Page 36 of What She Wants

“I’m the event expert here,” I point out.

“And I’m the Costa Rican expert,” he bounces back with a yawn.

I sit for a moment because I don’t have a true comeback for that. Eventually, his busy day catches up with him and he’s out like a light.

Chapter21

Marín

If my motherwasn’t my mother then the words I said to her would be harsher but she’s my mother so I made sure that the words sunk in but didn’t hurt her feelings too much.

It’s not easy for me to see my mother act like this and especially to someone who doesn’t deserve it. I applaud Esme for handling herself and her own when my mother stepped into her place of business.

Sometimes, you can save someone from their destructive ways and other times, you just hope they stay the hell out of your way so that you don’t get into arguments but my mother isn’t going for either of those. She’s not giving me the chance to navigate my life as I deem fit. I try not to chuckle at the thought of how my mother’s face probably was stuck on being shocked when Esme put her in her place. She’s not used to something like that, it’s never been a luxury of hers. I don’t know who to blame, herself or her upbringing that contributes to the way she thinks and talks to people.

My parents aren’t together for a number of reasons but the main one was simply because they had differences in what they wanted to do in life. My father was a poor man from Costa Rica who met my mother, a rich Costa Rican woman who had her own set of family rules. Ones that someone as passionate and carefree as he is, just couldn’t abide by. Papa always told me that he would have continued to love her but it was hard with all those rules of him having to give up everything he loved to be what wasn’t authentic to him.

I shake my head out of thinking about my mother and focus on my conversation with Esme last night. It was hot that she was jealous of Yasmin even though she and I were never going to work. My mother had this knack of trying to control everything that she felt wasn’t going her way. First, it was the announcement of a fiancée that I didn’t know I had until the news came out and second, it was her bribing an already wealthy woman with more money when she didn’t even need it.

I wanted to tell Mamá that it was actually really funny but I don’t think she would have appreciated it at that moment nor was I in the mood to joke about it. Now, I want to be able to sit my mother down and ask her what the fuck was going through her mind when she stepped up in the office like that? What was the goal? Did she think that Esme would accept the money and say,‘I’m adding it to my bank account while my family runs the banks?’Shaking my head isn’t enough to conclude that my mother is definitely out of her mind but as long as she stops there, she doesn’t risk losing me. I love my mother and I don’t want to lose her but sometimes, you have to X those people out of your life in order for them to understand that you’re not bullshitting.

Today is a day where I’m more focused on paperwork than patients. Not that there aren’t any patients but that there are less of them today. I’m glad because the Bishops have also been radio silent. Not that it bothers me in any way but when Andres proclaimed me as a doctor that they would use, I assumed they’d call me in all mob style and sit me down at some round table or something. But then again, that’s some childish King Arthur bullshit that I know I’m dreaming of. I’ve never even been invited to the damn Founders’ meeting head table. I am curious but not curious enough to have to do some crazy shit for the Bishops just for a look-see. So, I’m not complaining that I’m in my office as the phone rings and I answer it while reading over my patient files and updating everything.

“Hello?” I answer.

“Dr. Delgado, congratulations on your wedding.” My father’s voice comes through and has me smiling in a milli-second.

“Is this Nico Santiago? The multi-platinum Latin lover singer and songwriter? Calling me?”

My father chuckles and I must admit to missing his hearty chuckle. He’s been touring again and doing whatever else he has to do plus living his life so it feels like I haven’t seen him in so long although I visited him months ago.

“Oh hush,hijo. Tell me, are you really getting married or is your mamá still publishing bullshit on your behalf?”

“My behalf?” I repeat with the smile still on my face. “Papá, now you know I wouldn’t give Mamá the chance to do that. I’d make sure I one-up her. She’s driving me crazy.”

“How crazy?” He asks.

“She tried to bribe my fiancée to leave me and she’s Esme LeClaire!”

My father’s laugh can be heard even as I move the phone away from my ear.

“Oh, she’s still crazy as all hell.” he laughs in between his words. “It’s kinda hot.”

“Dad.”

“What? I didn’t say I was coming to hook up with your mother.”

“Santiago Nicolás Delgado Ruiz.” I say his full name and it gives him another chance to laugh louder in my ear.

I give him a chance to calm down before I join him in the laughter while I’m at work and after a moment, he calms down.

“Phew!That was such a good laugh. I miss you,hijo.”

“I miss you too, Papá. Be here soon?”

“I’m already in town. Take me out and tell me every single detail about this Esme LeClaire and how much you’ve fallen for her.”

“How do you know?”

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