Chapter 2 #3
She would have hung up on her mother, but that would get her hurt.
Just as she was sputtering about family and the normal way they do things, she decided that she was going to block her number and be done with her.
These calls were something that she didn’t look forward to, and she didn’t much care for either of them.
Her parents were going to prison if she didn’t miss her bet, and she was going to be happy that they were gone.
They’d been nothing but trouble since she had been born, and she didn’t want to deal with them anymore.
Perhaps that was harsh, she told herself, but they’d been nothing but trouble for her for too long.
She just wanted normal, as her mother wanted them to be.
With another threat of hurting her, her mother finally got off the phone.
There were threats made of her sending her people after her, but she knew that her mother had no idea where she lived.
She’d kept that out of the calls for so long that sometimes she had to remember that herself.
Mother wasn’t going to play fair, and she knew that.
Her dad wouldn’t either, but he hadn’t called her yet, complaining about what was going on with him.
He would, of this she had no doubt, but not right now.
Answering Erickson, she decided that since he used her first name, she’d do the same to him.
Now if she could only remember what it was.
Messaging that she was finally off the phone, he called her right away.
He must have put her number in his phone because he had no trouble calling her back in seconds.
When he started laughing, she wanted to hang up.
But he made her laugh at herself, and she was willing to put up with most anything to feel as good as she had last night with him.
“ I looked up your family. Your parents are in a great deal of trouble.” She said that she knew that and asked him if he’d done a background check on her. “ I did. Only because your name came up so few times in the articles about them, I wondered if you’d given me your name or not.”
“ I don’t lie. I don’t even like to bend the truth a little.
Mother is leaving Dad again over being embarrassed about her credit card being cut up in front of her.
I wish I could have been there. It would have had me laughing for decades.
What did you want?” He told her that he wanted to see her again.
“ Wasn’t last night enough for you? I mean, you already pointed out that I’m not in awe of you. ”
“ I find that I don’t care if you’re in awe with me or not.
You’re fun to be around, and I enjoyed myself last night.
I hope that you had a good time too.” She told him that despite it being him she was out with, she had a good time.
That, of course, made him laugh. “ You should see some improvements on your bushes out front today or tomorrow. I had no idea that I owned that building until I went over my records. I didn’t know things like that had been ignored. ”
“ They were working on them when I got home.” She looked out the window and could still see the truck out front.
“ Had I known you owned the building, I would have told you of other things that need fixing up. Did you know that the entire building is in code violation, with the fire escapes not working? Not to mention, I think you should know that I think the landlord is jacking up the rent on people that he wants out. I’ve been here longer than him, and he doesn’t mess with me. ”
“ I’m making notes now.” Rolling her eyes again, she wondered how long it would be before he got around to fixing even the simplest of things.
But he did get the bushes trimmed back. She wondered too if he had any idea that most of the apartments were empty right now and figured that it was none of her concern.
“ Since I’ll be able to see you, how about if I pick you up for dinner tonight.
We can have some steaks and whatever you want. ”
“ I like steaks. I can’t afford them, but I like them all right.
” She sat down again in her kitchen chair.
“ What is it about me that has you wanting to go out with me again? I’m not all that pretty.
I have red hair and blue eyes. Nothing much is going on with my body either. So what is it?” He thought about her.
“ I think that you’re beautiful. As for your red hair, I think that it shines in the daylight and simmers at night.
It’s comparable to the sunsetting for me.
Your body is well-toned from what I can see.
You don’t seem to have any tattoos, but if you have any, I’d love to see them and know why you got them.
You don’t wear makeup for whatever reason, and I think that makes you refreshing and lovely.
I could go on, but I think you understand that’s not the reason that I’ve asked you out again.
” She said she didn’t know. “ You’re smart, witty, and funny.
I love that you make fun of yourself and me while you’re at it.
You seem to have a good sense of humor. I’ve noticed that you use it on me, too.
I think dating you is going to be fun. It’ll never be dull around you because you bring your own kind of humor to the date. ”
“ You’re certifiable.” He laughed. She wondered if he had very little to laugh about in his life and asked him that.
“ You have to have a dull life if you think that my bashing you is funny. However, you must know that with my parents, the way that they are, that dating a lawyer isn’t going to bode well for either of us.
They’ll think I’m out to get them. They usually do anyway. ”
“ We’re two consenting adults, one of whom just so happens to be an attorney.
I won’t hold what you are against you, you shouldn’t me.
” She told him it wasn’t her that he should be worried about.
“ I’m not afraid of your parents. I’m an attorney of good standing, and whatever they have against my kind is up to them. I’ve done nothing wrong.”
“ No, but you see, they dislike me a great deal, and if you and I see each other, then it’s going to bring you down to my level, according to them.
I don’t want you hurt or your practice. I’m sure that you can understand that.
” He said he’d be just fine. “ If you say so. But don’t say that I didn’t warn you.
They’re not the nicest people in the world, and they don’t play fairly.
In fact, the reason they’re in so much trouble now is that they think that they can throw money at something and it’ll go away.
The problem now is they don’t have the funds to toss at anything.
Even the staff have left them for paying gigs. ”
“ As I said, I can handle them. I’d love to see you tonight if that’s all right with you.
And we’ll have a nice dinner, and I’ll walk you to the door.
It’s cost me a lot to be able to do that.
” She grinned, knowing that he couldn’t see her.
“ What do you say, Olivia? Dinner with me at a nice steak house?”
“ All right, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.
” She had done all she could with him, and really, she did want to see him again.
He was a lot of fun and seemed to have all his ducks in a row.
“ I’ll see you around six. You know where I live.
By the way, since this is our second date, what’s your first name? ”