Chapter 16 #3
“Okay, yes, you’re right. I lost that right a long time ago,” she said, her voice calming. I threw my hands up as if saying, “ya think?”
She chewed on her bottom lip, then turned back to me. “I didn’t like seeing her in your clothes. Didn’t like it at all. It brought up memories, you know?”
I knew the ones she was talking about all too well. She practically lived in my shirts as a newlywed.
“Is, is it serious? I mean, MJ mentioned she lives in Rome. There’s no way you’d be able to do that kind of long distance,” she asked, her eyes pleading.
“Again, none of your business, but I’ll say this much. Vicky is very important to me.”
She shook her head again. “I just don’t understand it, I guess. Don’t see it.”
I frowned and asked, “See what exactly?”
“Honestly? The attraction. She’s not exactly…your type,” she said with a scoff.
I knew exactly what she was referring to, and it only solidified in my mind that there was nothing left between us except her relationship with our daughter.
“I’m deeply embarrassed on your behalf. I thought you were better than that,” I said, disgust coloring my tone.
She blushed and sat back down, looking away.
“There’s nothing more to say. Where are you staying?” I asked, rubbing the tension in my neck.
“I’d hoped to stay here. Just for tonight,” she hurried and said when I opened my mouth to protest. “My next event is in Vegas in a week. I’d really like to see as much of y’all, both of you, as I can, if that’s okay with you,” she said.
“That’s not a good idea. I don’t want to give MJ the wrong impression. Confuse her.”
“I know, I know. I can get a room tomorrow night. I played back-to-back gigs in San Antonio and Austin the last three days. I’m exhausted from the travel.
Please. I promise I won’t make a move on you,” she said.
Her last sentence was laced with the same flirty tone I was used to when it came to Katy.
When she wanted something, she was unapologetic. “Unless you want me to.”
“No. That’s not going to happen,” I said sternly, walking toward her suitcase and lifting it up. “Guestroom is this way.” She grabbed her purse and hurried after me.
When I dropped her things in the room, I scooted past her when she tried to crowd me at the open door.
She was shameless, and I couldn’t help chuckling to myself about her tenacity.
Years ago, she may have gotten me to lower my guard, but that time had come and gone.
There was a beautiful woman I needed to call immediately.
“Night, Miles,” she said seductively as I closed her door.
“Night.”
Pacing in my room, trying to get my mind to stop spinning in circles, I dialed Vicky’s number.
“Come on, come on. Pick up, Vicky,” I whispered as it rang and rang until I got her voicemail.
Switching to a text message, I typed quickly.
Me: Hey, can you talk?
Sitting on the bed, I watched as the bubble popped up and disappeared.
“No, no.”
Me: Please call me. I need to talk to you tonight if you can.
Nothing. Looking up at the ceiling, I let my body fall backward, overcome by either physical or emotional fatigue. Which one, I wasn’t sure.
Me: Please…
Looking up Luke’s contact info, I sent a frenzied text.
Me: Not going to believe who showed up today
Luke: Bill Gates again?
Rolling my eyes, I couldn’t help but bark out a laugh even in my panicked state.
Me: Never gonna live that down am I?
Luke: Nope. Although they did look alike.
Me: I was 12, you idiot. How was I supposed to know my idol had a doppelganger
Luke: Hm the mailman uniform should’ve given it away
Me: Can you be serious? Freaking out over here. Katy is here.
Two seconds later my phone rang. “Thought that’d get your attention.”
“I can’t believe you let me text that long before dropping that bomb,” he said, his voice raised.
“Wasn’t sure if you were busy,” I answered.
“Doing what?” he asked, his voice going even higher.
“If you have to ask, you’re doing something wrong,” I answered wryly. “Maybe rubbing your wife’s feet again.”
“Stop knocking my moves, dude. She loves it. You should try it.”
“I did. Didn’t work out for me,” I deadpanned.
“You did wh…? Forget the feet for now, but we will revisit that. What the heck is going on over there?”
I gave him all the details. The beach day. The intention to talk to Vicky this evening. Katy’s mysterious appearance and our conversation.
Whistling, he said, “Whoa. That’s nuts, dude. And Vicky won’t answer?”
“Nope. Not my call or texts. I don’t know what to do.” I sat up, pacing once again.
“Pretty sure I know the answer to this, but how do you feel about Katy admitting she’s interested?”
“Pfft, she’s not interested. She doesn’t want me, Luke. She just can’t stand the idea of me with someone else. All these years, I was reliable Miles. Always taking up her slack, covering for her with MJ, making her seem better than she was as a mother. Not happening.”
“I get that. I’d honestly have been surprised if you said something different.”
“Yeah, well, anything I might have felt for her as a woman outside of being MJ’s mother ended tonight with the way she talked about Vicky.”
“Oh, boy.” I heard him walking, the familiar shuffling of his feet giving him away. “Sorry, had to go out front. Sofia was coming to bed. If she heard anyone talking smack about Vicky, I’d have to tear my pregnant wife away from poor Katy.”
Despite my pain, I laughed at the visual of an angry Sofia going after my ex.
“What’d she say?”
“Just that she didn’t see the attraction. Made some vague comment about Vicky’s appearance,” I spat out. Just remembering it made me mad all over again.
“Her appearance?” he asked, confused.
“Yeah, like she’s not my type or something.”
After a few beats of silence, he said, “Ohhh. Oh, wow, man. Thought she was better than that.”
“Exactly what I told her. I don’t know what to do about Vicky, Luke.
She’s young, has her whole career, her life ahead of her.
The age difference doesn’t bother me. Enzo is who bothers me.
I refuse to put her in a position to choose a relationship with me or pursuing her career.
Been there. And I can’t analyze this and come up with an answer,” I said, sitting down again on my bed.
“Dude, there’s no spreadsheet or app that’s gonna help you figure this out. What do you want, Miles?”
Blowing out a heavy breath, I answered, “I know what I don’t want, and that’s to give Katy another chance with me. I will listen to her plans to be a better mother, but there’s nothing between us anymore.”
“And Vicky? What do you see with her?” he asked.
“That’s the easiest and hardest thing to answer. When I think about Vicky, I can see forever.”
We hung up not long after that, Luke assuring me it would all work out, encouraging me to get some rest and that everything would be clearer in the morning.
I fell asleep cradling my phone, jolting awake every few hours to check and see if she answered.
At dawn, my poor body gave up completely as I fell into a deep sleep, dreaming about amber eyes.