I reached for the chopsticks and dug into the delicious grilled beef, white rice, and spicy side dishes as Lucas took his first tentative bite of the amazing food. It took no more than a second for his apprehension to morph into delight as the first bursts of flavor hit his palate.
I smirked at him, knowing he would love it as soon as he tried it. “It’s delicious, isn’t it? You should have tried the chicken or the short ribs, they will melt in your mouth.”
“I haven’t had the pleasure of trying too many things that are this delicious and I’m glad Maddie insisted on it for lunch. She wants you to be happy Caroline and so do I. How has your day been so far?” Lucas inquired as we sat around the table enjoying our lunch.
“Pretty good. I had done some framework research last week, so I was able to incorporate my work with the list you provided. I’ll have a better idea hopefully by the end of the week.”
“No rush. We just got everything running smoothly here in Atlanta, so feel free to visit the sites and ask questions of the staff and volunteers. You can talk to the participants as well to get their feelings about what works, what doesn’t, what needs to be addressed, etc.” Maddie encouraged as we finished up and began to move back towards the seating area to chat.
“I urge you to visit the cities you think may be a good fit before finishing up your report for the Board of Directors. They’ll support expansion, but want to make sure that we don’t reach out to a community that won’t take advantage of the benefits we are offering. Go and spend some time in the communities, take a friend if you’d feel better traveling with someone, and see what they need and what we can provide.” Lucas added as he stood up and kissed Maddie before walking out, leaving us alone to visit.
“He’s right, you know. We need to make sure we get as good a response as we had here in Atlanta in every city we move into. I can have a tentative list by Friday and can plan some site visits over the next few weeks.” I agreed with Lucas and his assessment of what I needed to do next.
She headed back to her office and I got back into my research. This is what I really enjoyed about logistics. The research to decide what the best avenue was and implementing a plan to make it happen. Their trust in me gave me confidence.
The next time I moved from my computer was when Lucas and Maddie came in to let me know it was the end of the day. I didn’t feel like I had made enough headway into my examination of the cities, but I knew I couldn’t work out everything on my first day.
“Do you want to grab dinner with us? We are headed to get some burgers from the Char Hut on Ponce and would love the company.” Maddie asked as we made our way towards our cars.
“I’ll pass tonight. I’m meeting Josh for dinner and drinks to celebrate my new job. I’m going home afterward and crawling into bed with a good book.” I replied as I gave them each a hug, got in my car and headed toward the interstate.
I met Josh at the sushi restaurant down the block from my apartment and we discussed our day. He had become such a close confidant to me and I was encouraged enough about my day to make him an offer.
“Are you still thinking about leaving the Falcons?” I inquired between bites of spicy tuna rolls and barbequed eel.
“I quit on Friday. I was tired of putting in 60 hours a week with no recognition for my hard work.” He replied, looking calm for a man without a job. He rarely let anything faze him and was usually game for an adventure.
“Wow! Congratulations on finally breaking free from the professional sports world. What are your plans? Do you have another job lined up?” inquiring about his current plans for his immediate future.
“No, but I went ahead and paid off my house from my savings, so I’m secure for a while. I’ve sent my resume out to a few headhunters and now I’m just sitting back until they make contact. I left with a notice and have a great employment record. It was just time for me to move on from all of that craziness.”
“I have a proposition for you. I’m going to have to do some traveling for the expansion research and I was wondering if you wanted to go with me. The company has approved a travel partner for me and they would pay for everything. So, what do you say? Feel like seeing America with me or at least a couple of cities in it?” I asked, practically bouncing in my seat.
I loved the thought of traveling with Josh. He has such an adventurous spirit and is always good for a laugh…or twenty. With him being recently unemployed I was hoping he would be game to go on a journey with me.
“That sounds fun and I would love to go. Do you know which cities we are going to visit?”
“Awesome! The shortlist is Chicago, New Orleans, Montgomery, Detroit, Miami, Charlotte, Nashville, and a couple of others still to be determined. I was thinking we start close and move out from there.”
“When will we need to be ready to leave? I want to take Jake to my mom and dad while we are out of town. I hate to put in him the kennel for too long.” Jake was his very large and extremely lovable German Shepard that Josh adopted a couple of years ago.
“I need to have the list shortened to four before we launch the expansion so I would like to leave by the middle of next week. Can you make that happen?”
“Absolutely! I’ll take him up to them this weekend and we can plan everything when I get back on Sunday. Thanks for thinking of me. I don’t want to get in your way and I’m willing to help any way I can.”
“Maybe I can convince Maddie and Lucas to put you on the payroll.” I joked.
“Maybe.” he replied with a smirk.
We finished dinner and he walked me back to my apartment making sure I got in safe before he headed back to his car. We agreed to talk later this week and I was excited to see new cities and experience the different cultures each large town seemed to have that is unique to them. Having such a good friend with me made it all that much better.
After showering the day off and crawling into bed with my kindle, I decided to give social media one last look for the day. The friend request from this morning was there but I was too tired to look at it, deciding instead to put my electronics away and curl into a restful sleep.
