Highways & Hostages

Saturday: Finn, 8:14 p.m.

Later that night, back in his sleek and sparsely decorated condo, Finn hung up his black leather jacket by the door. Nearly everything in the condo was made of leather, glass, or polished nickel. Finn didn't spend much time in his condo since he often travelled for Julian, so it only contained the essentials: bed, sofa, wet bar, TV, hot tub, and an amazing view.

Finn pulled off his shoes and walked past the leather sofa in the middle of the room to the sliding glass doors leading to the balcony. He could see the lights of the Strip glittering only a mile away. He pulled out his cell, dialed a number, and waited.

"Hello?" a raspy voice answered.

"Hey, Gram. Sorry to call so late, but I knew you'd be up."

"I'm so glad you called! It's never too late for you. It's been ages since I've heard from you!" Finn's grandmother, Gloria, exclaimed.

"I know. I've been really busy," Finn apologized. "But I figured I'd call and see what you're up to."

"The girls and I went to Bingo Night."

"Bingo Night sounds fun. Did you win something good for me?"

"Don't patronize me, Jacob. I know you don't want to hear about this old lady's boring adventures. Tell me what you've been up to. How is that girl you're dating? Are you going to bring her to meet me soon?"

Finn rubbed his eyes as he tried to remember what he'd told his grandmother during their previous phone call. "We're doing well, but we haven't been able to spend a lot of time together lately—I've been putting in a lot of hours at the office. I don't think she'll stick around much longer." Finn hated lying to his grandmother, but she worried about him being alone. And she definitely wouldn't approve of his "love 'em and leave 'em" philosophy.

"Tsk, tsk," Gloria chastised. "You should never your put work before your home life. But I know you'll work it out; you're such a smart boy."

"Thanks, Gram."

"What about your job? You said your boss was considering you for a promotion to Vice President of Acquisitions?"

Finn sighed. He needed to start jotting down his lies on sticky notes to keep his stories straight. "That fell through. Things have been a little...crazy...at work lately," Finn explained. "But I think he'll be reconsidering soon."

"Well, Jacob, I want you to know how incredibly proud of you I am," Gloria gushed. "Promotion or no promotion, you are doing wonderful things. Your Pop Pop would be proud of you too."

Finn immediately reached for his dog tags, his eyes prickling with unshed tears. Only his grandmother had this effect on him. "Gram, stop."

"I mean, you're doing so well for yourself, and you still remember your little old grandma from time to time."

"You're all I have left; I would never forget you. Did you get the check I sent last week?"

"Yes," Gloria replied. "And I told you I don't need anything else; you're already paying my rent. Save your money so you can buy that girlfriend of yours a nice rock."

"Gram—"

"I won't be around forever, Jacob. I want to know that someone is taking care of you," Gloria cut in.

"I can take care of myself."

"I know, but sometimes you need to take a break and let someone else care for you."

"I'll take that into consideration," Finn promised. "I have to go now—I've got a big meeting tomorrow and I need to do some research. I love you."

"I love you too, son. Promise me you'll call again soon!"

"I will, Grammy. Bye."

Finn clicked off the call and put his phone back into his pocket. He leaned his elbows on the balcony railing and dropped his head into his hands. He preferred to ask forgiveness rather than permission, but this time he would cover all his bases.

"God, I don't know if You really exist or not. But if so, You've probably already given up on me. If You are listening...I just want to say I'm sorry for lying to my grandmother, and what I'm about to embark on. Please, just take care of my Gram. Um...amen." Finn stood up and glanced around, waiting for a sign that God was listening, or that lightning was about to strike him where he stood on the balcony. When nothing happened after a few moments, he went back inside.