Chapter 5 Jovie
Three days later…
“So, this is really happening?” Stevie asked.
“Yes,” I sighed as I threw another pair of jean shorts into my suitcase.
“And you’re leaving tomorrow?”
“I am.”
“Well shit, what am I going to do about your room? Should I put an ad out for a new roommate?”
Of course she’s only thinking about how this impacts her life.
“I’m still going to have most of my belongings here. I’ll keep sending you checks for rent. It’s only a year, Stevie.”
“Ok, good. Because I really didn’t want a stranger living with me. I like walking around the apartment in just my underwear and the way our furniture is set up."
I laughed, "I know."
"How’d Patrick take things?” she asked.
“I haven’t told him yet. We’re going to dinner tonight.”
“Damn.”
I shrugged. “We’ve only been dating for six months. I figured he won't be that heartbroken.”
“Yeah, but you’re 30 now, and he’s, what, 35? Once guys hit 35 it’s like a switch that flips inside them to start finding ‘the one’. They start thinking about babies, marriage, all that shit."
I rolled my eyes. “That’s not a thing, Stevie.”
She nodded and reached for a magazine by my bedside, flipping through it listlessly. “What are you going to do there for entertainment? Grandpa’s ranch is in the middle of nowhere and it’s not like you’re going to be able to go out and make new friends.”
“I’m not there to make friends. I’m there to live and work, and that’s it. The terms of his will say I just have to live on the property, work and learn the ropes for a year, not that I must make friends.”
“But won’t you be bored?”
Definitely .
“I don’t know,” I rubbed my temples hard at the headache Stevie was giving me with the questions she was asking.
I hadn’t even had a chance to process this news, let alone think about what I’d be doing in any downtime I might have on the ranch. Living in my grandfather’s old ranch house, all by myself, made me nervous, but I wasn’t giving myself a chance to think that far ahead, or I feared I'd back out.
“Why don’t you come with me?” I said, grinning as I finished packing, zipped up my luggage and set it on the ground. I knew Stevie wouldn’t be caught dead working on a ranch, especially not for twelve long months. “Grandpa included a clause that said if you decided to join me, we could split the profits if I sell.”
“ If you sell?” she exclaimed as if there was no other option than to sell the ranch that had been in our family for generations. “Losing a year of my life to Lonestar Junction? Sounds tragic."
I smiled, “I’ll miss you. Will you please come visit in a few months once I've settled in?”
“Sure, sis. I love you.” She stood up and gave me a hug.
As we broke away, she reached over and swiftly opened my bedside table, reaching her hand inside to retrieve the pink vibrator I kept there before I could realize what was happening.
“Hey! That’s an invasion of privacy!” I protested as I attempted to slam it shut, but she was too quick.
“Since you’re going to be in the middle of nowhere with no men around, at least take this with you. It’s the only cock you’ll be seeing for a while.” She teased, smiling, as she tossed the vibrator my way. "Well, other than the chickens I'm sure you'll be cleaning up after."
I rolled my eyes, though Stevie was right, I could probably use this during the lonely nights I was sure to endure on Ashwood Ranch. I slipped the pink toy into the side pocket of my suitcase and zipped it shut.
******
Two hours later…
“Let me make sure I heard you right…” Patrick spoke, his brows furrowed in concern. “You’re quitting your well-paying job as CFO for a company you love, leaving your older sister, who has been your best friend since the day you were born, and moving to the middle of Texas to live and work on a ranch for the next twelve months because your grandfather wrote that you must do that in order to inherit his property and then sell it?”
I sighed, feeling the weight of my decision as I picked up another mozzarella stick from the basket the server had dropped off ten minutes earlier. Nervous eating had become my coping mechanism of the moment and even though I was full, keeping my mind and hands busy helped.
“Something like that,” I responded, trying to keep my tone even.
He reached for a mozzarella stick for himself, chewing thoughtfully as he assessed me.
“I’m not going to lie; this is the most bizarre thing I’ve ever heard. You’ve worked so hard for your career babe, and you just finally made it to where you wanted to be. Why do you want to throw that all away?”
“I wouldn’t consider what I’m doing throwing it away,” I countered, feeling defensive. “My CEO said that they can’t hold my position for me, understandably; however, he agreed they’d evaluate when I’m back in a year if they have another position at the company to place me within.”
Patrick snorted. “It’ll be some low-level analyst role, I’m sure. It’ll be like you’re starting all over but at 30 years old.”
I felt irritation bubbling up inside me. I didn’t appreciate Patrick putting doubts in my head, especially a decision I'd agonized over and felt I was making with well intentions.
“Titles aren’t everything,” I shot back, my tone short.
He seemed to catch on and reached across the table for my hand. “Ok, babe. If this is what you want to do, I will support you.”
I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what I had to say next. Apparently, Patrick hadn't realized this was a breakup and I wasn't looking for his support.
“Well, about that…”
He dropped my hand, his expression shifting to one of confusion. “Wait, you're not breaking up with me, are you? Because before you say the words, it’s just a year, Jovie. We can make this work long-distance.”
I hesitated, feeling the weight of my decision. “Lonestar Junction is over three hours away from Houston, and there are no airports in the city. You can’t exactly fly down to visit on the weekends.”
“I know that” he ran a hand through his hair, looking flustered, “but we can make the drive and try to visit each other, every other weekend or monthly, maybe?”
I hesitated. I knew the next twelve months were going to be transformative for me, but it would be nice to have a connection here to Houston still, companionship every other weekend with Patrick didn't sound that bad. He was a nice guy, and we were certainly happy in our relationship. Patrick worked as a senior accountant for a major accounting firm in downtown Houston and was thoughtful and attentive. We’d met on the Hinge app six months ago and hit it off right away, making things official shortly after. On paper, we were the perfect match.
Off paper though, something had always been lacking. I wasn’t sure what it was, but I hadn’t been able to put my finger on it and I knew that I didn't want Patrick to wait for me. Our chemistry wasn't quite there, and he deserved a chance to date and not lose a year of his life, especially if what Stevie said was true. Also, who knew how much time off I would get? In the years I knew of my grandfather, he'd never taken a vacation.
I took another bite of my mozzarella stick, stalling for time. I knew what I had to do, but it didn’t make it any easier. I'd never broken up with someone like this before.
“I think it’s best if we just have a clean break. You deserve to move forward with your life, not put it on hold just because I’m putting mine on pause for twelve months.”
He tapped the table nervously, processing my words. “Is that really what you want?”
“It is,” I said firmly, doing my best to exude confidence.
He sighed deeply. “Well, it’s not what I want, but I respect your choice. With that said, I want you to know that, without any doubt, I’m waiting for you here, Jovie. I think what we have is special. Call it a break-up if you wish, but I’ll be here in twelve months, ready for us to pick things up again when you’re done with your mission.”