“Well, he said to tell you good guess, but that’s not it. He also said to tell you he’s rooting for you to figure it out.”
And Delray thought my roommate was being childish. I took a deep breath. “This is so frustrating. Why won’t he just tell me what he wants, so I can make it happen? You know I will.”
Luis sighed. “Look, Ezekiel Angelo is so great to work for, but, like a lot of people who come into a significant amount of money, he has a hard time knowing whom he can trust. He likes to make sure people respect him enough to go that extra mile to understand him.”
“And you’re positive it’s not a bowl of only green m&ms?”
Luis chuckled. “Positive.”
“All right,” I said with a sigh. “I’m back at it. I’m going to figure this out or die trying.”
“That’s the spirt!” Luis said.
We said our goodbyes and ended the call. Delray stared through me with a look that suggested I’d better figure out what silly thing Ezekiel Angelo wanted.
I could feel the need to yawp coming on. Bad day for it, too, because the temperature had dropped overnight, and the sky was spitting something euphemistically called a wintry mix.
I closed my laptop with more force than was strictly necessary. “Why won’t he just tell me, Delray?”
“I don’t know, but you can ask him at the company party tonight.”
I groaned.
“You forgot, didn’t you?”
Forgot? More like intentionally filed it away in the dark recesses of my mind. I didn’t want to see Deidre at the Christmas Party with her new man, the one she’d gotten engaged to about five minutes after meeting him. I was over her, I swear I was, but that didn’t take the sting out of being replaced so easily.
“Frost, your ass needs to be there, and you’d better bring a date. Last week, Angelo told ESPN in an interview that he doesn’t trust bachelors.”
“That’s ridiculous!”
Delray shrugged. “Of course, it’s ridiculous. I swear he says all this stuff just to see who’s really paying attention to him.”
“Fine. I will be there.”
“With a date.”
“Yeah, yeah. With a date.” If a blow-up doll counted as a date. Or Mrs. Potts. She might be free. No, Angelo probably didn’t trust men with Oedipal complexes, and, really, who could blame him on that one?
Delray got up with a little grunt, which told me the wintry mix was jacking with his bum knee. “I’m counting on you, Frost. I gave you this account because I thought you were the best person to handle it. Don’t prove me wrong.”
“I won’t.” My browser was already filled with every article and interview I could find on Ezekiel Angelo. If he wanted someone who listened to him, then I would be that guy.
But first I had to find a date.
I smacked my forehead. Of course! Aubrey would be a great date.
If she were willing and if she were free.
But would she take it the wrong way? Would she think I was asking her on an actual date? Did I want to ask her on a date?
No, you do not.She’s your best friend’s little sister, which is a bullshit patriarchal concept, but one that you will adhere to for the time being. You promised Zach that you would look after her.
Which was also a bullshit patriarchal concept, but I really didn’t have time to fight the patriarchy today, since I needed to figure out what was wrong with this contract. And to get a date, which led me right back to the pernicious patriarchy.
Tomorrow I would rededicate myself to fighting the patriarchy. For now? Well, I needed to call Aubrey and see if I could talk her into being my date to the Christmas party.
7
