Chapter 10
chapter ten
tom
“I can’t go to the movies with you guys tonight.
I’m meeting someone. This is my night to myself and I made plans.
” I could hear my ex sigh over the phone.
We usually did well with the shared custody, but every once in a while Maxwell would get on a kick of doing something as “co-parents.” I was usually all for it, but not with eight hours’ notice.
“You’re usually free on Wednesdays.” His tone was casual, but I knew he was fishing. “What are you doing?”
This was not a conversation I was having with Maxwell.
“I’m sorry, but I have to go. I’m about to start a meeting. I’ll see you on Friday when I drop off Libe. Have fun at the movies tonight.” I ended the call and turned around to find Henock and Sanjay staring at me.
“How’s Maxwell doing?” Sanjay asked with a hint of amusement. He knew how annoyed I got when Maxwell got pushy like this.
“He’s just great.”
“Sounded like he was trying to guilt you into one of those co-dads outings.” I didn’t even answer, because what was the point? But it seemed Sanjay wasn’t done. “Have you told Henock about that thing you’re doing Tom?” The amusement was clear on his face.
“You’re just getting away with this because Priya isn’t here. I’ll tell her you were shaming me as soon as she gets back from the hospital.” Sanjay just laughed me off, but Heni was already on it.
“What thing? Did I miss something?”
He was still getting stuff sorted out in the kitchen, so I just ignored them both.
Sanjay, Heni, and I were having a business brunch to discuss a new business investment at Heni’s place.
He’d been home in Ethiopia for a few weeks and had missed the news about Camilo.
Today would be the fourth time Camilo and I met to discuss the project, and things were going slow but well.
Our little weekly ritual had become one of the things I looked forward to the most, and if I was being honest with myself, I was dying to touch him.
The desire to kiss him during those meetings was so strong at times I had to remind myself to breathe.
I couldn’t keep this going forever, pretty soon I’d have to come clean and ask Camilo if he would have dinner with me.
I just hoped we were on the same page. Today we’d see each other at Red Rooster again only a little later than usual because he was doing something with clients first.
The eagerness for five to arrive so I could see him was intense and new for me.
I craved Camilo’s company and couldn’t get enough of his energy when I was with him.
There was nothing filtered or curated about him.
He was who he was, and he thought what he thought, and he said it.
If you didn’t like it, that was your problem to figure out.
“Wow. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that expression on his face.” I straightened up on Heni’s couch and looked over at him and Sanjay standing by the dining table.
“What?” I glanced up to find matching bemused expressions trained in my direction. I knew they were about to get on my case for daydreaming while we were supposed to be discussing business, so I stayed silent.
Heni walked over and passed me a cup of the coffee he’d brewed with the beans he’d brought back from Ethiopia. I inhaled the aroma as he sat down next to me.
“Well it’s our duty as your best friends to inquire about this young man’s situation. Sanjay informed me of what’s been going on and we’re doing our due diligence.” I shot some side-eye in Sanjay’s direction. “Uh, that’s really not necessary.”
“We failed the last time, and you ended up married to Maxwell.” He held up his hand, anticipating my protest. “Who is a nice guy, but who we knew was not right for you. So we’re being proactive this time. When can we meet him so we can assess?”
They were ridiculous.
“You’re not meeting Camilo any time soon, because he and I aren’t dating.”
Yet.
“So far we’ve been discussing the project I’m funding at his place of work.
” I got two variations of very over-the-top eye rolls at my stuffy answer.
“Also, who says either of you had any business telling me who to marry? I admit things moved fast with Maxwell, but I have no regrets. I have Libertad and even though he and I weren’t right for each other, I think we’re doing a pretty good job raising her. ”
This last statement seemed to mollify them both. They were on this new kick of being more in touch with their straight man feelings, and it was getting old.
I pointed at Sanjay, knowing exactly how to end this line of questioning. “Sanjay, Priya would tear your balls off if she knew you’re ganging up on me with Heni.” This time he actually looked scared at the mention of his wife.
I laughed again and shrugged. “I really like Camilo. He’s been…
surprising. Being with him reminds me of how much fun the three of us had building Nuntius, the pride we felt in that, you know?
When we thought our ideals would help us take the business world by storm.
Even the hard parts had joy. Same with Maxwell and Libertad.
There was a lot of pain, but there was joy in that struggle, too.
I don’t know, I guess he’s just made me think about things differently. ”
When I finished, Sanjay and Heni were both staring at me slack-jawed.
“I don’t think I’ve ever heard you get this deep about anything, even when we were running the business.
” Sanjay’s amazed look again matched the one on Heni’s face.
The comment about not remembering me being deep about anything before stung, but it was a fair one.
I was cautious with my feelings, of showing too much.
Camilo was teaching me by example that to find someone’s love, I had to be bolder.
Heni lifted his hands in defeat. “We take back what we said. You do you, take your time.”
“I do hope you guys can meet him soon. Believe me, I’d love for him to take pity on me and let me take him on an actual date. Not these made-up meetings we’ve been doing for the last month.”
They both nodded but didn’t say anything. So I didn’t volunteer the fact that I was thinking of asking Camilo out to dinner tonight. I wasn’t sure I could wait anymore. Thankfully it seemed like we were done talking about our feelings for the day. I clapped my hands and moved to the table.
