133. Riley
ONE HUNDRED THIRTY-THREE
”Two weeks vacation?Really? Anna, you”ve worked here for years and I”ve never known you to take off for that long. I hope you”re going somewhere fun? You seem to live at this place.”
My boss, James, smiles at me. I grin back. He”s a man in his seventies, one of the partners in the firm. He”s always telling me I need to get a life. I don”t think he knows that he, this company, and this city, have given me more of a life than I ever imagined.
”I am, sir. I”ll be visiting family and friends in the United States. But don”t worry, I”ll send this marketing plan to all the stakeholders before I leave today. Thank you for approving it.” I stand up.
”Thank you for doing such a wonderful job. You”re such an asset to us. Don”t stay long in the US, you understand? We need you too much here. Have a wonderful trip, dear.”
We bid each other goodbye and I head one floor down to my corner office on the tenth floor, my heels clicking purposefully against the tile floor. I nod and say hello to co-workers along the way, and someone stops to ask if I”d like to sign a birthday card for a lawyer in the contracts division.
”Of course,” I say, pausing to sign a heartfelt greeting. I give the employee a fifty-pound note out of my own pocket to help with party expenses.
In my office, I email the plan to the necessary people. Feeling a little giddy, I set my out of office email autoresponder, then pause to look at a news story I”d saved to my desktop. Every time I read it, my face grows warm.
Florida Mafia Boss to be Released After 10-Year Sentence
Convicted Florida mob boss Gabriel Greco is set to be released from Marianna Federal Prison Camp following a decade-long incarceration for cocaine trafficking charges. The 48-year-old crime boss was arrested in a joint FBI-DEA operation, culminating in a federal indictment for leading a drug distribution network across the Eastern United States.
Greco, known for his connections to organized crime syndicates, was found guilty on multiple charges, including conspiracy to distribute narcotics, money laundering, and racketeering. His arrest marked a significant blow to the criminal underworld, leading to the dismantling of several criminal enterprises linked to his operation.
The trial exposed a vast network of illicit activities, illustrating Greco”s central role in coordinating drug trafficking operations that spanned multiple states. The court, citing the severity of his offenses and the impact on communities, sentenced Greco to a maximum-security facility, where he spent the majority of his sentence.
Despite speculation about potential parole or sentence reduction, authorities confirmed Greco served the complete 10-year term stipulated by the court.
In a surprising turn of events, Greco”s release does not come with any stipulations or probation. Sources say the governor is poised to pardon him, which will allow Greco to vote and hold a passport.
I delete the file and shut my computer down. After that, I go to my flat, where my dog, Dino, greets me. He”s a mutt, part pitbull, part lab, all lover. He”s a big smooch, and I adore him more than anything.
We tumble onto the sofa together. ”I”m going to miss you, big stinker dog,” I tell him. ”But I”ll be back for you. I promise.”
A half hour later, my neighbor Priya comes over to take Dino to her apartment. She”s become a close friend — and yet, she has no idea of my past, or where I”m about to go.
”Don”t rush back,” she says. ”I want all the time I can get with Mr. Dino here.”
My dog gives her a sloppy kiss and we both laugh. Once she”s gone, I call a car service and grab my bag. The last thing I do is grab the velvet box that contains my sparkling engagement ring. I haven”t worn it in a decade, and I”m not sure if I”ll need it — but I figure it”s best to bring it with me.
It”s time.
I”m in business class on this flight, so different from when I flew to the U.K. a little over ten years ago. Everything is so different now.
After receiving Gabriel”s letter, I slipped into a period of darkness. Somehow, I managed to keep my job, and then a strange thing happened.
I began to participate in life. Fueled by anger at my parents and Gabriel, I threw myself into running, exercising, yoga. I tried every self-help book, meditation class, and therapy possible. I rose through the ranks at the law firm to become director of marketing, volunteered for a children”s charity, and made friends.
I even dated a bit, but never seriously. It seemed wrong, somehow, when my heart was still devoted to another. Eventually I gave up on even that and got myself an excellent vibrator. It did the job well enough.
My anger eventually dissolved and I was left with a nagging, yearning desire.
For Gabriel.
As I get comfy in my business-class seat, the rhythmic hum of the aircraft engines provides a familiar lull. Despite the anticipation and anxiety simmering within me, exhaustion drapes over my shoulders like a heavy shroud. I”ve been working nonstop these past months, and I recently ran a marathon.
