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“As long as you give me more lyrics and learn the new tunes, I don't care where you’re going to be . . .”
I chuckled at the thought of how my friend's brain works, but before I could dig my phone out of my pocket to text Bennett, my office phone rang in my ear. It was loud and shrill—the perfect ring tone that you had to answer.
I hit the speaker button as I sat down. “This is Elliot.”
“Do I need to come there and stop you from taking a two week sabbatical right before you start a huge, life-changing decision!?” Clay shouted into the room. His voice was loud. So loud that I noticed a few people turn their heads to me.
I waved at them and grabbed the phone, bringing it to my ear. “It’s not a sabbatical. I’ll just be working remotely for three weeks.”
“Three? Did you just say three weeks?!”
“Yes. I’ve worked remotely before, you heard me in that meeting—”
“A warning would have been nice . . .” he grumbled. I pictured him reaching for his water glass, running his hands through his hair.
“I have Kevinprepped and ready to go with approvals and meetings with clients. It’s not like I’ll be gone forever, just three weeks.”
“And where are you going for three weeks?”
“Utah.”
“Utah!? What the fuck is in Utah?” Clay’s voice was getting harsher, the new stresses that were coming with his new company finally showing and the news of his first client—and highest payingclient—was leaving for a few weekswhileselling his company probably didn't sit well with him.
“Jamie’s family.”
“Jamie?”
“Yea, I’m going as her boyfriend for a family reunion.”
“Boyfriend? Family reunion?”
“Yes, in Utah. I’ll take my laptop and make sure I get work done.”
“Utah. You’re going to take your laptop to Utah and work remotely?”
“Are you going to keep repeating everything I say?”
“Only until you fill me in on what’s actually going on.”
“Iamfilling you in. Jamie needed a boyfriend for her family reunion, and I volunteered.”
“Youvolunteered?” Clay practically screamed so loud I would have been able to hear him from New Yorkwithoutmy phone.
“Wait, what? Elliot did what?” Ophelia’s voice faded through the background. “I’ve heard you say Jamie, Utah, and volunteered?”
“Tell Phe I say hi,” I muttered.
“What's going on?” Her voice was stronger. I envisioned her yanking the phone from Clay’s hand, him dropping his arm to the desk in defeat and taking a few deep breaths. I knew he always had a neck issue when he worked in Seattle . . . perhaps he rubbed his neck out of habit.
“I’m going to be working remotely for three weeks and your husband is freaking out,” I replied.
Ophelia let out a long sigh. “There’s more to the story than that so . . . here—” there was a pause and a fumble, no doubt Ophelia moving the phone, “—you’re on speaker now. Tell. Us. Everything.”
I heaved a sigh and started to explain the entire story. Every now and then Ophelia would give a little “Yup” or “Mmhmm” while Clay remained silent. It sounded insane, being the first time saying it out loud. Jamie had caught my attention the first moment I sawher, and I simply saw this as a way to get to know her. No more ghosting or purposefully avoiding me. This was my chance.
“Your middle name isn’t Daxton.” Ophelia laughed, disbelief practically flooding the speaker on my phone.
“I happen to know it is,” Clay mumbled. “I asked while filling out the client paperwork. I had to know what that D stood for.”
