The People We Meet Along The Way Read online

  CHAPTER 10

  I HAD GOTTEN up extra early and finished all my work by noon, getting it out of the way before I boarded the bus for the city. Theo and I were meeting for a late lunch at Augustine, a downtown French restaurant that had gotten rave reviews from my coworkers. He was waiting for me out front when I arrived, and it was as if I was staring at a different guy than the one I had met a month ago. In addition to his freshly cut hair, he was dressed to perfection in what appeared to be a very expensive suit. He had transformed from an adorable haphazard boy trapped in a man’s body to an elegant businessman.

  “Wow, I feel like I underdressed for the occasion!” I held out my arms and laughed as I approached him, wearing my pink wool coat with jeans and a sweater underneath.

  “No.” He chuckled. “I can assure you, I’m quite overdressed. My meeting ran a little later than expected, so I didn’t have time to go back to my hotel and change. I hate this monkey suit.” He pulled on his tie and loosened it before bending over and placing a kiss on my cheek. “It’s so nice to see you live and in the flesh again.” He had that playful tone to his voice that I was used to, assuring me the suit he was wearing may have transformed him physically, but not who he was on the inside.

  “You should have sent me a message. I could’ve waited for you to change.”

  He waved his hand in a dismissing manner. “It’s fine, I can change after we’re done eating. Besides, I’m starving.” He opened the door to the restaurant and extended his hand for me to walk in front of him. I felt as if I had stepped through some magical portal and was in a bistro in Paris, not a restaurant in the Financial District of Manhattan when I entered. I was pleasantly surprised, and if the food was half as good as the ambience, then this place was definitely a winner.

  After Theo and I placed our orders, he began to tell me about the purpose of his meeting. His office in London was the sister company of an office in New York. Apparently they had a lot of sister companies scattered throughout the globe. He was headed to Tokyo in a week, then Sydney, Australia, the week after that.

  “Wow, I don’t know how you do it. You must be immune to jet lag,” I remarked, taking a sip of my wine.

  “Believe it or not your body does adjust if you do it often enough. You get used to the different time zones.”

  “If you say so!” I raised an eyebrow.

  “It’s a great way to see the world.” He shrugged.

  “Oh, no doubt, but I guess after a while it would take its toll if you had a wife and children.”

  “And that is precisely why I have neither one of them.”

  I gave him an uneasy smile, wondering if something were to happen to Kate, would he become his nephew’s guardian, and if so, how would he be able to maintain that type of work schedule? What was I thinking? Firstly, I had to remain positive for him that his sister would beat cancer. Secondly, it was really none of my business. I was happy when the waiter came to our table to bring our food, preventing me from asking a question that wasn’t my concern.

  We spent the rest of lunch making plans for what was left of the afternoon and the evening. After sharing an apple strudel for dessert, one that was right up there with the one I had in Austria, we headed back to Theo’s hotel so he could change. I waited in the bar area, sipping on a club soda with lime while playing around on my phone to kill the time while he went up to his room. A message from Kate popped up just as I was trying to beat the next level on the mindless game I’d been playing.

  Kate: Hope you and Theo are having a great time! Have a drink for me. Wish I were there!

  I wished she were too. I wanted her to be here happy and most of all healthy. I imagined the fun we’d have shopping, going to shows, and out to dinner. Just like our nail-painting party back at the hotel, it would be a fun girls’ get-together. I blinked away the tears, wondering if she’d ever get to travel again. Would she be too sick or worse yet? No, she would beat this cancer. She would be there to watch her son grow and make the trip one day that I had just imagined. I sent her a message back, hoping it would give her the courage to believe in herself that she would.

  Me: Anytime you want to come, I’m here! And you have a free place to stay. Just let me know and I will plan out all the details! It will be a blast!

  I was so deep in my thoughts of Kate that I hadn’t even realized Theo was walking into the bar area. He was now dressed like the man I first met, in jeans and a black wool coat with a gray sweater underneath.

