5: Unexpected Summer Deluge-2
460 Words
THERE IT IS AGAIN, she thought. Andy opened her eyes sleepily, forcing her brain to focus, then sat up in bed, curious. That was when she saw his phone vibrating and dancing on top of the glass coffee table.
He was nowhere to be seen.
She checked it out. A beautiful face graced the screen. Above it, it said ‘Line’. Must be the girlfriend.
She let it ring out while watching the face on the screen. Like her, Line had shoulder-length brunette hair and deep-set brown eyes, but that was where their similarity ended.
This heavenly creature had the sophistication of a model, what with those vibrant red lips. Her tresses fell gracefully down to her shoulders. Her face was angled slightly to the right to profile a nicely sculpted nose.
At last, the phone rang out.
She wondered where Banjo had gone to, then shrugged her shoulder.
She suddenly remembered her mother. She hastily turned on her phone to dial her number. Understandably, Mary wasn’t impressed.
‘You promised to call me last night,’ she chastised.
‘Sorry, Mom. You worry too much. I was tired and went to bed straight away. And, um, Henry called again last night, so I turned off my phone and then I completely forgot.’
Banjo’s phone trilled again.
She looked down at it. It was the same woman.
Geez. This must be her way of keeping him on a short leash.
She heard her Mom’s exasperated tone asking, ‘Are you still there, hon?’
‘Yeah, I am. Sorry, what did you say?’
‘I said I’m worried about Henry. I think he qualifies as a stalker.’
‘Mom, geez. It’s not like he’s been following me around. He’s just narcissistic and won’t take “no” for an answer, but he’ll get it eventually.’
She mentally kicked herself for lying to Mary.
Henry, the scumbag, had driven three-hundred-fifteen miles from Monterey to San Bernardino to hound her, which was about a five-hour drive.
‘Please be careful,’ Mary implored. ‘I don’t trust him.’
‘I know, Mom, I know. I’m careful. Love you. Give my love to Julian,’ she said before hanging up.
She still couldn’t bring herself to call Julian Dad, although she had been blessed to have a loving relationship with him. She lamented that step-dad wasn’t an acceptable epithet.
*
* * * *
ANDY WAS ABOUT TO JUMP in the shower when the hotel room’s phone rang. She paused and debated with herself whether she should pick it up.
What if it’s Line?
In the end, she decided she had nothing to worry about. They didn’t do any cheating. If their relationship were solid, then her answering the phone shouldn’t be a problem at all!
‘Hello?’
‘Took you long enough to pick it up,’ he teased.
She exhaled with relief.
‘I was worried it might be your girlfriend calling.’
‘Girlfriend? What girlfriend?’
‘She’s been calling ... I think her name is Line. You left your phone.’
‘Okay,’ he said.
That’s all you have to say?
She reprimanded herself: It’s not your damn business!
Then, she heard him ask, ‘What’s your poison?’
‘Cappuccino, full cream milk, no sugar.’
‘Righto, be there soon.’
Wow, how thoughtful.
*
- Writer
