“Things like that don’t just happen, man.You’ve been hit with some kind of luck!”Davis says.
“And it’ll land you in all the right places.”Egin adds with a friendly clap on my back.
If only that were true, I thought to myself before looking at my watch to check the time.I tossed my keys and phone into my desk drawer and changed the subject, “So, what’s on the agenda for today?”
This group of guys were all previously injured while on active duty like I was, and we came together to work for a branch of the Government that oversees contractors working on military projects.It was an easy way to allow us to finish out our service contracts and segway into other career paths.Most of them were younger than me and could make a whole career out of this change, but me – I just want to ride out the next few years of my protection agreement and move on.
“It looks like today is a prep day.We’re being sent up north tomorrow for meetings all week.”Davis tells us.
“Nice.”I walk with the group to the kitchen to fill up my mug with fresh coffee.“Where are we off too?”Just as I asked this, Davis’s phone pinged with the details of our travel, and I sipped on my coffee.
“We’re headed to Northern Virginia.Somewhere near DC.Looks like we’re staying in Sunset Valley.”My throat clenched and I coughed on the coffee as I choked it down.
We’ll be in Virginia?Breathe, Lee, Breathe.I hadn’t dared to drive in, near or around Virginia in all these years, at the risk of Ellie seeing me.What are the odds that we end up in her city and I catch a glimpse of her while we’re there?I cough, clearing my throat and regain my composure.
“You alright there, buddy?”Egin asks.
“Yeah.All good.It just went down the wrong way.”I say.
The day drags on and by 4’oclock, I’m a nervous wreck, thinking about traveling to the state I had purposely stayed away from for so many years.This called for an out of schedule visit with Dane and Liz for guidance.I texted him on my way out of the office and asked if they could meet up for dinner tonight.He got back right away; Liz has to stay home with the kids because they’re working on a big school project that’s due tomorrow, but Dane said he would be over at 6’oclock.
I was pulling out some hot dogs and started boiling water on the stove, just when Dane knocked on the door.He was carrying a casserole dish covered in tinfoil and handed it to me.
“Here, Liz sent me with dinner because she didn’t want us eating bachelor food tonight.”He looked in the kitchen and shook his head.“And it’s a good thing she did.Dude, we’ve got to get you a woman in your life, if only so you can eat better.”We laughed and I served up dinner, sitting down at my small dining room table, big enough for only two people.
“So, what’s going on, man?What’s with the urgent dinner date?”He asks in between bites.
“I have a business trip and won’t be home for our Wednesday dinner.”I start, putting my fork down on my plate.I’m too nervous to eat.“They’re sending us to a new contractor in Virginia.”I look at him, letting that bit of news sink in.
He stops mid-chew and grins, mouth full of food.“No way!”he swallowed and asked, “Is it where Ellie lives?”
“I don’t know, dumbass, I haven’t looked Ellie up, remember?”I shake my head at his ignorance.Sometimes this guy just doesn’t think.
“Okay, stop.I’m pulling up that interior design place to see if there’s a picture of the owner, it’sgotto be her.”Dane starts to get up and I push him back down into the chair.
“No!I don’t want to know.My time’s not up yet and if I see her there now, I risk messing up my protection agreement.”
“Fuck that agreement, man.You deserve this, Lee.”
“I don’t know.Let me think about this first.”
“What’s to think about?This is Ellie… the girl you’ve been crazy about since you were fifteen, the girl you’ve passed up several relationships for.”
“I know.”I run my hand through my hair.“I have some other news too.”
“What’s that?”He asks, going back to his dinner.
“That meeting I had yesterday.It was with a record producer.He heard me at the bar Saturday night when I went out with some co-workers.We were pretty trashed and I kind of sang some karaoke.”Dane chuckles at that.“Only, I was singing a song I wrote for Ellie.”He drops his fork and stares at me, but I continue.“This guy, Pline, heard my song and asked if I would be willing to discuss one of his artists recording it.We met, they liked it so much that they recorded it, and they released it.Now it’s playing on the radio, man.”A huge smile spread across my face, and I pulled up the song on YouTube so Dane could hear it.
He listened to it, mouth agape the entire time, looking between the phone and me.When it was over, he said, “Shit.If anyone who knows you, knew you wrote that, they’d know immediately that it was about Ellie.”He was scrolling on my phone to read the comments and clicked on a link.“What’s this?”He turned the phone so we could both watch as a three minute video clip of Shawn Lane popped up discussing his newest hit that’s been heating up the radio station request lines.When asked by the interviewer how he came up with the song, he replied:‘Shout out to my man, Lee McCormick, for sharing the pain of a lost love that everyone can relate to.I met him at the studio and his words hit home so hard, I just knew this was my next song.’
“I don’t think that was part of the deal.”I say to Dane.Shock written all over my face.“I didn’t know he was going to tell everyone who wrote the song.What if she sees that?”I look at him and he’s staring right back at me, annoyance in his eyes.
“Well, good if she does.Dammit, Lee, this is exactly what I was talking about.It was meant to happen.You two are being led back together and this trip, I’m telling you, it’s a sign.”
We finish cleaning up dinner and he tells me to check in with him and give him updates on my Ellie sightings while I’m gone.He’ll check the mail for me, as usual, and make sure the apartment is secure.Once he leaves, I start packing my suitcase.We have a 6’oclock flight and I don’t want to have to pack anything in the morning.I make sure everything is ready to go and waiting at the front door for an easy departure.
* * *
