Yours, Forever, page 17
"Happens to the best of us." The elevator doors open, and he ushers me through.
Kelsey leads the little group down to a conference room that looks shockingly like the ones DropTop has. A postmodern table with paperwork and refreshments is surrounded by executive desk chairs. Does every company use the same furniture supplier?
"Please, sit here." Kelsey points to a chair behind a neat stack of paperwork. I comply because what else am I going to do?
"So, first of all, thanks for meeting us." Peter spreads his hands in a welcoming gesture. "I understand the situation might be a little delicate. I apologize for any emotional distress."
"Uh, thanks, Peter." I force a tight smile.
"Please, it's Pete. I'll get straight to the point. Dustin's notes on DropTop were immaculate—as they always are—and he spoke particularly highly of you, your team, and your organizational skills. I recognize that statement may be a little fraught, considering… well, considering what happened. However, here at Atmosphere, we trust yet verify. And his account has been verified. Frankly speaking, how interested would you be in training for Onboarding Director?"
What. My mouth flops open, and I make a gurgling noise. Kelsey's smile turns a little concerned—oddly similar to Kelly's "fix your face" smile—and she scoots the pitcher of water and an empty cup toward me. Grateful for the momentary distraction, I pour myself a glass and chug it down. And another. And another. Exhaling heavily, I carefully dab the corners of my mouth with the provided napkin.
"I'm sorry, I'm confused. I'm an engineering manager. I don't quite understand," I manage to stutter out.
"Well, the way I see it, you were particularly helpful in creating an action plan for the integration of DropTop's tech stack into the Atmosphere ecosystem. Per Dustin's notes, you were integral to the process." Pete raises his eyebrows.
"I suppose that's true."
"To be clear, we would not be throwing you to the wolves. We would expect you to train both in-office and in the field with Pete for a ninety-day orientation period. It would come with a generous signing bonus, as well as a relocation fund," Kelsey chimes in.
"Relocation fund?"
"Yes, this position is based in Chicago." Kelsey gives me a knowing smile. "Would that be… of interest to you?"
Holy shit. I mean, yeah, yeah, it would. The opportunity to not only keep my job but move up the corporate ladder and move to Chicago on Atmosphere's dime? I suck in a breath as my mind races. This opportunity means that I'd never have to see Calvin again. I'd never run into him or his new baby mama. And the signing bonus? I could pay off my divorce lawyer without blinking. Of course, I would be sad to leave Janine and my team… and honestly, the city. I've lived in New York (or the New York metro area) for my entire adult life.
Still, the concept of starting fresh in a new city, a new role, with Dustin?
"I'm in." I slap the table. "What happens to my team, though?"
"Ah! Excellent question. Kelly has been enjoying line management more than she thought she would. And your team is doing very well—of course, they miss you, as they repeatedly mentioned during the investigation interviews. But with you moving up, there's room for a new manager. And backfill, of course. I believe Kelly mentioned Felicity?" Kelsey smiles warmly. She really does quite a lot of smiling.
"Felicity would be perfect." I nod.
This is happening. This is all really happening.
Leah drops me off at the hotel after a full day of meetings, signing paperwork, and video calls with the team. I almost cried when I saw their concerned faces. They've all been so worried—it's so sweet. They're an incredible team, and I am so fortunate to have been able to work with them.
As soon as I get settled in my hotel room, I call Dustin.
"Hey!" I can practically hear the smile in his voice. "How'd it go?"
"They… promoted me?"
Silence.
"Hello?" I check to see if the call dropped, but it's still going.
"My god, Brooke—that's amazing? How did that happen? Wait, no, I want to hear about it in person. Do you want to come back over here? Should I pick you up? Do you want me to come to the hotel? Actually—how is the hotel? Is it nice? They're a multi-billion dollar corporation—if it's not nice, you should kick up a fit. They can swing it." Dustin yaps at a hundred miles a minute, and I can't help the smile spread across my face.
That's so him. He's happy for me. I'm sad for him, obviously, and he doesn't know I got his job—not yet. I'll tell him when I see him. I have a feeling it'll be overshadowed by the other news I haven't told him….
