For All Time

by Angela Benson

  “There’s a time for everything and today’s a day for fun. Being the boss can be a burden. I’m sure you know that from your sister.”

  Darlene shook her head. “Carla’s not like that. She lives and breathes her work. Wherever she is, whatever she’s doing, she’s the plant manager. Look at her now.”

  Josh looked to where Carla was directing the sack race. Darlene was right. To look at Carla, you’d think she was planning a new clean room, not organizing a group of ten-year-olds for a sack race. “Your sister is intense.”

  “About everything. To a fault.”

  Josh broke down the box that had held the T-shirts and folded it. “Do I detect a bit of hostility? I thought you and Carla got along well.”

  “We do. It’s just that I find her intensity tiring. She was like this even as a child. I don’t see how she keeps it up.”

  “So you went in the opposite direction?”

  She punched him in the shoulders playfully. “I didn’t know you were an armchair psychologist.”

  She hadn’t answered his question, but he was willing to let it ride. “Are you planning to get into any of the games today?”

  She looked at him as if he’d asked her to fly to the moon. “Two guesses.”

  Josh laughed. He had known from her outfit that she wasn’t going to participate. The shorts might allow it, but the braless T-shirt wouldn’t. “Do you usually come to these company gatherings?”

  “Every now and then. This is my first one in about four years.”

  “Why this year?”

  “I think you know the answer to that.”

  Was she saying she had come because of him? he wondered. “I don’t think I do.”

  “I came to see that invisible wife of yours. Why isn’t she here today?”

  Gloria. Josh hadn’t thought about her today. They had decided last weekend that she wouldn’t come to this event since it was being held during the week. Unlike the other times when their schedules hadn’t allowed them to share events, neither of them seemed upset or disappointed by this. After the failed honeymoon trip and Portia’s new baby, they needed the time apart. That was good and bad. Good, because they were supporting each other and trying to work through this separation as best they could. Bad, because maybe they didn’t expect much of each other these days.

  “So, where is she?” Darlene asked again.

  “Working.”

  “And she couldn’t get away?”

  Darlene had to know about their commuter marriage. Surely Carla had told her. “She had to work today and tomorrow. It would have been too much for her to come up today and get back to Atlanta tomorrow.”

  “What’s she doing in Atlanta?”

  “Come on, Darlene. You know that Gloria still lives in Atlanta.”

  She shook her head. “I knew no such thing.”

  He sighed as he realized Carla hadn’t told her. “Gloria and I have a commuter marriage. She’s looking for work here and I’m looking for work in Atlanta.”

  “Is it working? I mean, are you enjoying this?”

  “I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t hard, but we’re getting used to it.”

  She looked skeptical. “I don’t know if I believe that.”

  “Why shouldn’t you?”

  “Because of us.”

  Josh froze in the middle of stacking the T-shirts. “What us?” he asked, but he knew what she was talking about. Since that Greek festival at Chapel Hill, he and Darlene had found themselves in the same company six or seven times. They always suggested that it was coincidence, but they both knew it wasn’t. They enjoyed being together.

  “If you don’t want to talk about it now, we won’t,” she said, “but soon you’re going to have to decide.”

  Josh didn’t want to think about that. He knew what she was talking about. So far they could honestly say that they had a pla- tonic relationship. The most they were guilty of was flirting, but they both knew that with only a small step from him, the relationship would move to something more. Did he want that?

  Josh knew that what he did or didn’t do with Darlene was directly related to the state of his marriage. He knew things weren’t good between him and Gloria now and he knew a relationship with Darlene would only make matters worse. He still loved his wife and he wanted his marriage to work, but sometimes he wondered if there was any hope of that happening. He had wracked his brain and had concluded there was nothing he could do to make things better. If he quit this job and moved back to Atlanta, their situation wouldn’t be any better. They’d be under the stress of his unemployment. Now, they were under the stress of their separation. They couldn’t win for losing, he thought.

  “Have I scared you away?” Darlene asked.

  He turned his attention back to her. He could walk away from Darlene now if he wanted to. But he didn’t want to. “Me, scared away? Never.”

  She smiled at his words and they were back on the merry-go- round.

  ***

  Two weeks later, Josh went to a fraternity gathering where Darlene just happened to be present. He got home a little after midnight. The evening had been an eye-opening one. The sexual attraction between him and Darlene had always been there. Now, it was getting out of hand. He wanted her. And he knew she wanted him. It would only take a word from him and she’d be in his bed. They both knew it. He suspected Darlene was counting down the days until he broke. If things continued to progress as they were, he knew his days were limited. Now was time for drastic action.

  Josh picked up the phone and punched the number to his home in Atlanta. “Hello,” Gloria answered in a voice full of sleep.

  “I’m coming home in the morning. I need a few days off.”

  “What?”

  He knew she was half asleep but he had to do this now. “I’m driving home in the morning. I’ll be there in time to meet you for lunch. Can you do that?”

  “Lunch? Yes, I think so.”

  She was still groggy and he hoped she’d remember their conversation tomorrow. “I’ll come straight to your office.”

