We Were Inevitable, page 7
She spent the morning fine tuning the ad copy for an upcoming social media campaign, creating versions to split test to find the most compelling tactic. When she had tweaked and tugged on the copy and the creative material until it felt like there was nothing else she could do—but that had to be wrong; there was always more she could do—she let herself slip into research mode, opening up a few high-ranking articles about current marketing trends in different tabs and settling in to read them all.
A throat cleared behind her. “I hope I’m not interrupting something important.”
Melody swiveled in her seat to face Ben, a smile spreading across her face at the sight of him. “Not at all. It’s nice to see you.”
“Yeah, I didn’t really think I was interrupting.“ He nodded towards her computer monitor, full with a full-screen image of an advertisement for a standing desk with a pool instead of a treadmill. He gave her a reproachful glance. “Looks like you took all my encouragement to have some fun and chill out a little bit about work a little too seriously, Melody.” He made a tsking sound. “What would Mr. Richards say?”
“I’ll have you know that this is research, Ben.” Melody felt her cheeks heating, despite the fact that Ben was smiling at her, a playful glimmer in his eye. “I wouldn’t dream of wasting the organization’s money by screwing around on company time.”
“I know.” He put a light hand on her shoulder. “Believe it or not, I was teasing you. And I’m already endlessly fascinated to hear how you’re going to relate this—” He gestured to the pool desk on the screen. “—to what we do here.” His lips twisted in a crooked smile. “In fact, I’d love to hear about it after work today.”
“Oh yeah? What did you have in mind?”
“Well, even before the pool desk, I was heading over here to see if you’d like to join me for some Turkish coffee this evening. At my place. I mean…it’s not about coming over to my place, though I realize you haven’t been there yet. It’s more about the fact that, at least the last time it came up in conversation, you’d never had Turkish coffee and so it’s high time we remedied that…”
Wow. Ben is cute when he’s all flustered and pink-cheeked, Melody thought. And all the cuter to think that she was the one who was having that effect on him. As much as she was enjoying the show, she needed to put him out of his misery.
“I would love that,” she said. “It won’t keep me up all night, will it?”
At her question, his cheeks turned impossibly redder, crossing the border to full-on maroon territory.
“The coffee, I mean,” she hurried to add. “I’m not…I mean. I don’t want to imply anything else.” Now she was the one feeling heat flushing her face. It was just coffee. That was all he had invited her over for, right? Coffee wasn’t code for something else, was it? And if it was, was that “something else” something she wanted right now?
Too many questions. Too many things that she should probably talk to Ben about, but right here in her cubicle hardly seemed like the place to do it.
Ben’s smile was reassuring, as if her nerves had calmed his and now he needed to return the favor. “Most people drink Turkish coffee in the evening and have no trouble falling asleep with it. It’s like Italians and their espresso. And I won’t give it to you on an empty stomach, so that should help, too.”
“Oh? Are you…making me dinner? I mean, it’s fine if you want to get takeout or something, too. I’m up for whatever.”
“You’ll just have to wait and see.” And with one more smile and the quickest wink she’d ever seen, he was gone.
To continue the story, turn to page 8
75
“I’m sure it’s not for me, Chloe.” Melody forced the corners of her mouth higher. “Now’s not the time. Maybe next year,” she promised, knowing full well that next year would bring its own reasons to stay put. Responsibilities couldn’t be shirked just because there was an alluring new possibility on the horizon.
“If you’re sure,” said Chloe, shaking her head. “It’s your decision, after all. But I’m not missing this chance.” She sat back down at her desk, reading the email again from the beginning. “I’m going to make a list of all the programs that sound good to me. Did any of them catch your eye?”
“Definitely.” Melody nodded, her smile finally genuine as she thought of the locations that had created a stirring in her chest. Though they were cities she’d never been to, in countries she’d never even visited, her pulse had quickened despite her best efforts to stay even-keeled and not get too excited about something that couldn’t be.
