And nice to hear u
Libby.Foster:
Same here
I type, then erase, any mention of my plans. I don’t want to say anything until I talk to Gary. Well, I want to tell him everything, but I know it’s not wise. I have to exercise some uncharacteristic self-restraint.
Jude.Weatherington:
I ws supposed to b n town next week, but…
Libby.Foster:
Now you’re not?
Jude.Weatherington:
Nope. Change in plns
Libby.Foster:
Bummer
What happened?
Jude.Weatherington:
Too busy here
Ws jealous of G’s coffee service
Haven’t had a dcnt cuppa in days
Libby.Foster:
Yeah, I brew a mean pot of joe
And I’m okay at some other more complicated things, too
Jude.Weatherington:
I know
Libby.Foster:
How busy are you?
Jude.Weatherington:
Sooooooooooooooooo busy
Incredibly
Sleep? Waht’s that?
Libby.Foster:
You’re not too busy to IM tho
Jude.Weatherington:
I’m gd at prioritizing
And delegating
Libby.Foster:
Oh, so someone else is writing this for you right now?
Jude.Weatherington:
No. Smone else is doing my real work
Libby.Foster:
Get back to work
Slacker
Jude.Weatherington:
Sigh. TTYL
I know if I “talk” to him too much, I won’t be able to resist telling him everything. And I have to keep in mind that he may have moved on, like Lisa and Zoe suggested. It would be beyond mortifying to be rejected on instant messaging. Best to just act like nothing’s different, even though my life’s about to change forever, no matter what happens with Jude.
30
After three days of tracking down the elusive Gary, I set up a formal meeting to talk to him. At the meeting, he was distracted and perfunctory… until I told him I was giving him my notice. That got his full attention. While I had it, I told him I was quitting to “explore other opportunities,” but that I wanted my last big assignment to be finding an administrative assistant for the London office.
“Jude and the other guys really need someone to do the day-to-day things that no one else wants to do,” I’d said, purposely using the exact words he’d used when I overheard him talking to Jude. I managed to maintain eye contact, keep a straight face, and not blush, too, which was a major accomplishment for me.
Of course, the statement was lost on him. He probably thought I was brilliant for realizing my place and feeling the same way he does. But sure enough, after that, his buzzing cell phone, dinging computer, and the papers scattered on his desk started calling out to him again. He readily agreed that I should work with a placement agency in London to find someone, and he agreed that I’d spend my last week of employment with the company over there, training her.
He dismissed me with, “Just work with Jude and keep him informed. I know he needs someone, but I’m too swamped to deal with it myself.”
“That’s exactly what I figured,” I said cheerfully. “I’ll take care of everything.”
On my way past Lisa and Zoe later, I gave them the thumbs-up, causing them to squeal like high school cheerleaders. Leslie poked her head out of her cubicle. I flipped her off. It felt good. What are they going to do? Fire me?
I immediately sat down at my computer when I got to my desk and fired off an email to Jude:
Hey,
I’ve been put in charge of finding someone (a.k.a., an admin) for the London office. I’ll be working with a temp agency there to find him/her. Any specific qualifications you want me to list? I’ll be writing up the “advert” today, so shoot your ideas to me in an email.
Libby
An hour later, I got this response:
Woo-hoo! Just make sure she (or he) knows how demanding I am. And how to make a decent cup of coffee.
J
My fingers twitched with the urge to type a response telling him everything else, but I didn’t. I didn’t have time, anyway.
THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 9:22 A.M.
Jude.Weatherington:
Any lck w/ the admin search?
Libby.Foster:
You want to lick an admin?
Jude.Weatherington:
U know wht I mean
And yes, sort of, by teh way
Libby.Foster:
Inappropriate
Jude.Weatherington:
My apolgoies
Stress will do that
Libby.Foster:
I have three candidates lined up
I’ll email you their CVs
Do you want to sit in on the phone interviews? I can conference you in
Jude.Weatherington:
No, too busy
I trust you
Libby.Foster:
Bad idea
Just kidding
Jude.Weatherington:
Who’s training the new hre?
Libby.Foster:
Me
Is that OK?
Jude.Weatherington:
There?
Libby.Foster:
No, there
Jude.Weatherington:
In Lodnon? seriously?
Libby.Foster:
Y. In London
Jude.Weatherington:
when?
Libby.Foster:
2 weeks
Jude.Weatherington:
Ah. V. good
Must run
Jude.Weatherington has logged off
I hold the phone to my ear as I file my fingernails. “Yes, I’d like a passport please. And can you get my attorney on the phone when we’re finished here? I need to talk to her about distributing my parents’ estate. Also, if you could, please put me in touch with a pet relocation service for when I move overseas. Oh! And I need to sell my car. And my furniture. Ha, ha! Yes, everything must go. That’s right. I guess I can have all my clothes shipped later. Who would I talk to about that? Never mind. I’ll give them away to charity and start over across the pond. Yeah, England. I know, right? Totally exciting. If only I could get all these logistics out of the way…”
Everything is in order, although it was a lot more complicated than in my dreams. After a few weeks of non-stop preparations, all I have to do is wait for the departure date to arrive. Which is easier said than done. It’s driving me insane.
During the day, I stay pretty busy, but at night, it’s hard to sit still. TV’s no help; everything’s so boring. I go walking around the neighborhood a lot. It occupies my mind, as I attempt to memorize everything about it. I’ve lived here for almost five years, but I never really appreciated it. My two requirements when I moved here were 1) close to Wrigley field and 2) a warm, dry place to sleep each night. Now I see it as something a little more. A lot more. It’s where Jude and I fell in love. We spent a lot of time here, and I don’t want to forget it.
But we’re experiencing a very rainy spring, so sometimes I have no choice but to be cooped up in the apartment with Sandberg. In those cases, I take the time to study. I’ve purchased
