“At least you spoke to Joanie. Good thing she’s going back to California with you.” I couldn’t help but feel relieved that my girl wasn’t going back alone.
Wilson’s expression dropped, changing before my eyes as she looked down at the floor and walked to the foyer. I could tell by her body language, something was up.
“What is it?” I asked as I followed her off the stairs. I watched Wilson twist her lips. She was about to say something when Pam answered the phone.
“GP Transportation Division, Pam speaking, how may I help you?”
I motioned for Wilson to hold that thought.
“Hi, Pam. It’s Max.”
Pam had been with GP my whole life. She was hired by my grandfather as a receptionist before my dad took over running the company and promoted her to human resources then head of transportation.
“Oh hi, sweetheart, how are you? How’s the family? Your momma?” she murmured in a sad tone.
“I’m hanging in there. Everyone is doing the best they can right now,” I answered quickly. I really didn’t want to talk about my feelings right then. What I really wanted was to get the car and plane reserved. “Look, Pam, I’m calling because I need to line up a car to pick up my girlfriend from the house and take her to the Aspen airport tomorrow morning; also, I need to have the jet ready for a flight to Oakland International.”
“Okay, sure, let me just get some information from you.”
“That would be great,” I answered as I watched Wilson pull at her bottom lip. I noticed that she seemed to do that when she had something she wasn’t saying, or needed to be said.
“Alright, Max, you have two travelers, correct?”
“Yeah, two.” I said quickly.
“So your girlfriend and yourself?” Pam asked. I could hear her typing in the background and I couldn’t help but notice the emphasis she put on girlfriend.
“No, unfortunately, I won’t be accompanying her.” There was a pit in my stomach. The type of pit that twisted and gnarled into a huge knot. I hated have to say I wasn’t going with Wilson to California.
“Oh, I see,” she hummed.
I looked at the stairs before looking at Wilson again. She was turning a shade past pale, and I noticed her nervous habit of pulling at her lip had changed to biting and rolling it between her teeth. “Pam, I’m going to have to call you back in a minute.”
“No problem, sweetie, just call me when you can. And please tell your family I’m thinking about them.”
“Thanks, I appreciate that,” I stated, not waiting for her to respond before ending the call.
“What’s going on, Wilson?”
She released her plump lip from between her perfectly straight white teeth and said, “It’s not a big deal.”
“What’s not a big deal?”
Wilson avoided looking me in the eyes as she answered, “Joanie isn’t going back to California with me.”
“What? Hold on, what did you just say?”
Wilson looked straight into my eyes.
“Max, it’s not a big deal.”
“Joanie isn’t going home with you?” I croaked, a little more harshly than I’d intended. I didn’t like where this was going. I didn’t want Wilson to have to face those lawyers alone. “Well, shit, that isn’t going to work,” I spat as I started to pace the entryway.
“Max, come on, I can handle flying by myself. I’m a big girl, you know.”
“It doesn’t have to do with you being able to fly home or not. Wilson, I don’t want you to have to go deal with the lawyers all alone.” The muscles across my chest started to tighten. I couldn’t breathe deeply enough to erase the pure frustration I had boiling in my body. There was nothing I could kick or punch hard enough to make me feel okay with anything Wilson had just told me. My jaw began to ache with pressure from grinding my teeth to keep from saying some pretty choice words.
“Well, it’s just the way it is. It isn’t forever. J will be flying back a couple of days after me. Besides, if I’m okay with it…then, you should be too,” Wilson said as she reached up and wrapped her hands around the back of my head. I stood rigid and tall, not willing to bend. She pushed up on her tiptoes to kiss me. Of course, once her lips brushed against mine, her magic took over. My muscles relaxed and I leaned into kissing her. It’s hard to stay seriously pissed or frustrated when someone so beautiful decides to kiss me. I slipped my arms around the small of her back and pulled her in tight.
I dragged my lips across her warm cheek. I felt her shiver as I pressed my mouth against her ear. “This doesn’t change the fact that I’m totally pissed that Joanie and I won’t be there for you,” I whispered.