Raul In The City

  Raul POV

“Daddy, can we get some Ice Cream?”

“Sure sweety,” It was going on five when we came out of McDonald's, and her mother was already a half-hour late.

I dialed her number again and after the third ring a man’s voice picked up, “Is there some reason you keep calling my wife’s phone?”

“There is. She is late to pick up our daughter, again.” Who the hell did this asshole think he was, anyway?

“I will let her know,” Before I could reply he hung up on me.

I picked up Mariella and carried her to the car. Once I had her buckled in safely in her booster, I map quested the nearest Ice Cream Parlor. There was one less than a mile away.

“Daddy’s going to be right here outside the car. I need to find where we will get some Ice Cream.” I needed to call her mother back, but didn’t want her to overhear.

“Can I get Chocolate Ice Cream?” Just seeing the smile on her face calmed me down.

“Yes, princess,” I kissed her on the forehead and shut the door, standing close to her, but not close enough she could hear my conversation. I once again dialed the number of the woman I have come to loathe.

“Hello,” Her voice was cheery, and it surprised me she answered instead of her husband.

“Let’s get this straight, we agreed on a time and place to meet. You know I have to drive all the way out here and back to San Francisco. You didn’t even have enough decency to call me or anything. I’m taking Mari down on Crawford Street to get some Ice cream, I expect you there in less than an hour to pick her up. And if your no-good husband ever talks to me like that again when I am trying to get a hold of you concerning our child, I will take Mari back with me and she will live there. Do I make myself clear?” I asked her.

“Calm down Raul, we got back late, and I went to take a shower. I lost track of time. I will meet you there, I know the place.” She tried to use her voice on me, the one she used to use years ago. But it didn’t work anymore.

“This isn’t the first time you have done this, and it wouldn’t have been so bad if you just told me. Then that punk runs his mouth.” I glanced over at Mari, who was playing with her Dora doll without a care in the world, thankful she couldn’t hear our conversation.

“Alright, I’m on my way now,” she said

I didn’t reply, I just snapped my I-Phone shut and got in the car.

It was bad enough when she moved over 4 hours away. Normally I would just fly down and back, but Mari feared planes, so we drove.

When I pulled up into the ice cream parlor, I noticed a small line. I unbuckled Mari and headed to the line. If I knew her mother she would push it and come at the last minute right when her hour was up. She wasn’t always like this just since she married that moron. If I wasn’t so sure he was good to Mari, I would have already taken her to live with me. But Mari adored him and her mother. I struggled to understand it. The ass may have had his issues with me, but he was good to my daughter.

“Do you think mommy has ever been to Disney?” My little princess asked me.

“Yes, she went when she was a little girl too I bet.”

“Can we go again soon daddy?” She looked up at me with her baby blue eyes, she thankfully got from me and I melted instantly.

“We will go again soon,” I said. Ever since I had her, my world has changed.

“Hey what can I get you guys today?” I guess I didn’t notice it was our turn in line, as the woman’s voice startled me.

“I will take two chocolate cones dipped,” I said.

I paid her for the ice cream and took Mari to an empty table nearby. Checking my watch, it was almost five-thirty, and I was sure I wouldn’t get back home until almost eleven. My cell began vibrating in my pocket, and I hoped it wasn’t Elizabeth with another excuse.

“Hello,” I said

“Hey partner, how was Disney?” I was thankful for the voice of my best friend on the other line.

“We had fun. Listen, I am going to get back late and need you to fax me that Krieger file. I have an early meeting with them and need to look it over.” I said.

“Sure I can do that before I leave. Are you still waiting on Beth?” He asked me.

“Yea, but what is new,” I said.

“You need to settle down. It's too hard for you to keep doing this alone. You need a wonderful woman in your life, my friend.” He laughed. Though he sounded like he was teasing, I knew he wasn’t. It was something I heard all the time.

“That is exactly what I don’t need in my life,” I said.

“You can’t play the field forever. You will end up a lonely man one day. Oh, before I forget I hired your new assistant, she will start tomorrow.” He said.

“Please tell me you hired someone more interested in working, not trying to...” I looked at my daughter who was eating her ice cream and added: “clear off my desk.”

“Nice cover there Raul, but yes she is pretty, but she seems more concerned with her job then um clearing off your desk. She came highly recommended.” He said.

“Oh, by who?” I was curious.

“My sister.”

“You know I still haven’t met your sister,” I said.

“Oh, you have seen her but I doubt you will ever get to meet her.” He laughed.

“You can’t seriously think I would make a move on your sister?”

“No, actually I don’t but if she knew how big a player you are she would probably make it her life mission to chop your balls off.” He laughed.

“I’m not a player. You have to be dating someone. I don’t do dates.” I said.

“True, but watch out because one day you will be too old to pull the chicks.” He joked.

We talked a few more minutes, and I was in a better mood when we hung up. We had been best friends for years and when I caught Elizabeth cheating on me; he was the first to let me crash on his couch.

“Daddy, what’s a player?” Mari asked me. I almost dropped my ice cream cone when I heard her question.

“Sorry Raul,” I heard and was thankful for the first time in a long time to hear my ex’s voice.

“Mommy, daddy took me to Disney, and I got to ride rides and see Meekey Mouse.” I just adored the way she said, Mickey.

“Sounds like you guys had so much fun.” She said.

“Come here, my little princess.” I picked her up and kissed her on the cheek. I always hated dropping her off, but I had work to get back too.

I watched as she strapped Mari in her booster and shut the car door. “I would appreciate it if you call me later or tomorrow so we can talk about this and arrange my next visit,” I told her.