  “Okay. I need to go back to sleep now.”

  Before he hung up, he added, “I love you.” He heard the click of her hanging up so soon after his words were spoken that he doubted she had heard them.

  He had taken the first step. He was going home to fight for his marriage, his wife. The way he saw things, he and Gloria needed to end this separation. Their six months were up. Since they had always planned for Gloria to quit work when they started a family, he would suggest to her that they start a family now. Why shouldn’t they? They were back on track with their original plan now that he was employed, so they could pick up where they had left off. It’s a reasonable plan, he thought. He knew she was tied to her job and he was willing to give her enough time to settle her two biggest projects. After that, he wanted her with him. He wanted them together.

  As Josh got ready for bed, his thoughts turned to the possible objections Gloria could have to his proposal.

  What if she didn’t want to have a baby now? He disregarded that one as a low probability. He knew she would love to have a little girl like Paige. No, that shouldn’t be an objection.

  What if she didn’t want to leave her job? That was an easy one. He’d suggest that she take a leave of absence instead of quitting.

  What if she didn’t want to move to Raleigh? That wasn’t an option. The whole point was for them to be together. If he was going to be the working spouse, she would have to go where he was.

  What if she didn’t want to sell the house? He knew that could present a problem. That house represented many of their dreams. They could buy a house in Raleigh. Somehow he’d have to convince her to sell the house in Atlanta. Holding on to it was not a rational option.

  Josh got into bed and finally faced the question that was forever in the back of his mind. What if she said their marriage wasn’t worth the changes he was asking of her? That would be a
killer. He had no answer for that. She had to still love him. She had to. But what if she didn’t? Josh fell asleep without an answer.

  ***

  Neither Gloria nor her secretary were present when Josh arrived at her office, so he waited. He was pretty anxious, though he tried to hide it. He had gone over every possible scenario in his mind during the trip down. They were going to work this out. They had to.

  He sat in Gloria’s chair with the back of the chair facing the door. He heard her voice and was about to turn around and greet her when he heard a male voice. For some reason, he didn’t turn around.

  He heard them move to the conference table. “About the Cascade financing,” Gloria said. “What do you think of the numbers?”

  Josh heard the shuffling of paper.

  “Seems like a good deal for the borrowers. Couldn’t the bank have gotten a higher interest rate?” The male voice belonged to Foster Dixon.

  “I take that to mean it’s a good deal.”

  “Let’s not get into that again. When are you going to learn that this bank is not a charitable organization? We’re here to make bucks. Big bucks.”

  Josh heard Gloria’s laughter and could imagine Dixon’s leering smile. The man was forever in Gloria’s face.

  “This is a good deal for the bank and you know it,” she said. “A higher interest rate would be criminal since this is a community project.”

  “What else do you have for me?”

  “That was it. I just needed some feedback on this package before I submitted it. It’s going to fly. I know it.”

  Now get up and go, Dixon, Josh thought. You’ve done your duty.

  “How about lunch?” Foster asked Gloria.

  “Not today. I’m having lunch with Josh. As a matter of fact, I’m expecting him any minute now.”

  Dixon laughed and Josh wondered what was funny. He didn’t have to wait long to find out.

  “Come off it, Gloria. Josh might be Superman but not even he can go out to Atlanta for lunch, or are you telling me that he’s moved back to town?”

  The bastard, Josh thought. Trying to make a move on my wife. Josh felt like turning his chair around and telling that Dixon bastard exactly what he thought.

  “No, he hasn’t moved back to town, but he’s going to be in town for a few days. Of course, you’re invited to have lunch with us.”

  “Right,” Foster said, his words dripping with sarcasm. “Like I want to have lunch with you and Josh. No, the invitation was for you only.”

  “I don’t know why you keep pursuing this. You know I’m committed to Josh.”

  Good girl, Josh thought. Tell him.

  “I was beginning to believe that until this ridiculous commuter marriage. No man in his right mind would leave you like that.”

  Josh heard more paper shuffling, then Gloria said, “I’m not getting into this with you again. Thanks for reviewing the file.” Her words sounded pretty final so Josh assumed she was signaling Dixon to leave. He was right.

  “Okay, Gloria. I’ll back off or now, but when you get tired of waiting for that guy to come to his senses, I’ll be waiting.”

  “Then you’d better be prepared for a long wait,” was Gloria’s response.

  “I’ve always felt that anything worth having was worth waiting for. And you’re definitely worth the wait.”

  This guy was reaching back to lines from the seventies, Josh thought.

  Josh heard Gloria’s office door close and assumed that Foster was gone. He was about to turn around in his chair when Gloria caught the back of it and turned the chair around. She gasped when she saw him. “You scared me. Why didn’t you say something to let me know you were here?”

  “I started to, but when I heard Dixon’s voice I decided not to intrude on the meeting. How is Dixon these days?”

  “Foster?” Gloria was relieved their banter hadn’t gone further. “Foster is still Foster.”

  “So, he’s been giving you the rush while I’ve been away?”

  “Like I said, Foster is still Foster. He’s harmless. You heard the conversation.”

