Chapter 11 #2
“Walker, you’re needed on the field!”
“Gimme ten minutes,” Drake screamed in a panic, much too close to her ear, making her wince. He seemed to sense it and lowered his voice. “I need ten minutes, Jeffery – please. Tell Coach I’ll be back in just a few minutes.”
That seemed to placate whoever it was as Steffi slowly pulled herself under control and shoved Drake’s hands away from her. She glared at him, saw the concern in his eyes as he sat back on his heels beside her.
“What’s wrong?”
“You’re a disaster,” she choked out. “Disaster Walker…”
“Okay – why?” he said simply, waiting.
“Today just sucks…”
“Why?” he repeated, looking concerned. “What is going on?”
“You know what’s happening,” she gritted out between her teeth as she grabbed a handful of dirt, throwing it at him. He ignored it, even if it left a mark on his shoulder.
“Actually, I don’t,” he said quietly, watching her.
“I got fired.”
“I assure you that I had nothing to do with it…”
“And I’m being evicted,” she interrupted, watching him.
Drake slowly stood up – silent – and her heart crumbled in her chest as she stared at him in nightmarish awareness. He took a step backward, like she’d struck him, and gave a slight nod, looking away.
“I see,” he whispered painfully. “I think I understand and get why you’re mad now.”
“Don’t you have anything to say for yourself?”
“I think you’ve said enough for both of us.”
“You’re not even upset?” she railed at him – her heart breaking in two. “Say something! Talk to me! Tell me you didn’t do this to me…”
“And if I told you that I didn’t – would you believe me?”
The silence that hung there was telling.
“I’ve gotta get back to work,” he began slowly, looking away. “And I think our practice tonight is off.”
“Ya think?”
“I’ll have security get your keys…”
“Keep it,” she snarled tearfully. “I’ll walk.”
“We’re twenty miles away…”
“So? Then I’ll get an Uber or something – but I want nothing from you because it ends with being stabbed in the back by the one person I trusted, the person I let in.”
“Steffi…”
“Go play with your buddies…”
“You make it sound like this is a choice,” he said hoarsely. “I’m not making a choice – I’m not choosing them over you – I’m going back to work so I can take care of us. It’s my job.”
“Then go,” she whispered thickly, getting to her feet and dusting herself off. “Go away because I don’t need more of whatever this is. If you are ‘taking care of me’ by getting me evicted to suit your own purposes – it just backfired.”
“You need some space.”
“You need a swift kick in the head.”
“I’ll get security to fetch your keys,” he began again – and she wanted to throttle his stubborn hide because she wanted nothing from him. It took a split second for her to realize that maybe she did need those keys, because getting fired meant no more paychecks – and an Uber would cost money.
Nodding, she hesitated and got out her phone, pressing record. “Do I have permission to drive your Toyota Camry?” He got this flat, angry look on his face that was intimidating. “Do I? If I get pulled over, I want this on video, that I have your permission to drive your car.”
“It’s your car – I gave it to you,” he ground out and then sighed, rubbing the back of his neck before looking at her phone. “I, Drake Walker, give you the Toyota Camry that you are driving… just like I am freely giving you my time, my everything, and my attention. I know you are mad – but…”
“I’m furious,” she interrupted hoarsely, and he nodded, looking away.
“I know – and I’m sorry you are having a bad day.”
“Terrible.”
“Steffi…”
“Just don’t,” she stopped him, not wanting to cry again.
Right now, she wanted peace, a moment to pull herself together, and time away from him so she could figure out her next steps.
She was going to need to find a job, find somewhere else to live, and right now, just looking at him was messing with her mind.
“All right, Steffi,” he said quietly. “When you want to talk – just come next door, and I’ll be there.”
Drake walked away – and curse her - she watched.
She caught herself ogling his backside as he walked away.
The man was gorgeous and clueless. If you were wanting to start a relationship, wanting to talk to someone, you did everything you could to build trust, to foster a friendship.
For a time, she thought that things were changing between them, but maybe nothing ever changed… except her, her job, and her location.
An hour later, Fate wasn’t done trashing Steffi’s day.
She was sitting on the couch, eating straight from the container of her celebratory ice cream bucket that she’d bought on sale several months ago.
It had been a splurge, an indulgence, and unfortunately, had sat untouched more often than not.
There were ice crystals on the plastic lid, but that didn’t stop her.
Ruined ice cream? Meet ruined mood - and ruined life.
She was so upset, so devastated, that she almost missed the phone call. Answering it, she didn’t bother to look at the phone number… and the air in her lungs seized when she heard the voice.
“Hey Steffi – it’s Renata Murphy,” and Renata paused long enough for Steffi to drop her spoon into the ice cream as she sat up fully.
This was her landlord, the person evicting her.
“I hope I’m not catching you at a bad time.
My daughter got sick at daycare, and I had to go pick her up, then we had to go to the doctor, and well – the day got away from me.
I’m in Seattle and just got a text from the leasing company that they’d posted the notice…
listen, I am so sorry. I wanted to call you first, to talk, but well…
” And to Steffi’s horror, the woman began to cry.
Not little tears, but massive, swamping tears along the same line as she’d been doing earlier in the day… hence the ice cream debacle.
“I’m sorry,” Renata sobbed. “I’d say, can I redo this whole month, but I don’t think my nerves could take it.”
“I hear ya…” Steffi whispered before she could stop herself.
“I am so sorry about the eviction notice. It’s just my mom lives there, and I need help with the kids because Jeff died.”
Her mouth dropped open in shock as a wave of guilt swamped over her, mixed with awareness.
“He had a clot and well… I need to move back home,” Renata finished weakly. Both women were silent for several moments. “Hello?”
“I’m here,” Steffi whispered in shock, realizing that the woman was evicting her because she was moving across country due to her husband's passing away – not because Drake had sold her out.
She had lost her cool, made a fool of herself, verbally attacked him…
and he’d been innocent. Drake hadn’t protested, hadn’t said a word, just let her think the worst of him.
It was so stunning as she replayed that whole scene in her mind, looking at things differently, that she didn’t realize Renata was still talking.
“… It’s gonna take a little time here to get this house on the market, but we’re going to make the move in a few weeks. I’m really sorry about the short notice – and I had my attorney look over the contract, so there’s that.”
There’s that? As if to say, ‘I had someone check it, so don’t think about getting a lawyer?’ The woman was fully focused on herself, and Steffi was trapped in a vicious mental cycle, thinking about how much she’d wronged Drake.
“Yep,” Steffi whispered. “There’s that. I’ll be out by the first.”
“Thank you. I really appreciate your understanding, Stef …”
Steffi had already hung up and sat there.
She had no idea what to say to Drake or how she could turn this around.
Today was the worst day she’d had in forever, but maybe compared to other people – people like Renata – it wasn’t so bad.
She had a chance to apologize, to explain, to grovel…
and thank goodness she hadn’t thrown his ring back at him.
Maybe that was her inner voice, the one that knew better.
“I wish you’d speak up more often,” Steffi uttered aloud in the silence, feeling terrible and completely embarrassed at her own actions.