"Don't worry! It's super swanky—the St. Regis? I honestly feel a little out of place at this ritzy-ass hotel. I looked it up, and they run for like… a grand a night. Insane." I pull back the curtain and gaze out the window towards Lake Michigan. I can just barely see the Chicago River to the north. Even though it's frigidly cold outside, the frosty riverside parks look beautiful. "You should come over. I'll let you in."
"I'll be there in twenty. Brooke?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm so proud of you." His earnest warmth illuminates me from the inside.
"Thank you, babe. I'm proud of me, too."
One good thing about our airport charade this morning is that I have all of my luggage. I didn't think they'd buy it if I showed up empty-handed. So I pop into the ritziest shower I've ever seen in my life—seriously, there's like four showerheads—to rinse off from the day. Maybe it's a rich-people thing, but the little hotel soaps suds up better than anything I've ever bought in my life. It's luxuriously silky and smells just… clean. It's a subtle scent, and I can't place it, but it just makes me feel clean.
Even with the hefty raise I'm getting, there's no way I'll be able to afford a place like this very often. I'm going to make it count while it's on Atmosphere's dime.
Feeling fresh as a daisy, I wrap the hotel-branded robe around myself and check the time. Dustin should be here soon. I saunter over to the phone and dial 0 for the front desk.
"Yes, madam?" Wow, I didn't even hear it ring.
"Hi—hello, this is Brooke. I'm expecting a guest shortly. His name is Dustin Sanders. Would you mind sending him up when he arrives?"
"Certainly, madam. May we assist with anything else?"
"No, thank you."
Click. Yeah, this is rich-people shit. I like it. The front desk receptionist had a vaguely British accent and everything.
Not five minutes later, Dustin gently knocked on my door with a backpack and a brown paper shopping bag. His eyes widen as he peers behind me at the gigantic suite. "Wow."
"Wow is right," I laugh and beckon him inside. "There's, like, two rooms. The bedroom is separate?"
"Atmosphere must really like you," he jokes. "They never put me up in a place like this."
"Really? Guess I better not get used to it, then." I take a deep breath to calm my nerves. "So… they offered me the Onboarding Director role."
He freezes. Based on his rapid blinking, I can practically hear the gears turning in his head as he processes the bomb I just dropped on him. After what feels like an exceedingly long silence, he exhales. "Wow. I should have brought nicer wine."
"That's it?" I squeak. "You're not mad?"
"No, baby. I'm a little surprised but at the same time? Not really. You're incredible, you know your shit, and you work amazingly well with people. It makes a lot of sense. You're going to do amazing—and if there's any way I can help you get a leg up, any kind of competitive edge, or tips? Anything? Tell me, baby. I know you're going to thrive." He drops his bags to the floor and rushes me, enveloping me in his arms.
While I was a little nervous about dropping the news, I'm not shocked he's being so supportive. This is Dustin. This is how he's always been. I'm going to make him—and myself—so proud. I snuggle into his embrace and let out a tiny giggle.
"Would now be a good time to tell you the rest of the news?"
He stiffens. "There's more?"
"Yeah, babe. There's more." I step back and look him in the eye. "This position is Chicago-based. So… were you still serious about me moving in?"
Dustin's jaw drops, and his soulful eyes search mine. "You're not kidding? This is happening? Oh, my god, yes. Yes. Yes. When? How soon?"
"In the next month—I'll have to go back to New York and wrap things up there, but I officially start my training on April 7th. Isn't that insane?" My voice ratchets up a few octaves with my squeal.
"Holy shit—oh my god, Brooke, you've made me the happiest man on the planet. Yes, holy shit, yes. Yes, times a thousand. How do we move Huey here? Can you take cats on airplanes?" He squeezes my shoulders and flashes me the most dazzling smile in the world. My knees go a little weak.
"We'll figure it out, won't we?"
"Yeah, baby. Yeah, we will. Seriously, Brooke. I'm so fucking proud of you. I love you."
"I love you, too."
