by Glazer, J B
I’m quiet for a minute. I’m surprised Jake feels this way. I thought only romantics like me believe in fate—although now I’m somewhat jaded. I used to believe in the idea of soul mates, but I thought I’d met mine, and I worried that was it for me. Now I’m starting to wonder whether Ben was a means to an end.
“Whatever the forces that brought us together, I’m glad they did,” I say, turning to face him.
I fall asleep in Jake’s arms. I dream I’m lost in the woods, searching for a way out, but I keep ending up in the same place I started.
I’m awake before our wake-up call; I guess it’s the anticipation of leaving. I have a thing about needing to be on time to the airport. I quietly creep out of bed and go the bathroom, where I wash my face and brush my teeth. As I’m finishing I hear the phone ring. I run to pick it up so Jake doesn’t have to be bothered; the phone is on my side of the bed. Although I swear he can sleep through anything.
“Wake up,” I say, as I gently nudge him. I let him lie there for a few more minutes while I pack my toiletries. It’s ironic that I probably would have been performing this same task if things had turned out differently with Ben, although I’d be packing for my honeymoon. Thinking about my wedding used to make me very depressed, but being here with Jake has changed my outlook. He has changed my outlook. I glance at the clock and see it’s already seven forty-five. I walk over to Jake’s side of the bed and throw the covers back.
“Time to get up.”
“OK, OK,” he says grouchily. Neither of us is a morning person. “I’m going to take a quick shower.”
While he’s showering I get dressed then walk out on the balcony, taking in the view one last time. I stare out at the vast ocean, reflecting on the trip and how it’s brought Jake and me closer. I hear the sliding door, and Jake comes out to join me.
“What are you thinking about out here all by yourself?”
“That this trip was the perfect answer to this weekend. I honestly have been dreading it for so long; I feel like a weight has been lifted.”
“Good. That was the whole point. I had an amazing time.”
“Me too. I wish we didn’t have to leave.”
“We’ll come back,” he says, taking my hand.
We gather up our luggage, and I take one last look around before closing the door behind me.
It’s hard to go back to work on Monday. I walk into the office and am just getting settled when Michelle pops her head in.
“Welcome back! How was the Hamptons?”
“Great! Very relaxing.”
“It looks like it. You’re nice and tan.”
“We went to the beach a lot.”
“I’m so jealous. I’ve always wanted to go there.”
“If you ever do, let me know, I can give you lots of recommendations. Did I miss anything here?”
“Not too much,” Michelle says. “I put a status meeting on your calendar for later this morning. I figured I’d give you a chance to get settled before I bombarded you.”
“Thanks. I appreciate that.”
“Well, I know you have a lot of catching up to do, so I won’t keep you. I just wanted to say hi.”
“Thanks,” I tell her. “Maybe we can grab lunch later this week once I’m caught up.”
“Yes. Let’s do that.”
I boot up my computer and check my voice mail while I’m waiting. I have a message from Eric that Aura is still working through some logistics for the mass cosmetics line. He feels it’s too early to meet and suggests we postpone until he can give me more concrete information. I call him, but he doesn’t answer, so I decide to send him an e-mail instead. I thank him for his message and tell him we’re eager to help and ask him to let me know once things are more solidified. Then I send Morgan an update and assure her I’ll be diligent about following up while the lead is still hot. I’m really disappointed because I was excited about the opportunity. My vacation glow is fading fast. I shoot Jake a quick text that I miss him already. Four days seems like a long time to be away from each other, and I’m looking forward to Thursday night.