“Well?” Chloe was looking at her expectantly. “Which ones were they? I’ve already jotted down Tom Conley’s office in Ireland. Did you see his TED Talk?”
Melody nodded. “It was great. He would definitely be an inspiring person to meet, though I guess he’s not in Ireland much these days, is he? I thought I’d heard he was primarily working out of Chicago.” Off a shrug from Chloe, she continued. “The ones that caught my attention, here…scroll back up? There.” She pointed at the screen. “Izmir.” And then again, she gestured. “Dresden. If I were going to apply for this program, those would be my top two choices.”
Chloe wrinkled her brow at Melody. “And the fact that you aren’t applying astounds me. But…why those two? Izmir, that’s…in Turkey, right? And Dresden sounds familiar. Probably from a band or a book or something.”
“It’s in Germany.”
“Any particular reason those are the two that made the cut?” Chloe scribbled a note on her pad and then kept scrolling. “I didn’t know you to be a Germanophile or whatever they call people who love all things Turkish.”
Melody shrugged. “I couldn’t say, honestly. They just…caught my attention. Something twinkly and magical about them that leaped off the screen, I guess,” she joked.
“Couldn’t have been the job description,” said Chloe, nose wrinkling. “A university? No thank you, just got out of one of those. No plans to go back anytime soon.”
Melody chuckled. “I’m not saying that just because something sounded good to me, it’s going to be a perfect fit for you. After all, it’s clearly not a perfect fit for me either, or I’d be applying to go there, wouldn’t I?”
Chloe nodded slowly. “You definitely would.” She squinted at Melody, as if by peering into her brain she could understand her friend’s decision. “Are you sure you’re not going to consider it at all?”
“I’m sure.” This time, Melody’s smile had some strength behind it. “The more I think about it, the more it sounds like…too much. Too much effort to find the perfect position, then to make myself a competitive candidate. Loose ends to tie up here, the lease for my apartment, my family…to say nothing of the fact that I’ve never moved out of Michigan, let alone out of the United States.” She shook her head, confidence building with every word she spoke. “No, this is the right decision for me. I’m sure of it.”
“Well, I can definitely respect your decision,” Chloe admitted, “but don’t think you’re going to be talking me out of taking this chance. Just because you don’t want to have an international adventure doesn’t mean I shouldn’t get one.”
“Of course not.” Melody smiled and patted Chloe on the arm. “I’m going to want to hear all about it. And if there’s anything I can do to help you, I’m all yours.”
“Thanks, Mel. You’re a good friend.”
Melody went back to her cubicle, her computer finally ready to tackle the work of the day. It might not feel like it—because of course there was a part of her that had ached to answer the call to adventure—but she knew she was making the right decision. Nothing was more important than furthering the mission of EduPowerment, and she never would have been able to enjoy an opportunity that was more motivated by her own selfish desires than by the meaningful impact that it could have on the people who needed it most.
The days passed at EduPowerment in much the same way that they had been unfolding since Melody first started there. She came in early—even earlier than normal these days, thanks to that warning she had received from the boss—and left late, and in between she did work that lit her up from within. Every project that she was involved with was a reminder of the work EduPowerment was doing in the world, and even if Melody wasn’t the one traveling to far-flung locations and meeting the beneficiaries of their services firsthand and seeing the impact that they were creating…she was still a part of it.
Even if the role she was playing was simply finding the perfect words to describe a new initiative, or the subject line that would get more people to open an email, she knew it all mattered. It all played a role in the bigger picture, and the actions that she was taking in her little cubicle in their modest office in a southeastern corner of Michigan directly translated to funds raised for women all over the globe. And what those women could create with the funds they received…wow. It humbled Melody every time she heard about it.