Epilogue
2 years later
Brooke
"Dusty! Are you ready yet?" I yell out as I triple-check the flight info on my phone. I just finished washing up my baking trays. I don't sell my goods anymore, but the flow of baking a massive batch of cookies (or cupcakes) relaxes me. And Dustin adores reaping the benefits.
"No. Help." His voice echoes down the hall of what's now our condo. I roll my eyes and plod down to the bedroom where I find Huey sleeping peacefully on his lap. Dustin looks up at me with pleading eyes.
"What?" I ask as I pop out my hip.
"You know it's illegal to move a sleeping cat. Look at his little toes—they're so cute, they should be outlawed!" Dustin protests with a whisper-yell.
"He's just doing that because he can sense we're leaving. It'll be fine, babe. The house sitter is locked and loaded. She's gonna be here tonight—I left her a pile of chocolate chip cookies—and Huey will get the chance to wrap another human around his finger. Paw. Whatever," I chuckle. "Our flight's in two hours and you know security will be insane—we need to go!"
Dustin heaves a sigh, and I watch my husband gently remove the orange menace from his lap, then place him directly into the warm sunbeam on our bed. His gold wedding band glints in the light, and I stifle a smile.
"Alright, alright. Let's go. Bye, son!" Dustin lays a tiny kiss on Huey's little pink nose. Huey chirps in his sleep. I almost melt, and then we'd really be in trouble because I'm definitely more than three-point-four fluid ounces. TSA would never let me on the plane.
Dustin keeps his hand on my thigh the whole drive to O'Hare. I'm practically vibrating with excitement—we're flying to New York, then renting a car and driving down to the Jersey Shore. It's the first time we've both been able to take vacation days together since our wedding six months ago. I've really come into my own at Atmosphere, and now Dustin is an engineering manager at—funny enough—a new startup.
I've never seen him this happy, to be honest. And he's never once belittled my career ambitions, which I recognize is a low bar, but Calvin really did a number on me. I've started therapy as well, and my therapist is helping me work through my anxiety. Everything just feels right.
"You excited to see Janine?" Dustin asks as we stand in the security line.
"I'm going to gnaw a hole in my enclosure," I laugh back. "I've missed her so much. I badly need some bestie time."
"Do you really think she'd be interested in third-wheeling for sushi?" Dustin scrolls through the itinerary he wrote up on his phone.
"I'll drag her myself if she's not."
Pretty soon, it's time for us to board, and we settle into our seats. Dustin gripes about the paid in-flight WiFi, and I roll my eyes at him, but I secretly agree. It is a scam. Lucky for me, though, I've pre-downloaded a bunch of books on my e-reader. Assuming I can stay awake, that is. Something about flying makes me fall asleep every single time.
I was right. I conked out almost immediately. The jolt of the plane touching down in New York rouses me from my slumber. Dustin's kept his hand on my leg the whole flight (I assume). It's such a little thing, but I like it. I love my husband.
Janine and I were both worried I'd have debilitating anxiety about getting married again. My therapist told me that situational anxiety is within the realm of normal. She then asked what, specifically, made me nervous about marrying Dustin? That's when I realized I wasn't worried about marrying Dustin. It was a general fear of failing a second marriage. So, she asked me to invite Dustin to our next session. He listened, he asked insightful questions, and by the time we left?
I wasn't anxious anymore. Our wedding day was the best day of my life.
By the time we reach Janine's stop on the train, I'm almost lost in my thoughts. The energy of the city floods through me as we emerge from the station and I breathe in a deep breath—then cough it out, because someone's definitely pissed behind the subway sign. Ah, New York. Never change.
Janine waits at the stoop of her building and pops up like a jack-in-the-box when she sees us down the sidewalk.
"You bitch!" she shrieks, barreling towards me. "How dare you take this long to come see me?"
"Good to see you, Janine," Dustin laughs as she tackles me.
"Mmf," I sputter into Janine's shoulder. She's pretty much choking me.
"Not sorry. This is what you deserve," she taunts.
"I can't buy you sushi if you strangle me!" I gasp. That gets her attention, and she releases me from her hold.
"Oh, well. In that case, let's boogie."
