The driver steered the taxi off the driveway and I half expected and hoped Devan would jump out of the bushes and beg me not to go. Chase the car down the street if he had to…
But nothing like that happened. My life was no fairy-tale with a happy ever after. I didn’t get the prince. I didn’t deserve the prince after what I’d done.
I took one last look at the property, the place I’d called home for such a short, tumultuous time, and said my goodbyes in my mind, my heart hurting badly as I bit back the tears.
It had to end sometime, I reminded myself, but it didn’t make the pain go away.
If anything, it made it sting a little bit more.
22
Devan
At the flower shop, I was looking at flowers with confusion and hesitation. I’d bought plenty of bouquets for Monique in the past, but these would be for Mila. And the decision seemed more important than ever. As if the very state of our future depending on my selection.
Red roses seemed cliché and not quite right after everything that had happened, so I looked at some pink peonies instead. I was about to ask the shop attendant for help when my phone chirped in my pocket.
Pulling it out, I hoped it was Mila returning my call, and sighed as I inspected the number to see it was only my foreman. I answered right away, the flowers momentarily forgotten.
“Mickey? What is it… please don’t tell me bad news. Not today.”
“Hey, man. Sorry to disturb you on your day off. But we have a situation of the lot at Sunrise Boulevard,” Mickey said, cutting straight to the point.
I heaved a sigh, and rubbed my weary eyes. “What kind of situation?” I asked warily.
“Pipe burst,” he admitted.
“Which one?
“Sewage.”
“Oh fuck,” I groaned, and as much as I wanted to see Mila, I knew I had to sort this out before I went back home. “Fine, I’ll be there in a bit. Leaving now.”
I disconnected the call and smiled apologetically at the shop attendant who’d only just come over to help me. “Sorry, got to go,” I apologised. “Maybe you can help me another day.”
* * *
It took me almost three seconds once I arrived at the job site to realise what kind of a shit-storm we were up against; I was going to be stuck there for the better part of the day, if not the evening as well.
The hours dragged by, my hands covered in grime, sweat pouring off me, and the light started to fade.
We’d all managed to pull together and worked hard to fix the cracked pipe that had spilled gallons of putrid waste all over the site. It would most likely set back the construction a day or two and would eat into the contingency fund – but that’s what it’s there for, right? But by the end of it I was dying for a beer and ready to go home and finally lay my eyes upon Mila.
Initially I planned to go back to the flower shop to get that bouquet, but even if the shop had been open I was in no state to go shopping. My shirt stuck to my body with sweat, and I was coated up to the elbows in fuck knows what and streaks of mud lined my face. Dirty particles engrained themselves into every uncovered pore of my skin.
I stopped for gas, grabbed a bottle of water, and in the bathroom of the station, I tried to wash off the remaining smears on my face. I looked half-decent, and thankfully, I kept a change of clothes in the back of my truck, so I could change into those, too.
Just as I was making my way back to the car, I noticed a truck with my company’s logo in the parking lot opposite. Curiosity got the better of me and I walked over to the bar next to the gas station.
A few of my rowdier employees were in there, enjoying a well-deserved drink after work. I watched them drink and laugh longingly. It’d been such a while since I’d let loose with the boys, but I knew Mila was waiting back home.
Before I could move away, one of the guys spotted me and gave me an excited wave. I knew it was too late to get away, as two of my employees rushed outside of the bar to greet me enthusiastically.
I was on good terms with my employees, but not overly friendly. I tried to keep it professional at all times, but I enjoyed seeing their genuine pleasure at seeing me in the same place.
“Hey, boss,” Dustin cried out from the entrance to the bar. “Care to join us for a drink? You deserve one after the day we’ve had!”
I chuckled and shook my head, but truth be told I was definitely tempted. Not that I didn’t want to see Mila - I did, more than anything. But I knew there were other things to face back home, mainly Monique, who would definitely be waiting to sink her claws back into me and hurl more insults.
“Come on, Devan,” Brett, one of my closer co-workers called out. “Come and have a cold one. We won’t tell the wife.”