"I'm going away on Monday to LA," I said, wanting to spend as much time with her before I went away for a whole week.
"I know," she said and stopped. "We'll spend as much time together as we can before you go."
She kissed me once more and then she was gone.
The apartment felt so much emptier without her presence, but I had to smile to myself. We'd had another great night together.
I finished tying my running shoes and then grabbed my helmet and bike and went for my daily ride around the park.
My day was filled with work, and it was good because it kept my mind off Ella and whether I'd be seeing her that night. We'd been almost
inseparable since the trip to Bali, and it was fine with me. She eased into my life and heart and I felt a sense of contentment that I hadn't felt in a long time. She was different from other women I'd been with since Christie and I split. The other women were like placeholders while I found another woman I could love. I felt it when I was with them.
Ella felt completely different. She was a woman with substance to her. I remembered Marcella's attempts to find partners for me and how none of them could compete with Ella in terms of my attraction to her and my desire to be with her. The chemistry was off the charts, but it was more than that. We shared a love of the written word, an interest in good writing, whether it was the latest book in our catalogue or the editorial page of The Chronicle.
I was tempted during the day to sneak down into Ella's office and surprise her, but I was honestly so busy that each time I thought about it, another call would shatter my plan, or my assistant would bring in another document for me to review. I almost cancelled a call so I could zip down and see Ella, but at the last minute, decided to stick to my guns and not bother her during the day.
She didn't want there to be any gossip about us in the office and I understood that wish completely. People would view her differently, suspecting that she was sucking up to the big boss. Any advancement she made would be seen as due to the relationship. Besides, it just wasn't pleasant to have people talking about you behind your back.
I knew all about that.
I'd spent the last year trying to get over it myself. There had been a great deal of gossip in the office after Christine and I split, with various camps forming -- those who were on her side and those on mine. It wasn't something I'd wish on anyone.
By the time I was ready to leave the office for the night, it was after seven, and I hadn't heard from Ella all day. I was planning on grabbing some takeout and watching the game while I waited for a text from her about whether she was going to come by to spend the night with me when I got a text from Keith.
KEITH: Hey, old man. I haven't had a beer with you for ages. Come down to O'Malley's after work and have a pint.
I smiled to myself. Keith was right -- since Ella and I started seeing each other, I'd missed quite a few drinks with the boys.
JOSH: I'll see you in half an hour.
KEITH: Great! I actually didn't expect you to say yes, but I thought I'd give it a try. We'll be pleased to have you join us.
JOSH: Who's we?
KEITH: Just some people from the office. See you soon.
I put my cell away and went up to my apartment, changing into a more causal pair of jeans, black turtleneck and a black sports jacket. I checked my messages once before I left, but there was still nothing from Ella. I was almost going to send her a text but changed my mind at the last minute.
Nope. She was busy all evening. If we ended up together, it would be great. If not, I'd enjoy myself with staff from the office and watch the game on the TV at O’Malley’s.
Before I went, I got a text from a name I didn't recognize. The name read Kara, and a shock of adrenaline went through me. The only Kara I knew was the wife of a man I'd been in the service with years earlier.
Grant McNeil, a fellow intelligence officer in the Army while I was over in Afghanistan. We'd been great friends during my time in the service, and I had a fling with his little sister, unbeknownst to him.
His wife's name was Kara. They married after he returned from Afghanistan, and I remembered ribbing him about all that married sex he was going to enjoy.
I read the text with trepidation.
KARA: Hi, Joshua, we haven't met but Grant passed away three days ago, and I wanted to let people in his contacts know. The memorial will be held tomorrow in Alabama where he grew up. His parents live in Millbrook, which is just outside Montgomery, and the graveside memorial will be at the local cemetery.
I felt sick as I checked my calendar. I had planned on going to California on Monday, but I could probably change my schedule to go to Montgomery and get a rental car, drive to Millbrook, stop by the memorial to pay my respects. Then, I could fly to LA a little early than I initially planned.
I remembered there was a convention that weekend in LA on print journalism. I could catch the tail end of it on Sunday so it might work out quite well, all things considered.
I checked the airline and changed my tickets. Since Ella's parents were in town for the weekend, I figured she'd be busy enough with them.
A deep sense of gloom filled me at news of Grant’s death. He was so young that I feared the worst. I googled his name and came up with an obituary that only said he had died suddenly and unexpectedly.