Maybe Later

by Claudia Burgoa

  Please make sure to get this prescription filled and delivered to my office. There’s a list of tasks I need you to do. You might want to warn your courier that I tested positive for the flu.

  Thank you for your concern and your hard work,

  J.

  Chapter Four

  From: A. Walker

  To: J. Spearman

  Subject: Candy is nature’s way of making up for Mondays. –Rebecca Gober

  Tuesday, March 22nd, 7:45 a.m.

  Maybe the candy will make up for the Avalanche’s loss too. Do you think they’ll even make it to the playoffs? They need a new general manager. Denver needs to revamp their sports teams. That’s just my opinion.

  I updated your schedule. Your Wednesday meeting ends up at seven. Would you like me to make dinner reservations? I would recommend North Italia. If not, I can make it at Rioja’s.

  Your flight’s been confirmed for Thursday at six a.m. Check in at your hotel is at noon. Your plane arrives at one. Your first appointment is at four, and there’s a dinner right after. I sent a copy of your itinerary to your Cloud. If you need anything during the trip, try to contact me through the VAES chat. I noticed you haven’t set it up yet. I attached the instructions, just in case you lost them—or shredded them.

  Amy

  * * *

  From: J. Spearman

  To: A. Walker

  Subject: Re: Candy

  Tuesday, March 22nd, 8:10 a.m.

  How do you know about Rioja’s? That is not part of the form Carla filled out for you. I would make several changes if I owned any of the sports teams in Denver. No amount of sweets will make up for the bet I lost to a college friend, but thank you. The schedule for Friday looks light. What happened to it?

  J

  * * *

  From: A. Walker

  To: J. Spearman

  Subject: Rioja’s

  Tuesday, March 22nd, 9:13 a.m.

  I knew the candy would sweeten your day. What did you bet? You gave Rioja’s a four-star review during your last visit. Since you’re very specific when it comes to food, I assumed it’d be a good choice since you already visited. Why don’t you try North Italia? On Friday you have an all-day meeting with the company you’re trying to buy. It’s cleaner to block the entire day.

  Amy

  P. S. Efficiency and focus are the keys to success

  –Robert Crais

  * * *

  From: J. Spearman

  To: A. Walker

  Subject: Lunch

  Wednesday, March 30th, 12:32 p.m.

  I thought we agreed you wouldn’t mess with my system, and my food. Stop trying to change my habits. I miss my Reuben sandwich. If you’re keeping track, I didn’t care much for the poke bowl you ordered today. I’m not a fan of octopus. Let’s try sushi again, this time avoid the tempura shit and the noodles.

  Since you’re such a know-it-all, can you give me some music recommendations? Thank you for the update on the patent we submitted last January.

  J

  * * *

  From: A. Walker

  To: J. Spearman

  Subject: Music

  Wednesday, March 30th, 2:25 p.m.

  I don’t mess with your system, I’m just improving your life. It´s called a bento box. Once you´re back from NYC, I´ll have a week of sushi introduction and education. We will find what you like.

  You want music …

  What are you looking for? Something you can listen to while working out? Is it for tomorrow’s trip? Without knowing what you’re looking for, I can only give a few recommendations. I sent a couple of playlists already to your Cloud. The first three are music to play while working out. The next two are great while working late at night. The last four are my personal favorites. I use them while I’m reading.

  You never answered what you bet. I’m impressed to know you have friends. He’s your friend, right?

  Amy

  P. S. Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything. ― Plato

  * * *

  From: J. Spearman

  To: A. Walker

  Subject: A few …

  Wednesday, March 30th, 4:07 p.m.

  Those are more songs I can listen to during my five-hour flight. Who did I lose the bet to? He’s my college roommate. How much did I lose? Too much. You make me sound like an old, lonely man. Thank you for the music. I don’t think I’d use the word “improving,” but you’re certainly making a lot of changes.

  J

  P. S. Do you have a quote for everything?

  * * *

  Thursday, March 31th 5:25 a.m.

  JSpear84 sent you a request to play Sudoku

  AWalk90: Working hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday.

  AWalk90: It’s too early, Spearman!

