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“I came home for two weeks in July. We went to the cabin, remember? I need a little me time right now. And no snow. You know I don’t like driving long distance in bad weather, anyway.”
I could hear her thinking. But I was telling the truth. It was a long drive home, and I didn’t have the money in my bank account to put towards a plane ticket. What was there was going for gifts that I could have sent straight to them.
“You’re sure about this?”
“I am. I’ll drive sometime in the new year for a visit, I promise.”
“It won’t be a real Christmas without you here.”
“Then we’ll Skype or something. I’ll just be on a beach. You won’t even miss me.”
I heard her exasperated sigh. I was an adult; I had an apartment and a job and responsibilities, as was kept drilled into me at times. She couldn’t really push it.
“We’ll talk closer to the holidays…” she said at last, breaking the uneasy silence.
It was like she thought something would come up and change my mind or something.
“I’ll call you before we leave,” I promised.
By the time we hung up, I was wiped. I brought up Lucas' last texts.
December 19th can't get here soon enough!
***
Lucas texted me a couple hours later. Everything was completely set.
Fourteen days in Paradise.
He gave me the times and dates of our flights. The time he was coming with the car to pick me up.
The only hitch? He was working so much between now and then, the likely next time I saw him would be when he picked me up to go to the airport.
I was fine with it.
I had work.
And I had things I had to do, too, like finding my passport, for the most part.
I made myself another hot chocolate, added a ton of mini marshmallows, and climbed back into bed. I brought up one of my favorite online stores on my phone and scanned through the swimwear section, added a couple new bikinis to cart and some flip flops.
I browsed a couple more sites, looked longingly at some new camera equipment, and went back to the first site and put my cart through.
As the days passed, I went into auto-pilot, taking on an extra shift here and there when I could to bank a little extra money for the trip.
All I kept thinking about was fourteen days in paradise with my best friend.
***
I was tired as I let myself into the back entrance after working the gig for Professor Nelson. Jimmy had given me the night off and told me to enjoy myself, catch up with old friends and the staff…I think he thought maybe being back in my old familiar environment might help me somehow. Maybe my creativity would be sparked; maybe I’d be offered my dream job…
Somehow, I’d made it through the afternoon, smiling like I hadn’t a care in the world, taking the photos I knew Professor Nelson wanted of the event, adding some extra ones here and there. I’d walked through the gallery, the offices. Down hallways I’d almost forgot about.
I talked with a couple of old friends, keeping my smile in place while they rambled about their latest assignments, their jobs. Professor Nelson and a few others had invited me to dinner afterwards and I’d gone, sitting there picking my food while I heard all about the department gossip and what I was likely there for, the openings coming up in the new year and up into the spring. Even working in the gallery itself…I’d nodded along, saying I’d think about it. The gallery one, at least. That one wouldn’t be complicated, wouldn’t have the face-to-face dealings with a lot of people I didn’t want to deal with anymore.
But to be honest, I just wanted to get the night over with and sleep.
I stopped in front of my door, looking blankly at the boxes stacked neatly there then I remembered with a smile: my orders for the trip.