  “Ready?” he asked.

  I took one last sip of my club soda, grabbed my coat from the barstool next to me, and we were on our way.

  _______________

  “It’s so cold, I think my cheeks are about to fall off,” I said to Theo after several hours of exploring. We had hit all the touristy spots mostly by foot. Times Square, Rockefeller Center, Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, the Empire State Building, and we finished off at the edge of Central Park. “Sorry we ran out of daylight. I would’ve loved to have taken you on a tour of Central Park. But trust me, you don’t want to go there at night.”

  “A little adventure never killed anyone,” Theo teased.

  “Yeah, unfortunately that kind of adventure just might,” I said as we walked down 59th Street. It was getting later, but I didn’t want the night to end. I was enjoying myself so much, and I didn’t know when I’d get to see him again. For the first time since I arrived home from my trip, I didn’t feel alone, so I was thrilled when he suggested we stop off at a bar we were passing by to warm up with a drink.

  We continued the nonstop conversation we were having walking through the busy streets of Manhattan, maneuvering around droves of people, now from the comfort and warmth of a barstool with a Moscow mule for me and a vodka on the rocks for him.

  “So, do you think I was as good as Nino as your tour guide?” I asked.

  “Better!” He gave an enthusiastic nod and grinned.

  “Wow, you better slow down on that drink there, buddy, it’s making you say crazy things.” We both let out a lighthearted chuckle. “So, when are you heading home?” I asked.

  “Sunday afternoon.”

  “Oh.” I raised an eyebrow, wondering why he wasn’t going back tomorrow, and as if he was reading my thoughts he continued.

  “One of the blokes I met with today—”

  I held up my hand to stop him. “Okay…what exactly is a bloke?” I laughed.

  “Come on now, Jillian, I thought you spoke fluent British.” He laughed back.

  “I thought we established that I didn’t with my lack of understanding of surname.”

  “Oh, right?” He nodded. “It’s another…British way of saying man, fellow, guy, chap. You get it now?”

  “Cheerio,” I replied, feeling very British until Theo nearly spat out the sip of drink he had taken. “What? I’m trying to talk British.”

  “Cheerio means goodbye.” He smirked.

  “Oh, I guess I really need to brush up on my British television a little more.”

  He gave me an endearing smile as his amusement heightened and his big green eyes locked with mine as if he was really seeing me for the first time. “So, now that we got that cleared up, finish telling me about this bloke?” I asked, breaking up the moment I had just sensed between us.

  “Right…the bloke.” He snapped out of it and took another sip of his drink. “Well, this fellow who is one of the main investors in this project is having a cocktail party that I’ve been summoned to tomorrow night.”

  “Oh, the obligatory cocktail party…they’re the worst!” I’d been to quite a few. Ass kissing and hobnobbing to gain businesses. Two of my least favorite things.

  “Tell me about it. I want to go as much as I want to have my teeth drilled, but I have to gain some form of a rapport with him for the sake of the company.” He shrugged.

  “Well, cheers to that.” I held up my glass and smiled.

  “I don’t suppose you’d want to come with me, and maybe come down with a sicknes
s within an hour of getting there that would have to force us to leave?” He raised an eyebrow and gave me a pleading smile.

  “Oh, so you want me to be your ticket out of there?”

  “Right.” He nodded.

  I thought about it for a moment. “Well, are you even allowed to bring a guest along?”

  “Of course!” He replied much too quickly to be believable.

  I pondered it for a moment. I hadn’t been to any functions like he was asking me to attend since before my world had completely crumbled. It would get me out of the house on a Saturday night, give me a chance to dress up, and best of all allow more time to spend with Theo while he was here. It would, however, require me to socialize with strangers, something I hadn’t been up to lately. But I’d be with Theo, who was a master at initiating conversation, which in turn put me at ease with engaging with people I didn’t know.

  “So, what do you say?” he beseeched, like a child asking for a piece of candy.

  “Fine!” I agreed, unable to hold back my own smile when I saw the adorable one that was plastered across his face at my reply.

