Chapter 25
Ross
My week couldn’t have been any better, and I was so excited that with the weekend, I’d get to see Tori. I’d started my new job the day before and so far, things were going great. Claire had started me out at a higher rate of pay than most of the other workers, and I knew it was her way of asking me to be discreet. I’d take it. I wasn’t ever planning to talk. Discretion was key with the type of work I’d done before, and I surely didn’t want the things I’d done getting back to anyone I loved or cared about.
I’d always made sure that there were no pictures and no cell phones with the bigger crowds, and knowing most of the clients I had weren’t new to the game, I had faith that they understood the way it was played.
Melanie had taken the news of my early retirement well and was proud of me for landing the job, but she wasn’t as understanding about me ending our sessions. I sat with her on the phone during my lunch commute trying to explain to her why I didn’t want to have a secret affair.
“I didn’t mind the play when I was single, but it’s not fair to Tori or to myself while trying to start an honest relationship to see you, or anyone else for that matter, on the sly. Tori deserves better and now that we were together, and I’ve promised her commitment, I have to honor that.”
“I understand.” Her voice broke. “I’m going to miss you.”
“You’re a great friend, Mel. That’s not going to change.” She’d be fine. I had no doubt and she probably already had someone lined up to take my place. I just hope he’d treat her right.
“Everything changes, Ross. And if it ever changes for you again, I’d love to see you.”
“If you ever need me, you know how to reach me. If any of those men get out of line you know I’ll come straighten them out.” She giggled, and it was quiet enough that I had a feeling it was mixed with tears.
“I will. It’s bittersweet, but I’ll be okay. I’ll catch you later, Ross.” And with that, she hung up the phone. I exited the freeway but still had a way to go. I had one more call to make before I called Tori to nail down our evening plans.
Mia answered the phone with a growl. “What? I’m sleeping.”
“And I’m on my way to work, which means one of us is a slacker.”
“Funny. What do you want?” I could hear the rustling of covers on the other end of the phone.
“I’d like for you to watch Katie tonight—overnight if possible.” I waited for her to ask why and I was going to have to explain to her that I needed an entire night with my girl. I wanted to hold her all night and wake up next to her.
“Let me guess; you’re going out with Tori?”
“Yes, the girlfriend you pushed into the kiddie pool and nearly ruined my daughter’s birthday party, that Tori.”
“I didn’t ruin it.” By the tone of her voice, she was biting back laughter.
“Those kids weren’t happy seeing their favorite teacher fall down and you’re lucky she played it off so they wouldn’t be upset.” It was quiet a moment, and I could tell by her huffing through the phone that she was about to protest. “You owe me, Mia. Though all of your stunts, I’ve kept you employed, even when I could barely afford you.”
“That’s because you don’t pay me shit. If I do this, I want a raise. Besides, you’re working now, so you can afford to pay me more, right?” She had me cornered.
“Fine. We’ll work out the rates later when I see what I can swing.”
“A dollar more an hour.”
“Mia, don’t push it. Just tell me you’ll do this for me, I’ve got to go back to work.” I turned into the parking lot of Richard and Associates and knew I was wasting the time I had to talk to Tori bargaining.
“Fine. But you can’t take up half my day tomorrow spooning her at her place. I want you home early because I’m going to the beach.”
“Sounds perfect. I’m planning on us coming to get Katie and taking her out for the day.”
She made a horrible sound, and I knew she was mocking me, but she hung up before I could respond. She was a brat, but she was all I had that would put up with me.
I found a parking space and sat there a minute to call Tori. As the phone rang, I thought about the night before and how I’d spent the evening in, counting up the money I’d saved from all of those hook ups, and I still couldn’t believe that in that short of time, I’d replenished my savings back to what they’d been when Sarah was alive, and still managed to pay my bills and feed my daughter.
It was a good run, but I’d known that I couldn’t do that sort of thing forever.
Tori wasn’t picking up, and I waited as long as I could. I had to return to work, and that meant I’d have to keep off my cell phone. I turned down my phone’s volume and stuck it in my pocket as I got out to go inside. When I hit the door, Claire walked up and gave me a knowing grin, and I said hello and continued on my way. As gorgeous as she was, she had nothing like my Tori.
On my second break of the day, I decided to try and call Tori again. I stepped outside and dialed, and it rang forever before voicemail picked it up. “Hey, baby. I wanted to talk to you about tonight. I’ve lined up a sitter till morning. Call me.” I could have texted, but I always thought it wasn’t personal enough. Besides, I wanted her to hear how excited I was and hoped she would be too.
