The Exception(25)

“Sure. Anything.”

“See what you can find on a girl named Jillian Bell. She’s from Seattle.”

“Really?” The corners of her mouth curved upwards. “You’ve never done anything like that before.”

“I know. I feel like a damn stalker.”

“Who is she?”

“She’s a woman that I spent some time with in Hawaii. Actually, we met on the plane. She had the seat next to mine and we stayed at the same hotel. Let’s just say she’s someone I can’t get out of my head. Maybe you can track down a phone number or something.”

“I’ll see what I can do.” She smiled.

“Thanks, Lia. I’ll be in my office.”

Just as I shut the door and was walking back to my desk, my phone rang and it was my mom.

“Hey, Mom.”

“Drew. How was Hawaii?”

“It was good.” Only good because of Jillian.

“Did you and Jess get some things worked out?”

I leaned back in my chair. “We sure did. I ended things with her.”

“Oh?” There was a hint of excitement in her voice.

“It’s okay, Mom. Just say it.”

“You want the truth, Drew?”

“Of course I do.”

“I’m happy you ended it with that little witch. You know how your father and I felt about her.”

“I know you didn’t like her and I’m sorry I didn’t end things sooner.”

“Well, what matters is that you did end it. Listen, honey, I have to get going. Why don’t you come over tomorrow night for a barbeque?”

“Sounds good, Mom. I’ll be there.”

After ending the call, I set my phone down on my desk. I wished they could have met Jillian. She was the type of girl that my mom would fall in love with.

“Excuse me, Drew,” Lia softly spoke as she poked her head in the door.

“Come on in. Did you find anything?”

“The only thing I could find on Jillian Bell was this article.” She handed me a white sheet of paper. “I don’t think that’s her, right?”

“That’s her.” I smiled as I stared at her picture.

“She left her fiancé on their wedding day?” she asked with a twisted face.

“Yep, and for good reason. Her story is a little complicated.”

“She’s pretty.”

“Pretty is an understatement. She’s a beautiful woman with a beautiful soul.”

“I’m sorry that’s all I could find, Drew.”

“It’s okay, Lia. Thank you.”

I could have just hired a private investigator to find her, but I wouldn’t do that. I said goodbye to her for a reason and I wasn’t going to interfere with her life. As badly as I missed her and wanted to talk to her, I needed to respect her journey. I had no clue what I was thinking when I asked Lia to see what she could find out. Jillian had my number and, hopefully, one day, she’d think of me and call.

****

Jillian

When Kristen and I walked through the doors of The Ellington on West 52nd Street, we stepped inside the elevator and took it up to the 28th floor where I was meeting, Rick, the realtor who was going to show me the apartment.

“Hello, you must be Jillian.” Rick smiled as he held out his hand.

“Nice to meet you, Rick.”

“My pleasure, and this is?” he asked as he looked at Kristen.

“I’m the sister.” She smiled.

“Ah. Nice to meet you. If you’ll follow me, I’ll show you around this gorgeous apartment. Will it just be you living here, Jillian?”

“Yes.” I smiled as I looked around.

“Then this is the place for you. Come over here,” he spoke as he led me to the balcony off the living room. “Look at this view. You can practically see the entire city from up here, and at night, it’s gorgeous. All you need are a couple of lounge chairs, a small table, and an expensive bottle of wine.” He winked.

“What do you think, Kristen?” I asked.

“I think this place is great. I could totally see you making this space your very own.”

“Me too.” I smiled as I continued to look around.

“Oh, and the best part is that the laundry room is right down the hall.”

“That’s a plus. How much is the rent again?” I asked.

“Forty-five hundred.”

“Okay. I’ll take it.”

“Excellent.” Rick clapped his hands together. “I will let the owner know and I’ll draw up the lease agreement. How soon do you want to move in?”

“This weekend if possible.”

“Perfect. I will call you in a couple of days when the paperwork is ready, you can swing by the office to sign them, and I’ll hand you the keys.”

“Great. I look forward to it.”

****

Drew

I had just arrived home from work when my phone rang.

“Hey, Rick,” I answered.

“Drew, I have great news. I rented your apartment today to a very nice young woman. She’ll be moving in this weekend.”

“Ah. Excellent news. Thanks for letting me know.”