Necessarily Important

“I know I promised you a trip to Singapore, but I got this case that’s breaking open and now ain’t a good time for me to be gone.” Richie and Toni were in Coffs Harbor having dinner. He’d put off telling her they weren’t going anywhere.

“The trip would have been nice Richie but it wasn’t necessary.”

“Yeah I know but at the time I thought it’d be a good thing for us to get away.”

“You were a little late with that anyway, I asked you to go somewhere the day Andy and Lucy got married.”

“Yeah I know you did, I didn’t know how important it was to you at that time.”

“I guess it’s not important to me now.”

“You just said it wasn’t necessary.”

“It’s not necessary but it was important.”

Richie stopped eating and looked at her, “is it still important Toni?”

“Oh no Richie, not important at all.”

“You’re pissed about the trip.”

“I’m not, it doesn’t matter anyway.” Toni picked up her water glass. “I’ve already got the time off, made arrangements for somebody to work for me.”

“You never said you’d already done that.”

“I was making plans to be gone for ten days I couldn’t just ask somebody the day before I left.”

“Look, I’m sorry it’s not going to work out Toni. We’ll take some time later on.”

“Have you ever stopped long enough to think of all the things you’ve told me were going to happen that never happened?”

“What are we talking about here Toni?”

“Since I’ve already arranged to be off work, I think I’m going to take my Dad’s advice and go see my mother. Besides, I have all these new clothes I bought and nowhere to wear them.” She forked into her chicken.

“That’s not what I asked you.”

“You don’t really want me to answer that Richie, you don’t.”

Richie signed and looked off across the restaurant, “You’re right I don’t think I want an answer.”