“Speaking of being busy, I heard about what happened to Annie last night. Crystal’s picking up her yoga classes so she can rest until after the baby is born. I can’t imagine the pain she must be going through right now,” I said.
Mrs. Truman seemed a bit more worried about it than I was, but of course, she’d been pregnant. “I know how much she loves her yoga studio, but it’s so important to rest as much as possible when you’re pregnant. When I was pregnant with my boys, I was always so tired that some days I couldn’t even get out of bed.”
That’s precisely what Crystal had said to me on the phone. “I can’t even imagine what she’s going through, but Crystal said they have Annie’s pain under control, and she’s on mandatory bed rest now.”
Mrs. Truman nodded while putting her lipstick away. “Well, I better get going. I need to pick up a few bottles of wine along the way.”
She gave me a quick kiss on the cheeks before leaving.
When I went inside, I found Mr. Truman waiting for me in the foyer. Since he worked from home most of the time, he had resorted to wearing sweats and a t-shirt. I chuckled at the contrast between the two.
He immediately ushered me into his office. “Gavin, please sit down. First of all, how have you been doing? I know we’ve had you on a bit of a breather.”
“Everything has been going great. I’m back to sleeping a full eight hours most nights.”
Mr. Truman took a sip of his coffee and nodded. “I’m sorry about what happened last month, Gavin. We pushed you hard, although I admit that I’ve had my fair share of long days. Anyway, I hope the travel bug has bitten you again because we’re sending you to Hawaii.”
A sinking feeling hit me in the stomach. “Oh? What for?”
“As you know, we have several properties in Hawaii. We’re doing some construction on them, and we want you there to make sure they go smoothly.”
“Mr. Truman. How long will the construction last?”
He sat back in his chair, and that sinking feeling returned. “Honestly? We don’t know, Gavin, and there’s more that we need you to do in Hawaii. A few properties have come up for sale, too.”
I knew this wouldn’t be a short trip, but I kept my feelings to myself. “Well, that’s wonderful that you’re expanding in Hawaii. It’s a beautiful state. How long do you think I’ll be there?”
“This is the hard part, Gavin. It could be a couple of months. Normally, I wouldn’t be concerned about sending you there for so long, but seeing as how things are going well between you and Crystal, I know it’ll put a strain on your relationship.”
Mr. Truman must have read the expression on my face, despite my best efforts at hiding my feelings. “Look, business comes first. Besides, I’m sure that she’ll understand.”
“I’m not sure what her schedule is like, but you could always invite her to stay with you. It’s no skin off of my back if we pay for her to accompany you.”
The excitement of her going with me quickly faded, though. “I don’t think that’s a possibility, sir. She’s just told Annie that she’d help out with her yoga studio now that’s she’s on bed rest.”
Mr. Truman gave me a knowing look, and all I wanted to do was scream.
The chemistry that I had experienced with Crystal in Moldova had stayed with us back home, and both of our lives were on track. Now that she would be receiving the money from her mother’s estate, she had given up the extra yoga classes.
That was until Annie pulled a muscle, and now she was back to overworking herself.
I was disappointed when she told me the news, but figured that I was still on a breather, so at least I could be flexible with my schedule. Now that I would be in Hawaii for who knows how long, however, I couldn’t help but become insecure about our relationship.
Mr. Truman saw the concern in my eyes. “Gavin, I hope you know that I didn’t want to lean on you this way, but you’re the best man that I’ve got besides Richard. Now his time is tied up taking care of Annie, so he definitely can’t go out to Hawaii. Not even for a weekend. That poor woman needs around the clock care, and Addison needs her father’s attention, too. I know the timing of this is just awful, but you’re the only one who can get these properties at the best price.”
I put my poker face back on. “I completely understand, and I’m sure that Crystal will too. With social media now, it’s not like we won’t be in contact with each other. Besides, she’ll be busy with the yoga studio, so it’s actually perfect timing.”
Mr. Truman was a bit more old-fashioned than I was, though. He wouldn’t understand that I didn’t want to leave Crystal. As a man, he'd say it was my job to make money and that women needed to learn to let go.
Jake and Richard had given me glimpses into their marriages over the years, and I knew that while Mr. Truman was a good man, he hadn’t always been the best husband. He often worked long hours that left his wife to raise her children on her own. As much as I loved Mr. Truman, I never wanted to be that kind of guy.
He seemed pleased. “Thank you, Gavin. I depend on you.”
“I’ll get you the best deals; you know that. I’ve been building my career with you for a long time now, and I have no intention of stopping.”
After I left our meeting, I knew the first thing I had to do was tell Crystal.
I walked into the yoga studio and made my way to her office. Through the window, I saw her staring at a computer with a stack of paperwork next to her.