“Check this out.” Melody carried a printout over to Chloe’s cubicle. “One of the programs in India…it’s a poultry farm, right? With the initial funds, they got some chickens and started selling eggs. But then they wanted to grow it from there, so they let the chickens sit on some of those eggs and now they’ve got even more chickens and even more eggs to sell. They’re even looking at expanding it and selling chicken, too. They already had to expand to a bigger building, which they could easily do with all the profits. It’s just amazing, isn’t it? Starting with something so small and turning it into…” She looked up finally, noticing that Chloe was craned over her desk, reading something on the computer screen with her eyes just a few inches away. “Chloe! You’re not even listening to me, are you? What’s so important that you can’t even pretend to care about this?”
Chloe waved her away. “Yeah, yeah, it’s all great. I’ll read it later. Just leave a copy on my desk.”
Melody stepped closer. “What is it that you’re so tuned into there? Some ‘hot goss’?” she asked, using Chloe’s favorite expression. With her last step, she could make out the words on her screen easily. “Oh my goodness! That’s that Generosity Exchange program you applied for, isn’t it?” Chloe nodded. “Well go on, then. Open it! Don’t you want to find out if you got accepted or not?”
Chloe shook her head. “I’m not ready to make it real yet, you know? Like…right now, who knows what my future holds? I might be about to jet off to London and I might be staying put in this hellhole for all of eternity. Or both. Like Schrodinger’s cat. I think. I never really did understand that.” She shrugged. “I just…I don’t know if I even know what I want the email to say, you know? So why open it?”
“That makes no sense.” Melody gestured for her friend to move aside, then leaned in, blocking Chloe’s view of the screen with her body as she clicked the email open. “‘Dear Ms. Allen, we regret to inform you that you have not been selected…’”
Chloe groaned. “I knew it! Aw man, that’s such a bummer. Wait. Why are you smiling like that? Do you think this is funny?”
“Hilarious, actually.” Melody stepped back to let Chloe see that the email open on her screen was, in fact, an acceptance notification. “I just couldn’t handle you ‘not knowing what you wanted.’ Because as it turns out, you do know what you want. Aren’t you thrilled, now that you know you A) wanted to be accepted and B) were?”
Chloe was staring at Melody with her jaw hanging open. “That was a pretty shady way of finding out what I wanted, friend. Not a fan of your tactics.” She moved closer to her computer monitor. “I am, however, a big fan of finding out that I get to go live abroad for a year, so…I guess I’ll allow it this time. And also make a mental note never to let you be the one to break me any kind of news in the future.”
“That’s fair.” Melody smiled. She was happy for Chloe. This was an amazing opportunity, and the fact that she was going to get to experience that excitement and growth vicariously through one of her favorite people was thrilling. No, she didn’t regret that she hadn’t applied—this was exciting enough. She barely managed to restrain herself from asking Chloe how she was going to manage all the logistics and emotions of this big journey, all the very things Melody would have been concerned about right now if she were the one reading the acceptance email.
Instead, she asked the next logical question. “So, what does it say? Where are you going?”
Chloe’s eyes moved quickly as she scanned the email before they widened, and she turned to Melody with sheer joy on her face. “London! Oh my gosh, I’m so excited! I always wanted to visit London, go see a play in the West End and take a selfie with Big Ben and all that…now I’m going to live there! Can you believe it?”
“You know, I really can’t.” Chloe’s joy was contagious, and Melody felt the smile spread across her own face to match her friend’s. “I have a feeling you’re really going to love it there.”
When Melody made the short journey back to her desk, she wondered briefly what it would feel like to be in Chloe’s shoes at a time like this. What it might feel like to be about to turn your whole life on its head…and then shook it off and got back to work. That was a question for a more adventurous person, or for someone who was less content than she was. No, she was happy to stay in the city that she loved, in her cozy apartment, working every day at the job that gave her life meaning.
The time between the arrival of Chloe’s acceptance email and her departure for jolly old England flew by. Melody was vaguely aware of the orientation meetings Chloe had attended, her concerns about packing, some general preparations she was making…and yet still, her last day of work arrived far more quickly than Melody was prepared for it.
