Chapter Twenty-Nine
Oliver
After a restful night’s sleep, my brain can function again. I’m at Mom’s with a coffee, my laptop, and my new phone. I can now think clearly. I use my phone as a hub and log on to the internet to find Ally’s work number, which should also be her cell phone number.
I dial and get her voicemail, so I send an email to her work as well letting her know what’s been going on and how sorry I am that I haven’t been available to her after the weekend we had and how I can’t wait to make it up to her. In a more eloquent, I actually do know how to write, way. One that I hope will make it easy for her to forgive me.
After seeing Tracy, I realized that Ally is nothing like her and it makes me want to be with her even more. For a while there, I thought it was me. That I put too much pressure on the relationship. But, after seeing her and knowing that she only asked me to coffee to gloat about her new fiancé, I know that she did me a favor by canceling the wedding.
I wipe away all thoughts of Tracy and temporarily store thoughts of Ally to get some writing done. By lunchtime, I still haven’t gotten a call from the cable guy, so I make a quick dash to grab some lunch and get back.
By three I’m annoyed and call Mom.
“Hi, honey.”
“Hey, have you heard from the cable people? I haven’t, and they are way past their service window.”
“Hang on, let me put you on speakerphone and see if I have a message. I might have been vacuuming when they called.”
We get disconnected. She calls back.
“Sorry, you know me and phones. They left a message saying they have to come tomorrow.” I love my mom. I love my mom. I chant in my head to keep my cool.
“I’ll lock up and head home then.”
“You don’t want to come here for dinner? Maybe ask Ally if she’d like to join us?”
“How do you know about Ally?”
“The question is why didn’t you tell me that you were dating your brother’s neighbor?”
“Umm…” I can’t think of a lie fast enough.
“You didn’t want me finding out about her, did you?”
“It’s not like that. We just started seeing each other, and I didn’t want to say anything too soon.”
“The mother is always the last to know.”
“She is when she threatens to talk to every girl you meet about weddings on the first date.”
“I do no such thing.”
“Mom.”
“Oliver.”
“Okay, not the first date,” I concede and then continue. “Look, I really like her and don’t want to screw this up.”
“She was worried about you and asked if I knew where you were. Don’t worry, I explained everything. She seemed to relax after that and then helped me clean the rest of Ty’s apartment.”
“See, isn’t she great?”
“Yes, so don’t screw it up.”
I groan. “I’m not trying to. That’s why I need to get some of this stuff done so I can spend time with her.”
“Now that your phone is working you should give her a call. She’s a great girl and was willing to help clean your brother’s place. She’ll understand.”
“I tried but it went to voicemail, and I also sent a very nice email explaining everything.”
“Good. Drive safe and I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I end the call and yell out in frustration. I can’t believe she met Ally before I could introduce them. This whole remodel has been an albatross around my love life. I need to get to Ally. When I get in the car, I call her again. Straight to voicemail. I’m so frustrated I bang on the steering wheel and yell some more. This can’t be happening. I need to get to her, and I have to come back here tomorrow. I just hope she even speaks to me when I finally get to see her.