Danielle
I was nervous about going home after my dad had called Rodney to find out where I was. Rodney had said that my dad had bought the lie, but even if he had, I would still be in trouble. It was ridiculous. I was twenty-four. How could I be in trouble for not sticking to some kind of curfew?
I parked in front of the garage and dug in my handbag for deodorant. I sprayed it all over myself, hoping to eliminate any smells that might give away what I had really been up to last night.
When I climbed out of the car, the front door opened, and my dad stood there with his arms folded, like he had when I was a teenager. I fought the urge to roll my eyes.
“You have some explaining to do, young lady,” my dad said.
“Can we at least go inside, or do you want to have it out in front of the whole neighborhood?” I asked. I wasn’t in the mood for this. I was already snappy.
My dad hesitated but then nodded once and went back into the house. He knew I was right. We could hardly stand in front of the house and fight, and I knew it was going to be a fight because there was no reason for him to reprimand me like a child.
We walked into the kitchen, and I sat down in the breakfast nook. My dad stayed standing, leaning his hip against the counter and folding his arms again as if it was the universal symbol for, “I’m pissed off with my child.”
“Where’s Mom?” I asked.
“She went to the gym.” My dad was short with me. I didn’t bother asking where my brother was.
“Do you mind explaining to me why you think you can stay away all night without letting me know?” my dad asked. “Do you have any idea how worried I was? You know you’re supposed to text me and let me know what’s going on in your life. You don’t get to just shut me out because it’s convenient.”
“God, Dad. Don’t you think you’re blowing this out of proportion a little bit? I was babysitting, not out drinking myself into a stupor at a club.”
“Well, I wouldn’t know, would I?” My dad was raising his voice. “I didn’t get any text telling me where you were, and I didn’t think you were babysitting the entire night. For all I knew, you could have been on your way to a club and been jumped or attacked.”
I groaned. “Rodney told you what happened, Dad. I’m sorry that I fell asleep, but I am an adult. I’m capable of making my own decisions now.”
“You still have to let me know where you are. I still have a say in your life as long as you live under my roof.”
I hated this speech, the one where my dad told me he had the right to call the shots in my life, even though he didn’t anymore.
“I have a job,” I said. “I’m old enough for all sorts of responsibilities, but you can’t trust me when you don’t get a text from me every couple of hours. When are you going to accept I’m grown up?”
“Yes, you’re right. You’re growing up, but you still live at home, which makes you my responsibility, and I’m not going to sit here worrying about your life when you can simply send me a text to let me know that you all right.”
My dad wasn’t going to let this one go, and I wasn’t in the mood to keep fighting. I’d had the best night of my life, followed by the worst morning of my life, and my dad was only making it worse.
“Well, you know what?” I asked. “Maybe I’ll just move out. You won’t have to worry about me being your responsibility anymore.”
I stood up and stormed out of the kitchen before my dad could say anything in return. I knew I had hurt him by saying that I would move out, but I’d had enough of everyone treating me like I wasn’t old enough to make my own decisions.
By Monday morning, my dad and I still hadn’t spoken. I was still angry with him for treating me like I was a teenager, and he still felt rejected because I had said I would live my life without him. I supposed we would have to speak about that at some point, but I didn’t have what it took right now.
Rodney hadn’t spoken to me since Saturday, either. He had kicked me out of the house, and he hadn’t even bothered to call afterward. I had thought we had shared something special on Friday night, but it was starting to look like he only regretted it once again. I was starting to wonder why he bothered sleeping with me at all if he was going to regret it every time.
This last time, I had thought it would be different. He had admitted his feelings to me. He might have been drunk, but the truth often came out when people drank. I wasn’t just going to forget that he had said it altogether.
Rodney and I ended up in the elevator together again. This time, I had listened to his warning and dressed more conservatively. Lisa had suggested I challenge him on his threat, and Rodney had proven that he might follow through. Besides, I was starting to give up on my seduction plan.
“You look nice,” Rodney said when the elevator doors closed.
I looked at him, my mouth dropping slightly. I couldn’t believe him. “I look nice? Is that it?”
I couldn’t believe that after everything, that was all he had to say to me. I was irritated with him. I wished he would grow up and stop beating about the bush. I wished he would admit his feelings to me. If he was in love with me, I deserved to know.
“Is something wrong?” Rodney asked after we were silent for a moment.
I nodded. “Yes, something is wrong. I’m hurt by how you treated me, kicking me out of your house after you admitted your feelings to me and then made love to me.”
Rodney cleared his throat. “First of all, that wasn’t making love. Second, I was drunk.”
“You weren’t so drunk that you didn’t know what you were doing. You certainly weren’t too drunk to get it up.”
Rodney shook his head, and I couldn’t tell what he was thinking or feeling. That only pissed me off even more. Why wasn’t he willing to speak to me? To tell me how he felt or what he was thinking? Was I really not worth anything more to him than a good fuck?
“It doesn’t matter what I said or what I feel. We can’t be together anyway.”
“Why not?” I challenged. Surely, if we both felt something, that was the next step to take? I was so tired of everyone telling me what I couldn’t do.
“You know why,” he said. “It will cause bad press for the company, and I can’t afford that right now, not with the launch of the new software coming up in a few weeks. I have a reputation and a client base I need to consider. Besides, your father is an investor and my best friend. What do you think will happen if he finds out that you and I are dating?”
“I am an adult, Rodney. I can do what I want to, regardless of what my dad thinks.”
Rodney shook his head. “How do you think it will look to the public? You’re my secretary, and that’s not even touching on our age difference.”
“So? Then I’ll leave the company if it’s that big of a deal. If that justifies every excuse for us not to be together.”
Rodney took a deep breath and blew it out so that his cheeks billowed. “I don’t want you to leave the company,” he said. “You’re good at what you do.”
I frowned. “Well, that’s an excellent reason not to want to lose me,” I said sarcastically. “You’re the owner of this company. You’ve built a life for yourself. You’re obviously a go-getter, someone who doesn’t back down from a fight. I don’t understand why you’re willing to let something like this slip through your fingers because of what everyone else will say.”
“It’s not that simple,” Rodney said.
“Of course, it is. If you care about someone and they care about you, you make it happen. You’re looking for every reason why this won’t work, but what about all the reasons why it will? You’re ignoring all the good things we have.”
“You’re making it sound so simple,” Rodney said. “But it’s not. There are things to consider. Things I can’t just change because I feel like it.”
The elevator pinged, and the doors opened. I’d had enough of this conversation and this game that went in circles without promise of an end.
“You know what I think?” I asked Rodney. He shook his head. “I think you need to stop being a pussy and fight for what you want.”
I stepped out of the elevator and marched to the office. I didn’t look back to see what effect my words had on him. Right now, I didn’t care.