293. IT IS DAMN WELL ABOUT TIME

In this newly formed state of faith I am dialing Dr. Froggy’s number, hoping he picks up, but confident that if I miss him today, unlike Town and Country, he will call back.

“Hello?” he says rather hurriedly after the first ring. “Hey, I’m back. You sound busy, want to chat later?” I ask. “No, no,” he says swiftly. “I’m taking care of some stuff in the apartment…You know I called and texted you every day for 8 days before you emailed me back…” he says in a tone that sounds like he wants to complain but was actually concerned. “Oh really? My phone didn’t register any missed calls or texts. Must be because I turned the phone off,” I reply and crack open a Diet Coke. Now this is heaven in a can. Sure, I know Diet Coke is probably pickling my insides and causing cancer in laboratory rats. And I have tried to give it up. The longest I have gone is 16 days. But when it comes to Diet Coke, Desi Girl is weak, and this is a much safer habit than cocaine or Christian Louboutin.

“How was I supposed to reach you, if you planned to turn off your phone and not tell me?” he demands. Interesting, this is the most emotion I have heard him extend about anything other than his Porsche. A sign of interest perhaps? “Well, actually I did plan to tell you. But you were at the hockey game and said you’d call back and didn’t...remember...” I reply very coolly and calmly. 

It is in these L.A. Law moments I wonder if I missed my calling by going architecture rather than arguing cases. When he finally speaks he says, “Oh.” Ha, indeed, game point for Desi Girl. “I was going to give you my aunt’s landline but then I left for the airport…” I add. “Hhhmm,” he says, pauses and continues. “I met with my Contractor today. I told him on the advice of a very good and reliable source [you] I knew he was taking advantage of my good nature and that I had given notice on my apartment and was moving into the house in two weeks. And he better be done.” “Really?” I ask, impressed that he was taking action on his unending construction project. “Yes and the contractor agreed to my demands.I want you to come see the house.I’ve been invited to a conference and thought you could fly here, see the house, meet my parents, meet my friends and their wives at the conference…” he says.

Is it possible that my necklace of matrimonial stones is working? Hot dog! “So what do you think?” he asks. I think, it damn well about time. “Sure, let me look into flights,” I reply, believing for the first time my luck was going to change.