Substance

Chpt. 8 Fain meets Veronica

Two days went by before a single word passed between Veronica, Courtland, or Claudia. Veronica was at odds with the both of them; each instances a result of Veronica’s lack of communication.

She thought she was doing it to save Courtland, to protect him from the overly concerned reach of her relatives. Yet, that wasn’t totally it. She was afraid. Afraid of how her family would react to him, of how they would treat her and Courtland. It all scared her tremendously, and it made no sense really. She was a grown woman, living on her own and in no one’s debt. She didn’t need anyone’s approval to date, and so she dated whomever she wished. Just so long as that person fit a certain mold, it seemed. A mold that Courtland didn’t fit.

He was a man, as much of an adult as she was. He was capable of taking care of himself, albeit to a certain degree. He had dealt with people like Claudia, and apparently, women like Veronica, so her need to protect him was moot. Yet, Veronica didn’t want to inadvertently cause him anymore hardship than necessary, so she thought.

For a woman judged because of looks for most of her life, the outward appearance spoke to people, what they took away was normally how they perceived you sans your personality. What you did for a living, the places you hung out at, the people you associated with and dated were just extra sources of information from which people drew to identify you. It all added up to how you were perceived. Normally Veronica did not care as much about how people saw her because she was certain that she had nothing to worry about. She was sure that the perception people got from her wasn’t negative. However, that would change cause of Courtland.

Even though Courtland had his handicap, he was the sort to instantly click with a person. This was the perception he gave off alone. When paired with Veronica, she felt that disaster would ensue. It worried her how other people, more specifically how her family, would see her as Courtland’s girlfriend. Strangers were just that, insignificant people, whose opinion didn’t matter. However, her family was a different matter.

She didn’t want him to disappear from her life cause she was related to un-accepting people. But, she didn’t want her family to hold it against her because of who she had come to care for. In some ways, it dawned on Veronica that she didn’t need acceptance but would hate rejection.

She picked up the phone ready to call Claudia at least to clear the air, but before she could even dial the first number, Claudia spoke.

“Hello, Veronica?”

“Si.”

“We need to talk about the venue. I thought the owner’s cancer was in remission but it seems to have come back. His wife is begging him to get rid of the buildings he owns. Through some fucked up curse I must have on my head, they’ve managed to acquire a buyer without even telling me. Nica, what am I going to do?”

Veronica couldn’t right out say that she wasn’t expecting this, it was just like Claudia to blow off or simply run away from the problems that sprang up in her life. Why should a fight over a man be any different?

“Claudia, you’ve got some nerve.”

“Veronica, I’ve got bigger problems to worry about than your handicapped boyfriend.”

“Claudia!”

“Okay. I’m sorry. I apologize. I was wrong to say the things I said. But Nica, please don’t sit there and tell me that you haven’t thought about it?”

She had.

“And a little heads up would have been nice.”

Veronica exhaled deeply. Claudia was right. As much as she hated admitting she was wrong, she hated telling Claudia she was right even more. “I have a right to my privacy.”