Discovering Truths, page 18
“Doubtful,” he said. “Have a football game on Saturday and probably won’t be able to get away Sunday.”
I knew that, but still hoped for a different answer. “I understand.”
“We’ll figure it out.” He said.
“Yeah, we will.”
It was refreshing to hear him say that. When I first mentioned my training, his reaction wasn’t too promising. Maybe he had come around…maybe he finally believed me when I said that we could make it through anything.
We talked his entire ride to work and when he pulled in the parking lot, I didn’t want to hang up. Before ending the call, he told me he loved me, and that made everything better. I’d have a good day now for sure.
I had fifteen minutes before my class started, and I liked to be early, so with one last glance in the mirror, I grabbed my things and headed off. It was a five-minute walk, giving me plenty of time to arrive ahead of schedule.
When I made it to class, I sat in a chair in the middle of the room and pulled out my phone, aimlessly scrolling as I waited for instruction to begin. The trainer hadn’t even made it in yet. I was lost in the zone when a deep voice startled me from my trance.
“Morning.”
It was the guy who asked me about dinner last night. I really hoped he wasn’t going to be a thorn in my side.
“Good morning.” I replied.
“I didn’t catch your name last night.” He said.
“Abby.”
“Nice to meet you, Abby, I’m Damien.”
“Nice to meet you too…Damien.” I said, emphasizing his name. I’d admit, it was a sexy name and it fit him. He was tall, with dark hair and eyes. His skin was tan and smooth, and you could tell he was built, even wearing his dress clothes. He carried himself like he knew his presence affected women, and I definitely didn’t want that to show, so I kept my replies short.
“How’d you sleep?” he asked.
“Not bad. You?”
“Eh…so, so.” He said.
“Yeah. Hotels aren’t the greatest, but at least they put us in a nice one.”
Unless I was with Gage, then hotels were pretty freaking great.
“True,” he said.
“What office do you work at?” he asked.
Just then, the trainer walked into the room, making his presence known when he addressed the class with his bellowing voice.
I pulled out my notebook, ready to work. He dived right into our first topic which was how to handle HR related situations. Soon, we were moving on to new employee onboarding, and other managerial tasks. When we broke for lunch at twelve o’ clock, my brain was on overload.
“Lunch plans?” Damien asked. Wow, he was persistent.
“Um, not really.” I said. My brain was turning quickly, trying to think of a way to brush him off yet again. I couldn’t come up with an excuse fast enough, so I thought surely lunch couldn’t hurt anything. He was nice enough.
“Want to grab something across the street?”
“Sure.” I said.
We crossed the busy street, and then stood in line to order. By the time we made it to the table with our lunch, we didn’t have much time before we’d have to be back to class. That meant less conversation, it all worked in my favor.
“So, like I was asking before we got interrupted by the trainer…who does that guy think he is?” he smiled and I let out a small laugh at his joke. “What office do you work at?”
“I’m in Melbourne.” I said.
He narrowed his eyes. “Australia?”
This time, I let out a real laugh. “No. Melbourne, Florida.”
“I know I’m just messing with you.” He said. “I’m in Miami.”
“Oh, nice. Another Floridian.”
“Not sure how nice it is. I always say I’m going to move, yet I stay.”
“Miami is more exciting than Melbourne.” I said.
“You have a point there.” He grinned.
My phone dinged and I dug through my purse to pull it out. I didn’t want to miss a message from Gage. Unfortunately, the text on the other end wasn’t one I had been hoping for.
Marcus: How’s it going?
Me: It’s good. It’s a lot. But good. How are you?
Marcus: Good.
That was it. No elaboration or exchanges of love. We were dead.
I shoved my phone back in my purse and turned my attention back to Damien. Despite my initial judgment, he seemed pretty cool, and I didn’t want to be rude.
“Sorry. Just my husband.” I said.
“Oh. Whoa. Is that way you’ve seemed a little standoffish? Because you’re married?” he asked.
No. That definitely wasn’t it. It was Gage.
“Oh, no, definitely not.” I said. “I’m sorry if I’ve come across that way. We’ve got a lot going on. We’re on the brink of divorce.”
It’s official. I have diarrhea of the mouth.
“Crap, Abby. I’m sorry.”
“No, I’m sorry. You don’t even know me; you don’t want to hear this crap. I don’t want to bombard you with my issues.”
“We’ve all got issues,” he said. “And I’ve been through divorce, so if there’s anyone who knows how you’re feeling, it’s me. I’ve been there.”
Yeah, but had he been lied to and cheated on? Had he fallen in love with someone else while he was still married? He might have felt my pain a little, but he would never truly understand what I was going through. My story was one for the books.
“I’m sorry…to hear about yours.” I said, diverting the attention off of me.
“It’s alright. I should have seen the signs before we married.”
“Everything happens for a reason.”
“Yes. Yes, it does.”
We finished lunch and walked back to class. The remainder of the afternoon was spent in the books. Words were beginning to run together and I had to pull out my glasses for some focus. When six o’ clock finally came, I was relieved. I wasn’t sure my brain had any more room for more information. I needed a drink, a hot bath, and a bed.