“You won’t say no to drinks after work today, right?” Chloe asked that morning, depositing a plant on Melody’s desk that would not be making the journey to London with her. Though Chloe insisted it was a gift and not an extended plant sitting gig, Melody already knew she would give the plant back to her friend when she returned home. The whole plant exchange and subsequent realization that today was Chloe’s last day had left both women emotional and just a bit teary.
“Of course not.” Melody sniffled as she brushed some moisture away from her eye. “I can’t believe you aren’t going to be here tomorrow.” She gestured to Chloe’s desk, empty of all her personal artifacts, with nothing left on the table but her computer. “What am I going to do without you?”
“You won’t be without me, not really.” The emotion in Chloe’s eyes matched what Melody felt blocking her throat. “Tomorrow I’ll be on a plane, so I probably won’t be texting you…but as soon as I land, I’ll be texting and calling and Skyping with you all the time. It’ll be like I never even left. And hey, I’ll be back before you know it.”
Melody shook her head. “Don’t say that. I don’t want you to wish away your time in London or even to spend it all chatting with me, as much as I would love that. You have to really be there, you know? Do your work and have some fun and make some friends.”
“Just don’t replace you, right?”
Melody swatted her on the arm. “Of course! Make all the English friends you want, but leave space in your heart for little old me, okay?”
And then they were hugging again. “You know I will,” Chloe reassured her. “And I’ll find the balance between having fun and making friends there and hanging out at home in my pajamas video chatting with you. I can do both, just you wait and see.”
If it were Melody moving to a new city, a new country, she knew which of those options sounded better to her. She’d never been much for adventuring out into a new city—or even a new bar, really—on her own. With a friend meeting her, she could go anywhere—to a party, a restaurant, all the way across town to some place she’d never been before—but on her own, she tended to be a homebody. And she preferred it that way, when she was honest with herself. All the times she’d ventured out to a bar or a club or even a party at the urging of a friend, it had been to appease that friend. To get them to back off and not give her so much grief for preferring her own company and the peace and quiet of her own home.
But that wasn’t Chloe. Chloe always wanted to soak up all the flavor and goodness of life, like rubbing a piece of bread over your dinner plate to get every last drop of deliciousness. And so Melody would continue to reassure her that spending her time out and about in London was the best use of her time and that she shouldn’t stay at home on a Friday night to chat with Melody. And Melody? She would manage. She probably wouldn’t make a new friend—how did people actually do that at her age, anyway? But she could spend more time visiting her family…and maybe even get a pet. A cat would be nice…
Chloe was saying something; Melody must have zoned out because she nearly missed it. “…hottie cubicle neighbor,” were her last words, combined with some scandalously wiggling eyebrows.
“Er…what? Could you repeat that?”
A sigh huffed out, blowing Chloe’s face-framing layers back with its power. “I knew you weren’t listening to me. Whatever. I was reminding you that you’re going to have your own Generosity Exchange participants here in the office and that, with any luck, you’ll end up with a new office mate. Preferably an attractive, fun person sitting right there at my own cubicle and making it so that you don’t miss me at all. But, uh…I guess I would prefer if it’s a romantic distraction this person provides rather than a ‘new best friend’ kind of distraction. That would make me jealous, and we don’t want that, now do we?”
“You’re ridiculous.” Melody rolled her eyes. “For one thing, I’m not sure dating someone in the office is really a great idea. I seem to remember something in the employee handbook about disclosing relationships to HR or something like that—”
“Too literal! I ask you to imagine a hot guy sitting at my desk and looking at you like you’re a divine being and you take it to sitting down with human resources to make sure nothing inappropriate is assumed about your relationship. Don’t be so boring! You know I love you, but you’ve got to turn off your over-attentive chaperone when you engage your imagination. Even for just a minute, Mel.”
