Date Shark (8 page)

“Yeah. I do want to see him, but I don’t want to keep making the same mistakes.”

“Leila, that wasn't a hard and fast rule I expected you to follow. I only wanted you to think before you accepted a date.” Eli’s emotions tried to talk him out of his next sentence, but he beat them back. “If you feel confident about this guy’s intentions and you really want to go out with him, then say yes when he calls.”

Her sigh of relief echoed through the phone.

“And call me if you have any questions before you go out … and after so you can tell me how it went.” Eli was sadistic, he realized that, but he couldn’t force himself to leave it alone. Even if he had to listen to Leila tell him about a date with another guy, he wanted to hear her voice.

“Thanks, Eli. You’re so great. Thanks for letting me bug you in the middle of your run.”

“It’s no problem. Call me any time, Leila.”

When she hung up, the urge to thrown his phone against a wall almost got the better of him. He probably would have if it hadn’t rang again. Without looking at the caller ID, he picked it up blindly, hoping Leila had remembered something else she wanted to ask him.

“Mr. Walsh, this is Dr. Evans.”

Eli’s hand went numb instantly. The feeling slowly started spreading to the rest of his body. “Yes?”

“I’m calling in regards to your mother. The medication we started her on yesterday is having adverse effects. We need your permission to make a change in her care plan.”

“What kind of adverse effects?” Eli asked.

Dr. Evans cleared his throat before answering. “Well, the delusions became worse almost immediately. She began calling for your father and couldn’t be calmed without a sedative. While under sedation she suffered a minor seizure. But most troubling was a sudden drop in kidney function.”

“Her kidneys? That wasn’t one of the listed side effects.”

“No, Mr. Walters, but with the widespread damage to your mother’s system, the possibility for additional side effects is always present.”

Widespread damage. There was a lot of that going around. “What do you want to put her on?”

“I would like to go back to Haloperidol.”

“But that wasn’t controlling her delusions.”

Dr. Evans sighed. “It worked the best. We don’t have many options left. Your mother’s body can’t withstand any drug with too severe of side effects. She tolerates Haloperidol and gets moderate relief from her symptoms. Unfortunately that is all we can offer her at this stage. Do I have your permission to change her care plan?”

“Yes.”

“Thank you, Mr. Walsh.” Eli began lowering the phone in hopes that he could cut him off, but his words slipped in anyway. “She asks for you every day, Mr. Walsh. It might help her if you came to visit.”

Completing the motion Eli had started, he ended the call and shoved the phone back in his pocket. He was on his way home, but the anxiety burning under his skin spurred him to pick up his pace again. He ran. The distance, the growing ache in his side, he ignored them both and forced his feet to keep slapping against the pavement until everything had been sweated out of him. Thoughts of his mother dropped off of him and splattered on the pavement. He wanted everything gone. It all evaporated except Leila.

She had called him for advice. That was his job. He collapsed under the awning of his apartment building, holding his phone and willing her to call him. Eli was the one who needed to talk this time. He needed advice, but had no one to ask. He sat there until a line of ants crept out of a crack in the sidewalk and decided to start investigating his shoe. He got up, looked at his watch, and realized he needed to head upstairs and shower if he had any hopes of making it to his next appointment on time.

When Eli pulled up to
Dolcini
an hour later, he had a hard time forcing himself to get out of the car. Surprisingly enough, it didn’t have anything to do with Leila. His hesitation had more to do with an all too vivid memory of meeting with Selene Howard two weeks ago. Most of the time, Eli met with a woman and got excited about trying to help her no matter what her faults were. Women like the hair chewer and Selene Howard were a different story. Eli closed his eyes for a moment and didn’t move. When he opened them, he immediately made himself open the car door and step out. She spotted him right away and gestured wildly.

Groaning, Eli made his way over to Selene. An enormous handbag was slung over her shoulder. The sight of it made Eli cringe. Averting his eyes, he put on a professional expression and held his hand out to Selene. She gripped it as if he had just been caught in a mousetrap and simply held on. She didn’t shake his hand, just latched onto him. Eli felt as though he had just been taken prisoner.

