5. River
Chapter Five
RIVER
The weekend had come and gone way too quickly.
Normally I loved going to work and my job. Honestly, helping people didn’t feel like a job at all. But I was exhausted and had a lot on my mind.
I tapped my pen against the top of my desk in almost perfect rhythm with my thumping heart as I stared down at my phone, the new contact listed on the screen taunting me.
My cell only held the equivalent of personal numbers that I could count on one hand—such as my kids, sister, and her husband Bronson.
And now Huntley’s.
Instead of just keeping the paper he’d left his digits on, I’d entered those numbers into my phone almost as if it was…what?
I was afraid to admit the words that had come to mind but for some strange reason, I was feeling them.
A lifeline.
I felt like I was stuck in a version of the game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, and the host just asked me if I wanted to use one of my lifelines, one option being to phone a friend.
I’d received a series of prank calls at work and I was feeling off kilter, along with a little rattled. It had been happening a lot lately and I didn’t want to worry the kids so I hadn’t discussed it with them. But as the day went on, I had the urge to talk to someone.
The loaded question was why was I looking at his contact info like he was a friend? If I was that worried about it, I could call Lake, but it wasn’t her number my finger hovered over.
Ring. Ring. Ring.
As the shrill sound of the phone on my desk sounded for the umpteenth time that day, I jumped in my chair, my hand jerking away from my cell. My heart pounded, but unlike moments before, it wasn’t because I was thinking about a certain green-eyed fireman.
Instead, it was because of the noise echoing through the room and the irritation that I was letting the silly calls get to me.
It could very likely be a client, which was exactly why I had to answer, but still I stalled. Shaking my head at myself for hesitating, I finally reached out and grabbed the receiver. When nobody said anything or answered once again, I huffed out a breath and slammed the phone down.
Kids. It had to be. But why did they keep calling? It was my business line and that was clear by the way I answered the phone.
Unease rolled through me and I found myself picking up my cell phone. I couldn’t call no matter what he’d said. But maybe…
As though I was possessed, my fingers flew over the keys and before I could stop myself, I’d sent a text message .
Me: Hey.
It was ultimately the biggest mistake and the worst text possible. Seriously, Hey. Why the hell would I do something so dumb?
Huntley: Who’s this?
I hung my head in embarrassment. Of course he didn’t know who it was, he didn’t have my number. But what the hell was I supposed to say now? Staring at my phone, I finally talked myself into not answering at all and pretending as if I had never sent the message.
Huntley: Hello?
More time lapsed and I stayed strong. I didn’t know why ever since I found the note with his number, I felt the urge to talk to him. It was perplexing as hell.
Huntley: River? If this is you, just talk to me.
Releasing my phone like a hot potato, it clattered to my desk. How did he know? Or why would he think it was me? All of a sudden, it was like I was having an out-of-body experience. It was as though I was looking down at myself as I picked up the phone again and fired off another text.
This wasn’t me; I must’ve been possessed or something. I didn’t do things like this.
Me: I just wanted to say I was sorry about Saturday and the way I overreacted .
My pulse picked up as I watched three floating dots appear.
Huntley: You don’t owe me an apology. You did nothing wrong.
Maybe it wasn’t wrong, but it was humiliating. It had been over ten years since I had left my tortured youth behind and yet some days, I felt like I was still running from it. Hiding from it too. I’d come a long way, I knew that, but I also knew there was so much more to life I was missing out on.
I helped my kids and my clients believe in change, that anything they wanted was possible, but I didn’t practice what I preached.
Letting out an exaggerated sigh, I giggled to myself.
Yes, actually giggled as I whispered to the quiet room, “I’d like to phone a friend.”
Then, with nerves swimming in my stomach, instead of texting, I pushed the button to make the call that moments before I’d thought I couldn’t do.
And waited for Huntley to answer.
When I heard his voice, a tingle of something indescribable trickled through me.
“This is a nice surprise,” he said, and I could hear the smile in his voice.
I found myself smiling back even though he couldn’t see me. Then I realized I needed to say something, but I wasn’t sure what to say. Did I tell him about the calls? Make small talk?
“How’s your day?” he asked, probably catching on to my hesitation.
I was awkward, that's for sure. Why the man wanted to waste time talking to me, I didn’t know.
“It’s okay, but I wish I had some of Capri’s coffee and a cinnamon roll about now.” I smacked my forehead. Why had I blurted that out? It was just the first thing that had come to mind.
Huntley chuckled. “You like her stuff, do ya?”
It was a good thing he couldn’t see me because I rolled my eyes like that was the dumbest question in the world. “Umm, duh, who wouldn’t.”
More laughter came over the line. The deep, rich sound warmed my insides like if I’d sat down by a warm fire on a cold winter's night.
I found myself settling into my chair even more, ready to just listen to anything the man wanted to say.