Moments later, we gorge ourselves on the finest sushi her neighborhood has to offer. Salmon, tuna, yellowtail, inari, eel, and my personal favorite: shrimp tempura. I'm a simple woman; I like fried shrimp. She tells me everything that's been going on in her life—her new job, the latest antics of her bonkers downstairs neighbors—and is oddly cagey about her dating life.
Our dinner is too short, but we have to get on the road to New Jersey. She strangles me with another hug before Dustin and I head to the rental car place. She promises she'll visit Chicago soon. I'll hold her to that. Dustin leans his head on my shoulder during the train ride, nearly falling asleep. He's so cute when he relaxes. Well, that's a lie. He's cute all the time.
Yep, I'm a lucky gal.
Dustin
We pull into our rental beach house's driveway just as the sun sets behind us. It's been a hell of a day, what with trains and an airplane and the rental car. Brooke was so happy to see Janine, and truth be told, so was I. The salty scent of sea air washes over me and dissolves all of my travel tension with my deep inhale.
"This is gorgeous," Brooke whispers as she hops out of the car to stand by me.
"It really is. We have my friend Noah to thank for this—he came here last summer and couldn't stop raving about it." I smile down at her and lay a tiny kiss on the top of her head.
"Noah? You've heard from him? Wow, how long has it been?" She furrows her brow.
I wave my hand noncommittally. "You know how he is. He disappears for a while, but he always pops back up. He works for the government, I think? He's always tight-lipped about it."
"True. Well, the next time you hear from him, tell him I said thanks for the recommendation." She slips her arm around my waist, looking out to the ocean.
We stand in silence for a moment, listening to the gentle whoosh of the waves meeting the shore. Sea birds fly overhead. The revolving beam from the lighthouse shines in the distance. The beach is nearly deserted, only a few groups of people walk along the sand, quietly chatting.
Calysto's Cove is perfect.
"Do you want to take our stuff in or go down to the ocean?" I ask Brooke.
She yawns loudly. "We've got a whole week, right? Let's take our stuff in and decompress. Maybe get some food before turning in?"
"Good idea. Y'know, I've heard the best spot on the boardwalk is called the Crab Hole. Interested?"
"The Crab Hole? Seafood twice in a day? You spoil me, Mr. Sanders." She perks up and pokes at my nose.
"Nothing but the best for Mrs. Sanders."
Morning sun filters in through the sheer curtains of our bedroom. The ocean waves crash in the distance like a soothing white noise machine. This is the world's best alarm clock. Brooke sleeps soundly beside me, her green hair splayed out over the pillow. She still looks like my beautiful fairy queen, and I'm her court jester.
I quietly slide out of bed and start up the coffee machine. I'd like to have it ready for her before she gets up. While the machine burbles, I step out onto the balcony. The view overlooks the gentle rolling dunes with sea grass dotting up and down the shore. I watch a pelican dive from the sky and scoop up a mouthful of seawater. Fishing for its breakfast. My stomach growls, and I return to the kitchen, taking the leftover crab cakes from the fridge.
I could live like this forever, I think. Maybe Brooke and I can retire here. You know, down the line. The city is great, but nothing beats the rest and relaxation associated with sleepy beach towns.
"Morning, babe." Brooke pads out to the balcony with a yawn. "Been up long?"
"No." I slide my arm around her. "Just a few minutes. Coffee's being made. I just wanted to look out here."
"It's beautiful. Do you want to explore the town today? Or beach it up?"
"Hmm." I ponder the options. "Beach?"
"Beach it is."
Under an hour later, we're running and laughing through the ocean as it crashes to the shore, splashing each other, jumping with the waves. I adore the way Brooke's eyes crinkle at the corners when she loses her breath laughing. Her fairy queen aesthetic morphs to mermaid queen as she floats on her back, green hair billowing out in the water.
I float next to her, grabbing onto her hand. "This is incredible."
"It really is. Thanks for… well, everything. I'm so lucky to have you, Dustin." She peeks over to me with a smile.
"You kidding? I'm just happy you don't think I'm boring anymore." I give her a cheeky grin and waggle my eyebrows. She snorts out a laugh, and it sets me off, too.
