“Something like that,” she answered. Still her sweet voice but more distracted.
“I can tell you are busy, so I won’t hold you, but I wanted to check on the renewal party. We ended things in an uncertain way, but do you think you will be there? We finally confirmed the dates with the gardens for a month from now. They miraculously had an opening.”
He heard her inhale and exhale, her contemplation worrying him more than a direct answer.
Finally, “I actually can’t, Solomon. I’m still trying to figure things out. Work is changing, and my schedule is not as flexible as it once was. But I wish your parents much love, and ... Solomon?”
“Yes, Kenya?”
She sighed, sounding resigned. Like she was saying goodbye. “I wish you all the love you are worthy of too.” Kenya hung up.
Solomon gripped his phone in his hand, fighting the urge to throw it across the room.
“Where’s our girl?” Jermaine’s question pierced through his stormy thoughts. “She has missed a lot of appointments.”
Solomon looked up into the face of his supervisor. He didn’t answer but blinked, his eyes scanning the lobby. The waiting area seemed more shadowed than usual. Maybe it was the gray clouds blocking the sun or Jermaine’s shadow as he stood over him. But he knew the truth. He’d hurt her more deeply than he’d intended and had cut himself in the process.
“Our girl is not coming today.” Solomon sighed. He dropped his head and pressed his hands together. The chair next to him squeaked as Jermaine moved the cream folder Solomon had set there.
“This yours?”
“Yeah.” Solomon opened the folder that had been left for him at the front and saw the familiar contents. Pages of vision boards, contacts, and venue information for his parents’ party deepened his frown. She couldn’t have left a stronger message of goodbye.
“You’ve been in a mood since you came in after lunch. Want to talk about it?”
Solomon’s mouth worked. Jermaine didn’t press him. Just let him sit in silence for a few minutes.
“I’m keeping you away from your next appointment.”
Jermaine stretched out his legs. “My current appointment was Miss Stewart, so I have time since she was a no-show.”
He released a breath and looked up. “Why did I let myself get so distracted?”
“Distracted from what?”
“Are you going to make me spell it out?”
“I want to hear you say the words because I am wondering what the most important thing to you is.”
Solomon sat up. “There is no question. I am only a week and a half to my NPTE exam, and I feel like I have barely studied in the past month.”
Jermaine shrugged. “You are not the only one who has crammed for a test.”
“But you know I’ve only been working under a temporary license that is contingent on me passing this test. I can’t afford to mess this up. I was focused and on a roll. I had good control on my time, and then ... I got distracted.”
Jermaine chuckled. “So you are going to blame your lack of study on Miss Stewart.”
Solomon grunted in frustration. “No, on me. Iletmyself get distracted by her. My intentions snowballed and I messed up. In so many ways.”
“That’s good to hear. She didn’t force you to help her, get to know her, or fall in love with her.”
Solomon turned his head, the last comment making his stomach flip.
“You’re acting like none of us saw you in this little corner. As if a fake potted fiddle-leaf could hide what was really blossoming.” He heard the smile in his gray-haired supervisor’s voice. “Hey, Cindy!” Jermaine hollered toward the receptionist.
She laughed in surprise. “Yes, Doctor?”
“What is the one thing you know for sure when you see Dr. Anruchi and Miss Stewart out here together?”
