alone,” Roddy mused. “He seems to like having someone around. Maybe it gives him some sort of security to keep someone soft and warm at home, no matter how far he travels.”
Margaret nodded wisely. “I’m just glad she’s gone. I never liked that woman.” She paused a beat, and then fixed her son with a look. “I’m sure that girl in Minneapolis would never behave like her.”
Roddy turned away and said nothing for several seconds, then slowly turned to regard his mother through narrowed eyes. “Probably not.”
Margaret just stared back at him for several seconds before she finally said, “What are you going to do about her, Roddy?”
“How do you even know about her, Ma?”
She gave him a long, hard stare that told him he couldn’t hide anything from her. “Eddie told me, of course. He seems quite happy for you, too, since I convinced him you will still be able to function, even if you are in love.”
“Ma! For God’s sake! Why does everyone keep saying that?” Roddy ran his hands through his hair.
“Because you drove halfway across the country just to see her, that’s why,” was Margaret’s calm answer. “And Roddy O’Neill hasn’t crossed the street for a woman since he got rich and famous.”
“So?”
Margaret was not deterred by his attitude. “Are you going to marry her, Roddy?”
He thought his eyes would pop right out of their sockets. “I guess I haven’t thought that far ahead, since I barely even know her!”
“That doesn’t really matter.”
“Maybe not for a normal guy, but everything I do winds up on the front page of a magazine. I have to be careful.”
“Ha! If anyone can afford to live a little, it’s you. Didn’t I read a quote from you somewhere that bragged you do whatever you want?”
“I don’t do marriage.”
“So you’re going to keep chasing everything in a skirt until you’re too old to walk?” Margaret’s tone was caustic. “That sounds pretty stupid, if you ask me.”
Very patiently, and very slowly, Roddy attempted to explain. “Guys like me don’t have to get married.”
Margaret rolled her eyes. “You’re right, Roddy. Just play around until you’re tired, and then settle for someone like Claire. That’s a great idea.”
“What’s gotten into you?” Roddy tried hard not to shout, but failed.
His mother was undeterred. “Eddie says she’s a librarian, and smart. Not like all those stupid girls I’ve had to put up with over the years. You don’t think a woman like that is going to settle for half of a relationship, do you?”
“For the last time, there is no relationship, and there never will be!” Roddy’s voice shook the windows.
“You’ll never get her to give up her job and family unless you’ve got something to offer,” Margaret said calmly.
Roddy knew she was still smiling when he slammed out of her house.
Chapter nine
Roddy was most irritated with his mother because she knew him too well. He could only hope she had not also discerned Lee’s character as accurately as she thought because no matter what he did, he could not get Lee off his mind.
It was an impossible situation. Lee lived in Minneapolis, while Roddy’s life was in Los Angeles. Roddy had obligations and a multi-million dollar career in Los Angeles. There was simply no way he could leave it all behind and run off to Minneapolis. The idea was ludicrous. But it seemed equally ludicrous to ask Lee to give up her job and friends to move to Los Angeles, didn’t it? It wasn’t as if Roddy was prepared to ask her to marry him. Realistically, he knew he wouldn’t even have all that much time to spend with her if she lived in LA. He could only imagine her reaction if he asked her to give up her job and leave the life she knew behind so he could fit her into his busy schedule on the West Coast.
So he was back where he started, and the only sensible thing to do about Lee was nothing. He would just have to forget her. That doing it was
Margaret nodded wisely. “I’m just glad she’s gone. I never liked that woman.” She paused a beat, and then fixed her son with a look. “I’m sure that girl in Minneapolis would never behave like her.”
Roddy turned away and said nothing for several seconds, then slowly turned to regard his mother through narrowed eyes. “Probably not.”
Margaret just stared back at him for several seconds before she finally said, “What are you going to do about her, Roddy?”
“How do you even know about her, Ma?”
She gave him a long, hard stare that told him he couldn’t hide anything from her. “Eddie told me, of course. He seems quite happy for you, too, since I convinced him you will still be able to function, even if you are in love.”
“Ma! For God’s sake! Why does everyone keep saying that?” Roddy ran his hands through his hair.
“Because you drove halfway across the country just to see her, that’s why,” was Margaret’s calm answer. “And Roddy O’Neill hasn’t crossed the street for a woman since he got rich and famous.”
“So?”
Margaret was not deterred by his attitude. “Are you going to marry her, Roddy?”
He thought his eyes would pop right out of their sockets. “I guess I haven’t thought that far ahead, since I barely even know her!”
“That doesn’t really matter.”
“Maybe not for a normal guy, but everything I do winds up on the front page of a magazine. I have to be careful.”
“Ha! If anyone can afford to live a little, it’s you. Didn’t I read a quote from you somewhere that bragged you do whatever you want?”
“I don’t do marriage.”
“So you’re going to keep chasing everything in a skirt until you’re too old to walk?” Margaret’s tone was caustic. “That sounds pretty stupid, if you ask me.”
Very patiently, and very slowly, Roddy attempted to explain. “Guys like me don’t have to get married.”
Margaret rolled her eyes. “You’re right, Roddy. Just play around until you’re tired, and then settle for someone like Claire. That’s a great idea.”
“What’s gotten into you?” Roddy tried hard not to shout, but failed.
His mother was undeterred. “Eddie says she’s a librarian, and smart. Not like all those stupid girls I’ve had to put up with over the years. You don’t think a woman like that is going to settle for half of a relationship, do you?”
“For the last time, there is no relationship, and there never will be!” Roddy’s voice shook the windows.
“You’ll never get her to give up her job and family unless you’ve got something to offer,” Margaret said calmly.
Roddy knew she was still smiling when he slammed out of her house.
Chapter nine
Roddy was most irritated with his mother because she knew him too well. He could only hope she had not also discerned Lee’s character as accurately as she thought because no matter what he did, he could not get Lee off his mind.
It was an impossible situation. Lee lived in Minneapolis, while Roddy’s life was in Los Angeles. Roddy had obligations and a multi-million dollar career in Los Angeles. There was simply no way he could leave it all behind and run off to Minneapolis. The idea was ludicrous. But it seemed equally ludicrous to ask Lee to give up her job and friends to move to Los Angeles, didn’t it? It wasn’t as if Roddy was prepared to ask her to marry him. Realistically, he knew he wouldn’t even have all that much time to spend with her if she lived in LA. He could only imagine her reaction if he asked her to give up her job and leave the life she knew behind so he could fit her into his busy schedule on the West Coast.
So he was back where he started, and the only sensible thing to do about Lee was nothing. He would just have to forget her. That doing it was
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