Atonement(76)
I didn’t want to know how much Drew and Colin had paid for the ability to use her likeness on the gear but somehow she’d agreed though Colin confessed late one night the bar was named after the Bardot sisters—Caitlyn and I—not Brigitte but they saw no problem with playing up the reputation the bar was named after the infamous and notorious French actress.
I started work at uConnect like clockwork but within a week of my employment, I found out said tech company rumor was true and it was later announced in a company-wide email Blurt-It Corporation—one of the biggest tech companies outside of Google and Microsoft not to mention homegrown as it was and always had been a Seattle based company—would acquire uConnect for an undisclosed amount of money.
My position as HR manager would be short-lived though I was offered another cushiony position in the company that would guarantee a high salary and something more along the lines of what I would appreciate working towards. Blurt-It Corporation operated a Seattle chapter of HFFIN or Homes for Families in Need and they needed a new President of the division as the present one was quitting to spend more time with her growing children. I happily accepted the position as soon as the transfer of ownership was complete.
Colin and I settled into home life in no time and found time to host Drew and Aubrey who finally admitted to being a couple. She bought my Mini Cooper outright as Colin had two cars and there would be no where to put it. Not only that but they seemed happy and content with one another.
She also wanted to buy me out of my ownership of the condo but both Drew and I thought that could wait as I was staying with Colin so it really made no difference. We’d managed to move most of my clothes, shoes and toiletries over to his place with no problem at all though I’d left my bed due to space issues. My former bedroom in the townhouse would be the official guest bedroom and the third bedroom had been turned into the unofficial business office for Bardot.
It was on one of these late nights I had gotten used to Colin came home slightly buzzed and pleaded for a shower before we sat down to talk. I enjoyed an Evian while I typed up the report I would be handing to the HR Manager from Blurt-It Corporation who would also inherit all the employees from uConnect. It was a general report about the work atmosphere and how the employees were used to being treated, the work environment at uConnect and how to integrate the two companies’ philosophies in the smoothest transition as possible.
I listened to my iPod and slowly read over what I had already written while adding or deleting along the way occasionally. It was technically finished but the following day, I would print out the report and go over it with a red pen before making the final corrections and handing it over to the HR Manager at Blurt-It Corporation.
Every now and then I would touch my non-existent belly. It was amazing there was an actual life growing inside there and no one was more surprised than me. I hadn’t suffered from much morning sickness except for a handful times but other than that, I could still wear my old clothes for now and the only part of my lifestyle that had changed was I had to quit smoking cold turkey which wasn’t as hard as it had been several times before and I never had more than a half a glass of red wine—usually Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir—if I drank at all.
Most of what I consumed was now a steady excess of water and caffeine-free tea. The caffeine withdrawals were definitely ten times worse than anything I faced with nicotine but I figured I would try to rid all the toxins from my body while I was at it.
I closed my HP Envy laptop and set it on the glass coffee table as Colin walked in wearing nothing but a black terry cloth robe which set off his alabaster skin. The slight tan he’d brought back from Europe had faded and we were both back to normal in terms of adjusting to both Seattle weather and the effects it caused on one’s mood.
Colin sat next to me and held me in his arms for a moment. “I’m going to get a beer. You want half a glass of Pinot Noir?”
“Sure. I have been getting the worse caffeine withdrawal headaches so why not?” I remarked as I watched him stand and walk to the kitchen.
Sometimes my life still felt like a dream. Was it true? Were we a real couple who were expecting a baby though we couldn’t be bothered to set a wedding date? Hell, he hadn’t proposed to me yet because he wanted us to go ring shopping together while I wanted him to take Caitlyn. I wasn’t comfortable picking out my own engagement ring.
He walked out of the kitchen carrying my half glass of exactly four ounces of red wine while he held a Newcastle in his other hand. I didn’t understand how he could stand the ale. It tasted foul and actually made Guinness taste pretty good but he loved it.