I hear a knock on my door and look up to find Michelle. It’s ten thirty already. We chat more about my trip, and then I thank her for handling things while I was away. I hate having to lie to people about where I was and who I was with. It’s a good thing I’ve been to the Hamptons many times before—it’s very easy to fake it. I listen and take notes as she gives an update. She informs me Natalia has scheduled a working meeting with all the agency partners on Thursday followed by a dinner. This isn’t a good start to my day. After she leaves, I text Jake that I now have a client dinner on Thursday, but we can see each other afterward. I don’t hear from him for a while, but then I get a text shortly before five. It says he’s had a busy day, but he misses me too. He had to push his flight on Thursday because he has a late-afternoon meeting, so we’ll get together on Friday. I’m bummed, but it’s just one more day; I can handle that.
I spend the evening unpacking and doing laundry. Once my suitcase is emptied, I realize I can’t find my Tiffany bracelet. For a minute I panic, thinking I left it at the hotel. I try to remember the last time I wore it. I close my eyes and recall having it on the last night of our trip, when Jake surprised me with dinner on the beach. I call the hotel and leave my contact information with the front desk in case it turns up. I go through my suitcase again, which proves fruitless. Jake calls me shortly before I’m about to get in bed.
“Hi, babe. How was your day?” he asks me.
“It was OK. Luckily nothing too pressing happened while I was away—although I did get a message from Eric at Aura saying that he needs to push our meeting. What about you?”
“Funny you should mention that. I just learned of a potential opportunity for a prestige cosmetics client.”
“Oh, but what about Aura?”
“I’m not ruling it out, but I’d like to keep our options open. Given your background, I was hoping you could help me with the initial call to see if it’s the right opportunity.”
I’m a bit torn. I really was hoping the Aura lead would come to fruition, but Jake is right that we can’t rely on it and let it prevent us from other potential opportunities. “OK, I’d be happy to help. When’s the call?”
“Friday at noon.”
“I’ll put it on my calendar. Do you have anything you can send me in advance?”
“No. Just come by my office about five minutes beforehand, and I’ll fill you in.”
We talk for another twenty minutes then say good night. “Looking forward to Friday,” I tell him.
“Me too, Lexi. Me too.”
On Wednesday morning I pass Nicole’s office and notice her door is ajar. I peek in and see she’s on the phone. I go to my office and send her an IM.
Welcome back! Where have you been?
An unbearable client off site for the past two days. How was your trip?
Incredible! Can you grab lunch with me later?
Yes. Let’s do it!
Great. I’m in meetings all morning, but I’ll be done by noon.
My meetings run longer than I expected, but I’m back at my desk by twelve fifteen. Nicole is waiting for me.
“Hi,” she says. “You look nice and tan.”
“Thanks. Spending a week in the sun will do it. Where do you want to go?”
“Somewhere we can talk.”
I catch her meaning. She knows I went to Aruba with Jake. “There’s a great sandwich place by my apartment,” I tell her. “It’s a fifteen-minute walk from here.”
“I’m not walking in these shoes.”
“Did I mention each order comes with a freshly baked cookie?”
“Sold. We’ll cab it.” On the way she immediately quizzes me about my trip. “So how was it traveling with Jake?”
“It was amazing. I was a little nervous considering we hadn’t spent that long of a stretch of time together, but we’re very compatible. We hung out at the beach, did a lot of sightseei
ng, and just relaxed. It was so nice being in public like a normal couple.”
“I’m so jealous,” Nicole says. “When people find out you two are dating, they’re going to freak out. Jake is the illicit guy everyone wants to date but knows they don’t have a chance with. If it can’t be me, you’re the next best thing.”
I laugh and say, “You seem to have no problem with your choice of suitors.”
When it’s our turn in line we order lunch and Nicole asks for fruit instead of the cookie.
“You’re making me feel guilty,” I tell her.
“I’m on a new diet,” she informs me.
I eye her well-toned body. “Like you need to be on a diet.”
“I have to stay this way somehow,” she says with a laugh.
Once we sit down I decide to bring up something that’s been on my mind. “That day I told you Jake and I were dating, you made a comment about how I was withdrawn when I started working here. You were right about that, you know.” Nicole looks at me, waiting for me to go on. “The reason I moved back to Chicago was because I’d just broken things off with my fiancé. I caught him with a friend of mine.”
