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She wanted to challenge her mom's statement, but it seemed pointless. Her mom could be almost as stubborn as her so changing her mind would be almost impossible.
“He didn't answer his phone.” Charlie reached for another weed only to realize all the ones in that part of the garden were gone. “Just got a short text last night and nothing since.”
Anxious to keep busy, Charlie moved away from her mom farther down the flower bed to a section her mother hadn't touched.
“What about his office? Did you try there?” Maureen asked as she gathered up her gardening tools and followed Charlie.
Charlie shook her head. “I'm not sure I should.” The thought had entered her mind, but she quickly dismissed it. A call to his office might give the wrong impression. She wanted to keep this relationship or whatever it was between them light and casual. After all, serious entanglements were not her style; or his for that matter. A phone call to his office seemed like something a girlfriend would do.
“Bah.” Maureen waved her hand in the air for extra emphasis. “Unless he said not to call, I don't see any harm in it.
Not once had he told her not to call the office. In fact the first time he returned to Virginia he gave her not only his cell number but also his work number. Still something held her back from using it.
“Why don't you go
in and try him now. I can handle the weeding myself.” Her mom gave her a gentle pat on the leg and proceeded to attack the weeds threatening what was left of her favorite rose bush. “You'll feel better if you do.”
A nagging voice in her head kept telling Charlie that her mom was wrong. “It's late. The office is probably closed.”
In the end Charlie waited another two hours before trying Jake again. Once again her call went straight to his voice mail.
Should she try his office? She tapped his business card against the desk in her room, uncertainty clawing at her. What was the worst that could happen? If he couldn't talk now, he'd tell her.
With her mind made up she punched in the number. After several rings someone answered. “Falmouth Foundation,” a crisp female voice said.
Surprised that someone had answered, Charlie paused for a half-heartbeat before speaking. “I'm calling for Jake Sherbrooke,” she said, her voice just as crisp and businesslike as the woman on the other end of the line.
“He isn't in the office.”
Did that mean he wasn't in now or hadn't been in all day? “Do you know when he'll be back?”
“No. He flew out last night.”
The simple reply made the already growing knot in Charlie's stomach double in size. “Is he away on business?” She didn't think the woman would answer but she asked anyway.
“I'm not at liberty to say. But if you want to leave a message you may. I expect he will be calling in at some point.” The secretary remained businesslike, but Charlie thought she sounded a little less stuffy.
Leave a message? Saying what? “No that's okay. Thanks.” Charlie didn't wait for a reply instead she hit the end button on her phone.
Unable to sit still, she walked to her window. The sky outside glittered with stars and a full moon dominated her view, however her mind was too preoccupied to really appreciate the view tonight. Where had he gone and why couldn't the secretary say. If he'd gone away on official business there wouldn't be any reason to keep his whereabouts a secret. She assumed that meant he'd left for a personal reason. And if that was the case why hadn't he told her? Why keep it a secret from her? Why sneak away?
Was that what he'd done? Sneaked away to be with someone else without the courtesy of telling her things between them were over first. Just like her father had done to her mother?
For the first time in years memories from the day she realized her father wasn't coming home flooded her mind. It'd been a complete shock to her when he left one morning and never came back. When he'd finally sent word a week later that he'd moved to Florida and wanted a divorce, the entire family had been devastated. Nothing was ever the same again.
A few tear drops trailed down Charlie's face as she fought to suppress the memories. Even if Jake had decided to call it quits without a single word she wasn't going to shed any tears over it. It wasn't as if she loved him or anything, she told herself. He'd just been another person passing through her life.
***
Charlie checked her emails then switched over to her normal web browser for any interesting world news. She brought up a story about a new space program initiative when her phone rang. When she checked the caller ID she expected to see Jake's number. Instead she saw her friend and temporary roommate Beth's number.
Beth was perhaps her oldest friend in Norfolk. They'd been transferred to the base a week apart and had both worked at the hospital on base. Beth lost everything when the apartment building she lived in burned down so she moved in with Charlie.
“Did you end things with Jake already? Are you crazy?” Beth asked after saying hello. “Do you know how many women would kill to be in your place?”
For a moment Charlie wondered why she told Beth about Jake in the first place. “If I'm crazy I'm not the only one. What are you talking about?”
For a full minute silence stretched out over the phone. “So you two are still a couple?” Beth asked slowly.
