“I appreciate that, but the answer’s no. This is my baby.”
“Very well.” He sighs. “I’ll take into consideration the flats Amanda has shown us tonight, but your mum will have the final say.”
Internally, I’m jumping for joy. Papa hasn’t ruled out the flat I bought. That’s a huge win in my book. It makes everything one step easier in breaking the news to him in a few days when I officially pick up the keys. “Thank you, Papa.” I hug him tightly. Amanda offers me a subtle high five behind his back.
As the evening winds down, Mum arrives home. She’s clearly as exhausted as me and has a hard time hiding her yawns. Eddie, Amanda, and I spend a couple minutes chatting with her, but we collectively agree it’s time to head home.
“Do you need a ride, Ali?” My brother grabs his coat and helps Amanda into hers.
“Sure, that would be great; I just have one thing I need to ask Papa about.”
“Okay, we’ll be waiting in the car. Come down whenever you’re ready.”
Approaching my father, who’s in the kitchen wiping down the counter, I clear my throat. “Papa?”
“Oh, Alice, I thought you’d left.”
“Not yet. I... I just had one more thing I wanted to mention to you before I forgot.” I try and sound as nonchalant as possible.
“Yes?” He places the dish towel next to the sink and leans against the counter.
“I met my new security officers this afternoon. Angela is fantastic—I like her a lot—but the other one, Arthur... we didn’t get on very well. I, um... just wanted to see if it might be possible to reassign him.”
“I see.” Papa blinks slowly. “And what exactly, pray tell, did you not care for about Arthur? Did he misbehave?”
“No, not exactly. He just, um... wasn’t very talkative.” I’m frustrated with how weak and feeble that excuse sounds. I had this entire speech rehearsed in my head and now my mind’s gone blank.
“Alice, that’snota valid reason to reassign him.” Papa crosses hisarms. “I know that anyone who comes after Bruce has large shoes to fill, but trust me, Arthur is the right person for your detail. I remember reading his file. He earned top marks across the board on all his tests and had several outstanding recommendations from his superiors. Give him some time.”
Papa’s tone is firm. There’s no room for negotiation with him. Arthur is not going anywhere. I decide to make one last-ditch attempt, knowing it’s a lost cause. I widen my eyes and school my face as best I can into the “Daddy’s little girl” look. “Even if I asked with a cherry on top?”
“Alice...” My father places a hand on my shoulder. “How about this: Give the man until the end of summer. If you’re still not getting on with him by the time school begins, we’ll reassess the situation. Does that sound fair?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. We’ll circle back to this in a few months’ time.” He kisses the top of my head and walks me to the door. I bid him good night and walk down to the car.
I’ll take tonight as a partial win-win. I may not have been able to get rid of Arthur yet, but at least I’m better off than when I started the night. There’s an end date in sight.
Four
The next evening, I receive a call from Amanda. Placing the phone on speaker, I answer, “Hello?”
Instead of hearing Amanda’s voice, the song “The Boys Are Back in Town” and a mean guitar solo blare out. I have to hold my mobile a few inches from my ear.
“Alice! I’ve been waiting all day to call you! I wasn’t able to ask you for the nitty-gritty details of your trip last night with your dad and brother around, but Eddie isfinallyout of the house. So fill me in!”
I’m confused. I’d thought I’d done a decent job covering most of the details at dinner. “What else do you want to know? More about the museums? The architecture? The shopping?”
“No, silly. There’s no way you can go away for eight months without rubbing elbows with some cute guys. How many dates did you go on?”
“Zero.”
“Ah, come on, Ali, this is me you’re talking to. I promise I won’t say anything to Eddie.”
“It’s true!” I protest. “Remember who you’re dealing with—Ms. Antisocial. I didn’t go out. I stayed in most nights. It was too risky. Thegoal was to escape the world and find myself, not invite the media back in.”
“Oh, Ali.” Amanda sighs. “I’d hoped you would’ve allowed yourself to have a little fun. It wouldn’t have hurt you to go to a bar or a pub and see if you could score a date with guy. Not every person you meet is out to get you.”