I walked next door to the hotel and had just reached the elevator when I decided to back up and head to the bar. I was going to cash in on that drink. The room was dark, only a few lights from fancy lamps emitting the space. I sat at the end of the long, polished bar and a young, cute girl with blonde hair sauntered over. There were a few people at tables in the dining space, but I sat lonesome at the bar. It was still early.
“What can I get you?” she asked.
“Something fruity,” I said.
“Strong? Not too strong?”
“Maybe right in the middle. Like not so strong that it’s going to knock me off my ass, but I want to feel the effects.” I said. I was terrible at ordering drinks, but a good bartender would know what I meant.
She laughed. “I got you.”
A few minutes later she came back with a blue concoction with an orange slice and cherry floating on top.
I brought the straw to my lips and took a long sip. “Mm,” I said, savoring the fruity taste. “This is perfect.”
“Can I get you anything else? Are you eating dinner?” she asked.
“Not right now. I’m good, thank you.”
I pulled out my phone and noticed a message from Gage.
Gage: Headed to football practice. Hope you had a great day. I love you.
He was thinking of me and that was all I cared about. We used to talk all day every day, but I knew that was impossible now. The distance between us created obstacles, but I didn’t want our love to die. I needed everything I could get from him. I typed out a reply, assuming that I wouldn’t hear from him anymore that night.
Me: My day was good. It’s rough. There’s a lot of info. Hope your day was good. You can call me in the morning if you want. I love you.
Before I had realized it, I was almost finished with my second drink. I had been scrolling through my phone, catching up on all my social platforms and texting Melinda. Man, I need a life. One person that never crossed my mind was Marcus. It was obvious I hadn’t crossed his either.
“Want another?” the cute blonde asked.
“Sure. Why not?”
She started slinging ingredients together and made my drink quickly. I should have paid attention to what she was using, but by that point, I didn’t care.
“Why are you here alone?” she asked, placing the drink in front of me.
“I’m here for work. I recently got promoted and I’m training at our headquarters here.”
“Oh nice. Do you work for that loan place next door? Isn’t that what that big building is?”
“Yeah, that’s us.”
“Awesome. I’m in school to be a teacher.”
“My hat is off to you. That’s something I definitely couldn’t do.” I said.
“I just have a passion for it…you know?”
“I do. Is school going well?” I asked.
“It is, yeah. This is my last year.”
“That’s exciting! Congrats!”
“Thanks,” she said, walking away. A guy sat down at the other end of the bar and she slid him a beer and said, “Hey, Jim.” He must have been a regular. She walked back down to me.
“Anyway, yeah, I’m excited to graduate, but I’m not excited to move. I’ve been in Georgia my whole life, but my boyfriend just got a job in California, so once I’m done, I’ll be moving out there with him.”
“How long have you guys been together? That’s a long way to move for a boyfriend.”
I may have not been the best person to give relationship advice, but she came back to me. She started the conversation. It was like she was looking for someone to talk to. That was a feeling I could definitely relate to.
“We’ve been together since I started college. We met there and he graduated last year. We’re getting married. There just hasn’t been an official proposal or anything.”
“Well, I know this is something you won’t want to hear, because nobody ever does, but don’t rush it. Make sure it’s right. You don’t want to end up stuck in a bad situation, trust me, I’ve been there.”
That was one piece of advice I could give that was solid.
The chair beside me scooting back caught my attention, and I looked to see Damien, sliding into the seat.
“I didn’t take you for a drinker.” He said, nodding towards my almost-empty glass.
“Yeah, well, she can make them good.” I said.
“What can I get you?” the blonde asked. She wasn’t wearing a nametag and I hadn’t thought to ask her name. She would now be referred to as The Blonde Bartender.
“Jack and Coke.” He said.
“Jack and Coke? Yuck.” I said, shivering. “Sounds disgusting...and manly.”
“I’m a man’s man,” he said, raising his chin.
“Oh please,” I said, rolling my eyes.
She sat his drink on a napkin in front of him and walked away to tend to the other guests.
“So, you didn’t take me for a drinker? What does that mean?” I asked.
“I feel bad for judging you now. Don’t get offended,” he said.
I rolled my eyes again in a playful gesture.
“You kind of look like a goody-two-shoes. Like you wouldn’t dare take a drink, say a curse word, or do anything bad.”
He had no idea.
“Well, you have no damn clue.” I said, finishing off my drink.
He burst into laughter. “I like you.”
“Yeah, you’re pretty cool too.” I said smiling.
We sat at the bar and talked for an hour, mostly about work. It was nice to have someone who was in my position and actually knew what I was talking about. I had polished off two more drinks and was feeling wobbly. I knew it was time to get back to my room. Forget the bath; I was ready to pass out.
I stood up from my chair and slung my purse over my shoulder, grabbing the chair to steady myself as I slightly stumbled.
“Whoa,” Damien said, grabbing me. “Let me help you to your room.”
“No, no. I’m fine.” I said, heading for the exit.