  CHAPTER 11

  I WASN’T SURE if I had a better time preparing for the cocktail party or attending it. I had video chatted with Kate while I ran around my bedroom trying on different dresses, shoes, and accessories. She offered her opinion and together, we finally settled on my long-sleeved winter white off-the-shoulder sweater dress with nude pumps and a metallic envelope clutch. I curled my normally straight bob-styled hair into loose waves and applied a little more makeup than the scant amount I’d normally wear.

  The night surprisingly went off without a hitch, and we didn’t even have to use the fallback sickness excuse to get out of there. I thought for sure the moment I entered the posh Fifth Avenue penthouse that I’d be counting the seconds to make my exit, but I wasn’t. I had preconceived notions about the types of people in attendance, but for the most part, I was wrong. I was pretty certain that those guests were a little more amiable thanks in part to Theo. He had such a dynamic personality that drew people to him right away, and in turn those same people focused their attention on me—his date, or so they all thought.

  By the time we were saying our goodbyes, I had made several connections with people who were looking for ad execs to promote their businesses on a consult basis instead of farming it out to a bigger agency. We exchanged business cards, and I was filled with a hint of optimism that maybe I could venture out a little more on my own, with my skills. It was definitely something to think about, and maybe the change I needed.

  We had a late dinner, stretching out our last hours as long as we could. When the waiter brought the check, I was filled with a sense of dread, knowing our time together was up. Theo snatched the check folder from the waiter’s hand before he even had a chance to put it on the table. After a brief, friendly spat over who was paying the bill, I finally gave up. Just like the day prior at lunch and each time we’d dine together on vacation, he always insisted he’d pay. I had wished he would at least let me pay my share, but he was a gentleman through and through. He signed his credit card slip and we walked outside into the bitter cold air. His hotel was in the opposite direction of the bus terminal, so I knew this was it—goodbye. A goodbye I wasn’t ready to say.

  “Jillian, I cannot thank you enough for making the past two days so enjoyable,” Theo said.

  “Please, don’t be thanking me. I had way too much fun doing it.” I smiled. He nodded and sighed heavily, neither one of us seeming to know what to say or do next. “Well, you have a very safe trip back, and please give Kate a hug and kiss for me.”

  “Will do.” His oddly placed dimple deepened. I looked up at him, unsure of what to say or do next.

  He made it a little easier for me when he averted his gaze and flagged down a cab for me.

  “Look at you! You’re like a true New Yorker,” I teased, thankful for the distraction he created.

  “Impressive, aren’t I?” he gloated. He regarded me a moment longer before taking both my hands in his and leaning down to place a kiss on my cheek. “Thanks for everything,” he whispered, giving my hand a gentle squeeze.

  I smiled up at him, then got into the cab, waving goodbye as I drove away. I sighed heavily and looked straight ahead, once Theo was no longer in sight, wishing that he and Kate were only a bus ride instead of an ocean away.

  When I arrived home and changed into my pajamas, I was just about to put my phone on Do Not Disturb for the night when a text from Theo appeared on my phone.

  Theo: Thanks again for keeping me company. Maybe you should think about becoming a tour guide in your next life…haha! Have a good night and cheerio!

  I was grinning from ear to ear. Maybe he and Kate were an ocean away, but luckily they would always be just a phone call or a text away too.

  CHAPTER 12

  THE MONTHS PASSED and Mother Nature was awakening from her slumber. The barren trees were starting to bud, the tulips and daffodils painted my backyard in pallets of red and yellow, but I still felt stuck. Stuck in a job I didn’t want to be in. Stuck in a house that no longer felt like a home, and stuck in a life I didn’t want to live.

  I had been in touch with two of the contacts I had met at the cocktail party several months back and had been doing some consulting for each of them. I knew they had more than enough work to keep me employed full-time if I wanted to quit my job, but I was scared to take that next step. I wasn’t sure why. Each day I stepped into that office, I was more and more inclined to do so.

