“I looked for you when Anita joined Facebook and Twitter. I thought everybody your age would be on there, but you weren’t.”
“We weren’t allowed. No TV, radio, computers, we were very isolated,” she replies.
I look across at Nigel being almost cradled by Olivia and know she still shies away from social media. Is it because she’s not comfortable with it, or is she afraid of being discovered, but by whom, Nigel, her brother, mother, the doctor or fucking Raymond? God, I hate them all one way or another. A knock on the door breaks my thoughts and makes the people opposite me jump.
“I’ll go.” I’m unsure who else I thought might.
“Sorry,” Nicola says when I open the door and find her there. “It’s kind of urgent.”
“Baby,” I call to Olivia who has clearly heard what has been said.
“Yes, fine, go, we’re good,” she assures me.
“I’m one floor down, anything you need, call.” I dip back in and grab my jacket.
Her father’s words as I lean down to kiss her hurt like the biggest and hardest kick in the balls would. “She’s fine. I’ll take care of her, my girl.”
I resist the temptation to point out that her greatest pain occurred on his watch and up to this point his record on taking care of her is appalling. I also stop myself from telling him that she is nothis girl, hasn’t been since he left her with that fucking pervert, Raymond.
Sensing my impending outburst Olivia reaches up and gently strokes my cheek as she pulls me down to kiss me gently. “I’m fine and I know where to find you. Go.”
With a final chaste kiss, I leave, reluctantly.
I get to my office and find that mykind of urgentreason to leave is a business contract that is about to go tits up and Arianna is out of ideas for salvaging the deal. With several parties on a conference call and my ex-wife sitting opposite me we attempt to save something from the mess we’re faced with.
My mind is distracted by this afternoon’s events and although I do believe Nigel was unaware of exactly what danger he was leaving Olivia in I still don’t buy that he acted appropriately, he didn’t. He should have stayed and fought for access to his children instead of running away. There is nothing I could be faced with that would ever make me leave Olivia like that nor my children—shit, I really need to get my head in the game or I stand to fuck up what’s left of this deal single handed.
Arianna watches me as I attempt to stay focused, with varying degrees of success but we do secure the deal which makes me happy, for a few seconds at least.
“What?” I ask Arianna who is sitting back in her seat and watching me carefully once the conference call is over.
“Everything okay?” she asks with genuine interest.
“Yes.” I pause because everything is ok-ish. “Olivia’s dad is in the flat with her.”
“The one from the wedding?”
I’m tempted to ask how many other dads there are but that just makes me think of Raymond and the doctor and her mother and all the shit. “Yes.”
“You don’t like him? He doesn’t like you?” my ex-wife asks.
“No, nothing like that.” Although the jury is out on exactly how I feel towards him.
“You asked for Olivia’s hand in marriage and he said no?” Arianna is joking, she laughs to support the humour in her comment.
“No,” I snap sharply. “Apparently she doesn’t believe in marriage,” I reveal, and now that is pissing me off too.
“Mase—”
I stop her with a raised hand and a hard expression. I really don’t want to talk anymore. What I need is to go home and see Olivia, to fight about my inference, well, accusation that her father should have gone back to his children and then I need some making up time with my girl until she can’t think straight never mind argue.
I give Olivia and Nigel some more time alone and distract myself with work for the next hour or so until my phone rings, the caller ID revealing my dad flashing on my screen. With a little apprehension I answer.
“Hi Dad.” I wait for him to respond as I watch Arianna leave.
“You free to talk?” He has a serious tone that tells me he has already dug up something on Raymond Daniels and hischurch.
“Yes, I’m alone and in my office.”