Dreams came to me that night, filled with a man holding me, loving me, as we watched our little girl start to crawl across the floor, laughing at the beauty of it all. I never saw his face but woke up the next morning feeling like I had slept wrapped in a blanket of love. My dreams giving me hopefulness that my One was looking for me too.
After days of research and analysis, I shortened the list of cities to visit down to six. Miami and Detroit were knocked out for various reasons, but I hoped to revisit them next year for consideration.
That left Chicago, New Orleans, Montgomery, Charlotte, Nashville, and now Vicksburg, Mississippi. After meeting on Sunday to work out all the details of the trip, Josh and I decided that we would go to the southern cities first and visit the more northern cities next month.
Montgomery was first since it was so close to Atlanta, then Vicksburg, followed by a stay in New Orleans. We would be gone for about two weeks and decided to drive to each city. We rented a large sports utility vehicle to fit all of our stuff in and hit the road on Wednesday morning, arriving in the Alabama state capitol three hours later.
After we got checked into the hotel it was time set off to visit the local community centers and a few retirement homes before the end of the workday. I felt energized by being in the field, reaching out to people and gaining the information needed to make informed decisions.
Dinner that night was drive-thru tacos and we crashed in our separate rooms shortly after we ate. The drive down combined with the adrenaline of the day wearing off caused fatigue to set in, but I checked in with Maddie before I headed to bed.
The next two days were spent driving all over the city, speaking with public and private schools, rec centers, after-school programs, and potential corporate sponsors. I loved the city and the history that seemed to be proudly displayed at every turn.
Josh had devoted his time in Mo
ntgomery looking into gyms and training facilities to partner with for a potential fitness angle he wasn’t sure had any merit. He had freelanced work with MSJ after he and Lucas sat down over the past weekend and discussed new growth avenues for athletics. Some kids needed the discipline that sports could offer and Josh’s love of fitness could prove an asset in growth. Holy hell that man is stacked with muscles.
His thought process was that MSJ could develop partnerships with gyms and sports centers in the cities to enroll students in classes or have instructors come to the facilities. Health and fitness, or their decline, can be linked to literacy and unemployment rates, according to some avenues of study. The physical activity will be good for all age ranges and no one would be required to participate.
I wasn’t sure if anything would come of it but at least he was putting his degree to use. Josh had worked at a major sporting franchise in Atlanta since his internship in college his senior year. His love of all sports, combined with his business degree may prove to be an untapped asset for MSJ.
I felt like I had made some headway into the potential for Montgomery to make the list for expansion but wanted to get on the road towards Vicksburg and eventually to New Orleans, where we had a few days of R&R scheduled after our meetings.
The drive through Alabama and Mississippi was a desolate one with many towns run down or nearly abandoned. The injustice of the wage separation in America was evident by the towns and communities we encountered. Hopefully one day, we can reach all the small towns that were forgotten and cast aside and bring new life back to dying areas.
Vicksburg was a beautiful old Southern town with amazing architecture and colorful citizens. We were able to spend the weekend driving through the town, making note of the industry and tourism that supported the area.
By Monday I was already tired of sleeping in hotels and longed for my bed at home. Josh, noting my snippy attitude, had scheduled a massage for me at the end of my day. I had five meetings that day and I was beyond exhausted.
I’d be glad when we have a few days off to relax and actually enjoy the city we were in instead of dissecting it for its needs and potential. We would be in New Orleans the day after tomorrow and had the weekend off to explore and indulge a little.
Maybe I can get meet someone and get laid while we are in the French Quarter.
A one-night stand is usually not my cup of tea but right now I need to feel the weight of a man on top of me while he drives himself into me.
Damn Caroline, calm down.
After my relaxing massage, I decided to call Maddie before it got too late back home and see how things were going.
“Hey! How is Mississippi?” she asked instead of the usual hello most people answer the phone with.
“It’s beautiful, hot as hell, and has mosquitos the size of small birds. I love living in the South but this is a little too South for me. The food is amazing and I feel like I have gained at least five pounds since we left.” I explained with a little huff in my voice. I loved the state but my mood had begun to sour and I wasn’t sure why.
“You’re cranky. What’s wrong? Is Josh being an ass? Ignore him, you know how he can get sometimes.”
“Josh is great. He drops me off and picks me up while he does whatever it is he is doing. I’m just in a mood. I didn’t mean to bitch to you about it.”
“Are you still taking this weekend off in New Orleans?”
“Hell yes! I’ve never been and we are planning on going to the French Quarter on Saturday night so there is no telling what we will get into. I might even try and find a man for the evening, you never know.” I snarked at her.
“Just don’t get into too much trouble. You have to drive home on Tuesday and I don’t want you guys to be hungover still. And the chance of you having a one-night stand is zero Caroline. You have never been one to sleep with someone you just met so I don’t expect this to be any different” She laughed, knowing we would drink more than usual and be a little bit wilder than normal. It’s kind of what’s expected when you visit the Big Easy.
