.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Rod
After a bit of negotiating, threatening, begging, and an extended staring contest that I lost, Juliana finally consented to having a home health care nurse come with us to Florida. Thank God for the dedicated health care professionals who work weekends and holidays. I don’t want to imagine what could happen otherwise.
“Did you pack your bag?” Juliana asks Isa, referring to the toys she wants to take with her for the two hours we’ll be on the plane before reaching Naples.
“Yes, ma’am. It’s already in Uncle Rod’s car.”
“That’s my smart girl. What about you, Rod?”
“Yes, ma’am. All my favorite toys are already in my suitcase too.” I wink playfully, and she smiles, despite trying not to.
“We’re meeting the nurse, Daisy, Tracy, and Kevin at the airport, right?”
“That’s right.”
I’m both excited and hesitant to see Daisy, who I haven’t talked to since last week, when I called her after I’d had way too many shots of bourbon. She kept her promise to visit Juliana and spend time with Isa over the past week, but she went out of her way to avoid running into me. At my own house. I’ve continued working at home to help both my girls as much as I can, but there are times I still have to go into the office. My official leave of absence begins after the new year starts.
Kevin is running the business like the professional he’s always been, but some clients will only deal with me. It’s nothing personal against him. The key contacts find change difficult to navigate when our business relationship was established a decade ago. Our history keeps them attached to me, and as long as I’m available, they won’t deal with anyone else. It’ll just take time to transition them over to Kevin, but we’re working on it together. The more exposure they have to him, the more likely they are to accept his help when I’m away.
With both of us away from the office over the holidays, neither of us can officially take off work, especially since we had an extended vacation only a couple of months ago. We’ll tag team and handle issues as they come in, relying on each other’s strengths to get the job done while we work remotely. Admittedly, my head hasn’t been fully in the game over the last several weeks. Reeling over Juliana and driving myself crazy over Daisy hasn’t helped me focus on work as much as I have in the past.
I cringe when I recall what I said to her on the phone that night. With no prelude to the conversation, I dumped my shit on her lap and expected her to make it into something worthwhile. Sober, I know better. Drunk, I let my insecurities get the better of me. She was right to call me on how I’d allow my employees to act while at work, and yet I continued to
