Caring for Dakota Knox

16

Dakota Knox

After that night, I did not see her the following days or received a message from her company at work. I figured she might have been busy or running errands in other town. I didn't see her the following week. Or the next. I tried to keep my composure at work, they depended on me. I was more or less pissed. I was pissed that I felt pissed. 

I was pissed that I did perfectly know why I was pissed. The familiar sense of loss boiled inside of me when I kept overthinking the situation. Anyone that had ever been in a relationship with me always have complained one way or another about my impossibility of forgetting her. I've had to break an engagement for that exact reason. 

Fuck it, I thought to myself. What the fuck did she care anyways? She was fucking some other girl. A girl I didn't even know but that she was building something with. A girl that offered her not only physical pleasure but happiness and love. She could've even gotten married to that girl. What the hell could I do about it? I couldn't simply don't give a shit. 

Why had I spent time with her at her home, then? What was the point? What did I get out of it? Just to stare at the woman I loved with my whole being, but to get nothing more at all? I wished it could have only been a waste of time, but then a phone call proved me wrong.

"Ms. Knox" Nyla said after entering my office "excuse me, Ms. but there's a call for you in line 2" 

"Great, please take your lunch break now then. Thanks, Nyla" I dismissed her

At the other end of the line, a male voice spoke "Dakota?"

"Mr. Hayes?" I rested on my back in the chair, "How did you got this number?"

"Oh, I'm offended" he replied "I can get all sorts of information after speaking to my daughter for a while" He said, and I smiled to myself. He was one good man.

"Sorry, sir. It's confusing, I never expected you to call. How is the wedding planning?"

Cesar sighed "Well, kid, I tried. It's been a ride, I went to every meeting, but now I decided to leave all to my bride. It's exhausting! All that for only an hour and a half ceremony and a simple party" 

"Oh god" I laughed "I had been almost about to walk that very same road"

"That's what I've heard" he trailed off "however, Tatum came home last week and we talked, she said you two met by chance like a month ago"

" Oh yeah" I replied, but I couldn't think of anything less awkward "I still can't believe that. She has turned into a very important woman. You must be proud"

"Still crazy to me, after all these years. It seems like yesterday, you two talking about the future while having breakfast right in my kitchen!" he laughed "she also said you were doing great, and that made me proud of you too, Dakota"

"Oh, um-" I tried not to cry "thanks, Mr. Hayes" 

"Don't worry. So, the real reason I'm calling is to ask you a favor. Well, I hope you can also take it as something that would make this old man very happy"

"Do you still want that Mongolian grill? It's fancy, but I don't think it will make the cut for a wedding gift" I said, pretending it was something serious.

He laughed hard at my wittiness.

 "Dakota Knox, you are still one impossible woman" he laughed, and then went calm again "no, it's about my wedding. Would you do the honor of coming to my big day? as Tatum's plus one?"

Never could he have asked something that involved the smallest semblance of common sense like 'could you come to my wedding with a date of your choice?' or 'could you just stay away from my daughter?'. I didn't complain about his request, but what kind of twisted signal was the universe sending to me then? By the time he asked "Dakota, are you still there?" I had already made up my mind.