Page 31 of Falling for Them

“What?”He sounds exasperated.

“Remember what I said about treating women with respect.Be honest, and listen to them.”

“Yeah, yeah.”He waves over his shoulder as he leaves my apartment.

I sigh.I think I’ve raised a fuckboy.

Ella

Joel’s office is empty for the fourth night in a row.I keep walking past it, as if he might poof into existence all of a sudden.

But nope.

I go through the motions of emptying wastebaskets, cleaning the bathrooms, tidying the break room and washing down the snack counter.When Joel still hasn’t shown up by the end of my shift, I slump down at the table in the break room and pull my phone from my dress pocket.

The maid uniform might be as ugly as sin, but at least it has pockets.

I don’t get to go to the gala.I can’t afford the gown I picked out, and what’s worse, I can’t affordanygown because my absolute idiot of a brother stole the last of my money.Already I won’t be able to eat very well over the next month, but I could’ve gotten through it on the memories of attending the Tyler Gala.

I dial Joel.I would rather share this news in person, but it’s been three days, and if the shithead won’t come to work so I can see him, then I guess I’m left with the phone.

If he doesn’t pick up this time, I’m just going to text him.

He picks up, though.“Ella?”

“Joel!Hi, I’ve been trying to reach you.”

“Sorry, I was out of town on business.”

“Oh.You didn’t tell me you were going anywhere.”

“Oh, sorry about that.”

I’m a little hurt, but it’s fine.I mean, there’ve been a couple of red flags with him, but he wouldn’t have asked me to the Tyler Gala if I meant absolutely nothing to him, right?

“Last minute trip,” he adds, sighing heavily.“I was so busy, I had no time to call.I’m fucking exhausted.”

“Are you coming to work tonight?”

“Nope,” he says.Then, almost as an afterthought, he says, “I miss you, though.”

I’m not convinced he misses me at all.Which makes this next part of this conversation easier.“I can’t go to the gala.I’m sorry.”

“What?Why the hell not?”

“I can’t get a gown in time.”

“Seriously?”He sounds puzzled and frustrated.“There are stores all over San Esteban.”

How do I explain to him that I’ve already tried to choose buying a gown over buying groceries?How could someone like Joel Tyler ever understand where I’m coming from?

“I just can’t do it,” I say.

“Okay, sure, whatever.”He yawns.“I’m going to get some rest after that business trip, okay?”

“Of course,” I say, blinking back tears.If he can hear the strain in my voice, he doesn’t comment on it.“I’ll talk to you later.”

“Yep, talk to you later, babe.”