Nicole nods. “I figured as much but didn’t realize the engagement part.”
“How did you know?”
“Lexi, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure it out. You told me you weren’t dating anyone, but then you never were interested in getting set up or going on dates. Most single girls our age are obsessed with finding a guy. You were the opposite. You seemed plenty interested in asking me about my love life, but you never shared anything about yours. I figured some guy must have done a number on you.” Nicole is more perceptive than I thought. “So this friend, were you close with her?”
“Not really. We were just friendly at work.”
“Well, that’s good. At least you didn’t lose two people.”
“True, although she also lost out. I heard she was fired.”
“Because of you?”
“Not directly. I think there were other issues, but it didn’t help that I was very close with her boss.”
“That’s karma for you. Anyway, you and I actually have a lot in common. I was engaged once too.”
I practically choke on my salad. “You were engaged?”
“Yes,” Nicole says, “to my high school sweetheart. He proposed to me right out of college, but I started having second thoughts shortly after. I just felt like I never really got to experience dating. He was the only person I’d been with, and I wondered what else was out there. I loved him but almost more out of habit than a deep, passionate love. So I broke things off. That was well before I started working here, so no one knows.”
“Wow. I’m proud of you. A lot of people wouldn’t have had the courage to end things.”
“I trusted my instincts. Now you know why I’m a serial dater. I have to make up for lost time.” I laugh and ask her if she feels like she’s ready to settle down yet. “I’m open to it. At first I just wanted to go for quantity and see what was out there. Now I’m definitely being pickier. If I happen to meet the right guy, I’m not opposed to being in a serious relationship.”
“I can’t get over that we both broke off our engagements, although at least yours was by choice.”
“Well, just look at you now,” she says. “So does Jake know you told me?”
“No, he’d freak out. And there’s nothing he can do about it, so I figure why worry him.” Nicole nods as she takes a bite of my cookie. “Hey, get your own,” I say, as I jokingly slap her hand away.
On the cab ride back to the office, I muse that I’ve always thought of myself as a truthful person, but lately it seems I’m always lying to somebody.
At a quarter to noon on Friday, I run downstairs to pick up lunch for Jake and me. I didn’t ask him if it was a lunch meeting, but he’s always so busy that I doubt he had time to grab anything. At five of, I poke my head into his office.
“Hi,” I say, doing my best to sound nonchalant given there are people nearby.
“Hi, Lexi. Good to see you. Come on in, and close the door.”
“I wasn’t sure if you had time to pick up lunch, so I got you something,” I say, handing him a sandwich.
“That was sweet of you. Thanks. Now come here,” he says, and wraps his arms around me, pulling me into a deep embrace. Then he walks over to his phone and buzzes Joann. “Hi. Lexi and I are about to jump on a call with a prospective client. We aren’t to be disturbed for the next hour.”
“Got it, Mr. Hartman.”
“Thanks, and hold all calls.” He hangs up and dials another number on speakerphone.
“Aren’t you going to give me an overview?”
“I don’t think you’ll need one. You’ll catch on pretty quickly.” He turns the volume down, and then I hear a recording. I look at him, confused.
“That’s my voice mail greeting.”
“It is.”
I stare at him for a minute and then glance around his office; his desk is neater than usual. He typically has stacks of file folders heaped all over it, but they’re gone.
“You cleaned up,” I comment.
“I did.” He smiles at me. Then he stands up, walks over to my chair, and takes my hand, pulling me up. “You made my fantasy come true. I thought I’d return the favor.”
I’m momentarily speechless. “Are you sure about this? What if someone walks in?”
“No one will,” he says but locks the door to be certain. “And you don’t have to worry about anyone hearing us—these are pretty thick walls.” I trust he’s right; he of all people wouldn’t want us to get caught. Then he says in a low voice, “You should be very glad about that, given the things I have planned for you.”
