In the Company

All day, I’d just been going through the motions. The guys had enough sense to give me some space-with the exception of Patrick.

At first, he attempted conversation. It started out innocent enough, but Ryleigh quickly caught on that I really wasn’t in the mood to deal with anyone, much less Patrick, and got him away. Occasionally, I would catch him looking at me with a concerned frown on his face. But honestly, as upset as I was, as heartbroken as I felt, I wasn’t going to shatter. I wasn’t made of glass. Or at least, that’s what I kept telling myself.

It hung around me and weighed on my shoulders and my heart like bricks. What had I done to deserve that? What had happened to the sweet, honest-albeit a little stiff- guy I’d fallen in love with in my sophomore year of college? There were so many questions clumped in my brain, it made doing work near impossible.

Ryleigh was in full scale bitch-out mode. With the constant ringing of my phone, thanks to David, she was ready to go across town to give him a piece of her mind. As much as I wanted her to, we had a job that needed doing.

For a while, she left me alone, only to come back in and tell me I was supposed to go to Canada- with Tyler.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Back at the apartment, Ryleigh helped me pack my bag. I would hand her the clothes and she would drop them into my weekender bag. I wouldn’t be gone long, just a few days, so I wasn’t even bothering with a real suitcase.

“I think this is just what you need,” she said, packing my cosmetic bag into it and zipping it shut. “It’ll be good for you to get away.”

“Yeah,” I nodded. “I think so too.”

As usual, Ry flopped back on my bed to play with her phone while I stood at my closet to change. If I was getting the chance to get out of my office clothes for a few days and wear what I pleased, I was going to get started as soon as I could.

I pulled on a pair of capris and a loose fitting blouse; I knew with the addition of my deck shoes I’d be comfy for the trip north. While I pulled my hair back into a ponytail, I could hear Ryleigh rustling behind me with something of mine.

“What’s this?” she asked as I turned. In her hand was the gift bag Patrick had given me at the club the night before. I’d completely forgotten about it when I had stumbled through the door, a sobbing mess.

“I’m not sure,” I cocked my head to the side. “It’s from Pat. I never got around to opening it.”

“Do it now!” she encouraged, bouncing on my bed.

I looked at the clock for what could have been the hundredth time. It was a little after two, so I had a while until Tyler would be around.

“Alright, yeah,” I sighed, sitting down.

I took the small gift bag and weighed it in my hand. What could be in it? I didn’t know Patrick all that well and yet he had felt the need to get me a gift. Why?

“If you don’t open it, I will,” Ryleigh warned.

Slowly, I dumped the contents of the bag out on my bedspread. A mess of tissue paper came tumbling out followed by a heavier, denser object. It was a small box, black and velvet, used for jewelry.

Ryleigh ‘ooh’-ed as I carefully picked the box up, holding in my palm. Jewelry?

I opened the box, hearing the crack of the hinge and saw a delicate silver chain with a round charm on it. An Indianhead, a logo.

“There’s a note,” Ryleigh reached into the bottom of the bag and handed me a slip of paper.

“Rosie,” I read. “Happy birthday, sorry for all the trouble I caused you. I’m learning, PK.”

Ryleigh ‘aww’ed, being way too girly, so I shushed her.

“There’s a P.S.,” I said. “Just because we’re better than Dallas. It’s his team logo, the Blackhawks.”

That made sense. In passing, I’d admitted to although knowing enough about hockey, I didn’t own any merchandise.

“Put it on,” she encouraged. “It’s actually kind of pretty.”

“I don’t know,” I sighed.

“Rosaline Maria Delgado,” Ryleigh warned, breaking out my full name. “This guy went out of his way to get you a gift that you didn’t even open until today. You’re putting it on and sending him a picture and thanking him.”

I huffed, turning around so she could clasp the chain around my neck. I let her take the picture on my phone and I sent it away with a simple thank you and a smiley face.

Moving into the living room, Ry got us some waters as we prepared to wait out the last half hour of my time in the apartment.

As we talked, my phone buzzed, alerting me to Skype. Grudgingly, I pulled my laptop out of the case I would be taking it in to Brampton and logged on, finding my mother calling.

