Vanished

Linda

There was a knock on my closed door but as soon as I said come in, the door opened and Linda stepped inside. She looked unusually cheery in a colorful dress with large flowers and a huge smile on her round face.

"What did I miss?" I asked. "Did you win the lottery?"

"No," she laughed. "Wish I did. I'd be on my way to the Bahamas right now."

I laughed with her and gestured to one of the chairs across from my desk. "What's going on? You look very pretty today."

Linda sat down in the chair and continued to smile. "Thanks! I have a date after work."

That sounded interesting, but not unusual for Linda.

"It's with this guy I met online," she explained.

I hadn't gone down that road yet, but maybe in a year or so, if and when I was over Austin and ready to date again, that might be something I should try.

"Oh, yeah? Where are you going?"

"It's just drinks at O'Malley's, but he seems nice, so I hope it works out."

"Good for you. I hope it works out, too."

"What about you?"

"Me?" I asked, surprised.

"Yeah, have you been on any dates lately?"

"No."

I wondered where she was going with that and hoped she wasn't going to ask me to come on a double date. But Linda just grinned like the cat that got the canary. I wasn't sure if it was supposed to make me worried, but it did. She was obviously up to something more than just telling me about her upcoming date.

"I know you said yesterday that you contemplated giving up on this William guy, but I have news. And I think you need to reconsider."

"Okay." I frowned, and the worried feeling intensified, but for a whole different reason. "What kind of news?"

"You know the management meeting Larry threw every year before he retired?"

That was not where I expected her to go, but okay.

"Yeah."

Larry had been the Assistant Vice President of BioloGen and while some of his job practices and decisions had been frowned upon, he'd held successful yearly meetings at the largest location we had in Florida, near Jacksonville. Management representatives from every office participated. It was the one thing he'd done that was truly successful and that the employees complained they missed after he left.

"They are doing it again this year," Linda informed me.

"Oh, really?" I hadn't heard that.

"Yeah, they are doing it bigger and better this year, according to Brenda."

I rolled my eyes. Brenda loved to tell people what she'd heard before it became official news. She was a bit of the office know it all.

"Hm, so you think William will be at the meeting?"

"Maybe."

"Maybe." I laughed. "What's you plan here, Linda?"

She giggled. "It isn't in Florida this year."

"No?"

She shook her head, smiling.

"Is it here?" I guessed and felt my stomach do a slow flip. If she thought William was coming to this office, we'd have a problem. I wouldn't be able to avoid him even if I wanted to. Our location was small and my office was located on the same level as the only conference rooms.

"Nope. It's ever better than that." She paused for effect, and I was about to ask her where, when she said, "it's in Boston."

"Ohhhh." I didn't see that one coming.

"Yeah." She knocked her knuckles on my desk. "Make sure you volunteer to go. That's your opportunity right there."

I just nodded. She wasn't wrong. Aubrey had told me on Friday night when we were out at the bar that I should go to Boston and see this William guy for myself. To give it one last try before I gave up. To me, it had already felt like a lost cause. William had made it clear on the phone that he didn't know who I was, even though I still had that feeling that he'd lied.

I'd spent the entire weekend cleaning and organizing my closets, more to stay busy and keep my thoughts from Austin than anything else. The apartment didn't really need that kind of cleaning. But no matter how much I scrubbed the bathroom or moved my clothes around in my closet, my thoughts kept going back to Austin and all the what ifs? There were so many questions and very few answers. I wanted to know why he left and what the last ten years had been like for him. And if I was honest with myself, I wanted to see him.

At the same time, I didn't want this William guy to have that much power over me. Because what if I was completely wrong and he wasn't Austin at all? Then I was back where I started, only more frustrated. Plus. I'd look like a complete idiot.

But with this opportunity, I'd get a chance to confront him once and for all, and it wouldn't be suspicious that I was in Boston because I traveled with work. And there was a whole other perk. The trip would be all paid.

"When is it?" I asked Linda when she got up to leave.

"In two weeks."

Two weeks. That felt like it was so far away, yet like I didn't have enough time. There was so much I'd want to do before then. If I were to go.

"Thanks Linda."

"You're welcome."

Linda closed my office door behind her and before I could think things through and come up with arguments about why I shouldn't volunteer to go, I sent an email to my boss and did just that. I volunteered.

I got a response back ten minutes later that said, "We appreciate you taking the lead on this. Have Allison book everything for you."

I felt excitement again for the first time in weeks. Allison would take care of the travel plans. She'd book me at a nice hotel close to the office and schedule a car service to and from the airport. I wouldn't need to do anything but attend those few meetings and then I was on my own. And I would spend that alone time to the best of my ability. There was no way I'd walk out of there without answers.

The decision was made. I was going to confront William. And he wouldn't even see me coming.