“New Caroline, a new outlook on life. I have been sulking over Andrew for years and now I feel free to explore life. A one-night stand might be exactly what I need to get back out there. Someone to show me a good time without the strings that a relationship comes with. New Orleans is the perfect city for exactly this kind of thing well, besides Las Vegas.”
“Just be careful is all I ask. Make sure Josh knows who you are with if you take someone back to your room, for safety. Please.”
“Sure, but knowing him, he will find someone to keep him company. The man is a chick magnet.”
“Didn’t you say he was looking for his One though?” she questioned me, the sound of worry in her voice.
“I did but that doesn’t mean he is a monk. We all have needs, Maddie. I promise we will be careful.” I teased her, letting her know we really were okay.
“Call me when you get to Louisiana. I love you.”
“Love you too.” I replied as I hung the phone up and went in search of Josh and dinner.
Arriving in New Orleans on Wednesday evening, I was ready to be out of the car. I’m thinking we should have flown as Maddie had suggested. The last week of being on the road had me listless so I decided to join Josh for his daily workout.
Since Hurricane Katrina, the city has yet to rebound. Schools are empty, houses are still damaged and falling in, and some of the population has never returned to claim their city back. I always knew this would be one of our expansion cities.
We found a gym with an attached karate dojo a few blocks from the community center I had a meeting at tomorrow morning so it would give me time to see the neighborhood we would hopefully be a part of very soon. After we got settled into the hotel we went to back check out the facility and I decided some time on the elliptical would be helpful for my stiff body.
Walking in, the place seemed very clean and the machines appeared to be newer models. We checked in and paid the small fee to use the equipment since they were closing up in a few hours. Josh was talking with the man working the front desk and I made my way over and began my slow movements, warming up my muscles.
I knew he was laying the groundwork for his research and I wasn’t interested in listening. I needed to get lost in my own head for a while to try and shake the gloomy feelings that had begun to creep back in. Maybe it’s all the traveling or the knowledge there isn’t anyone waiting for me at home that had me in this funk but I knew a good workout would get my endorphins flowing and improve my mood.
I was about 20 minutes into my exercises when the battery on my mp3 player died and I was cast into the silence and the huffing from my running. I could hear Josh still talking to the guy behind the counter and wondered if he planned on getting his workout in tonight or if he would do his weightlifting when he came back in the morning.
I slowed down my pace and began to bring my heart rate down before I got off the machine and began to wipe down the sweat pouring from my face and body. They say women perspire and men sweat.
Fuck that! I sweat like a sinner in church and refused to apologize for it.
As I made my way to the counter I noticed they stopped talking almost as soon as I got close enough to hear what they were saying. I was starting to get uncomfortable with the side glances the guy behind the counter kept giving me.
“Are you about ready to go or do you want to stay for a while?” I asked Josh as I observed the guy kept looking over his shoulder towards the back hallway, almost like he was waiting for someone to come out.
“Let’s get going. I’ve got a meeting with the owner in the morning to discuss everything. I was just asking Cody what there was to do around here on a Saturday that wouldn’t put us in the middle of the craziness of Bourbon Street.” Josh responded as he put his arm over my shoulder, caressing my arm as he kissed my temple, something he had never done before.
I was caught off guard but didn’t say anything about his misplaced affection.
My friend brain reasoned that he knew Cody was weirding me out and made the romantic gesture to get him to back off. At least, that was my hope. I didn’t have romantic feelings for Josh and hoped this last week he hadn’t developed feelings for me. He used to be with Maddie and I can’t date someone she dated. Sister Code.
“I was explaining to Josh that there are a few dance clubs if that is your kind of thing or there are numerous bars that have great food, cold drinks, and live music. I would love to join you guys and give you the locals perspective on the city if that is okay.” Cody responded as he came out from the counter, looked over his shoulder again, and walked us to the car.
Before I could decline his offer, Josh agreed shook his hand and unlocked the car before I could understand what was happening.
“What was that about?” I was perplexed by the happenings of the last few minutes and hoped he would clarify.
“Nothing. I noticed you were a little uncomfortable with Cody so I figured I would mark my territory, so to speak, so he wouldn’t take his flirtation any farther. He is a nice guy but I want you happy. You trust me, right?” he glanced at me as we made our way back to the hotel.
“Absolutely, I trust you. Thank-you for whatever that was, I guess. So, what’s your plan after meeting with the owner in the morning?”
“I’ve got a few stops in the neighborhood and then I thought we could go find some authentic Creole food for dinner. Friday morning is going to be busy for you so I thought, dinner and drinks after your last meeting. We can figure out the rest as we go along. Sound good?”
“Sounds perfect. Maybe I can finally get laid.” I whispered the last part under my breath.
“I don’t think you getting laid is going to be a problem, but is that really what you want? Don’t you know how absolutely beautiful and amazing you are? You deserve someone who worships you, puts you above everything else and loves you unconditionally. I don’t think you will find that in a booty call.”
The Love That Heals Me (Forever Mine Book 2) Page 4