Care to Command

55 Wait For Me

Gia is busy Wednesday and Thursday night. Said she's working late — since my absence burdened everyone — and afterwards she's planning her fiancé's birthday on Friday.

Which Shushan and I are invited to. It's at some banquet hall in LA. So unfortunately I have to shave my legs and put makeup on.

Shushan said I should also mingle. Bat my lashes, feel good, get my mind off of L—

Whatever. I don't need the distraction. I'm fine. He's moving on with his life. And so am I.

"He should've at least fought for child custody." I complain to Federico who's back on my bed. "He gave you to me, didn't he?" I bend down, shimmying the dress up my hips. "It's okay, baby." I glance at him, adjusting my straps. "Your father's a prick. We don't need him."

Federico tells me he misses him and I drop my arms by my sides.

"No. We can't." I sit on my bed and look him in the eyes. "I'm sorry... I know it's difficult, but it'll get better."

He begs me with his eyes, feeling left alone.

"Come here..." I wrap his soft body against my chest, pressing my cheek on top of his head. "Don't look at my boobies. Close your eyes."

I put on nude high heels that elongate my legs and check in the mirror just one more time.

I strike a thousand poses and a few filthy dance moves. Practice my dramatic entrance, the coy side glance, the over-the-shoulder smirk, the candid laughter with my head thrown back.

I fake laugh so much my face gets red and my eyes get watered. Wonderful. We look like we came from a village now. Did we milk a cow?

"This is why I'm single..."

I get an email notification and open it, smiling like a Cheshire cat.

"Guess what?" I ask Pupush, cackling. "I just signed my first client." I twirl, almost twisting my ankle, then balance on one foot. "You want to know who it is?"

Pupush sighs across the room about me not letting him nap.

"It's Grant."

Le gasp.

"Right?" I raise my eyebrows. "And you want to know the best part?"

He gave you the house in San Diego?

"No, you gold digger. Since when do you want his San Diego house?"

It alleviates my stress levels. The misty breeze, the waves brushing the shore...ah.

"I didn't know you're going through so much..." I note. "Anyway, the best part is that he wanted to teach me how to run things. But your girl had already done so much research, I had him stuttering by the time I was done!"

I smile victoriously, reliving the exchange of power on the phone.

"My old boss is chasing me. Waiting for me. I make the rules now. I tell him when we'll meet, how we'll meet, and how much he'll pay to listen to me. This is the best feeling ever!"

A month ago I was dreading about being good enough for him. So uptight and anxious that I couldn't be in touch with what I wanted. 

"Lucas was right." I say. "I would've sabotaged it. I was too scared. Too insecure. He was a threat. And I kept judging him."

Maybe our relationship wasn't about romance. Maybe it was just about two people with masks on, who forced it off of each other.

If he wasn't so stubborn, I would've never let my walls down. Never would've found myself. Never would've found Gia and Shushan. Never would've felt this confident.