A Life More Complete(70)
“That’s what Rachel said, except her words were a little more direct.” I recall exactly what she said to me and I want to punch her in the face.
“Don’t tell me I actually agree with Rachel on something? I think that’s a first.” Gia says, pointedly. Gia and Rachel have never gotten along. Gia always found Rachel’s slutty high school tendencies repulsive and crass. Once Rachel told Gia she didn’t wear underwear to school so the boys could look up her skirt as she walked up the stairs. Gia didn’t understand at first and when she finally got it the look of disgust on her face was unmistakable. I also don’t think Gia wore a skirt or dress to school for the next two years.
“At least you’re a little nicer about it than her.”
We talk about the kids and her job. And before long it’s late so we say our good-byes. She tells me she’ll make it out my way for the wedding. I hang up with her feeling better and resign myself not to call Tyler again.
I spend the rest of the night working on a whole bunch of press packets that I should have done weeks ago. It keeps my mind occupied long enough to forget about the fact that Tyler is currently possibly cheating on me. Just as my thoughts begin to drift back into the realm of crazy my Skype alert goes off.
“Hi kid. Miss you,” Tyler says as his face appears on the screen and his lips move unconnected to the words. The screen freezes slightly and picks back up in time with his words.
“Miss you, too. Where’ve you been?” I’m smiling, but feeling slightly nervous about what he might say and how I’m possibly going to explain the excessive amount of phone calls that I bombarded his phone with.
“I was working out and then I had dinner with my parents. Did you try to call?”
I can’t tell if he’s being sarcastic and asking because he can see the seven calls I made to him in just under a half an hour. I play dumb.
“I did. It was a while ago. I’ve been working on some stuff for work. It’s been a boring night.”
“I turned my phone off during dinner. My mom hates when it rings during dinner, which is ironic because that is all her phone does. She rationalizes it by saying she’s a doctor.”
I sigh inwardly calming my over-stressed nerves and I finally can relax knowing that my irrational conscience is totally wrong.
“I am so busy next week and the week after. I have to be in New York for a few days and then in Seattle. When I finally get home I have three full days of a press junket. I don’t think we’re ever going to get a minute when we’re home together.”
“That sucks, but I’ll be busy, too. I have to fly back out here to finish up one last trial and then I’ll be around more. Don’t worry about it. I promise you things will work out. I can tell you’re worried. But don’t because I love you.”
This makes me smile and in turn Tyler smiles brightly at me through the computer screen. I know I love him and I hope that we can make this work.
“How are your parents?” I ask even though I am not sure I really care.
“Good. The usual. At least we get along now that I’m an adult. It also doesn’t hurt that I’m actually successful. They didn’t really want to talk about the engagement though. Neither of them said it but I can tell they don’t approve.” He shrugs his shoulders and runs his hand through his hair. “Oh yeah, and my mom told me to tell you that she’s glad you found a hobby to keep you busy.”
“What hobby?” I’m totally confused by this comment. The only hobby I have is running and I know she doesn’t mean that.
“She means your job. Passive aggressive to say the least,” Tyler says.
“I wish I liked my job as much as a hobby. Next time tell her that I love my little hobby so much I don’t even get paid to do it. Because if I got paid it would be a job, oh wait, I do get paid. Boy, she hasn’t changed at all. Maybe I should start on the hunt for a “real career” so that she isn’t embarrassed by my fake one.”
That little bit of information has me fuming. I work hard at my job, even though I hate it. That doesn’t mean someone can mock it and call it a “hobby”. A hobby, it definitely is not, but that makes no difference to Tyler’s mom. I am not a doctor or a lawyer. I don’t own a widely known and successful production company or a have a seat on the Chicago Board of Trade, so that makes my job a hobby. She has failed to see my success.
“Oh, relax. She’s a pain in the ass. I just thought it was a funny comment. Obviously she was serious and also being patronizing, but who cares. I don’t.”