Cliff's Good Deed

43 - Cliff Gives In

Cliff tried to manage Izzy's expectations. Her mood had been sky high after their meeting with Hans Gruber. She sang along with the radio during the drive home. He didn't feel like singing.

Hannah hadn't texted him back. She probably never would.

His mother had wrecked them, but what kind of backbone did Hannah have if she wasn't willing to hang in there despite his mother? Couldn't she understand how he would never allow anyone to come between them?

Cliff hurt inside. It would take him a long time to get Hannah out of his heart. He was willing to try again, but only if she wanted him to.

She hadn't texted him back.

It clearly meant she didn't want him to. He wasn't going to beg.

"Izzy!" he shouted and turned off the radio. "Stop singing and listen to me."

"Why are you angry, Cliffy? What did I do?"

He calmed himself. "I'm sorry for yelling. I'm not angry with you. I'm concerned you might be overreacting. We did great and presented a solid case, but it's not a done deal. Hans Gruber is a gatekeeper and not the ultimate decision maker. The city council might reject our proposal."

"Be optimistic, brother. How can they say no?"

"They can and they might. I've been in this game a lot longer than you, so I know one should never count chickens before they hatch. The higher your expectations, the more easily your feelings can get crushed."

"Whoa!" Izzy exclaimed. "Are you talking about the business proposal?"

Cliff didn't acknowledge her comment. He gripped the steering wheel and focused on driving.

"I'm sorry things aren't working out between you and Hannah."

"Me too."

They both said nothing and sat in silence for several minutes until Cliff could sense his sister staring at him.

"What?"

She fidgeted. "Promise me you won't get angry."

He groaned. "Izzy, there are times you frustrate me and drive me crazy, but I've never been angry with you."

"Good, because your feelings are raw right now, and I'm going to say something you might not want to hear."

"Tell me already."

"Remember how I told you that guy, Peter, an intern for the senator was escorting Kayla to the social. The senator fired him, so she suddenly lost her escort."

"We've already been over this. I'm not asking Kayla to the social for all the reasons I've articulated before. Besides, I no longer have an incentive to go to the social. I can't now."

"Oh, that's right. You'd rather stay home and lick your wounds."

Cliff shot her a menacing glare before returning his eyes to the road. He held his tongue.

"Cliffy, please hear me out."

"Do I have a choice?"

"Kayla's father is forcing her to go to the social. He says they need to present themselves in public as a happy family, you know, it's political theater for when he announces his candidacy."

"He's forcing her? She's an adult and should be able to make her own choice."

"It's easy for you to say, but not so easy for her to do. Both of us know what life is like having overbearing parents. I know you've been waiting years to break free, but you didn't because you were looking out for me. I know I'm the reason you held back­—"

"—I have no regrets," he interrupted. "I would do it again because you're my little sister and I love you. Besides, we're almost free. I'll soon have my own place and we're making some big moves with the business."

"Kayla doesn't have a big brother to look out for her. She's my good friend and a decent person. I'm just asking you to have a little empathy. She knows you don't consider her girlfriend material, but she's forced to go to that damn social. Other guys have approached her, but they get scared off by the vetting process the secret service makes them go through. She doesn't want to attend alone, and I'm going to be with Aaron."

She stopped to take a breath. "Can you please just do both me and her a good deed and be her escort?"

He didn't have a very good track record when it came to doing good deeds. They tended to backfire on him. "I don't know, Izzy. Are you sure she would understand it would be a onetime thing?"

"I'm sure. She and I have discussed it."

Cliff really didn't want to go. Being at the social with someone other than Hannah would make him feel sad.

"Please, Cliffy? What harm could come from you keeping a pretty girl company for one night."

Kayla was pretty for sure, but she was only twenty-two. He had little in common with her other than Izzy. Still, he had empathy. Given the pressure of having a father as a zealous politician, the poor girl had to be feeling cornered. Nothing would come of escorting her to one event, and she would distract him from his self-pity over Hannah.

"Okay, Izzy, I'll talk to her. If I get a sense that she understands where I'm coming from then I'll be her plus one."

Oh, goodie! We see where this is going, don't we?