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I hear the sound of her laughter, and it’s only now that I realize how much I missed hearing her. I forced myself to keep my word and give her space, even though waiting isn’t something I’m used to.
"Would you really tell me if it wasn’t a good time or if I were being inconvenient?"
"Yes. Why would I lie?"
"I like that about you, Dr. Athanasios."
"Like what?"
"Your honesty. Can you promise me that whatever happens, you’ll always be honest?"
"I never lie."
"I don’t like omissions either."
"You have my word. Now tell me, what’s going on? Are you feeling unwell?"
"No. I just wanted to be the one to call first."
I close the door to my office and lock it to avoid interruptions. Then I sit on the edge of my desk. I’m not a fan of phone conversations, but hearing her voice first thing in the morning is a delight.
"Are we competing?" I ask, amused by her reasoning.
"You tell me. Are we?"
"No. Because if it were a competition, I’d win. I was going to call you today anyway."
"I thought you said a week. That means you should only call me tomorrow."
"Maybe I like surprising you, too."
"I thought you liked planning, actually."
"I think it was clear that day in the car that my plans don’t work very well when it comes to you, Brooklyn."
"Why don’t you ever lose control?"
I feel a surge of excitement through my body. "You want to play? Do you know what you’re getting yourself into?"
"No, but I can’t stop." Another soft laugh. "You said you’d call me. Why?"
"To invite you and the kids to spend tomorrow with me in the Hamptons. We could even stay the whole weekend."
"You’re inviting Silas and Soraya too?"
"I am. Don’t they like boats?"
"I . . . uh . . . I’m not sure."
"That’s fine. Ask Eleanor. But even if they don’t, we can just stay by the pool. I’ll pick you up at nine."
"I didn’t say I’d go."
"You’re the one who made the first move by calling me, Brooklyn."
"You said you’d come after me anyway."
"Yes. Don’t be stubborn. You know you want to go."