21. Philip
Philip
It takes me exactly one hundred and ninety-two steps to realize that I’m an ass.
That’s how long it takes before Jono answers his phone with a worried, “Flip? Is this about the job? Because I just heard there’s a new hire joining next week, and if that’s you and you haven’t told me, I’m going to be right pissed. And if it’s not you, that’s good news because the poor sap is going to be working under George, and he’s a knob head.”
“I think I’ve made a mistake.” My confession is out before I stop my feet. Blinded by my angst, I’d wandered away from Ophie’s house, following the sidewalk through the complex. Finding myself on a greenbelt, I keep going while I sort out my thoughts.
The cloud of confusion and hurt that had made it impossible to stay inside and keep talking to Ophie dissipated the second the sun warmed my skin. Once again, the mood swings I’ve tried so hard to control got the better of me. Now I have a mess to clean up. But first, I need some sense smacked into me, courtesy of my brother.
“Well, that’s not news. What have you done now?” Jono asks, the tapping of his keyboard barely audible.
There’s an unoccupied bench just to my right. Changing directions, I head for it. “Ophie and I got into a bit of a row, and I think it’s my fault.”
“Again, that’s not exactly new, is it?”
“I suppose not. But I think I’ve really done it this time.” The bench is hot enough to burn the back of my legs as I sit, but I ignore it in favor of getting advice with minimal fuss.
Clearing my throat, I get the worst shock over with first. “So, for starters, you should know that Ophelia and I kind of got married.”
“Kind of married? You’re either married or you’re not, boetie.”
“We got all-the-way, legally married.” I choke back a laugh. Trust Jono to give me shit, even when I’m feeling low.
“Well, congratulations. Or is that the mistake? I thought Ophelia was great? She’s been awesome every time I’ve talked to her.” Paper rustles in the background, and Jono calls out something to someone I can’t make out. “I assume you’re staying in the States, then?”
“For now. But we had a bit of a…I don’t want to say fight. More like, she told me something I didn’t want to hear, and I think I may have overreacted.” I outline the conversation and how it had gone from both of us accidentally spilling the beans to me storming out after being blindsided by the news of her job offer.
There’s a long scratch in the plastic material of the bench, the rough edge of it distracting me from my frayed feelings as I run my finger over it.
“What were you really upset about, then? People figuring out your not-very-well-kept secret? Or Ophie getting a job offer when you haven’t? Or am I missing something?” It’s annoying how quickly my brother can lay out all the reasons I feel like crap.
“What if she takes the job and leaves me behind?” The fear that she’ll leave me adrift makes my well-thought-out argument sound more like a whine.
“Is that a real question?”
Hiking one foot up onto the bench, I lean my elbow against my knee so I can mope more easily. “Maybe.”
“God, you’re an idiot sometimes.” Jono snorts into the phone. “Did you or did you not get married?”
“Yes.” A squirrel runs along the branch of a tree across the patch of grass, holding something in his teeth. Even the wildlife has a job, unlike me. Right, maybe Jono has a bit of a point.
“And you’re not taking the job here because you don’t want to leave Ophie, right?”
“Right.” The squirrel stops to stare at me. Judging me.
Jono sighs into the phone. A familiar sound. “And she hasn’t actually taken the job yet, as she just got the offer. And immediately told you?”
Right. It appears I have, in fact, overreacted. “I see where you’re going with this. I’m not prepared to say you’re right, but I can’t argue that you’re wrong.”
“Didn’t those vows mean that you guys were going to figure it out together? Wasn’t there some line in there about ‘hard times and good’?”
“Actually, I think it was ‘I promise never to step on your blue suede shoes,’ but I get the point you’re making.”
“So figure it out together.”
“Figure what out?”
“Life, you dummy.”
I don’t need a video to know that Jono is shaking his head and rolling his eyes at me right now.
“Do you think I just decided one day to move to Australia? Nicola and I talked it out. With words. We made a freaking spreadsheet. Like adults. Because adults make decisions that way. Especially married ones. Now quit being an idiot, go apologize, and talk it out with your wife .”
“God, you’re bossy.” I give him the middle finger, not that he can see it, a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth.
“And Flippy?”
I pull the phone back to my ear. “Yeah?”
“Tell Ophie congrats from us. And that I’m sorry I inherited all the good genes and left you with all the idiot ones.”