It was a struggle to not strip himself of her presence as he led her into the restaurant. Pierce caught sight of them immediately and ushered them through the growing lunch crowd to their table. As he retreated, Eli couldn’t help shrinking into his chair just a little. When Selene’s giant bag plopped on the table, Eli fought the urge to bury his head in his hands. He had really hoped she wouldn’t do this again, but she did. One by one, Selene unloaded her trinkets. A small framed picture of a seven-year-old boy, a baby rattle, a toy car, a hospital bracelet barely bigger in circumference than a quarter, a glass locket containing snipped baby hair, and a small jar that made Eli close his eyes. The severed umbilical cord carefully preserved in a see-through glass jar was too much for him. He did not want to look at that all through lunch.

“There now,” Selene said, “it’s like Jeffery is right here with us.”

She beamed. Eli nodded. It sure was. Keeping his eyes away from the stored tissue, Eli asked, “How is Jeffery, Selene?”

“Oh, he’s just wonderful! Jeffery is the best little boy in the world. He was so sad to see me leave this afternoon. He never has been very good at staying with babysitters.”

I can’t imagine why
, Eli thought sarcastically. “I’m sure he’ll get used to it at some point.”

“I hope so.”

Catching sight of Megan, their waitress, Eli looked at her, grateful for the distraction. She had a pleasant smile on her face. She was Conrad’s best waitress, one Eli preferred to work with, but her smile faltered a bit when she saw the collection of oddities nestled carefully on the table. She was better than Eli, though, and shook it off. She took their orders politely and headed back to the kitchen. Selene picked up her menu and started looking through it. When she gasped unexpectedly, Eli looked over at her. Flopping her menu down flat on the table, Selene pointed at one of the desserts.

“Jeffery would love this! He adores Crème Brule. Sweets are his favorite.” She giggled. “We elves try to stick to the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corns, and syrup.”

She laughed even harder and looked up at Eli. “Do you know what that’s from?”

Baffled, Eli shook his head.

“
Elf
. Have you ever seen that movie? It’s one of Jeffery’s favorites. We love to watch movies together. I tease him sometimes that he’s an elf with how much candy he wants to eat!” Selene laughed at her own joke for several more minutes before collecting herself and turning back to the menu.

Eli thought he was safe to get back to deciding on his own entrée when a few seconds later Selene shivered exaggeratedly. He couldn’t help but stop to see what had startled her this time.

“The garlic shrimp sounds divine, but I don’t think I can eat it. It’s served with fava beans.”

He knew he might regret it, but Eli asked, “Are you allergic to fava beans?”

“No,” she said wide eyed, “but they completely freak me out! Have you ever seen
Silence of the Lambs
? I’m sure you have. Everyone has seen that movie. You remember the line where he says, ‘I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti,’ don’t you?” Selene shivered again. “I haven’t been able to eat fava beans since watching that movie.”

“How very interesting,” Eli said. This time he meant it. Selene was a whole variety of bizarre. He didn’t personally work with anyone other than couples going through rough areas in their relationships, but he had a friend who would love to spend a few hours with Selene Howard.

Before Megan came back to take their order, Selene managed to pull out two more food related movie quotes. One from
Ratatouille
, and one from Miss Piggy, although Selene neglected to inform Eli of what movie that one came from. At least the movie quotes were a distraction from the umbilical cord they were having dinner with. Eli even started to view the movie quotes Selene kept throwing out as a game, trying to guess the source before she inevitably told him the answer.

As they ate their dessert, an homage to Jeffery, Eli tried several times to begin conversations with Selene that did not include her young son. Eli wasn’t against talking about children. He actually enjoyed children quite a bit, but Selene’s complete fascination with her son was more than a minor flaw. When he tried to ask her about her profession as a Human Resources Director, that too turned toward Jeffery.

“That’s the best part of my job, getting to know the people in the office. I get to hear about their vacation plans when they ask for days off, console them when there’s a death, and talk about their families. I’ve found several little friends for Jeffery that way. When we hire someone with children Jeffery’s age I always make a point of telling them about him and trying to set up a play date.”