Whoa. He kisses me in earnest and swiftly undoes each button on my blouse. “It’s too bad this isn’t a video conference call,” I tell him.
Jake laughs. “We’ll add it to the list.”
His lips find mine again, and he lays me down on the desk then straddles me. I’m a little tense at first, but as soon as he kisses my neck, I lose myself in the moment. He knows just the right way to touch me to leave me burning with desire. Then he takes his necktie and places it over my eyes, like a blindfold. “This will add to the anticipation,” he whispers in my ear. Jake does things to me I’ve never before experienced. It makes me wonder whether he read Fifty Shades after all. And if it’s possible, the reality is better than my darkest fantasy.
Afterward we sit up, and I attempt to smooth out my clothes.
“Well, that was an unexpected surprise,” I tell him. “And a very good one, I might add. You’ve been holding out on me.” He gives me a smug smile. I rummage through my bag until I find a hairbrush. “It’s a good thing I always keep an extra in my purse,” I tell him. “I must look like a mess.”
“You look very sexy.”
“As do you,” I say, working my fingers through his mussed-up hair. Then I look over at his desk and say, “I hope you have Windex.”
He laughs a deep laugh. “I’m starving. Let’s eat.” I pull out the sandwiches and hand him his. “What did you get me?” he asks.
“Turkey with avocado, lettuce, and mustard. No mayo or tomato.”
“You know me well. Thank you.”
After we eat I give him a big kiss and say, “You sure know how to make a girl’s dream come true. I hope you’ll think of me now whenever you’re at your desk.”
“Lexi, you’re always on my mind.”
I give him a smile and sashay out of his office. Then I text him later that afternoon.
Thank you for lunch. You sure satisfied my appetite.
I’d say the pleasure was all mine, but clearly that wasn’t the case.
☺
Over the next few weeks, Jake and I fall back into our usual routine. He’s traveling frequently, and we only see each other on the weekends. I’m starting to feel like we’re in a long-distance relationship. It’s a good thing I have work to keep my
mind occupied. It’s Friday, and I’m about to head into a meeting when my cell phone rings; it’s Molly’s mom, Rachelle. I haven’t spoken to her in a few weeks, so I take the call.
“Hi, Rachelle. I’ve been thinking about you. How are things?”
“Good actually. I wanted to let you know we’ve been doing some experimental treatments, and Molly has been responding very positively. Things are finally starting to turn around,” she whispers.
“That’s so wonderful to hear. Congrats!”
“Molly has been asking to see you,” Rachelle says.
“I’d love to see her too. When’s a good time?”
“Are you free Sunday? You could come over in the afternoon.”
“Sunday’s perfect,” I tell her. “See you then.”
We hang up, and a sense of relief washes over me. I know I should be cautiously optimistic, but I revel in the thought that Molly may make a full recovery.
That night, over dinner, I tell Jake the news. “That’s fantastic,” he says. “I know you two have a special bond.”
“We do. I’m going to see her on Sunday.”
“I’d like to meet her,” Jake says.
“Really? You want to hang out with a four year-old?”
“Yes, she’s obviously important to you. I have an idea. Do you think she’d mind if we brought Hailey? We can make it a play date.”
“I love that idea, but I’d have to ask.” I call Rachelle back, and she says it’s fine to bring Jake and Hailey as long as neither of them is sick. “We’re on!” I tell him. This will be interesting.
On Sunday Jake and I pick up Hailey and tell her about Molly. I explain to her that Molly was sick and had to take medicine that made her hair fall out, so it might look funny. I also reassure her Molly is much better and is very excited about our visit. I’m a little nervous about how things will go, but I think it’ll be fun for the girls to get together. When we pull up to the house, Molly is waiting for us at the door, wearing a long blond wig. She jumps up and down when she sees us and runs out to give me a big hug. I make introductions, and Rachelle invites us in. I see that Molly is wearing the Wonder Woman costume I gave her.