Page 14 of Missed Communication
Jamie lets out a full laugh. “No, but that’s a lot of questions to answer at once. Between my two jobs and my plants, I’m a little busy. I rarely date.”
As I’m about to take a sip of my iced tea, I freeze. Marijuana is legal in California, but I’m not up-to-date on Canadian politics. Did I sleep with a weed farmer? “Did you say plants?”
“Yeah. I have seventeen,” he replies with a shrug, but now I’m wondering where the hell would he house that many. “One of them has been extra needy lately and I’ll probably need to repot it.”
“What, uh… What kind of plants do you have?”
“A little of everything.” Silence lingers between us for a moment, and my confusion must be written all over my face. He offers a wide smile, then admits, “I don’t grow, sell, or smoke, if that’s what you’re wondering.”
“I mean, you could, and I wouldn’t judge,” I rush out.
“Nah, it’s not for me. To each their own, you know. Most I would do is edibles, but it’s been years. I have a few snake plants, ferns… nothing too big. But I assure you, one of my snake plants isn’t going to march into this restaurant and accuse me of cheating. As far as women go, I haven’t found anyone to pique my interest. Dating apps suck, and even when I think I’ve found someone amazing, it never lasts more than a few dinners or drinks before they get annoyed that I’m busy with work. I’m sure you can relate—you’re busier than I am.”
“Sort of. I didn’t work while I was married. Well, I volunteered, but he never saw it as a job, even if I did. Being back to work and part of Olivia’s team has been a bit of an adjustment.”
“How long have you been divorced?”
“Not long enough,” I chuckle.
“Tell me about him.”
“Trust me, you don’t want to hear about it.”
“I do.”
“There’s nothing to tell.” I take a long sip of my iced tea. “Back when I was your age,” I tease, and he playfully taps my foot under the table, making me laugh. “Okay, okay! Well, back then, I did what was expected of me—married a man with entirely too much money and ensured if he cheated on me that the prenup would be void. We’re divorced because he couldn’t keep his dick in his pants.”
“Why do I feel like there’s more to it than that?”
I really didn’t want to air out my dirty laundry, but it isn’t as if it truly matters. In a few days, I’ll be gone, and he’ll forget all about my relationship horror stories. If anything, it’ll help to scare him away. “I turned into one of those trad wives I always hated on social media. Not the cool ones who are just trying to make healthy snacks for their kids or bake sourdough from scratch. The ones whose husbands don’t appreciate them, treat them like property, and aren’t seen as equals in the home. That’s great if it works for them, but I’ve never wanted that for myself. The night I had proof he cheated, I already had food in the oven, and he was running late. I was hungry after a long day of work at the nonprofit I was volunteering at, and made something quick and easy.”
“My kind of meal.”
“Yeah, well, it wasn’t for his benefit. I was exhausted all of the time. He expected the house to be spotless and that breakfast was on the table at 5 a.m., dinner at 6 p.m.. He may have had money, but he was too cheap to hire a maid or a chef. He wantedme to be some sort of superhero doing everything, but never once thanked me for anything… I’m sorry, I’m rambling.”
“You’re not. Go on.”
I eye him suspiciously. “You’re going to use this against me, aren’t you?”
“Against you? No. But if I ever meet the cheating asshole, I’ll probably be facing charges for assault.”
“I’d gladly be your alibi.” After a deep breath, I continue, “So, during dinner, I told him I wanted to save half of the sauce from the dish I made so I could use it for my lunch the next day. While we were eating, there was an incoming call from the animal shelter where I wanted to adopt this adorable dachshund I snuggled at a foster event, so I excused myself from the table to answer it. Sadly, it was to tell me the little girl was already adopted but that there were a few other pups I could take home the next day. When I returned to the table, he was gone and so was his plate; my baking dish was submerged in soapy water in the sink. And, no, the sauce wasn’t saved in the fridge.”
“I take that back, I’ll be facing charges for murder.”
“No need for prison time! It was just food, but it was also the straw that broke the camel’s back, so to speak. He hated me—like,reallyhated me. There was no salvaging the marriage. The next morning I met with my lawyer, and a few months later, I walked away. Livy picked me up at my lowest, so the least I could do is help her with her political career after she lost her hockey-god husband to cancer. She needed to step back into her greatness."
“I’m familiar with Olivia’s story from what I’ve seen in the news during her campaign, and don’t get me wrong, she’s truly aninspiration with what she’s accomplished. But what about your greatness?”
“I like being in the shadows.”
He nods thoughtfully. “I get it. I don’t want to run for office; I’d probably be compared to my father if I did.”
“Your dad is in politics?”
Eyes wide, he freezes, and I have a feeling he didn’t mean to admit that to me. But after a beat, he replies, “Yeah. Actually, he’s in California.”
“Really? I don’t know of any politicians with the last name Wilson. Is he some sort of local government official? Like a County Supervisor?”
