My sharp response must’ve clued him in that I didn’t want to talk, as no more questions were forthcoming. I leaned against the headrest and closed my eyes, then dug my phone out of my suit jacket pocket and hit the Speed Dial.
“Hi, Mom. Got room for a visitor?”
***
One month later, I kissed my mother good-bye at the Mamaroneck Metro-North train station. It had been great to spend time with her, but I had to get my life moving. We’d seen every movie on Netflix, and I’d gained at least five pounds on her cooking. I’d had to force myself to go running each morning to stay in shape.
“Don’t forget to call me when you get settled at Isaac’s.”
I inwardly rolled my eyes. “Yes, Mother.” She swatted my shoulder, and I laughed and gave her a hug. “Love you. Thanks for putting up with me.”
“I did enjoy having you here.” She paused and gazed at me with shiny eyes. “Did you hear from your father?”
I snorted. “Of course not. I did make my yearly phone call to him. Don’t ask me why I do it. I’m stupid.”
“Far from it.” Her hand rested on my arm. “Deep down, it hurts. And you want to understand why he cut you from his life. I hope one day you get that answer. You deserve it. You deserve the best of everything.”
With a hoot of its whistle, the train pulled into the station, and people disembarked.
“I’ll talk to you.”
Once I’d found a seat, I pulled out my phone and called Isaac.
“Maaaaan, I was wondering when the hell you were gonna call me.” Isaac Seidel, my best friend since seventh grade, yawned, and I couldn’t help smiling.
“Late night, Iz?”
“They’re all late, boo-boo. But forget about me. You on your way?”
“Yeah. On the train, so I’ll see you in a couple of hours. Probably be there by midafternoon.”
“I’ll see you when you get here. Got the sheets on the bed in the spare room all ready for you.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it. Hopefully it won’t be too long until I get my next gig, and then I’ll be out of your hair.”
“Don’t worry ’bout it. It’ll be nice to have you around for a while.”
“See you soon.”
I ended the call, slipped the phone into my pocket, and stared out the window. For the first time in years, I had no job, no place to live. It was a little frightening, but thank God for the severance Amelia had given me. I could afford to take some time to find a place to live and secure my next gig. Lately I’d been thinking of coming home to New York. I didn’t like being a nomad and living far from my mother and friends.
Two hours later, I stood in front of Isaac’s door, which swung open before I had a chance to ring the bell.
“You look like shit.” Isaac reached out and grabbed my rolling duffel. “Come inside and have a drink.”
“I could use one for sure.”
I settled on the couch, and after Isaac had put my bags in the spare room, he made a detour to the kitchen to grab two beers. He handed me a cold Stella, and we clinked.
“Cheers. Now tell me what the fuck is going on with you. I hated being away on a shoot in the middle of nowhere and not being able to call when I heard the news. That was some juicy scandal. Did you know Dan was cheating?”
“I had my suspicions but nothing concrete. I’ve never been Dan’s biggest fan, but I didn’t think he’d stoop this low to do this to Amelia. And once the news came out, you know I couldn’t work for him. She’s leaving him and filing for divorce.”
“Good for her.” Isaac nodded with approval. “What a piece of shit Dan is. Amelia should’ve punched his lights out. I feel like doing it for her.” Isaac had adored Amelia since the first time he’d met her, and the feeling was mutual. It made me smile to see her chatting up my firefighter best friend as if they’d known each other forever.
Isaac hadn’t always been a fireman, though. As a child, he’d starred in a blockbuster television show that had lasted eight seasons, and his parents, both CPAs, had been smart with his residuals. That meant he could afford almost anything he wanted, and for years he chose to bum around the world. But when 9/11 hit, he came home, joined the FDNY, and now he worked out of a firehouse in Downtown Brooklyn while also doing some acting and modeling on the side. He’d been away in Bali doing a magazine ad when I left Dan and Amelia’s.
“Yeah, well, there’s a bit of an issue.” I took a long pull from the bottle and knew I wouldn’t be stopping with one.
