Maybe Later(73)
“When is she coming back?”
“We don’t know. Tomorrow, next year… she didn’t say. But she won’t be away for too long.” He gives me a sharp nod. “If that’s all, I’ll heading back to work.”
“Thank you,” I say.
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From J. Spearman
To: E. Lancaster
Subject: Account deactivated
Tuesday, June 21st, 12:07 p.m.
I don’t want an application. I want to talk to her. Please, tell her to contact me. She knows how to reach me.
Jackson Spearman.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
From J. Spearman
To: E. Lancaster
Subject: Are you back?
Tuesday, August 30th, 8:07 a.m.
It’s been almost three months since the assignment with VAES ended. You not only deactivated my account but cut me out of your life. At least tell me you’re okay.
Jackson Spearman
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From: E. Lancaster
To: J. Spearman
Subject: She is not available
Tuesday, August 30th, 11:26 a.m.
Mr. Spearman,
I understand you are trying to reach Ms. Lancaster. As I told you yesterday, as well as over the last couple of months, she is out of town and unreachable. I’ll make sure to pass along all seventy-two messages that you’ve sent to her, once she’s back at work.
Regards,
Laura Dalton Assistant to Emmeline Lancaster CEO
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From: E. Lancaster
To: J. Spearman
Subject: 78 emails?
Thursday, September 1st, 7:41 a.m.
I’m going to need some time to go through all your correspondence. What’s the emergency, Jackson?
Emmeline Lancaster
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From J. Spearman
To: E. Lancaster
Subject: Lost, missed you
Thursday, September 1st, 7:43 a.m.
Dear Friend,
Where have you been all this time? I can’t believe that you just deactivated our account and left town. Some notice of your plans would’ve been helpful. I think your assistant hates me. Honestly, I was hoping she’d give me your phone number.
I feel lost.
It’s been a long time since we last spoke. One minute we were playing Words with Friends and the next I couldn’t login to my account and your ‘Amy’ email was deactivated.
What happened?
I’ve missed you.
Jackson
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From: E. Lancaster
To: J. Spearman
Subject: What happened?
Thursday, September 1st, 8:51 a.m.
I decided to take time off from work and take my own advice and discover the world. I’ve been working non-stop for the past couple of years, and it seemed like it was time to concentrate on my journey. VAES is expanding and growing faster than I imagined. Getting away for some self-care seemed important before taking the next step.
Apparently while I was away, you lost your mind. I have almost a hundred emails from you to read, they should last me well-into my next life. Alistair told me you were asking questions about me and Amy. As I explained before, I have my reasons for using an alias.
What do you mean by you feel lost?
Use google maps.
If I don’t respond to your emails soon, know that I’m catching up with 3 months of correspondence and work (not including your emails, by the way).
Enjoy your Monday,
Emmeline
P. S. To be successful, the first thing to do is fall in love with your work.
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From J. Spearman
To: E. Lancaster
Subject: Love and other casualties
Thursday, September 1st, 11:19 a.m.
Hello, dear friend,
I felt lost because you weren’t around. Is it wrong to say that you became my compass?
No matter how bad my day went, you made things better. I could be upset, yelling at everyone, but once we chatted, my mood would change. You taught me to see my problems from a different perspective. I learned to fall in love with my work and what I do. I began to appreciate those who worked with me too.
That doesn’t mean I’m perfect. Things improved, sure, but I’m still full of flaws.
I also became a casualty of love.
Remember the woman I was dating?
She broke up with me. I think she was in love with another man. Or maybe she just wanted me to be something I wasn’t. It’s been months, and I can’t forget her.
How do I move on?
Do I want to move on?
I’m happy for your company. Is it true that you serve more than fifty countries?
What did you do during your free time?
Your friend,
Jackson
P. S. Any playlists?
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