Intent(5)

“I won’t take no for an answer. Take off until the end of summer and enjoy my house in the Georgia mountains, or pack your desk and leave here for good. Your choice.”

My face completely falls, and whatever thoughts I had formed to argue just flew out of my mind. “Marcia,” I gasp in a pained whisper.

Her face softens and she gives me a sad smile. “It’s for your own good, Layne. Trust me and do this for both of us.”

“It’s not because I’m f*cking up my job?” My bottom lip quivers as I ask, but somehow I keep the tears at bay. Amazing, since they always seem to be just under the surface, waiting to burst forth at a moment’s notice.

“Not at all,” she consoles me. “I’ve known you for a long time, and I know you’re exceptionally good at your job. But I think this time away is more important than anything else, and I think you’ll realize it once you step out of the rat race. It’s a few months of paid leave in a beautiful mountain community. Anyone else in this firm would kill for the opportunity.”

I nod slowly, the idea of a peaceful, relaxing retreat firmly taking grasp in my mind. As I picture myself window-shopping along the quaint sidewalks of the small town, the stress starts to fade away. The sweet aroma from the flowering shrubs that adorn the landscape fills my senses, calming my racing heart. The warm spring sun heats my skin and makes me feel alive. The cool water of the river laps at my feet as I stroll along the bank, beckoning me with its promise of complete and total relaxation as I float weightlessly on the slow-moving current.

“Okay, Marcia. I’ll go to Oak Grove for a few months, just until the end of summer,” I agree. “I don’t know how to thank you for this. Let me pay you whatever you normally charge to rent it out, at least.”

“Not a chance.” She shakes her head from side to side. “And don’t argue with your boss. I hear she’s a tough old bird.”

“She’s not so bad.” I smile affectionately at her. “She has a soft spot, if you know where to look for it.”

“Don’t say that too loudly. You’ll ruin my bad reputation.” She winks.

Before I can stop myself, I stand and wrap my arms around her neck. “Thank you, Marcia. You’re the best, and I appreciate this more than you’ll ever know.”

She hugs me tentatively at first, and I worry that I’ve way overstepped my bounds. But then her arms tighten around me just before I feel her body shake slightly. A soft, strangled cry follows and I’m not sure what to do. I’ve always known that she looks at me as a daughter, but I didn’t realize my predicament bothered her so much.

“Don’t worry about me, Marcia. I’ll be all right. After a few days at the river’s edge, I bet I’ll be ready to come back to work early.”

She sniffles and pulls away from me. “Don’t even think about doing that. You’re staying the whole time. Then we’ll talk about how you’re doing.”

We spend the next hour making arrangements for my absence both at work and from my apartment, along with my travel arrangements to Georgia. Marcia’s assistant is the most organized and thorough person I’ve ever met. It would’ve taken me all day to handle what she’s completed in no time. The corporate jet will take me to the small airport closest to Oak Grove, where a company car will be waiting for my use. Now all that’s left to do is go to my apartment, pack my clothes, and mentally prepare myself for my flight tomorrow.

Marcia must see the apprehension and anxiety written all over my face. I suspect my feelings would only be hidden from a blind person. “Here’s the name and number of the Realtor who manages my property,” she says as she quickly scribbles it on my notepad. “Call me when you get settled in so I know you’re all right. Then, have some fun, let go of the stress, and enjoy your stay. Don’t stay cooped up in the house.”

My gaze falls to the paper in my hand as I nod in agreement. “Marcia, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this. Or how guilty I feel because I don’t deserve this. I can’t imagine you’d do this for just anyone.”

“You’ve never been just anyone to me, Layne,” she admits in her soft voice. “You’ve always been more like a daughter to me.”

Though I can’t bring myself to meet her eyes, I hear and feel the reassurance in her voice. It washes over me and covers me like a comfortable, secure blanket. Memories it evokes are even harder to cope with than my feelings toward Bobby and Cyndi. Wishes that my mom were still here to hold me, comfort me, and tell me how to make it all better flood my heart and soul. The softball-sized lump in my throat prevents me from replying verbally, but I’m sure she sees the love and appreciation I have for her when I finally look up at her.

“Go now, before you make me ruin my mascara,” she says jokingly, making me laugh again.

“I’ll call you tomorrow,” I promise. There’s no way I can say the word “good-bye” right now. “And probably every day after that.”

When I walk into the lobby of my apartment building, the most efficient assistant in the world has already briefed the security guards on my sabbatical. They’ve assured me they will make certain everything is taken care of, so that when I return, it’ll be as if I never even left. A big part of me hopes that’s not entirely true. When I get back, I hope this empty hole where my heart used to be has been repaired.