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My friend, Mari, sits onmy bed. She’s still in pajamas from our sleepover, her hair is in a messy blonde bun at the top of her head, and she sips on a freshly brewed cappuccino from my brand-new Nespresso machine. She has her MacBook in her lap and is browsing through the gallery pictures on the Thoroughgood Ranch website.
“I can’t believe you didn’t take one selfie with this guy you’re going to go back to see.” She drops her hand beside her with a huff. “None of these pictures have a good view of him.”
But I already knew that. “I’ll send you a photo as soon as I get there, but...” I think for a second to recall the actor’s name. When it comes to me, I ask, “Do you remember that actor Giulio Berruti from that romance trilogy we binge-watched a couple of years ago?”
She looks up with her blue eyes huge and her mouth gaping. “Gabriel’s Inferno?”
“Yeah,” I say absently, reaching for the stack of new jeans I ordered. “He looks a lot like him, except for with dark-chocolate eyes.”
Mari closes her computer, finishes her coffee, and then flops backward onto the messy bed. “I wish I could go with you to meet him. It sounds sooo… romantic.”
Chuckling, I continue sorting through my clothes and packing. “Do you want some of these skirts?” I ask. I’ll keep a couple, but I don’t think I’ll have the occasion to wear them much in New Mexico. It’s nice that Mari and I are the same size.
“Sure,” she says. “But I really don’t want you to go. What am I going to do without you?”
“You’ll be fine, and it’s not like we’re never going to see each other again. I’ll be back at least once a month for my job at LivFit.”
Mari sits up as I’m zipping up the suitcase. “I’m still shocked they agreed to let you work from another state.”
Quite frankly, I am too. “They didn’t have a choice if they wanted me to stay on. I think Gina from HR pressed the issue because of the diversity factor. Plus, I’ll be traveling for a while to publicize the LivFit in Luxury products.” The photoshoot and interview with Michelle Francis fromThe Knotwent spectacular and launched a stream of interviews, including two in New York next month. One withGood Morning Americaand another with theToday Show.
After the launch, I’m remaining on the LivFit staff as the product owner and visionary for the product line. However, we agreed that I won’t be taking on new products, only working to keep the luxury line relevant to the market. I’ll be stepping away from the director-level position so I won’t have any more direct staff management accountabilities. Eddie will be taking over for me, and I’ll report to him, which is a-okay by me.
All this will give me additional time to get settled in New Mexico... assuming that’s still what Luca wants. We’ll see after I surprise him at the ranch later today. If I’ve planned things correctly, they should be in between groups.
I check my phone for the time. My flight leaves in three hours. “Shoot! I need to finish up and make my way to the airport. Can you get me a cab?” I ask Mari.
“Argh. I wish I had time to take you before my first meeting.” She picks up her phone and types a few things. “Should be here in forty minutes.”
Perfect.
Luca
People rush around me atthe airport, and a woman running bumps into my arm, causing my bag to drop to my feet. She doesn’t even bother to turn back, as she rushes off in the opposite direction. I sigh and pick it up, and as I’m standing up, I catch sight of a billboard sign on the wall. It’s the cover of a magazine, entitledThe Knot, and pictured there is a set of enlarged wedding bands with a woman in a black pencil skirt and white shirt standing in the background. A woman I’d recognize anywhere. The headline reads, “LivFit Director Jack Moreno brings luxury to fitness wearables.”
Smiling, I turn toward the exit and another guy bumps into my backpack. I shake my head and press onward. It’s been a while since I’ve been around this many people. The last time I saw my parents, they visited me on the ranch. I used to be one of these people. Rushing to catch my flight. Work brief case in tow. Button down shirt nicely ironed and tucked into the latest fashion of men’s dress pants.
And here I am again. Willing to put myself back into this world. For love. Maybe I am romantic after all. A child stares at me as I walk by. I look so out of place here. My plaid shirt, tucked into my jeans, and cowboy boots that I rarely leave home without. I can’t imagine putting back on a pair of Cole Haans. Even if I get back into Corporate America, I’m finding a way to keep my Ropers as a staple to my wardrobe.
Jack. I think back to the day she arrived on the ranch. So unsure of herself as she looked around. At the time, I thought it was arrogance she was displaying. In hindsight, she felt as out of place in New Mexico as I do in San Francisco. We were meant for two different worlds, it seems. I start to doubt myself as I follow the stream of people and the signs for baggage claim.
What would life look like here? I could get back into the tech industry, although I’d have to start near the bottom again. I’d leave for work in the dark morning hours and return home in the dark too. But it all will be worth it if, when I open up the door at the end of the day, Jack is there. We’ll sit around and tell each other about our days, compare notes. Order Chinese takeout, and sit on the couch, her feet on my lap as I rubbed them.
Home is where you make it.That’s what Wyatt said, and I believe him. Almost as much as I believe Jack and I have a real chance at happiness.
What if she doesn’t want that life though? Or doesn’t want that life with me?
The bags circle through, until I see mine appear. I grab it, and head outside. It’s a cool, foggy day, and my years of living here all come flooding back to me. It wasn’t all bad, right? The food, culture, and ability to make a lot of money. The friends. Maybe I’ll have to reach out to a few of my old friends eventually. The weekend brunches and boat rides in the bay. There were so many good times spent here. When the ranch comes into my mind, I shudder that thought away. Jack is worth leaving it all behind.
Cabs line up, but people beat me to them. I wait for almost all the ones there to move along and for another one to appear. This time, I step in front of a man that tries to get in front of me.See, it’s all coming back,I tell myself. The vehicle comes to a stop, and I wait a split second before reaching for the door.
As I grasp the handle, the door flies open, first hitting my knee. I stumble a little and then, yep, I can’t breathe for a moment. San Francisco. Everyone is in a hurry, and common decency sometimes goes out the window.
“Excuse me—” I begin to say with a strain, and then a female exits, face hidden to me.
“Can you kindly get out of my way?” she says, but there is nothing kind in her voice at all.
Her voice. Hairs stand up on my arms with the familiarity. I know that voice, and it’s music to my ears. She turns around and grabs for her rolling bag, and I put my hand around her arm as she sets it on the curb. Then, her gaze meets mine.