Moments later I had a message. I glanced down and read the words I’m sick, and my mood switched to genuine concern for her.
Call me, I responded.
I waited, and she didn’t message me back, and I figured it must be bad. I would have to go by and see her. I waited until my time was up and returned to work. Being training I couldn’t call, and I was distracted by my worry for her.
As soon as I got off work, I got in the car and called. Still no answer. Damn kids today wanting to text instead of calling. I typed out a message asking if she felt any better and if she’d been home all day.
Minutes later I got another response, but I was already halfway to her house. I didn’t want to bother her, but I wanted to make sure she had everything she needed. If I had to go to the store, I’d have time, and maybe I could fix her something light to eat.
I pulled up into her driveway and stopped to read the message. I’m fine, going to get some rest.
I thought she might be sleeping, so I was about to back out of the drive when I saw her living room curtain pull back and changed my mind. I threw it in park and headed to the door. I stood there knocking a while, and grew more concerned when she didn’t answer. It didn’t make sense.
I took out my phone and texted: I’m at the door, checking on you.
When she didn’t respond right away, I grew concerned that maybe Kevin had shown back up. I wasn’t sure that asshole wouldn’t try and hurt her to get back at me for pounding his face.
I banged on the door and looked through the window. I could see Tori pacing the room, holding her stomach. She didn’t look sick, but rather sick over something. She might have had bad news about her aunt or something. Something that had upset her and she didn’t want to share. It still didn’t put me at ease. I needed to know she was safe and I didn’t understand why she wasn’t reaching out to me.
“Tori, what’s going on?” I yelled through the door, keeping my voice just loud enough for her to hear and not the neighbors. “Are you all right? Let me in.”
I waited, and my pulse raced, but she didn’t say anything. I looked in the window, and she was still there, pacing. She glanced up and saw me and shook her head and wiped her eyes. She was crying.
“Tori, open the door, baby. What’s the matter?” All I could think of was that asshole had come and hurt her. “I’m not leaving until you talk to me, Tori.”
After a minute of trying to figure out if I should break the door down, she opened it. “I can’t see you anymore.” Her eyes were puffy and wet with tears, and though that her sniffling, she didn’t seem sick.
The words were so out of left field that I couldn’t understand if she was serious or not. “What’s going on?” I stepped forward, but she backed away.
“Don’t, Ross. Don’t come in and don’t touch me.” Her hands were wrapped around her waist as if she were holding herself together.
I stopped in my tracks, but I wasn’t going to leave without an explanation. “Will you at least tell me what’s happened?” She could at least offer me some reason. Had she changed her mind about being in a serious relationship, or had she decided that my age was suddenly a factor?
“I know about you.” The words were delivered with so much venom that I stepped back. I wondered what she knew and exactly what she’d heard. Was this something that had filtered down about Mia? Maybe Kevin had told her something— a lie, maybe that I saw Mia behind her back.
My anger grew, and it wasn’t that I was angry at Tori, but I was upset that someone had tried to hurt her with lies and that they’d tried to break us up. I wasn’t going to let that happen.
“We need to sit down and talk about this. I’m not leaving until it’s settled and I want to know what you think you know and who told you.” I walked away from the door, shutting it behind me as she widened the distance between us. Had someone told her I’d hurt her? “Why are you backing away, Tori? I’m not going to hurt you. I don’t understand what’s going on.”
“You already have hurt me, you liar. You weren’t working security; you were whoring yourself out like some kind of deviant. You used me.”
I closed my eyes for a moment and took a deep breath as the anger and shame boiled together inside me. I held my tongue knowing whatever would come from my mouth could be toxic to our future and I’d have to proceed with caution.
“What exactly have you heard?” My eyes bore into her as a thousand questions burned through me.
“I know about your stupid parties. The way you hire yourself out and play toy roomfuls of women!”
I couldn’t deny anything she was saying, and I understood that while I had done things that were less than moral, I had done it for honorable reasons. “I think you should let me explain before you jump to any conclusions about who I am.”
“You’re a pervert, and you saw the chance to fuck a young virgin, and you took it. You never cared about me.” She glared at me with glassy eyes; her lip curled back in disgust.
“I do care about you, and that’s not why I wanted to be with you. You’re not like the others, Tori. You are special.”
“Get the hell out.” She stepped forward, but I was not leaving. Not until she knew exactly who she was dealing with.