  Jonathan was there more frequently than usual as his company was gearing up for a big campaign, which was making it more awkward. I had led the team on all of his past projects. This time I wasn’t even asked to join in. I knew this wasn’t just a coincidence, and I wasn’t upset about it. In fact, I was thankful. I had heard through the office grapevine that he was seeing one of the new receptionists. Again, another reason to breathe a sigh of relief, but I’d still see the way he’d look at me when we’d have our brief encounters, and I hated it. It made me feel dirty, and I rehashed everything inside of me that I was trying to let go of.

  I had learned through Theo that Kate had begun treatments after meeting with a doctor who was a little more optimistic about the outcome. Theo had gotten her someone to help her out around the house and take care of Thomas when he had to be away on business, much to Kate’s displeasure over it. She was still insisting that she could do it all herself. I could only imagine the weight Theo had on his shoulders, working a very demanding job while worrying about his sister’s and nephew’s well-being. Theo was all Kate had to fall back on, and I’m sure that stressed him out immensely, but he never let it show.

  Kate still hadn’t revealed anything to me, and I didn’t question why she was opting to just audio call instead of video chat. Theo had told me she had begun to lose her hair due to the chemo. I spoke to her almost every day. Some days she sounded so upbeat, and others I could hear the fatigue and sadness in her voice. We were growing closer and closer, and because of that, I couldn’t help but feel somewhat let down that she didn’t feel comfortable confiding in me even a little. But I couldn’t imagine the gamut of emotions she was going through. Anger, fear, sadness, I’m sure were just a few.

  I made up for the lack of support I was able to give to Kate by giving it to Theo instead. Over the past few months, I rode the highs and lows with him. His happiness at the prospect of the treatments working. His sadness from seeing the effects those treatments were having on his sister, and his fear of the unknown. It was hard for me to believe I could become so close to two people I hadn’t known for that long and who lived thousands of miles away, but I couldn’t explain the connection I had felt to each of them. Kate was like a long-lost friend; one I had been searching for my entire life.

  Theo, I wasn’t quite sure what it was about him that had me so enamored. I just knew he was the first guy since Evan I felt comfortable opening up to. He didn’t judge me. He didn’t
lecture me. He just listened. He’d offered advice when I asked for it and was quiet and thoughtful when I didn’t. It was weird for me to have this type of closeness in the emotional sense with a man and not the physical sense. I reminded myself of how I had once thought I had that with Jonathan and failed miserably, but there was no comparison between the two.

  Theo was so down to earth. He was kind and caring, embracing his flaws, never thinking he was better than anyone else. In hindsight I could now see how Jonathan was so different. Arrogant and boastful like a tiger waiting to pounce on its prey when it was at its weakest. How could I have been so naïve not to see that he had only been disguising himself as a friend? How could I have been so enticed to have fallen right into his trap?

  I had just gotten off the phone with Kate, who sounded a little more upbeat than she had in the last few days, when a video chat began to ring on my iPad. Theo’s name coming across the screen always managed to put a smile on my face no matter what kind of mood I was in. I moved the mountain of paperwork and bills I was planning on tackling and placed the tablet front and center.

  It was funny how I didn’t care about my appearance anymore when I’d open up my screen to Theo. Over the months he had seen me in an array of states: a full face of makeup before heading out with the girls from work, a towel turbaned on my head and just another one covering my body when he had gotten me as I was getting out of the shower, and another time rolling out of bed. Literally, I had fallen asleep reading on my iPad only to roll over on it the next morning to find Theo’s face smiling brightly, five hours ahead of me.

  Each time he saw me, no matter how I looked, he was unfazed, starting up the conversation without skipping a beat. It was a comfort level that only true friends forge over a long period of time, but Theo and I had achieved it in only months, just like I had with Kate.

  Today it was Theo who was looking out of sorts with his unshaven face and pale skin. When he spoke, his normally raspy voice was even gruffer, making him sound out of sorts as well.