“Jesus, did your accent get thicker?”
“I’m among my countrymen.”
“Clearly. I didn’t sign the papers yet,” she blurted out.
Mason’s deep chuckle coming through the surround speakers only made things worse. She’d missed him so damn much and so did her body. Her thighs instantly clenched.
“That’s what I was calling to talk to you about. I was hoping we could talk in person.”
“Oh yeah? Where? And when?”
“I was thinking next week. Turns out, a bassist I used to play with lives in Los Angeles. Place called Silver Lake?”
“Of course you know a bassist who lives in Silver Lake.”
“I don’t know what that means, but he said I could stay with him. I thought it would be a good time to hash things out in person.”
“Hold on one sec. I’m driving,” Xeni replied. Too many things were running through her mind, like how he was going to fly all this way to make sure she signed the paper once and for all. Her stomach lurched at the thought. He was probably seeing someone else. The light changed and Xeni finally pulled into the Trader Joe’s parking lot. “Okay. So, next week.” Xeni grabbed her phone and pulled up her calendar. She knew then that the universe was definitely fucking with her. “Yeah, I can do next week.”
“I should have made this clear right when I called—”
“Made what clear?” Xeni really didn’t want to be sick in the Trader Joe’s parking lot, but she was real close.
“I don’t want a divorce.”
“Oh! Okay, well, I don’t either.” She thought it would be a relief to admit the truth out loud, but a whole host of other questions started bouncing around her head. Being married didn’t mean he was in love with her. She knew how that might sound to some people, but she and Mason clearly didn’t have a conventional relationship, if they had a relationship at all.
“That’s something we have in common.”
“Um, do you need me to get you from the airport or anything?”
“No. I won’t be fit for human eyes after a transatlantic flight. I’ll pull myself together and then I can come to you.”
“Okay. We could meet at my house? I got a new place. And we can talk in private?”That way if we come to the conclusion that we really do need to get a divorce, I won't be weeping in the middle of a restaurant, she almost added.
“I would love to see your new place,” he said. Xeni eyes started to sting. Why was longing even a thing? Why did she still feel this way about him after all of these months? Could she even make it a week? Taking this call was a mistake. She wanted to see him now. She needed to get off the phone.
“Great. So, you wanna say next Friday night at seven? I’m not sure when you get in.”
“Friday night sounds perfect. Just let me know your address and I’ll get myself over there.”
“Okay. Well, I’m going to go get wine drunk for the next six days. See you soon!”
His deep laugh came through the speakers again. “See you soon, love.”
Xeni ended the call and sank back against her seat. Then she opened her phone again and went right to the group chat.
Xeni: all hands meeting at my house tonight for all who can make it.
Meegan: YOU TALKED TO HIM???
Joanna: What? What’s going on?
Xeni: My husband is coming to town.
Shae: Holy shit. I’ll be there. And I’m bringing a whole ass cake.
Xeni: Good. I’m gonna need it.
