I can tell she wants to say more, but the doorbell rings. She looks between the door and me. “That’s probably Madge, Donna, and Janet for our weekly bridge game. Give me a minute and I’ll tell them I’m canceling this week. I completely forgot they were coming.”
I shake my head. “No, Mom. It’s fine. I don’t mind really. It will keep my mind off things.”
She looks at me questioningly and I nod. “I’m sure. I promise.”
She pats my hand and walks over to let her friends in. I tell them all hi and give them each hugs. When they walk into the dining room to set up their game, I sit back on the couch and think about everything my mother said. Could she be right? Am I just looking for a reason for this not to work? I know there’s plenty of pictures of him on the internet with other woman, but later, when I looked at the dates, I hadn’t seen any in the last year or so. Definitely not any since we’ve met. I pick up the channel changer and turn the television on. I tell myself I’m going to find a good comedy, but instead, I turn it straight to the sports channel. I just want to see him, I tell myself. No harm in that.
The announcers are doing the pregame and at the mention of Neil’s name, it grabs my attention. “Kent Bishop is substituting for Neil Fox tonight. It was reported that Fox has an emergency out of town. The Mavericks will miss him behind the plate tonight and his bat.”
The rest of whatever he says goes in one ear and out the next. With my hand over my mouth, I sit there stunned. Oh God, is he okay? I reach for my phone to call him, but remember that I changed my number and deleted his contact. He’s fine. I’m sure he’s fine. I keep telling myself that over and over, but it doesn’t feel right. There’s a part of me that knows I want to be with him… that I should be with him. But another part of me is still scared.
With my head in my hand, I say a silent prayer for whatever Neil’s going through right now.
10
Neil
As soon as I get into town, I go straight to her apartment. I’ve knocked, I’ve pounded, and she hasn’t answered. Her car is not in the parking lot, so I know she’s not here. I’m sitting outside her apartment with baby throw-up on my shirt, waiting for her to get home when a neighbor opens their door and recognizes me. He opens the door wider and looks at the television and then back at me. “Hey, aren’t you Neil Fox from the Mavericks?”
I nod my head at him. “Have you seen Naomi?”
He grabs a stack of envelopes and a set of keys off the table. “No, she’s visiting her mom.” I watch as he walks to Naomi’s door, unlocks it and walks in. He leaves the door open and I see him set the mail on the counter before filling up a cup of water. He smiles at me as he walks around the house. “Thanks for the reminder though. I almost forgot to water her flowers. Hey, aren’t you supposed to be at a game?”
Stunned, I watch this man walk around Naomi’s apartment and all I feel is pure jealousy. I try to keep my voice calm. “Yeah, but I have something to take care of. So you have a key… to Naomi’s apartment?”
He smirks at me. “Yeah, so I can water her plants.”
I nod my head at him. “Okay, so do you know where Naomi’s mother lives?”
He nods his head and dumps water on another plant. “Yep. Are you the reason she was crying when she left here yesterday?”
Fuck! Just knowing that kills me. “Yep, but I’m going to fix it.”
He turns and looks at me then, measuring me up. He must see something he approves of, probably the desperation in my face. “She lives on 421 Holbert Street. Just down the road. But just so you know, I’m going to give you a five-minute head start, but I’m going to call her and warn her you’re coming.”
“Fair enough. Thanks,” I tell him, before I turn and sprint to the parking lot. Fuck! I don’t have my car and I let the cab leave. I put the address in my phone and it says it’s a ten minute walk. I take off running in the direction of her mom’s house.
I run up the driveway and before I knock, I try to catch my breath. I’m bent over, raggedly breathing when the door opens. “Neil?”
I lift my head and look straight at Naomi. Damn, I’ve missed her.
I try to speak, but I’m still trying to catch my breath. She motions me inside and says something about water. When she comes back I’m standing in the living room and she walks toward me, holding it out. I take a big swallow and set it down. A group of women come through the doorway and they’re all staring at me, but I don’t care.