I nestle into the plush seat, close my eyes, and succumb to the lullaby of the plane”s movement, slipping into a fitful doze.
Hours later, the plane touches down. Disembarking, I retrieve my bag from the carousel and head to the car rental desk. Fingers tracing the keys of the rented Jeep, my heartbeat quickens with every mile as I navigate the Florida back roads toward the penitentiary.
It”s in the middle of nowhere, deep in redneck territory.
The GPS guides me through unfamiliar country roads, a stark contrast to the organized chaos of my usual London streets. Each turn heightens my anticipation, amplifying the ticking clock within my chest. My palms grow damp on the steering wheel as the stark structure of the prison looms into view.
Parking the car, I sit for a moment, my breath coming in shallow bursts. The looming gates, the guarded watchtowers. They”re all looming over a moment that could alter the trajectory of my life.
Gabriel doesn”t know I”m here, because I haven”t spoken to him in ten years. He thinks Cath is coming to pick him up. But she and I decided that I would. Cath and I have seen each other multiple times over the years, and she”s been integral in helping me figure out my feelings for Gabriel — and for everything that happened.
Summoning all my courage, I step out into the humid air and immediately begin to sweat. The crunch of gravel beneath my feet echoes in the silence as I make my way to the parking lot where the prison bus is supposed to drop him off. Each step feels like I”m walking into the unknown.
I guess I am.
Standing there, nerves tingling, I clench and unclench my fists. I glance at my smartwatch, noting the time. My heart thuds against my ribcage, a relentless drumbeat in the moments leading to Gabriel”s release.
Finally, a white bus comes into view. It chugs along, at a snail”s pace, then parks at the far end of the lot.
I stand, frozen, watching as the door opens. A Black man climbs out. Then a young white guy. Then Gabriel.
He”s holding a blue duffel bag, wearing jeans and a T-shirt. He stands, looking around, probably anticipating Cath jumping out from nowhere in her signature Goth outfits.
I walk over, slowly, my heart nearly beating out of my chest. Gabriel turns and our eyes meet.
”Riley?” he says, disbelief in his voice.
I”m running to him now and when I reach him, I stop and stand there, unsure of what to do. He”s staring at me as if I”m a ghost.
”Gabriel,” I say through tears.
He drops the duffel and comes to me, standing a foot away. He”s leaner than he used to be, and his face is harder, his jaw and cheekbones sharper. But his eyes, they”re like molten chocolate, soft and rich and beautiful.
He says my name again and I step toward him, resting my forehead against his chest. That”s when he wraps his arms around me. I cling to him, inhaling his skin, feeling his body against mine.
”I didn”t dare dream that you”d come,” he finally says, his voice muffled by my hair.
I pull back and stare into his face. ”I had to. Wouldn”t miss it for the world.”
”Thank you. I don”t... I don”t know what to say.”
I shake my head. ”You don”t need to say anything. You only need to kiss me.”
He grins and it”s like the sun is shining through the clouds. As our lips meet, it”s a collision of a decade”s worth of longing and pain.
He tastes familiar, yet there”s also an exciting undercurrent of discovery, as if we”re exploring each other for the first time. There”s so much to explore. So much to forgive.
There”s also a mix of sorrow for lost time and an overwhelming rush of joy.
”You”re free,” I murmur.
My heart, which had hardened with unresolved emotions, now feels light and hopeful.
It”s as if I”ve finally found my missing piece. After all these years, I”m complete. Finally, we stop kissing and press our foreheads together.
I wipe my tears, trying to compose myself, though my heart is blasting away at my ribcage. ”Cath and I planned all of this.”
”You look... amazing,” he says softly. His cheeks are wet, too.
”Thank you,” I manage, feeling a blush creeping onto my face, a mix of nervousness and joy swirling inside me.
We stand there for a moment, unspoken words lingering in the air. What”s going to happen to us? I have no idea. But we”re together.
Finally.
And that”s all that matters.
Then, as if remembering, I gesture toward the rental Jeep parked nearby. ”I”ve got a rental,” I say.
He looks at the car, then back at me, then nods and picks up his bag. We walk to the car.
”Where are we going?” he asks as we get into the Jeep.
”Where do you want to go?”
He brushes his hand over my cheek, a lingering, perfect touch. ”Anywhere, as long as it”s with you.”
— THE END—