  “He didn’t sound harmless to me. The guy pledged to wait until you got tired of me.”

  Gloria leaned over and kissed Josh on the nose. “You’re jealous and it’s cute, but not necessary. You heard me tell Foster that he was in for a long wait.”

  Josh got up from Gloria’s chair so she could sit at her desk. “Has he always been that bad?”

  “How about the Crab House for lunch?” she asked, effectively changing the subject. “I have a craving for seafood.”

  “Craving?” Josh wondered if Gloria had been thinking about babies as much as he had.

  “How about it?”

  “Fine. Wherever you want to go. Can we leave now?”

  “Sure. Let me check my messages first.”

  They decided to walk to the Crab House since it was only a few blocks from Gloria’s office. They both had the special Chef’s Seafood Salad. In a quiet booth in the back, they discussed their work.

  “Congratulations on the financing for the Cascade project.” At the question in her gaze, he added, “I overheard you and Foster talking about it.”

  “Thanks. It was touch and go for a while, but now it’s all done but the final paperwork. I’d guess two months tops.”

  “That’s good. How’s the Turner Hill project going?” If it were wrapping up, now would be the perfect time to bring up his ideas.

  “Most of the work on that is done too. At least the part that I’ll be involved in.”

  So far. So good. “So any other heavy hitters on your plate?”

  She shook her head because she was chewing. “I’ll be talking to Louise about that in the next few weeks. I’ve got my eye on a shopping center in South Fulton. How are things at Carolina Micro?”

  If they were going to make a move, they’d have to make it before she got the South Fulton project, Josh thought. There was no doubt in his mind that she would get it. “We’re as busy as ever. I’m overseeing an expansion that includes a new clean room. When it’s up and running, the required direct and indirect support will increase my staff by seventy-five people.”

  “That’s great,” she said, but she was uneasy. Josh was building an empire, a life, in Raleigh. “How’s Carla?”

  “She’s still the same. A little rough around the edges but she knows her job and she does it well.”

  “Good. And I’m glad that you’ve started to make friends outside of work. Your fraternity affiliation really panned out, didn’t it?”

  Josh’s thoughts went immediately to Darlene. “Yeah, it did. The guys have kept me from being too lonely.”

  She winked at him. “I don’t know if I like the sound of that. I hope it doesn’t mean that you don’t miss me.”

  Josh laughed because Gloria was being coy. “No, it just means that I’m not miserable with loneliness. I miss you a lot.”

  “And I miss you. This separation has been a lot harder than I expected.”

  She’d given him the perfect opening. “Yeah. I’ve been thinking a lot about that. I think I have a solution for us.”

  “Have you found a job here?” she asked in a high-pitched tone.

  “No, that’s not it. I thought that since neither one of us was having success in that area, we needed to explore something different.”

  “Don’t keep me in suspense. What’s your idea?”

  “I’ve been thinking that we should start our family. We were at that point when General Electronics caved in. Now that we’re back on our feet, it’s the perfect time.”

  The silence was loud. He could hear her thinking. She didn’t like the idea. It was taking her too long to answer. “What do you think?” he asked.

  “I’m surprised, Josh. I didn’t expect this as your solution. How can we think about having a baby when we don’t even live together?”

  Josh thanked God that he had gone through t
he scenarios. “That’s what’s so good about it. We had planned for you to stop work when we started a family. So, you can move to Raleigh and we’ll be together.”

  “You’ve thought this out, haven’t you?”

  He nodded. “What do you think of the idea?”

  Gloria looked at her watch. “I think we don’t have enough time to get into this now. I have to get back for a meeting. Let’s table this discussion until I get home tonight.”

  Josh nodded his agreement and signaled for the check. He knew it was going to take some energy to get Gloria to agree with this idea. But he knew he could do it. He had to. Too much was at stake.

  ***

  Gloria could barely concentrate on the meeting. Her thoughts were on Josh and their lunch conversation. So, he thought the solution to their problems was for her to get pregnant and move to Raleigh. Exactly what she had feared.

  There was actually nothing wrong with Josh’s proposal. It would have been perfect if she were the same person that she had been when they married, if she’d had the same goals. But she wasn’t and she didn’t. How was she going to make him understand that?

  She thought he had seen how important her work was to her, but she must have been wrong. If he had understood that, he would never have proposed this solution. Well, she thought, Josh had one thing going for his idea if nothing else—timing. If she were to leave, now, with her major projects drawing to a close, was the perfect time.

  “I’d like to see you in my office.” It was Louise. Gloria knew the meeting was over because everyone was leaving. She hoped Louise hadn’t noticed how distracted she was.

  When she was seated in Louise’s office, Louise said, “It’s time to choose. Which one do you want—South Fulton or Alpharetta?”

  Her answer was automatic. “South Fulton.”

  Louise pushed the folder that had been lying in front of her over to Gloria. “Somehow I thought that would be your choice.”

  South Fulton was written on the cover in big, bold red letters. Gloria opened the folder and scanned the first page. “I thought this was going to be a shopping center. This says medical complex.”