“Now can we please switch the conversation to tech startups in Tanzania?”
Camilo
“Well don’t you have a pep in your step? Headed home, Mr. Briggs?”
I rolled my eyes at Ayako’s teasing tone as I put my scarf back on and grabbed my bag from the corner on the floor where I’d left it. “You know exactly where I’m going.”
“Remind me again.” I ignored her and her smartass tone as I walked out of the old computer lab at the shelter where we’d had our dance therapy class.
Our residents had already gone up to their rooms, but Ayako and I stayed behind to put everything back in order.
I’d been rushing, so I wasn’t late to my meeting with Tom.
I also didn’t want to risk running into Melissa and getting another one of her, “I know I can trust you, Camilo” pep talks.
“Wow, what’s happening in there?” Ayako asked, swirling a finger in the vicinity of my ear. I was about to answer when one of our clients walked by and waved at us, a smile on her face.
“Another great class, except no one can ever keep up with Camilo.”
I grinned at how happy she looked. I loved that we could offer something here where she could take a break from everything she had going on. I called after her in a teasing tone, “I don’t know about that, Yesenia, you were giving me a run for my money today.”
She laughed as she took the stairs to her room. “Well I try.”
I turned to Ayako who was still standing there, waiting for my answer, and pointed to my office at the bottom of the stairs. “Come on, I need to get my keys and then head out. I told Tom I’d be there by five-thirty p.m. and it’s almost five p.m.”
She rolled her eyes as she walked in and closed the door behind her. “It takes five minutes to walk to Red Rooster from here. You’re rushing because Tom Hughes has you in a bad way.” Her smirk was fucking annoying.
I almost deflected or did my usual “deny, deny” routine, but today felt different.
From the moment I opened my eyes this morning, my skin was buzzing, and I knew the reason for it had a first and last name.
It’s not like I didn’t usually feel good; I loved my job and I had a lot to be happy for, but I could not remember the last time I’d felt this exhilaration with someone.
Like I could show up and be exactly who I was, and it would not only be okay, it would be exactly right.
I sighed and looked at Ayako—or, as I thought of her lately, my No.
1 Enabler. “I’m excited so see Tom. I’d deny it, but your pushy ass probably wouldn’t let me leave until I admitted it.
” I grabbed my keys from my desk as I glared at her.
I turned to the window and looked at myself.
I didn’t exactly look like I was going to a business meeting with the billionaire who was donating money to my agency.
But I did look like I could be meeting my boyfriend for an after-work drink.
Ayako’s whistle jerked me out of my spell just as it was getting good. “Wow, you’re legit daydreaming about Big Dicked Tom.”
I had to laugh. “You’re a piece of work, Ayako Russell.”
“I don’t know why you don’t you just go for it. You’ve been meeting with this guy for like a month and every single week you’re more into him than the last.”
I waved my hand up and down indicating she was raising her voice. “Shhhh. Also,” I whispered furiously, “go for what? Tom has not made a single move in the direction of taking things further.”
“Ah-ha!” She winced at her loudness and continued in a lower tone. “So you would be up for it.”
“Maybe.” I cocked my head genuinely mystified. “I don’t want to disappoint Melissa or ruin things for this project. I—”
Ayako walked up to me shaking her head. “A: He probably hasn’t come on to you because he doesn’t want to abuse his position.
B: You’re both adults and he has given no indication he’ll be the type of asshole who would refuse to finish the domestic violence shelter renovation he’s funding if things between you guys don’t work out.
C: You fucking glow every time you see that guy.
I’ve known you for way too long not to know that a man who has not tried your patience after a month is a fucking keeper. ”
I nodded to the door. “I’m aware of the fact that Tom Hughes is fucking perfect. It’s just not that simple.”
She nudged me as we walked out of the shelter and into the lobby of the building. “Just don’t talk yourself out of something that could be great.”
“When have I ever denied myself something that could potentially feel good?”
People always said my eye rolls were over the top, but Ayako’s were next level. “I’ll tell you when: if it involves your mother or your job, your own needs automatically drop to the very bottom of the list.”
I could deny it, but what would be the point?
We parted ways then and as I walked the couple of blocks to meet with Tom, I kept thinking about what Ayako said. I knew she was right. By this point I had a very good idea about the type of man Tom was.
As I was about to walk up to the restaurant, my phone buzzed with a call from my mom, as if Tom needed any more women in my life rooting for him. “Hey, Mama.”
“Milito, are you off work?”
“No, I’m about to go meet with the donor.”
“Ooooh.” Dinorah perked up immediately, the recaps from my meetings with the “Handsome Billionaire” were her new favorite telenovela. “Well I don’t want to keep you then. Don’t be too grumpy with him, Milito. He sounds like such a nice man.”
For fuck’s sake, like Tom was some kind of helpless kitten. If anyone needed help, it was me. The struggle to keep my clothes on whenever I was around him was no fucking joke. I was the one in need of assistance.
“I won’t be grumpy, Ma, but I have to go, I’m already late. Love you.”
I slid my phone back in my bag and stood just on the corner before the Red Rooster for a moment. Maybe I needed to, for once, take romantic advice from my loved ones and see where Tom Hughes and I could go.