West [ COMPLETED ]

XXXII

I got a phone call from my dad, so I left Dego's room and headed down the hallway to the livingroom to see what he had to say.

"Hey Avery, what have you been up to sweetie?"

"Ah, just a lot of work...I'm working at that restaurant I told you about now."

"Ahh yeah, I remember, the construction life ain't the life for you, huh?"

"Ughh it's not too hard its just very... monotonous."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Well, when is my darling daughter coming to visit me? I'm starting to think you don't like me anymore."

"Daaaddddd, of course I like you, I'm just really poor and can't afford a plane ticket right now."

"Well, maybe I can buy the plane ticket. As a matter of fact, why don't you just come back home now?"

"Ahhhh... Well to be honest dad, I'm really liking Colorado," I lied.

"Hmph. Well at least come and visit for for the love of Pete," he said indignantly.

"Okay, I'll come visit you, let me go try to find a cheap plane ticket," I said, giving in. If I was as over Weston as I told myself, there should be no problem going back to my old home. No problem at all. I would do it, not just to visit my dad, but to see what I honestly still felt about that man. Looking up at Dego as he entered the livingroom and seeing his warm smile, I prayed I was truly over him.

I wanted to like this man. I wanted him to be the one.

"Who was that?" He asked once I hung up.

"Oh that was just my Dad, he wants me to come visit him."

"I haven't been to Florida in a while...my family used to go every year."

"Sometimes we'd go to the Keys too, but by we have family in Ponte Vidra so that's where we'd go to visit."

"Nice. Why don't you just come with me then?" I joked, twisting around and resting my chin in my hand.

"Hmmmm... tempting," he said, biting his lip.

"I mean,  on the other hand, I don't even know if you'll let me off work, so maybe this isn't even an option for me," I said, thinking out loud.

Dego leaned down on his elbows now, bringing our faces close together.

"I'll make you a deal." His eyes flickered over my face. " You let me take you to Florida, you stay in Ponte Vidra with me, and I'll not only let you off to go visit your dad, I'll buy your plane ticket too, and drive you to visit him when we get there."

My mouth parted in surprise.

"What? But why...?" I asked.

"Because I want to get to know you more," He said, smiling as if I was dumb.

"Well that is very generous of you, but I don't think I can let you do that, I'd feel like a total freeloader."

"Of course, if you don't want to go with me, I'll let you go see your dad anyway," he said hastily.

"Oh, it's not that, but...I...I wouldnt mind going with you, but I would want to pay for my own stuff is all."

"Okay, if that makes you feel better, you can. But I'd still like you to stay with me. I have a house."

I deliberated in my head. There is no doubt my father and my brother would be furious if they found out such a thing, but I had confidence that Dego's intentions were honest.

"Hmmmm...again, that is very generous of you, and honestly that sounds wonderful. I'll think about it," I said finally.

"Good enough." He nodded and headed into the kitchen.

The possibility of Weston seeing me with such a desirable man made a little part of me smile with the thought of making the man who had forgotten me see that just because he thought he could bide his time and come back and get me when I had grown up, didn't mean I was going to wait around for him.

Before I'd admitted it to myself, I knew I had accepted Dego's offer.

•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

As I was driving to work I sent up a prayer to the Lord that I wasn't scheduled to work with Angel again, although I was mostly able to brush of her negativity, after days of working with her she was giving me anxiety and I was starting to have to take Magnesium every day now to calm my nerves; my hands were usually shaking by the time my shift was over, I was so burnt out from her constant aggression.

I guess the Lord thought I needed more practice in the forebearance area of my life though, because I was greeted with the sight of Angel as soon as I walked in the back door.

I sighed and put my things away in the little cupboard, and went to make myself a drink.

Angel arrested Dego the second he walked in the door, following him to his desk and rehashing to him a story she thought he needed to hear.

He actually began to laugh and got really into the story, which kindof irritated me. Did no one realize what kind of person she actually was? Was I the only one who cared that I was being treated like a piece of garbage?

Apparently.

Some men, or most of them I'd say, seem to be oblivious to those types of things to be honest, so I tried to give Dego some grace.

I accidentally released a very loud sigh and regretted it the second I let it out. I heard Angel stop talking.

"Um, you need to go out there and make sure everything is ready and  things are stocked, I don't know what you're doing back here," she said.

I turned around slowly and took a long sip of my lemonade, then looked her in the eyes without replying. I was beyond replying to anything she said to me. I didn't argue with people like her, I ignored them.

"Uh, she's not on til eleven, she's fine," Dego spoke up.

"Okay...why are you even here then?" She asked me with disgust.

I walked casually over to Dego's desk and sat on the edge of it, close to him, which I knew would infuriate her.

"She's helping me, don't worry about it Angel, thank you," Dego said, smiling and dismissing her with his words.

She hesitated for a second but finally left the room.

I rolled my eyes and shook my head at him.

"I'm sorry Ave, I don't know what her problem is," he said sheepishly, tossing his pen to the side and raising his hands helplessly.

"I do," I said, raising my eyebrows at him in a knowing way. "You."