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Of course she needs to work. It would be nice to spend the day with her, but it looks like half a day will do.
“Oh and one other thing!” she exclaims. “I got the promotion!”
“Wow already? I thought they weren’t deciding until after this project.”
Her smile takes up half her face and I know she has been holding this in. “Well, that was the plan, but I took charge the last week and really made a difference in the eyes of the client so the company offered it to me yesterday!”
I walk over to her and give her a hug despite how sweaty I am. “I’m really proud of you,” I whisper in her ear. I pull back and kiss her slowly.
She pulls away and pushes me back. “Now go get in the shower. Maybe we can celebrate in town. I remember seeing that little dive by the diner, maybe we could go in and have a drink there.”
Absolutely not, I think. Not that it matters, but facing Shelley and Tacoma at the same time sounds like a battle I don’t want to face for a reason I am unsure of. “Whatever you want, babe.”
* * *
An hour later we are in the car driving the thirty minutes from Towson to White Creek. I look over at Shelley as I drive, her blonde hair blowing in the wind. She’s wearing jeans and a t-shirt. Something I haven’t seen her wear in a while and it makes me smile having her look so laid back. I hope the promotion lets her let loose more. She will be able to work from home most of the time. And I think the two of us just need time together.
She is talking ardently about her new job and everything it entails. I don’t interrupt and let her have her time. I’m distracted when my phone vibrates next to me. I look over at her and she is still talking, going on and on about advertising or something. I look down and see a text from an unknown number.
Unknown: Seven for a secret
I nearly drop my phone when I see the text. Confused that she would text me. Even more bewildered about how she got my number. Although knowing Tacoma, she has her ways for just about everything.
I don’t know if I should respond. I know what our secret meetings led to before. But the need to have someone to talk to outweighs my concern over everything else.
Ryder: Our old spot?
It doesn’t take long for her to respond.
Tacoma: I’m off at six. How about 7pm?
I look over at Shelley who is still talking. Today is about her.
Ryder: I am busy today.
I see the dots blinking on the screen and then they stop. I wish I could see her. If she feels like talking, then I know she isn’t having a good day. But she isn’t my priority. She is nothing to me. At least I am trying to tell myself that. The thought of her alone sends a jolt through me that I try to ignore.
“Hey Ryder, are you listening?”
I turn to look at Shelley and set my phone down. “Yeah sorry what were you saying?”
“Just that I am going to have to head back to Atlanta tomorrow for a couple days. HR just emailed me and said I need to fill out some paperwork, do some legal stuff for the promotion.”
My heart deflates a bit. I was hoping we had a couple days.
She grabs my arm and squeezes it. “It will just be for the day. I’ll stay overnight so I don’t have to drive late, but I’ll be back on Friday. Besides, we have our whole day just the two of us. You’ll probably be sick of me by tomorrow.”
I laugh and quietly agree. She starts to talk about her job again and I grab my phone to text Tacoma back.
Ryder: Tomorrow?
Tacoma: Sure. Same time.
Ryder: I’ll bring the whiskey.
I set my phone back down. Feeling bad I am looking forward to tomorrow more than I am looking forward to today with Shelley.
When we get to our new house in White Creek, I am blown away. I grew up in a trailer for most of my youth. The one house we did have was so small and decrepit I had almost preferred the trailer. This house is huge. When we found it six months ago, it was old and rundown and only about a thousand square feet. But it sits on ten acres and has a creek that runs through the back yard with the woods backing up to the creek. It was the kind of yard I dreamed about as a kid. My very ownBridge to Terabithia.