“No, you’re not,” he said, catching up with me. “You’re swaying. What’s your room number?”
“I don’t know.” I said.
“Do you have the key?” he asked.
“Somewhere,” I said, digging through my purse. I pulled out the card and handed it to him. This was bad…this was really bad, but I was drunk and not in my right mind. He could have been some crazy serial killer, or taken advantage of me…but he didn’t. He walked me to my room and made sure I got in. He returned the key to me and said, “Get some sleep. See you in the morning.”
Once the door was closed, I ripped off my clothes and fell onto the bed. Between the alcohol, my overloaded brain, and my tilted emotional state, I was done. This was all I could handle for one day. Darkness soon took over, ceasing any further thoughts.
Chapter Thirty-Four
The next morning, my phone blaring from the other side of the room startled me awake. Jumping up, I noticed the clock on the bedside table read eight o’ clock. Crap. Class started in an hour. I rushed for my phone to see a video call coming through the Messenger app from Gage. Oh my gosh. I looked disgusting, with runny make-up and wild bed hair. There was no way I could answer looking like this. As much as I wanted to talk to him, it couldn’t happen this morning. Not to mention, I had forty-five minutes before I needed to be heading to training. Phone forgotten, I jumped in the shower, speeding through my morning process.
Once ready, I picked up my phone and sent an apology text to Gage.
Gage: SO SORRY. I was behind this morning. I hate I missed your call. Heading to class now. I hope you have a good day. I love you.
I still made it in early and went to my usual seat in the middle. As I unpacked my materials, I glanced at my phone once more to see if Gage had responded. He hadn’t even looked at the message. It sat on Unread. That was a little disheartening. I wanted to slap myself for missing his call. That was my payback for drinking last night. I shouldn’t have been under the influence while attending this important training anyway. Lesson learned. It wouldn’t happen again.
“You alright?” A deep voice grabbed my attention and I turned to see Damien sitting down beside me.
“I’m good. Why? Do I not look alright?”
He laughed. “You look fine. I was just making sure. You were a little smashed last night.”
“Yeah. It doesn’t take much,” I said. “Luckily, I’m feeling okay. I woke up late though, so I had to rush this morning. I snagged this coffee on the way out of the hotel; hopefully it will perk me up.” I said, raising my cup.
“I’m sure it will.”
“I didn’t say or do anything stupid last night, did I?” I asked.
“You don’t remember?”
My heart dropped and panic took over. What did I say, or better yet, what did I do?
He laughed again. “Calm down. I see the fear in your eyes. No, you didn’t say or do anything you shouldn’t have. Your reaction has me concerned. Do you usually do wild and crazy things while under the influence?”
I rolled my eyes and grinned. “Nothing too extreme.”
The trainer came into the room and we jumped right into our day’s work. When we broke for lunch, three messages on my phone awaited me and luckily, one was from Gage.
Mike: How’s training going?
Marcus: Call me when you can. Looks like I’m going to have to go out of town again.
Gage: It’s alright. Too bad we couldn’t talk. Hope your day is good. Love you.
I decided to head back to the hotel for my hour break, stopping by the vending machine to grab a pack of crackers for lunch. Once in my room, I sat down on the bed and let out a deep breath. With the amount of instruction and in-classroom training, I felt like I was in school again. After having only been in the workforce for a year, it was a lot to take in. I knew I could handle it, but adjusting was rough.
Opening the crackers, I popped one in my mouth as I typed out a reply to Gage, the message of most importance.
Me: My day is going well. Lots of learning. Hope yours is going okay. XOXO
And then to Mike.
Me: Training is good! It’s a lot! But good! How’s retired life thus far?
And then I called Marcus. What was so important that I had to call? We hardly ever talked on the phone, much less texted. I rolled my eyes as I touched his name in my contacts.
“Hello?” he answered quickly.
“Hey. Are you okay? You sound rushed.”
“Sorry, just at work,” he said. “So listen, Dad’s got a friend in Bonita Springs that’s in a huge mess. He’s suing the company he works for...it’s a long story, but it’s a big deal. He wants me to come out there to represent him.”
“Okay. Bonita Springs? Isn’t that like, four hours away? I asked, thinking over his proposition. My mind raced quickly, trying to decipher his ulterior motive.
“I’m going to fly out there. It’d just be easier. It’s going to be a big payday.” He said. Ah, there it is. But I was sure there was more to it.
“Okay. Well, whatever you think. When do you leave?”
“That’s the thing, I’m heading out tomorrow and I’m not sure when I’ll be back. There’s a lot going on. Apparently this case has been brewing for a while. Dad’s going to fly out there with me initially, since he knows the guy.”
“What about the office here?” I asked.
“I’ve been working with Todd. He should have it under control while I’m gone.” Sure. What about Katie?
“Okay. Well…not sure when I’ll see you then.” I said. Not that I cared, but I was playing the role.
“I know. I’m sorry. This is going to be good, though, Ab.”
I rolled my eyes, trying my hardest to hold back the laugh that wanted to escape me. I told him to take the time apart to think about us. He hadn’t even mentioned that, and now here he was running away.
