Chapter 21
21
ZORA
I close my laptop and breathe a sigh of relief that my final session of the day is complete. I love my job but lately I’ve felt that I haven’t been able to give my patients my 100 percent that they deserve. Video calls were fine, but it’s not the same as being in person. I can read people better when I’m face to and the personal connection was deeper.
Maybe it was time for me to start looking for a position closer to my dad. Although he was responding well to his treatment, he’s not getting any younger and I want to be closer to him.
As I leave the library my phone rings. I’m surprised to see the caller.
Maybe it was serendipity that I’d be hearing from him now. It’s been a month since I’ve physically been back in my office so it was only natural he would be calling to check in.
“Dr. Becker, what a pleasant surprise.”
“I hope it is. I wanted to see how you’re doing, Zora. I haven’t heard from you a bit.”
“I’ve been keeping busy.”
“And I trust things are going well with your clients?”
“Yes, everything is going well.”
“That’s good to hear. I’m happy you can still make time to see your patients while you’re in Virginia. By the way, did you get that paperwork I emailed you. I don’t need them back right away but they need to be filled out by next week, so I can submit them to the insurance company.”
“Oh, yes, I got them. I’ll work on them right away.”
“Like I said no rush. Actually, there’s something else I wanted to talk to you about.”
“Oh sure, what did you need to talk about boss?”
He chuckles. “I told you to call me Owen. Besides, what I had in mind isn’t work related. Actually, I’m in your area for the next couple days for a conference and I was wondering if you wanted to meet for dinner.”
Jackson was still out of town so I didn’t see why not. “Sure, dinner sounds great.”
“How about tonight around 8? I can pick up if you’d like.”
“That’s okay, I can meet you there because I have a few errands to run. Did you have a restaurant in mind?”
“I was looking online and saw a place called the Silver Dollar near you that looks good.”
“Oh, yeah, I’m familiar with that place. It’s a little fancy if you’re in to that kind of thing.”
That’s the restaurant where all the wealthy people in town used to go to eat. My dad took me and Langston there once. It was the type of place where the prices weren’t on the menu and all the sides were a la carte. I was scared to order anything other than a side salad and soup even though Dad said I could get whatever I wanted. My entitled brother had ordered an appetizer, the largest steak on the menu along with three sides, and dessert.
I’d caught a glimpse of the bill before my dad could take it. It was over three hundred dollars. That was a lot of money for us at the time. But my father paid the bill gladly with a smile on his face.
“I don’t mind fancy. Besides, I’m out of town and can splurge a bit. And since I’m technically on a business trip, I can write this off on my taxes.”
“In that case, sounds good. I’ll meet you there.”
“Yes, it’s a date,” he answers enthusiastically. “Well I mean, you know as friends.”
“It’s fine,” I assure him. It’s not like I’m in any position to be with anyone romantically while I have my arrangement with Jackson, even if I had any interest in Owen that way.
“How about we meet at sevenish?”
“I’ll be there.”
Just as I hang up, my phone rings again. It’s Jackson. “I’m tempted to not answer the phone but if I don’t, he’s going to keep calling until I finally do.
“Hello, Jackson, what’s up?”
“I wanted to hear your voice.”
His words catch me off guard. He sounds tired. I’m not sure what he wants me to say to him and despite the boiling resentment that I have slowly built up towards him, I’m tempted to ask him what the matter is. But then that would mean I actually care. I don’t want to care. This is Jackson after all.
“Anything in particular you want me to say?”
He doesn’t respond.
As the silence stretches, I start to wonder if he’s still on the phone. “Still there?”
“Yes,” he finally answers with a heavy sigh. “I thought I’d be back tomorrow but there’s a few fires I need to put out. I have an early flight to the West Coast tomorrow and then I should be back home the following day.”
“That sounds like a lot of traveling in a few days. I hope you’re resting.”
He chuckles lightly. “Careful, Zora. You almost sound like you care about me.”
“It’s called being a decent human being, Jackson. You should try it sometime.” The instant the words leave my mouth, I regret it and I’m not sure why I should feel guilty but there’s something in his voice that’s throwing me off.
“Hmph. I guess I deserve that.”
“I didn’t mean to be so harsh.”
“There’s no need to apologize. In fact, when I get back, the two of us need to have a serious talk.”
“About what, Jackson?”
“About us. I think we’ve both been avoiding the inevitable and I don’t think ours issues will be resolved until we do.”
I find no need in protesting because he’s right. There’s so much history between us that needs to be hashed out that simply can’t be resolved with a romp between the sheets.
“Okay.”
“I should try to catch some shut eye before my flight. It’s hard for me to fall asleep on planes.”
“Safe travels,” I whisper.
“Zora?”
“Yes?”
Again a long lull in conversation follows before he says, “Never mind. You take care.”
“I will. Goodbye.”
As far as conversations went it wasn’t a bad one but I had an ominous feeling something bad was going to happen.