  JSpear84: I sent you a request to play a game, not a list of tasks. Are we night owls?

  AWalk90: We went to bed too late.

  JSpear84: Did we now?

  JSpear84: I assume your boyfriend kept you up late. You don’t mean you and me.

  AWalk90: OMFG!

  AWalk90: Of course I don’t mean you and me.

  AWalk90: I meant I went to bed late.

  AWalk90: There’s no boyfriend.

  JSpear84: Girlfriend?

  JSpear84: You have me curious. Who is ‘we’?

  AWalk90: Me and my cats. Before you say it, yes, I’m a cat lady.

  AWalk90: I used to have a dog, but he died a couple of years ago. I don’t have the heart to adopt a new one.

  JSpear84: How are Ramen and Sushi today?

  AWalk90: Waiting to be fed. They were quiet until you messaged me. I’m surprised to see you finally used the app. But puzzled by your invitation.

  JSpear84: Why do you have games on a work chat app? Does Mr. Lancaster know you’re playing during working hours?

  JSpear84: That must reduce the productivity of the assistants.

  AWalk90: Not every VA has it. Also, they own their time.

  JSpear84: Aw, you’re special.

  AWalk90: Are you telling me I’m not special? Way to burst my bubble.

  JSpear84: Does that make me special?

  JSpear84: You granted me access to your games.

  AWalk90: Not really. Since you’re my client, you can access them.

  JSpear84: How does that work?

  AWalk90: I’m friends with the developer [wink emoji]

  AWalk90 sent you a request to play Words with Friends

  JSpear84: Fighting with words, Ms. Walker?

  AWalk90: Just keeping it interesting.

  JSpear84: I’m about to board the plane. Go back to sleep.

  AWalk90: I’m feeding my cats, I might be able to take the 7 a.m. class.

  JSpear84: You’re single then?

  AWalk90: Yep, having a boyfriend isn’t on my to-do list.

  JSpear84: Why not?

  AWalk90: It’s a lot of work. Have you tried Tinder? And don’t get me started with MatchMeNow. Of course, if you want, I can make you a profile. You’re single, aren’t you?

  JSpear84: I can only imagine what you’d post on my profile. No thank you.

  AWalk90: You have no idea. I can make you sound hot, available, and fun.

  JSpear84: Are you telling me I’m not?

  AWalk90: I wouldn’t know, either way, J. I don’t know you.

  AWalk90 sent you an attachment.

  AWalk90: Meet Ramen and Sushi.

  JSpear84: Cute cats, I thought they’d be Siamese. What breed are they?

  AWalk90: I don’t know. My neighbor rescued them from the trash can outside our building. The vet thinks they’re a Tabby mix.

  JSpear84: I didn’t picture you as a red polish kind of girl.

  AWalk90: LOL

  JSpear84: Why are you laughing?

  AWalk90: You pictured me. That’s strange.

  JSpear84: No, I didn’t.

  AWalk90: It’s okay. I picture you as a sui
ts and gray ties kind of guy.

  JSpear84: You picture me?

  AWalk90: Well, I’m sure you’re not a building, are you? Whenever you’re ready, I’ll update your webpage with a real picture.

  JSpear84: You’re obsessed with the building.

  JSpear84: I can’t read the tattoo on the top of your left foot. Your feet are … different.

  AWalk90: Different how? I have all 5 toes. Size 8.5 is average for women.

  JSpear84: You know what I mean.

  AWalk90: Clearly, I don’t.

  JSpear84: You’re my assistant. All my employees wear shoes.

  AWalk90: I do too. Not when I’m at home though. Shoes are uncomfortable. My tattoo says, let your dreams be bigger than your fears.

  JSpear84: You have beautiful feet.

  AWalk90: Umm … not sure how to respond. No one has ever said that about my feet.

  AWalk90: Got to go. Keep the game going. Text if you need me.

  JSpear84: “Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself.” JK Rowling.

  AWalk90: Favorite quote?

  JSpear84: One of them.

  AWalk90: You’re not as bad as I thought.

