Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 82214 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82214 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
“You’re in Dallas . . .” She had to be shitting me.
“Yeah, I can send you the address to my—”
“No, wait.” I shook my head. The redhead’s eyes practically bugged out of her head, probably just wishing she knew what was going on. I couldn’t blame her. I barely believed it. “I’m in Dallas, too.”
The phone line cut out. I looked down at the screen, and the call had ended. I tried to call back, but it went straight to voice mail.
“Oh, shit,” I said, remembering that my phone had been out all night. My battery life sucked because of all the crap I had on my phone, and now she was probably going to rip out her hair or something.
“Sounds like . . . a lot,” the woman said up front.
“Yeah.” I smiled but shook my head. “A lot is definitely what this is.”
I thanked her and got out, dragging my bags with me and handing her a few bills. The bar down the street caught my eye, and I contemplated a few beers. I wished I’d known that a night of destressing would only bring more drama. Not that it would have changed my mind. We’d connected, or I thought so. I hadn’t felt very connected during that phone call.
I needed to head to Darlene’s before she left for work, and I’d be damned if I smelled like alcohol in front of her. Hell, I’d be damned no matter what I did, but it didn’t mean I had to give Darlene the satisfaction of being right about me.
I groaned and pushed the button to slide the overhead door up. The smell of fertilizer, gasoline, and grass cuttings greeted me from the cavernous space, nearly empty now because the crews were out working. I crossed the room, weaving my way past a puddle of motor oil and stepping over some grass and leaves – I needed to get on my crew about cleaning this place. When I reached the hanging metal staircase that led up to the tiny office in the rear corner that temporarily doubled as my living space, it was a moment before I realized my phone was ringing again. I knew who it wasn’t, so I dug it out of my pocket and answered, this time with less joy since it insulted her the first time.
“Ryan speaking.”
“Hey, your phone battery sucks.”
I chuckled. “Yep.”
“We have the same phone. What is wrong with this thing?”
I shrugged. “Dunno, but you’re in Dallas, right?”
“Yes,” she said, “about that. I’m at the convention center. In the hotel. I texted you the address. Can you bring me the phone?”
“I have somewhere I need to be. Can it wait a bit?” I checked my watch, trying to remember exactly when Darlene left to drop James off at daycare. Did four-year-old’s go to daycare? Or was it preschool?
“No. No, it can’t.”
“I said I’d email you your stuff. What do you need?”
Her voice rose in volume, and my shoulders sagged. “No, I need to make some calls.”
“Yeah, your mom?” She was pissed off. Again. “I saw some missed calls.”
“Shit, did you answer?”
“Hell no. The last thing I want is to be on the other end of another woman’s rampage.” I laughed.
“Excuse me?”
“Oh, come on. I’m just messin’ with you.”
“Well, don’t,” she huffed. “Can you bring it to me or not? Please?”
I pulled off my shirt and put her on speaker as I moved around the room. It was only 400 square feet but comfortable with a futon permanently pulled out into bed configuration, a movable rack on which I hung my suits and shirts, a plastic set of drawers, a small fridge with a microwave on top, and a TV. There was also a tiny bathroom with a shower.
I still needed Darlene’s number. She’d shit a brick if she knew I had some woman’s phone, but she’d shit a bigger one if I showed up without telling her exactly when I’d be there. “Tell you what. You send me a number real quick, and I’ll go to this convention center first chance I get to give you your phone.”
“If you’re coming here, why do you need . . . never mind. Okay. So, you’re coming?”
It wasn’t like I’d be able to see James for long. “Yeah, it won’t take long.” The thought made me wonder if I had forgotten something.
“Thank God. Okay. Thank you. Okay, I have to go. I’ll see you in a bit. My lecture starts this evening, but we have a meeting in a few that lasts about an hour. So please hurry.”
I opened my mouth to speak, but the phone fell off my shoulder and dropped to the floor as I rolled up my left sleeve. “Wait, wait. I need the number!” I shouted at the phone as I picked it up and shoved it back to my ear.