Remotely Love, page 17
“I was supposed to go but requested an exception to stay home. My wife is sick.” Seeing Hazel’s face, she quickly continued, “Nothing too serious, but she does have the flu. I’m fine so far, but I can't justify traveling when I might be a carrier. Can you imagine going and getting your whole company sick, literally?”
“I hope you stay well and that she feels better soon.” Tamra nodded her thanks. “I think the last thing from me is Jasmond said he might be reaching out to you. In an off-hand way, he mentioned that he might see if I can stay on and work with his Training team in Phase 3.”
“Aha, now you’re encroaching on my agenda items! He already has reached out, and I wanted to talk to you about it.”
Hazel’s eyes widened. “That was fast.”
“Yeah, he doesn’t waste any time. So it sounded like he wants you to take care of their communication needs but also took time to sing your praises about the Teaser Trailers. I think he wants to make a similar approach for the All Employee Training. This is a huge deal for you, but I still want to ask, are you interested?”
Hazel blinked. “Uh, put me down as a hell yes.”
Tamra made a checking motion. “Done and done.”
Saturday was boring. Hazel tried everything she could think of to brighten it up. She walked down to her favorite local cafe with her newest book club read, Romancing Antiquities. A book about a witch who owned an Antique Shop and put enchantments on her favorite items that would cause the purchasers to “realize their truth in love.” Hazel wasn’t far enough in to know exactly what that meant, but she was wary of what could be a heavily multi-perspective book. Not always her favorite style, but she’d read it anyway.
Sitting next to the window and reading her book had been a decent distraction, except it got old quickly. Rosie and Nick were coming over for dinner and to help her pack, but they weren’t arriving until the evening; that was an impossible 7 hours away!
She opened her phone, but nothing had changed.
SPierce
Getting onto the plane now. 8:48am
Hazel
Safe travels! 8:48am
Being unable to text from a flight is a ridiculous ineptitude of technology.
Hazel brought out a puzzle and turned on 30 Rock for some familiar background noise. Even these comforting activities didn’t relieve her boredom or underlying self-loathing. Was this who she was now? A woman with nothing to entertain her except constant upkeep with her crush?
Uncomfortable with these thoughts, she packed a lunch and went on a long meandering bike ride, letting whatever whim she encountered decide her direction. Making room to feel pulled in a direction pushed everything else out of her mind. She enjoyed steep downhills like a child, squealing and sticking her legs out. To her surprise, she discovered new neighborhoods, even ending up stopping to eat her lunch in a tiny preserved area she had never seen before.
Confidence rediscovered and cheeks blazing with cold exposure, she began the ride back home. She made a game of trying to remember the turns she took so she could travel back the same way in reverse. Only the evergreens retained their leaves now. Even those late-coloring broad-leaf varieties had dropped their load. Hazel loved the colorful fall in the mountains but also the sound of crunching leaves under her bike tires.
At 5pm, Hazel heard her door open and the shuffling sound of dropping coats. “I’m in the kitchen!” She uncorked a bottle of wine and poured three glasses.
Rosie ran into the room, Nick chasing her, making pinching motions at her. Between laughs, Nick raised a bag, “We brought the salad stuff.” Rosie had already retrieved a knife and was standing on the opposite side of the cutting board. She gestured for the bag, and Nick delivered it to her by flinging it onto the counter.
Hazel smirked at their hijinks, still looking down, focusing on chopping the tempeh. “Nick, if you want to get the pot started, go ahead and throw the oil and onions in.”
He set down his wine and turned on the heat. Stirring onions, he glanced at Hazel. “So how are things?”
Hazel shot a look of mock exasperation at Rosie, who shrugged and replied, “What? You know I tell him everything.” Hazel glared at her but laughed, “Yeah, I do know.” She mashed the tempeh with a fork to crumble it and soaked it in a brown sauce. “I’m good. There’s definitely a feeling of culmination. Sam is already at the site. I fly out tomorrow. Our project will be nearly completed by Tuesday evening, and I get to see him and hopefully figure things out.”
Nick had stopped stirring. “That part is kind of a lot, no?”
Rosie flicked her fingers at him. “Back to stirring, sir. I won’t have burnt onions in my chili.”
He shot back, “The beer will deglaze them.”
Rosie said, “Hah! I’m getting more and more excited for this recipe all the time.”
Hazel answered, “It’s a lot. But I’m so ready. It will be a relief to be on the same page no matter what that is at this point. What about you, ready for Thanksgiving with the llamas?”
Nick turned back to the pot and started stirring with a comical speed. “I’m just kidding. Of course I’m ready! It'll be a good time no matter what they’ve got going on. Can’t bring us down.”
Rosie said darkly, “That’s the spirit.” and drank from her glass.
After dinner, Hazel shared the contents of her suitcase, which received oohs and aahs until Rosie asked how she was doing her hair. The scrutiny of wearing it “down like normal” led the party into her bathroom, where Rosie rifled through every drawer, searching for accessories. She settled on a white beaded elastic hair clip and then insisted on demonstrating how Hazel should use it. Rosie swept up Hazel’s hair, making it look effortless and regal in 3 minutes flat. Hazel stared at the result in the mirror. “I… How’d you do that so easily?”
