“He’s preoccupied right now, dear.”
“No, he’s not.” I sipped the wine, allowing the fruity taste to coat my tongue. Two glasses in, I could finally feel my body start to relax.
“Paisley, don’t cause issues. He’s simply busy right now.”
“He hasn’t spoken to me since before the swearing-in,” I reminded her. “And in fact, neither have you. I know he’s furious with me, but what about you? Are you angry with me too?”
“Paisley.” There was a warning in her tone, the same tone she’d used years before to shush my brother and me so we wouldn’t disturb Dad’s TV show. “Maybe if you just talked to him. Apologized for—”
“Apologize for what, Mom?” I sat up so abruptly that red wine sloshed over the rim of the glass and into my lap. Jeremy shot me a withering look as he lifted his precious laptop out of the way of danger, but I barely noticed. “Apologize for working my ass off? For being accepted into the department? For being a woman who knows that I can do what I want to do and not stay at home cooking for my boyfriend? Christ almighty, Mother.”
“—language, Paisley.”
“Or should I apologize for finally doing something that I love and that I’m good at?” I drew in a breath, trying to compose myself before losing it on her. Next to me, Jeremy seemed to be pretending that I didn’t exist, which was fine. Had he wanted to speak up, he would have. He always did.
“You’re a woman,” my mom said finally, and I couldn’t help it … I laughed out loud.
“So say my breasts.”
“You are a woman who should be doing a woman’s job, not fraternizing with an all-male club,” said my mother. Her tone was quiet, but her words were deadly serious. I closed my eyes and relaxed the super-grip I had on the wineglass.
“Mom,” I replied carefully. “I love you, but welcome to the 21stcentury, where women can now do what men do. Sometimes better.”
“Did you watch the television program just now?” she asked, brushing off my last comment like I hadn’t even spoken. That was typical. My family and I had never seen eye-to-eye on anything, especially this.
“Yes, I did,” I said. “And I’ve concluded that Mayor Jensen has a stick so far up his ass I don’t believe they’ll ever find it.”
The click in my ear was expected, but it hurt. I tossed my cell phone onto the coffee table and leaned back again. Jeremy had gotten up and was now standing at the kitchen counter with his laptop, brow furrowed as he stared at the computer screen. Had that screen been an actual human, I would have considered that he was having an affair.
“That was charming,” he said, not bothering to tear his attention away from the screen in front of him. “Ever the antagonist, aren’t you?”
“Everything I said was the truth,” I told him. “You know it, and she knows it. My dad knows it too, even if he’d never admit it.”
Jeremy scoffed. “Be careful, P, or you might just lose the people you love the most.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked, whipping my head around to glare at him.
“Nothing,” he said, shutting his laptop. He finally looked over at me, glasses perched on his nose so he could peer over the lenses at me. “I have work to do at the office. Don’t wait up.”
“You’re going back to campus?” I sat up, sloshing red wine all over my blouse, and looked down at the ridiculous stain on my shirt. “What a waste,” I muttered. Jeremy shoved his laptop into the carry case and hooked his school bag over one shoulder.
“Yes, I have a lot of work to do.”
“You can’t work from home?”
“No, Paisley, I don’t need the distraction.” He ran one hand through his disheveled hair and turned away from me, another move he had perfected over the years. “Like I said, don’t wait up.”
I watched him walk out the door without a kiss goodbye or even a word over his shoulder. I shouldn’t have been surprised. Lately, Jeremy spent more time at his campus office than he did at home, and I wasn’t sure if it was because he was still angry about the fire department or if it was me, in general, that was turning him away from home.
“Fine.” I glared at the closed door. “Be a jerk.”
Moping in my self-pity, I poured another glass of wine and swallowed it. I had few friends to call, primarily because I’d been solely dedicated to getting onto the squad for the past few years, often putting my already rocky relationships on the backburner. While I usually didn’t mind (an enjoyable book and some music could solve that problem), I felt extra lonely tonight, shunned by my squad and fiancé in a matter of days. I’d hoped that by joining the department, I’d be joining a family, but that didn’t seem to be the case. Now my real familyandmy professional family disowned me.
Fatigue began to creep up then, and I was about to drift off to sleep on the couch when my phone buzzed on the coffee table. I reached for it, expecting something from Jeremy, but it was from a number I didn’t recognize.
Will you be back tomorrow?
I stared at the text, squinting at the screen, wondering who had my number. Finally, it dawned on me, and I typed a quick reply.