  * * *

  From: A. Walker

  To: J. Spearman

  Subject: Signing off

  Friday, April 1st, 2:30 p.m. EST

  It’s finally Friday. We made it through another week. Surprisingly, you haven’t threatened to fire me or sue me. However, if you ever feel the need to send another letter to my supervisor, let me know. I’ll write it for you. Praises and kudos should go directly to my inbox.

  I’m attaching this week’s report along with next week’s schedule. Your flight is scheduled to depart tomorrow morning from JFK, but with the storm hitting the east coast, I’d suggest you change it for later today or Monday. Let me know via chat if you need assistance. I made a reservation at Clear Creek for eight. It’s a few blocks from your hotel. They serve the best sushi in town.

  Check the scrabble app. Mrly is not a word.

  Amy

  P. S. Feel lucky because you are alive to see a new month. Feel lucky because your chances of achieving dreams aren’t dead. — Anonymous.

  * * *

  From: J. Spearman

  To: A. Walker

  Subject: Cheater

  Friday, April 1st, 3:01 p.m. EST

  Thank you for the advice, Miss Walker. Next week’s schedule is light on Monday. Are you assuming I won’t make it home on time? I might surprise you. You erased the a. It was Marley. Did your developer friend delete the vowels?

  J

  P. S. Only a few know the real you. –Niccolò Machiavelli

  Chapter Five

  Saturday, April 2nd, 7:03 a.m. EST

  JSpear84: What can I do during the weekend in New York?

  AWalk90: I’m not Siri, Alexa, Cordana or … you get my drift.

  JSpear84: It’s Cortana.

  AWalk90: You’d know, they’re your best friends.

  JSpear84: Isn’t it too early to be sassy?

  AWalk90: You haven’t seen sassy yet, Spearman. Did you forget to change your flight?

  JSpear84: No, you haven’t checked your emails?

  AWalk90: It’s five o’clock my time.

  JSpear84: That’s mountain standard time. Where do you live?

  AWalk90: Wouldn’t you like to know?

  JSpear84: We might finish the negotiations for the acquisition next week. I didn’t see the point of heading back home and then coming back. The storm factored into my decision.

  AWalk90: And now you’re bored.

  JSpear84: Well, there’s not much to do because there’s a blizzard outside.

  AWalk90: Read a book.

  JSpear84: What kind of book?

  AWalk90: Well, since you read The Prince, I think you’ll enjoy The Godfather.

  JSpear84: I already read it and watched the movie. Is there something from this century you’d like to recommend?

  AWalk90: I would if I knew you better. Is Harry Potter off the table?

  JSpear84: Read it too many times already.

  AWalk90: That’s what I thought. Do you read sci-fi, biographies, fiction …? If you like dystopian stories, I’d recommend The Dog Stars. The Martian is a great sci-fi. I didn’t read it. The movie was great. It proves that Matt Damon doesn’t suck as an actor. He has a shitty agent and doesn’t know how to pick roles.

  JSpear84: That’s all you got from the movie?

  AWalk90: No, it confirmed that I should never move to Mars—or go on vacation to another planet.

  JSpear84: When was the last time you went on vacation?

  AWalk90: How about A Man called Ove? It’s appropriate for you.

  JSpear84: Why me?

  AWalk90: It’s about a bitter old man with a sad story, whose life changes when a couple moves next door to him.

  JSpear84: Are you calling me a bitter old man?

  AWalk90: You’re not a ray of sunshine.

  JSpear84: You don’t know me.

  AWalk90: And yet, I hit a sore spot, didn’t I?

  JSpear84: What happens to this guy after the couple moves in?

  AWalk90: No wait, this Ove is nothing like you, I hope. He’s had a rough life. Poor guy.

  JSpear84: How do you know all this?

  AWalk90: Well, first I read the reviews. Then, I pulled the spark notes, and it’s a sad story. The poor man lost too much.

  JSpear84: You want me to read a depressing story for the weekend.

  AWalk90: No, that’s why I checked the spark notes.

  JSpear84: What are you reading?

  AWalk90: I’m reading, Postcards from A Stranger.

  JSpear84: Romance?

  AWalk90: No, it’s about a woman who finds postcards of her presumably dead mother.

  JSpear84: Love letters to her father?

