The Do-Over (The Miles High Club #4)(6)

“Can I speak to you for a minute in my office?” I ask.

Elliot looks up from his computer and frowns. “What about?”

“Just get Jay and Tris and come down and see me.”

“Okay.”

I walk down to my office and turn my computer on. I have a lot to do.

“What’s up?” Jameson asks. He walks into my office and flops onto the couch.

Elliot and Tristan follow. “What’s going on?”

“I’m taking a year off Miles Media,” I announce.

“What?” Jameson frowns. “What for?”

“I’m going off the grid.”

“How?”

“I’m going backpacking.”





Chapter 2


“You’ve got to be joking.”

“Nope.” I sit down at my desk.

“For how long?”

“Twelve months.”

Elliot screws up his face. “Fuck off. There is no way in hell you would do that. You nearly had me there. What do you really want?”

“I’m deadly serious.”

“You won’t last one hour backpacking, let alone twelve months.” Tristan huffs. “You’re more precious than the rest of us put together.”

Determination fills me. “I’m not useless, you know?”

“If this is about us teasing you last week, we were only joking.”

“This isn’t about you. It’s about me.”

“Being on a death wish?” Jameson replies dryly.

“What you said got me to thinking, if I don’t change the way I am . . .” I cut myself off, unwilling to say it out loud.

“What?”

“I’ve had this idea in the back of my mind for years. I know that if I don’t go now, I’m going to be too old.”

“You’re already too fucking old,” Jameson snaps. “I never saw a thirty-one-year-old backpacker.”

“Because you know so many.” I widen my eyes.

“Why would you want to do this?”

“Because I need to. I need to get my shit together. I’ve always said I was going to do it, and I think now is the right time.”

Elliot is pacing. “I mean, I guess . . . I could rearrange the staff . . . you could work in our offices abroad.”

“No, no contacts. I want to find my own way and earn my keep. I’m only taking two thousand dollars. I estimate that will last me a month if I’m roughing it?”

Jameson bursts out laughing. “You . . . with no money?”

“You kill me.” Tristan laughs. “You spend more money than that in a day.”

“What job are you going to do?” Elliot stammers. His eyes are wide as he waits for my answer. I can almost see his anxiety rising.

“Well.” I shrug casually as if this isn’t the scariest thing I have ever done. “I don’t know yet. Something will turn up. I’ll work it out as I go.”

“No,” Elliot snaps. “No way in hell. You need a plan. Mileses don’t work it out as we go. You’ll turn up dead somewhere. I’m not having you out there alone in the world. There are some bad fuckers out there.”

“You don’t have a choice.”

“This is stupid,” Jameson warns. “And not to mention dangerous.”

“I’ve thought long and hard about this all week, and I know that it’s something that I have to do. If I back out now, I know I’m going to regret it.” I shrug. “I mean . . . how bad can it be?”

“Bad,” Elliot snaps. “Real bad. Coming-home-in-a-body-bag bad.”

I roll my eyes. “Why are you so fucking dramatic?”

“This is dramatic,” Tristan snaps. “Can’t you just get a fucking girlfriend like a normal person?”

“Don’t tell Mom and Dad,” I add.

“What?” Tristan snaps. “How the fuck do you think they won’t notice you missing for a year?”

“I’m going to tell them that I’m doing a course in France. I’ll call them all the time, and I’ll go back to Paris from Spain to meet them for a few days if they decide to visit.”

“Spain?”

“I’m starting in Spain.”

“Why Spain?”

“I don’t know.” I shrug. “I like paella, I guess.”

“Oh, fuck me dead.” Jameson pinches the bridge of his nose. “You don’t go backpacking for fucking paella, Christopher. There’s a kick-ass Spanish restaurant here in London somewhere, I’m sure of it.”

“I’ll call you all every day if you want?” I put my hands onto my hips. “But I am going. You can’t stop me.”

They stay silent.

“And I’ll let you know wherever I’m going in case shit goes south,” I add.

“You’re taking a guard,” Jameson snaps.

“I am not taking a fucking security guard.”

“Why not?”

“Because it defeats the purpose.”

“Is the purpose to get yourself killed?” Elliot gasps.

“Look.” I try to calm him. I know that he’s the one who will have the hardest time with this. “It’s fine. This week you can help me, and we’ll get ready so that I’m prepared for everything.”