I couldn’t believe I’d actually called him.
Two client sessions later and I was still thinking about my conversation with Huntley. Swiveling in my office chair, I stared out the window from the second floor in the brick building that I worked out of.
There were other businesses there besides mine. Some lawyers, CPAs, and more. While I tried to be cordial in passing, I still kept to myself for the most part and people didn’t seek me out to chit chat.
Well, except my clients. If they didn’t talk, I wasn’t doing my job right.
I wasn’t expecting anyone so when the buzzer to my office door went off alerting me that someone was there to see me, I swung back around toward my desk. It was another hour until anyone should show up and the kids weren’t quite out of school. Plus, they didn’t usually stop by without calling me first to see if I was busy.
Pressing the intercom button, I asked who was there.
“Delivery,” a man’s voice said.
I hadn’t ordered anything, what the heck? Puzzled, I stayed rooted to my seat instead of getting up.
“I didn’t order anything, you must have the wrong office,” I replied, holding the button down.
Expecting them to go, I settled back in my chair about to turn to look outside again when the gentleman spoke again.
“It says here that the delivery is for… umm, it says it's for Warrior?” the guy said in a bemused tone.
A small gasp left my lips, but my feet were moving. I was up out of my chair, padding across the floor and reaching for the door, more than curious.
Huntley, what did you do?
When I swung the office door open, my eyes widened in delighted surprise. A young man stood there with a large coffee cup in hand and a bag I would know anywhere. And the smell, oh my gosh, that smell.
I just stood there dumbfounded, in disbelief.
“Are you, Warrior?”
This was an odd exchange. I thought both the young man’s face and mine were red with embarrassment, but I wanted what was in his hand, so I found myself replying.
“Yeah, that’s me.” A second giggle slipped free. Giggling was another thing I didn’t do, so now I was sure someone had taken over my body.
After accepting the delivery, I shut the door and pressed my back against it, bringing the bag up to my nose to inhale the sugary smell.
The man was insane.
I couldn’t believe he had someone drive like thirty minutes to my office to deliver me my favorite coffee and cinnamon roll from Capri’s bakery. I hadn’t even meant to mention it earlier when I called him but had been trying to think of something to say.
There was a small part of me during our talk where I almost confided in him about the calls I’d been getting, but I’d found myself enjoying our time on the phone so much that I didn’t want to ruin it.
Making my way back across the room, I set my gifts on the top of my desk and plopped back down into my chair, grabbing my phone.
Taking a pic of the coffee and bag, I fired it off in a text and then typed out a message.
Me: You’re crazy but thank you.
I felt like time stood still as I waited for a reply that never came. Before I knew it my free time had passed and the next client was at my door. Pushing aside the disappointment of not getting a response, I concentrated on the young woman in front of me. She’d been through so much and deserved nothing but my undivided attention.
After finishing out my day, I still hadn’t gotten a reply from my text. I’d put myself out there and the vulnerability I was feeling was eating at me something awful. But the man was at work, just as I was, and I couldn’t expect him to drop everything to send a silly text to me. I wouldn’t have done that if I was in the middle of a session.
I still doubted myself and my actions though, after doing something unheard of for me.
Grabbing my purse, I turned off all the lights and locked up my office. I’d already checked in with the kids who were home safe and sound. It was a relief after the last two years of them being in different schools that they were both at the same high school now, and even with the move they were able to stay there.
Lennon and Breland had only come to me a couple of years before, but we’d made great strides, the three of us. It was sad to say we bonded over our sorrow, fears, and horrid childhoods but it had brought us closer rather quickly. I knew the second they stepped foot in my home they were mine and we’d made it official within six months of their arrival.
I strode down the hall toward the elevator, a pang of sadness hitting at the thought of how many older kids got left in the state system never to find a loving, permanent home. If only I could take them all in. While I knew every kid didn’t have it so bad in foster care, I was strikingly aware that bad was an understatement when it came to others.
Like me.
Just as the elevator arrived, I thought I heard a door close at the other end of the hall. My head swiveled in that direction, but nobody was there. Two other offices besides mine were on the second floor, but I’d sworn everyone was already gone since it was my late evening of the week.
Physically shaking my body to clear the creepy feeling that had washed through it, I scurried onto the elevator and frantically pushed the button to close the door. I jumped out of my skin when my phone’s ringtone pierced through the small space.
Get a grip.
Rummaging through my purse, I pulled my cell out as the doors opened on the first level and I stepped out into the main lobby. As I made my way toward the exit, my gaze shifted to the screen that lit up with the caller’s name.
Huntley.
That creepy feeling I had vanished and my belly fluttered with butterflies. I brought the phone to my ear, accepting the call, and stepped out into the cool night air.
“Hello.”
His smooth, deep voice I was getting used to, came through the line. “Hey, Warrior.”
Two little words and the butterflies took flight.