“Hola, Mama,” I waved. “Oliver! Que estas hiciendo en Dallas

“I won the lottery with my unit for the 4th of July,” he explained in English. “How are you?”

“I’m…good,” I allowed. “What about you two? Mama, what do the doctor’s say?” I knew she would just say she was fine, but I wanted the honest truth.

“No changes since you came in April,” she said, a look of concern clouding her face. “I don’t like you worrying about me, mija.”

The no change in her condition was both good and bad. She hadn’t gotten any worse in the almost two and a half months since I’d been home to see her, but she also hadn’t gotten any better.

“I’m good too!” Oliver piped up. “Eating all the good stuff Mama cooks.”

I laughed, knowing my brother was a human garbage disposal. He probably spent the majority of his time in Dallas at the dining room table with a full plate.

“Is that Ryleigh?” My mom squinted at the screen at my red headed friend who was squished halfway onto the monitor.

“Hi, Mama!” she waved. For as long as I could remember, Ryleigh had called my mother ‘Mama’. “You’re looking good.”

My mom laughed. “Thank you, Ryleigh. How are you two holding up in the big city? Enjoying those handsome new clients?” she wiggled her eyebrows.

I groaned, face palming while Ryleigh cackled.

“Some more than others,” Ry nudged me, only making my skin turn the unhealthy shade of my shirt.

“Oh?” my mom smiled. “But what about David?”

“Yeah,” Oliver agreed. “I kind of liked him.”

I swallowed as Ry watched me out of the corner of her eye, not wanting to be the bearer of the ‘bad’ news.

“We, uh, I-I broke up with him, I guess,” I rubbed my arms. “He… He was…,”

Ryleigh decided to finish for me. “The asshole was cheating on her with some skinny bitch.”

“What?!?” Oliver roared. “I hate him; I always knew he was trouble!” Oliver turned on a dime with his affections.

“Mi hijo,” my mom’s face saddened. “Are you alright?”

I nodded, not trusting my voice.

“You should have seen her though!” Ry threw her hands up in the air. “We were out, celebrating her birthday, and Rose sees him, right? And she picks up her glass, walks over, says something totally badass, and dumps her champagne on him before he can even untangle himself from that bottle blonde skank.”

My mom cracks a small smile. “Go Rosaline.”

“Do you want me to come to New York and pay him a visit? Because I will, Rose. I can be on a flight tonight and be at your apartment in the morning, it’s no big deal-,”

“I’m leaving. On business,” I blurted out, just to stop him. “I’ll be gone a few days.”

“Where?” she asked.

“Canada,” I explained. “Somewhere small,” I wasn’t entirely sure what the size of Brampton was, but I didn’t really care. “I’ll be back by Sunday, just three days.”

“I head back to base then,” Oliver sighed. “I haven’t seen you since before Christmas. I miss you.”

“I miss you too, hermano,” I smiled to him. “I’ll see you soon, I’m sure. Even if I have to blow a whole paycheck on a ticket to Hawaii.” Ryleigh nudged me, gesturing to the time. Tyler would be here soon and I wanted to say goodbye to Ryleigh as well. “I have to go you guys. Adios,” I waved. “Love you!”

I waited until they disconnected and then I packed up my computer again, following Ryleigh down to the lobby.

Pulling me into a hug, we swayed around. “Got everything?” she asked as a taxi came up to the curb and Tyler hopped out.

“Yeah,” I nodded. “I think so.”

“You sure?” she smiled.

“One time I forget to pack shoes and I can never live it down,” I grumbled as she pulled me into another hug.

“This is good for you,” Ryleigh assured me. “You’ll come back nice and rested and be ready to let Kane sweep you off your feet.” I pinched her arm and she jerked away. “Too soon?”

I glared at her, letting her know that it was way too early. “I’ll call you when we land. Keep the boys in line.” I held my friend at arm’s length and looked her up and down. Usually, I was the one still dressed up from the office and she was already in some shorts. Today, we were the other way around.

“We’re just gonna party the whole time,” she joked as Tyler opened the cab door for me. “Just kidding.”

“Ready for Canada?” Tyler asked.

“Always,” I sighed.