“Does Jeffery have a lot of friends?” Eli asked.

Selene’s smile fought against a frown. “Not really. He’s so quiet and shy that it’s hard for him to make friends. He’s such a homebody. All he ever wants to do is play games with me or go to the movies together.” Selene shrugged, her smile finally winning the fight. “But that’s okay. A boy’s best friend is his mother, after all.”

Selene continued on, but Eli’s blood had turned to ice. He sat frozen in his chair, sick, livid. He knew that quote. Selene probably hadn’t even noticed she was tossing out another one, but those words drilled into Eli’s heart. It was from
Psycho
. Norman Bates said it, referring to his own disturbed mother, whom he had murdered and kept hidden in his house. Eli hated that movie, not for its violence, but because it reminded him of his own mother. Eli put his fork down. His appetite had vanished.

Chapter 8

A Challenge

Leila sat huddled in her car, cell phone pressed to her ear. “No, I don’t see him yet. Should I wait, or should I go in?”

Eli didn’t answer right away. “Wait,” he said. “You may seem too eager. Letting Luke arrive first will let him feel like he’s leading the date.”

“Leading?”

“Like when two people dance. The man likes to lead, be in control, in charge.”

Not very keen on that idea, Leila said, “Why would I want to make Luke think he is in charge of me?”

“Not in charge of you,” Eli said, “in charge of the situation. It makes most guys uncomfortable to feel commandeered by a woman. Give him this one to help him feel more at ease.”

Leila supposed that made sense. She doubted Luke would need to be put at ease, though. When he met with her and Ana earlier in the week he had shown the same confidence and brashness she had seen the night they met. Leila didn’t think anything could unbalance Luke. Still, she thought Eli’s advice was sound.

“Okay, I’ll wait.” For a moment there was quiet over the line. It was all Leila had meant to ask Eli when she first dialed. She had called him several times during the week, questions about how she should deal with Luke, but like her reason for calling that night, most her insignificant questions were only the catalyst to get her to call. The more she heard his voice, the more she seemed to find reasons to call him, to want to hear him. He never complained, but Leila wondered.

“You must be sick of me calling you. I’m sorry, Eli, I’m just nervous about going out with Luke. I don’t mean to pester you,” she said, testing.

“I don’t mind, Leila. Call as often as you want.”

Leila smiled at his response. It sounded sincere. “Thanks, Eli.”

“Did you check the menu this time?” Eli asked.

“Yes, of course.”

“Purse?”

Leila laughed. “I brought a clutch instead of my regular purse. It’s small enough to set on the table, almost too small. I felt a little like Mary Poppins trying to find a place for my lip gloss, but it all worked out.”

“Now I’m interested in seeing this purse,” Eli said with a chuckle. “I might have to get you a black felt hat with daisies in the brim to complete the look. Do you have an umbrella too?”

Leila couldn’t stop giggling to give him the sassy retort she had on the tip of her tongue.

“What about a black fitted pea coat? I’m sure Ana could track one down if you don’t. I’m positive she has some turn of the century ladies boots, if not.”

“Stop it,” Leila begged. “I’m burning this purse as soon as I get home!”

“No, you can’t!”

“I’m not letting you dress me up like Mary Poppins! Consider the purse dead.”

“I’ll interrupt your date if I have to. I’m vowing right now to save that purse purely to forever save the mental image of you trying to shove a floor lamp in your purse,” Eli said. Despite his laughter, Leila totally believed him.

“Don’t you dare! And I never said I tried to put a lamp in my purse!”

“I’m pretty sure Mary Poppins did.”

Leila buried her phone against her chest and laughed. The now infamous purse lay on her lap. Its pale blue sequin matched the detailing in her silk blouse. She had no intention of ever donning old-style nanny garb, but another idea inched into her mind.

“Tell you what,” she said after putting her phone back to her ear, “you promise to stay away from me and never bring up Mary Poppins again, and I’ll give you the purse. You can check for lamps, turtles, lip gloss, or whatever else you think I put in there all you want.”

“You’ll give me the purse?” Eli asked, amused.

“If you’re really that interested.”