This is not only about him being with other women. It’s also about what I inferred from my conversations with Kai, and the things he straight out told me about his father.
I’m split between saying what I really think about Robert Walker and giving her a palatable version of what I know and the support she needs.
She needs a push, a nudge, and I hate to be the person doing that for her. She might change her mind later on and make me responsible for her failed relationship.
On the other hand, what would I do in her place? How would I handle this situation?
“He had company…” I go on. “Women. There were two. The first one accompanied him at dinners in the beginning. The second one showed up later and spent a few nights in his room. It may be someone local. Someone he knows from a while back. They seemed very comfortable with each other. And I’m talking about him, in particular. He seems hard to please. She was all over him, and he was cool with her too.”
I sigh, my chest brimming with mixed feelings.
“I don’t know if it does you any good to talk about these things,” I continue.
“No, no. It does. It helps me a lot.”
How?
Unless she’s masochistic, how could having intimate knowledge of these details help her in any way?
“Listen… Aside from that…” I murmur, but I quickly go quiet, not knowing if it’s a good idea to share something else with her.
My own take on Robert Walker in light of what happened on Monday night won’t do her any good.
And for sure, I won’t share details about that incident.
As far as I know, it’s been handled by professionals. Lawyers and PR people. But I could still tell her about the vibe I got from Robert.
Although there is a risk, she is biased right now because of what Kai has said to her. And then she might go back to liking his father, and Kai and I will look like fools.
“He doesn’t care about anyone,” I say. “Other than himself, perhaps. People like him are hard to love and even harder to live with. As a woman, you can expect endless shenanigans and indiscretions. No matter how open-minded you are and how much you think you can do an open relationship with someone like that, it will take a toll on you eventually. And it’s just not worth it. You could do so much better than him. At any rate, it’s not my business to tell you what to do. But if you want a hint of reciprocity when it comes to your feelings, he is probably the worst pick you can make.”
“Thank you,” she says after a moment. “This helps me a lot.”
“Does it?” I ask incredulously.
“Yes. Yes, it does. Anyway…” she says in a different voice. “Kai said I wouldn’t encounter problems at work, but I might need to quit anyway. In light of what you just said, the last thing I want is to see Robert with other people at the office. I don’t want to put myself through that.”
I sincerely hope she reconsiders, but I can’t blame her if she ends up doing that. I might need to do it as well if something unsavory happens between Kai and me and our relationship ends.
“Are you looking for a new job?” I ask.
“Not yet. But I’ll start on Monday. When are you coming back?”
“As of right now…? It looks like I’ll be back on Monday,” I say, smiling.
“Hopefully, we’ll work together for a few days, at least.”
“We will.”
I wish I could ask her to postpone looking for a job, but I realize her self-interest comes first.
Maybe I get lucky, and something compels her to stay.
We say goodbye later, and I remain frozen in the middle of the room still pondering our conversation.
A strange thought comes to my head.
What will happen if Kai and I become an item?