  AWalk90: No, POSTCARDS to the children. Just saying that she loves them. They’re postmarked after her death, and the last one arrives when the youngest turned eighteen. It’s getting pretty interesting. I think the mom is alive. It was a bad divorce, and he got the children.

  JSpear84: All divorces are bad.

  AWalk90: How would you know?

  JSpear84: I just do.

  AWalk90: Relationships are complicated, aren’t they? I wonder if I’ll ever find someone who I can be with for the rest of my life.

  JSpear84: Some do, my parents have been together for almost forty years.

  AWalk90: Mine too, I think.

  JSpear84: You think?

  AWalk90: We’re not close, so if they’ve divorced in the past ten years, I wouldn’t know. Being their daughter is exhausting.

  JSpear84: Are you an only child?

  AWalk90: Have you read The Hitchhiker’s Guide to The Galaxy?

  JSpear84: Are you changing the subject?

  AWalk90: It’s pretty entertaining.

  JSpear84: I watched the movie does that count?

  AWalk90: Nope, you have to read the book. There, I just found the perfect book for the weekend. If you bundle up, you can have brunch at Russ and Daughters. There’s a bookstore just around the corner where you can buy the book if you prefer paperbacks. I’ll send you the address. For dinner, I’ll send you to Daniel’s since I’m dying to live vicariously through someone. It’s supposed to be super fancy.

  JSpear84: Fly to New York, and I’ll take you.

  AWalk90: Ha!

  AWalk90: You know that I don’t fly. That’s why you’re inviting me, aren’t you?

  JSpear84: I’ll get some room service for tonight.

  AWalk90: That’s a good idea, I’ll try to move your schedule around for next week. Can you have conference calls?

  JSpear84: Yes, that’s a good idea.

  AWalk90: May I suggest you move into a suite so you can have more room to work.

  JSpear84: Can you make the switch, please?

  AWalk90: Consider it done. I’ll make sure they have it ready by tomorrow at noon, so you don�
�t have to worry about it today.

  JSpear84: You got me breakfast.

  AWalk90: Of course I did, just know that I’ll be charging overtime this weekend. Enjoy your day, Mr. Spearman.

  JSpear84 sent you a request to play Words with Friends.

  * * *

  Saturday, April 2nd, 8:12 a.m. EST

  AWalk90: I changed my mind. Make sure to bundle up. We’re leaving in 20 minutes.

  JSpear84: Where are we going to?

  AWalk90: Let’s take a walk.

  JSpear84: Are you feeling well? It’s snowing outside. You’re not even here.

  AWalk90: I get that, but a little snow doesn’t harm anyone—not even you.

  * * *

  Saturday, April 2nd, 8:26 a.m. EST

  JSpear84: Okay, I think I’m ready.

  AWalk90: That’s the spirit. Send me a message once you’re outside and ready to embark on the adventure of a lifetime.

  JSpear84: You are playing it thick. A lifetime is longer than a day.

  AWalk90: This could be our last adventure together. What if tomorrow a piano drops on top of my head? Or the world ends. Enjoy today as if it’s the last one.

  JSpear84: We’ve never had an adventure before.

  AWalk90: Ready to start?

  JSpear84: I thought you suggested reading a book.

  AWalk90: We can do that tomorrow. Make sure to open the playlist I emailed you.

  JSpear84: There’s a playlist?

  AWalk90: Of course, you need to have background music.

  JSpear84: You sent three different playlists

  AWalk90: They are in order. Just in case, open the one that says, New York State of Mind.

  JSpear84: You’re a DJ?

  AWalk90: I am a music connoisseur.

  JSpear84: Where am I going?

  AWalk90: The Museum of Modern Art.

  JSpear84: Why do I want to go there?

  AWalk90: When was the last time you stopped and smelled the roses?

  JSpear84: There are no roses in the museum

  AWalk90: It’s a rhetorical question, Mr. Spearman. The best place to stop and enjoy something beautiful is The Museum of Modern Art. The entire itinerary is in your email now.

  JSpear84: You’re not coming with me?

  AWalk90: I’m thousands of miles away from you.

  JSpear84: What are you doing today?

  AWalk90: Being adventurous, Amy style.