Tropicana Redefined

Chapter 11

This bus ride to work wasn't intentional nor planned. She had nothing to feel guilty about. The weird thing was, she did feel guilty, even though this was random. She debated whether it was wise to answer, or ignore his call.

"You know that not answering is going to make it worse, right?"

Shannon spoke softly in her ear.

"Shit. What are you? The good angel on my shoulder?"

Cana groused as she tried to find her phone among the junk she carried around in the huge handbag she loved.

The bus turned into the hotel car park.

Her phone had rung and stopped three times when she finally snagged it..

She cursed as it rang the fourth time, as she stepped down the steps of the bus. She was not surprised to hear his furious voice. The jealousy in it shouted out to her like a wounded beast.

"Why didn't you answer my calls?"

The ferocity in his snarl made her hackles rise. She controlled her annoyance, trying to understand his insecurity.

Before she could answer he was off again.

"Was his conversation that entertaining it kept you from answering my calls?"

'Oh boy! Here we go again.'

Ignoring his aggression, Cana remained calm, even though she so badly wanted to retaliate. But she didn't want this to escalate.

She appeased his feeling of betrayal.

"Babe, if you think I knew he was in the bus then you're so wrong. I do love you too much to betray that love. And I have too much respect for myself to do something underhanded like that. So stop with the jealousy already."

Cana knew she was inviting his anger. She hoped he would calm when he heard the appeal to reason in her voice.

It could go either way.

Waiting for the explosion she breathed a sigh of relief when he took a deep breath.

"Yeah I do know that. But sometimes insecurity blinds me to reason."

"I know babe.. I gotta go. I start in two minutes time. Talk later. I love you."

"Love you more, darling. See you later."

'Oh no.."

"Wait. What?.."

There was the sound of a kiss, then the line went dead.

'Shit..'

Too late to call him back, she resigned herself to get to her office on time. She would call him back later.

Rushing through the foyer to get to her desk to punch in on time, she breathed a sigh of relief when she had thirty seconds to spare.

"Cutting it fine, aren't we?"

Adam's amused voice piped up from the other side of the room.

'Well at least I'm always on time."

She smiled at him.

"And a good morning to you too, sir." She bantered.

He suppressed a chortle. Then got back to what he had been doing.

Cana forgot about calling Rad in all the busy running around of the morning, getting tours off, then clients en route back to the airport to catch their flights home. She regretted that oversight when lunchtime came around.