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A sense of relief washes over me. "Sure, Mom, thank you. Just make it someplace with all the amenities that I would need to work, with great room service because you know I won't be leaving the room until I get all the budgets and planning done for Put Me To Work." The online freelance business I created has grown so much and so fast that once a quarter, I have to physically get out of the office and have a budget and planning week all to myself so I can think straight. No distractions. Not that I have a husband or kids to go home to that can distract me. Who has time for that?
No, I mean no distractions of my cell phone interrupting me. No distractions of friends stopping by, or my mother and two sisters barging into my house like they own the place. I love my friends and family, don’t get me wrong, but sometimes a girl just needs to get away.
"Sounds good. I can definitely do that. I'll get right back to you with your flight info. Don't worry about anything. I'll arrange the full-service treatment for you and the car service will be at the airport waiting area to pick you up and take you to the resort."
“Thanks, Mom.” I say my goodbyes and get off the phone. As I suck in a lungful of air, I sigh when I think about replacing my old assistant. So much work to be done and there’s only one of me.
Thankfully, Mom stepped up to help. I could just kiss her.
“The quarterly reports are here,” Vanessa from accounting says, holding a manilla file in her hand. She’s dressed like she’s going to a cocktail hour at some fancy hotel instead of work. I envy her sometimes, because she can pull it off.
If I were to wear something like that, everyone would ask me, ‘What’s the occasion?’ “Thank you. You can just leave it on my desk.” I sit down, ready to be done for the day, but I know I still have many hours left before I can call it quits. Every time I think I’m done with work, something new pops up.
Now I’ll be here all day and well into the night, going over the quarterly budget.
“You look stressed,” she says, stepping into my office. She shuts the door behind her, drops the report on my desk, and takes a seat. “Are you not getting any?” she asks and gives me a wink and a devilish smile.
If any other employee talked to me this way, they’d be fired on the spot. However, Vanessa’s a friend. A very close friend. We spent many nights in college curled up on the sofa, watching chick flicks, and she would cry about how she wanted to meet Mr. Right. I never bought into the notion that there’s one perfect person out there for everyone. How could I?
She knows I tried that and was seriously burned by the theory of love. Just more proof that there isn’t such a perfect match of a person out there. Plus, I don’t have time to date.
I give Vanessa a pointed look. “Ha ha,” I say in my most sarcastic voice.
“I’m serious, Julia. You need some hot and steamy action in your life. You work too hard.”
I glance at the expense report and chuckle as I stand from my chair. “No, I really don’t. I have zero time to date. Besides, there’s nobody I know who I’d even consider.”
“Travis from that marketing firm was hot. He looked like he could do a body good.”
“You sound like a milk commercial.”
We hired Travis’ firm to market a few things for us last month. Sure, he was okay, but nothing I’d bother trying to date. I feel like it gives my company a bad name. A horrible image. I hired someone to work for my company. To make it better. And then I go and hit on the owner? No, that’s not me.
I glance out my window at all the people in the streets below, rushing off to probably grab a bite to eat. Is it lunchtime? I’ve completely skipped a meal because I was, once again, too busy to eat. My mother would probably scold me if she knew.
As if on cue, my stomach growls.
“You sound hungry. Call Travis to meet you for lunch.”
I roll my eyes. “No, thank you.” My computer dings with an incoming email, and I breathe a sigh of relief.
“What’s that?” Vanessa asks as I sit back behind my desk to read the email further.
“My mother came through. She booked my work trip.”
Vanessa laughs. “More like a snore-trip.” She stands. “Will you do me one favor?”
I glance up into her brown eyes. “Sure, what is it?” I’m skeptical to agree, but if this is about Travis, I can just push it off for a while. I’ll be out of town for a period of time.
She gives me a big smile. “Try to have a little sex on your vacation.”
I blush. “Vanessa, it’s not a vacation. It’s a work trip.”
She waves me off. “Same thing. Let your hair down and have a little fun.” She leaves my office, and I think about what she said. I can’t let my hair down and have fun. I’ll be too busy planning the next phase of how I’m going to be a billionaire.
It’s nearly midnight when I step out of the Uber. The flight was tiring. The airport was even worse. I just want to fall on top of the bed and pass out.
“Here you are, Miss,” Fred, my Uber driver, says. “Let me get your bags.” He steps out of the driver’s side and heads to the back of the four-door sedan.