Rosie shrugged. “It is easy.”
Hazel shook her head. “Not for me. I love it, though, and I will try.” She tucked the clip into a side pocket of her suitcase.
Chapter 17
Travel Well
“You may love working from home (I hope you do!) but remember that occasional travel may be necessary depending on your department and position. If you need to travel, familiarize yourself with the expense policy, and enjoy your time.”
Hazel stared around at her fellow passengers, jealous of their ability to sleep on a plane. This was one skill she had never been able to master. Her flight had been delayed, so now it was the witching hour somewhere above Missouri or Kansas. She was grateful that, thanks to Sam, she had some offline work to keep her busy. On his flight he reviewed the How-To documentation and Onboarding Training she had worked up and left feedback notes throughout them.
To be fair, not all the notes were feedback. Hazel had found two so far that had been asides. The first was for an unfortunate typo where she had used the word bare instead of bear. Sam had said, “Unexpectedly exciting content ;).” The second was a reply to her section on finding a change of scenery, “I’ll never forget the first time I saw your bedroom wall art.” Hazel found the rest of his feedback to be precise and inspiring and was implementing most of his suggested changes.
The sun had barely started its ascent, causing the sky to lighten from black to gray as she reached the end of the Training document. She saw a substantially longer comment than the rest at the bottom. “I know it’s why you want to move to Training, but what you’ve built here is a story. It’s your success story. I can imagine you giving this training. You’d be telling your personal tale naturally and humorously, which is so powerful. At the same time, the presentation on screen would light up at the right moments. You should try to sell it like that. Record yourself delivering it.” She would have never imagined recording herself delivering the training but knew as soon as she read it that it was the right move. She marked her Calendar with a reminder to experiment with recording after the summit and closed her laptop.
Everything was fine until she began to walk up the stairs to the Hilton’s entrance. It was 10am on the West Coast, and maybe it was because Hazel was exhausted, but each step she took toward those doors met her with crushing waves of notion. She thought Sam is in there. I’m going to be on stage in front of everyone. I’m rolling out the most major initiative being presented. I’m going to see Sam for the first time. Where will he be? Where is he now? Do I look okay? Everything might change. My whole life might change. She felt she was walking through invisible yet tangible barriers weighing against her.
She half expected Sam to be waiting for her at the entrance, but when she pulled her suitcase over the threshold, there was no one around except the desk clerk. She checked in and received her room key, and started toward her room. It wasn’t until she unlocked the door and toured the small space that she remembered she was pretty early. The summit activities for day one would not begin until 4pm. She looked at the schedule in her Calendar. Yes, today was only an introduction and a dinner. She still felt heavy, and now her stomach was writhing with anticipation. Hazel made the easy decision to shower the airports off of her and try to sleep.
As a wonderful surprise, she found she was able to rest. She woke up at 2pm feeling slightly more refreshed but still leaden with suspense. Her phone buzzed on the nightstand. She reached over to find she had missed several messages from Sam.
SPierce
How’s flying? 10:39am
SPierce
I thought you’d be here by now, everything okay? 12:01pm
SPierce
Your flight landed, are we playing hide and seek? My room is 1005 if you want to come by, or I can meet you anywhere if you want. 2:03pm
Hazel
OMG I’m so sorry, I meant to message you when I got here and I don’t know how I didn’t. No excuse, I’m fine and I’m here, just took a nap 2:03pm
Hazel
Oh, we’re on the same floor I think, I’m 1062 2:03pm
SPierce
No worries, I know traveling is so tiring. And yeah, I think FutureApp has floors 9, 10, and 11 all for us. Maybe others too. There are a lot of people milling around now 2:04pm
Hazel
It was dead when I got here, I was shocked until I remembered we didn’t start until 4. 2:04pm
Hazel inhaled slowly, filling her lungs to full capacity. She held her breath while she typed. This was it. She felt more ready to meet Sam than she had ever been for anything and was terrified at the prospect.
Hazel
Let me get ready and I’ll come meet you. 2:04pm
SPierce
Sounds great :) 2:04pm
She selected the most casual outfit she had packed. Tailored black slacks, a thin black belt, and a burgundy light-knit turtleneck that she tucked into the front. She fussed at her hair which had not yet recovered from the hours of flying and different water from the shower, and quickly applied some makeup. All the while wondering if she would throw up, for the wriggling in her stomach had reached new heights.
Hazel
On the way! 2:14pm
SPierce
Me too! 2:14pm
Oh no, she was going to meet him in the hall somewhere? Her nerves pitched even higher at the unpredictability. She opened the door and started following the signs to lower-numbered rooms.
Hazel could tell Sam was right about more of their colleagues having arrived. She passed many people coming in and out of their rooms, happily hailing at those they recognized. However, these other movements were only distractions as she continued the path toward Sam’s room. She focused on steadying her breath and willing herself not to vomit. Her eyes were peeled for Sam’s dark hair. His perfect teeth. His dimpled cheek. She felt the same foreboding she had entering the hotel, as if resistance met her at each step, and her mind raced.