“I will call you tomorrow.” She leaned over her car door and I nodded my head. I would not have this conversation in a parking lot with my daughter in the car. I needed to get back home.

*******

I awoke at six and jumped out of the bed. I had a meeting with the Krieger’s in an hour and I couldn’t be late. After a quick shower and getting dressed, I had about twenty minutes to be there. I grabbed the file off the table where I laid it last night after studying it and headed out the door.

I somehow arrived ten minutes early, though I wasn’t sure how. I sat in the small conference room and waited. Within a few minutes, the older balding man entered with his son.

“Hope we aren’t late.” James Krieger shook my hand as he took a seat across from me,

“Not at all, I haven’t been here long myself,” I said.

“I take it you received the files in time?” The younger Krieger opened up his briefcase and began removing folders from inside.

“I did and I would extend the agreement out on one condition,” I said.

“Sure, what is that?” James's eyes perked up in the hope of keeping the company.

He handed over the company to his son, but it had been losing money in the last few quarters. I had a lot of respect for his father and stepped in to help them turn it back around.

“I need to inspect this new proposal you have. Is there a good time I can come check out the site?” I asked.

“Sure how about next weekend?” He asked. Next weekend was my time with Mari and I couldn’t do it then.

“That won’t work for me, is there a weekday I could come out?” I usually spent my weekends with Mari unless her mother had prearranged plans or I did.

“Well, we would like you to experience all it offers, is there a better weekend you could do it?” His son Jimmy spoke up now that he had his files organized in front of him.

“I suppose this weekend could work, but what if we did maybe Thursday through Saturday would that work out?” I wanted Sunday off to relax and catch up on other projects I had been neglecting this past week.

I could pick Mari up Saturday and bring her back Sunday. We would just hang out around the house.

“That will work; I will send all the information to your office.” He said.

We talked more, and I headed on my way, hopeful this new project would be just what they needed to get them out of debt. If they couldn’t get out of debt, the company would go to me. Though I normally wouldn’t mind that deal I liked the Krieger’s and wanted them to succeed. He was an old friend of my fathers.

I stopped off and grabbed a cappuccino on the way to the office, and though I barely had any sleep, the day was turning out good so far.

****

It was almost nine when I entered the office, and I was glad I didn’t have any further meetings until lunch.

“Hey there Boss, how was your mini-vacation?” Mrs. Violet the Receptionist looked up from her desk and smiled at me.

“It was good, we went to Disney. I’m drained. After the long drive back. Do I have any messages?”

“I have forwarded all calls to your assistant as per Mr. Donovan,” She said.

“That’s right, I almost forget she was starting today. I guess I better go introduce myself.” I headed back towards my office, balancing my briefcase in one hand and my coffee in the other. I nudged my door open. The desk to my right where my assistant would sit was empty. I hope she wasn’t slacking on her first day.

Opening the second door to my private area, I placed my briefcase next to my desk and sat down my coffee.

“Sir, your ex-wife is on line one, Do you want me to put her directly through or send it to your assistant?” Violet’s voice came over the intercom.

“Put her through please, and for the last time she was not my wife.” Well, so much for my cheery morning, I thought as I picked up the receiver and greeted Elizabeth.

“You could have called my cell phone.”

“I tried it goes straight to voice mail.” She said. I glanced down at my phone and mentally cursed. I must have forgotten to charge it last night. I would just have to send my assistant for a charger, I couldn’t go without my cell phone today and it was too far to drive back home for one.

“I know it is our turn to drive her down but...” She began.

“Elizabeth, I run a business and I have picked Mari up the last three times. I can’t keep missing work, it puts me behind. You will bring her down.”

“Raul, I can’t Brian’s got a Business dinner on Friday.”

“Brian can attend his dinner, but you will bring her here. I am not playing anymore, ever since you married him you have shunned your obligations and if you don’t start remembering I will sue for sole custody.”

“You know I love her, how could you say that?”

“You know I love her but it doesn’t change the fact that I am the only one giving up things for her. You put your husband first over our daughter and it is going to stop here. You can keep her this weekend and bring her next if that helps. It will allow me to catch up on some things here.” I am tired of it.

I had been making the drive for the past month, and it was affecting my business. It worked out for my business needs that she would come next weekend instead, but my daughter was my top priority. There was no way I could make my meeting and pick her up on Saturday.

“Very well can I drop her off early next Friday Friday?”

“Yes, and Elizabeth, don’t play games with me, I expect you to be here when you say you will be here.” Just then I see a head full of curls alerting me I wasn’t alone. I assume the woman was my new assistant.

“I will be there around ten on Friday, should I just come to your work with her?” Elizabeth's voice, on the other end of the line, interrupted my thoughts.

“Yes, I will see you Friday and Elizabeth, pack plenty of clothes, and a dress for her.” I hung up with Elizabeth and got up to greet my new assistant.

I hoped she didn’t mind running an errand on her first day, even if it was a part of her job. I just hated being the jerk boss.

“Excuse me, you must be my new assistant,” The woman sat at her desk with her head engrossed in what looked like files. When she looked up, I am stunned by her beauty. She wore her curly hair down, framing her face perfectly, and those eyes, they looked so familiar.

“It’s you? There is no way I will work for a jerk like you.” The woman seemed angry, and I didn’t understand why. She looked so familiar, and I realized just how familiar she looked. Then she slapped me. Yes, the woman slapped me. “Let me guess playboy you don’t even remember my name?”

Oh, I remember her alright. It hadn’t even been a week since I left her in the hotel room. I was going to kill my partner right after I fired my new assistant.