Then there he was. Everything seemed to freeze, including Hazel, as she stopped dead in her tracks. All the weight. All the nausea. All the trepidation. It all evaporated into nothingness, and she felt herself float. She resumed walking toward him; she had no choice in the matter because he was magnetic. No, they were magnetic, and she could feel him being drawn to her, too.
They were standing in front of each other in the 10th-floor hallway of the Sacramento Hilton. Sam’s eyes were hard, determined. Hazel awkwardly reached out for a handshake, and he grinned and shook his head no before sweeping her into an embrace. Time froze again, and Hazel would have stayed there forever. He smelled of salt and fir, and as she breathed him in, she could feel their difference in height. Sam was tall, lean, and muscular. Her senses were flooded. Taking in everything about Sam and recognizing the feeling of safety, warmth, acceptance, and relief that rushed through her.
Sam pulled away slowly, his voice croaky. “I can’t believe you’re here.”
Hazel was dizzy. Giddy. She breathed, “Me either.” Sam motioned for her to follow, and she walked toward his room. She felt a strong pull to hold his hand but resisted as they weaved through still more people.
When they entered his room, the first thing Hazel noticed was that he had unpacked. “You hung your clothes up?”
“Yeah, I wouldn’t normally but presenting, you know, trying to prevent wrinkles here.” Sam leaned into a seated position on the corner of the bed. “How was the traveling?”
Hazel sat in the armchair across from him. “Normal stuff. Both flights were delayed, but nothing too terrible. Oh! And your feedback on the Remote Training was everything! Thank you so much! I edited in the air.”
Sam’s face was kind. “There wasn’t much to suggest, a few small things. I was happy to have something to look at on the flight, too.”
Hazel asked, “How’s it been on the setup crew?”
He rolled his eyes and chuckled. “Feels like busywork if I’m being honest, plenty to do, but most of the morning was printing and making breakout room boxes with Samantha.”
“I didn’t realize she was helping set up too.”
“There were eight of us. I think I was the only non-local. Usually, the people that live right around the area are the crew who comes early and stay late.”
A book on the nightstand caught Hazel’s eyes. She picked it up and gestured, “What is this?!”
Sam clicked his tongue. “I think you know it? I’m a little behind you, though.”
“You’re reading Stocking Full of Love?!” Hazel was aghast. “Since when are you into romance novels?”
He winced slightly. “I have a confession…. I read with your book club.”
Hazel guffawed. “You what?!”
“I’ve been reading the books you mention. You made it sound so fun, and I thought I’d try one and just… didn’t stop.”
“But then I’ve been spoiling you! You always ask for updates, and I love it because I can talk without worrying about referencing something not everyone has read yet.” Hazel was falling into his expression. “You let me spoil you because you knew that.”
He nodded in admission. “Yes, and honestly, I didn’t want you to think I was creepy for reading what you were reading. I was afraid that could have a creep factor.”
It slipped out before she could stop it, “Or a cute factor.” She remembered seeing familiar-looking books on his bookshelf. “Now you owe me a backlog of book reviews.”
Speaking with Sam in person was disarmingly comfortable. It felt just as natural as being with Rosie, and they quickly got lost in discussion. All of the questions she longed to ask him were pushed away by the flow of conversation and the distraction his appearance provided. She had been right about his broad shoulders. When he leaned back on the bed, the buttons of his shirt and the fabric around his thighs strained just so. Hazel couldn’t help but imagine what his strong body would look like, would feel like, beneath those clothes. She was finding it hard not to reach out and playfully touch him as they spoke. As she struggled not to give him a shove in the shoulder for disparaging the Beast in Belle’s Beast, she saw the digital clock on the nightstand shine 3:52pm. She launched from the chair, and Sam followed. They were standing so very near now she could smell him again. Sam asked, “What is it?”
Hazel gestured toward the clock, “We’re going to be late!”
Sam grabbed the room key from the pillow, and they rushed into the hall.
They arrived at the auditorium right on time and edged through the door as quietly as possible. Dana was walking out to the podium. Most of the seats were already taken, but Sam pointed to the right, his height giving him a better view. He grabbed Hazel’s hand so she would follow but dropped it as fast.
Hazel could feel the heat from Sam’s arm against her own. She tried to pay attention to Dana, but transitioning from her and Sam to a room filled with their colleagues brought her questions for him to the forefront of her mind. She wondered how to broach the conversation and when it would be wise to do so. The sound of applause brought her attention back to the stage. Dana had exited, and another Chief Officer was explaining the format for the next three days. The rest of this evening would include dinner and socialization. Tomorrow was the main event where everyone was required to attend the State of the Business Address and CARE Leadership Training. They would break for lunch and return to workshops located in smaller conference rooms. Everyone was encouraged to attend the three workshops they found most intriguing or beneficial to their line of business. There would be a mixer tomorrow night to end the day. The third day began with a short Closing Address and continental breakfast before people departed.
