A week later, Gillian found herself in the office of her boss at the publishing firm, Damian Willis. She closed the door behind her, ready for their meeting.
Damian was a kind man in his fifties, his hair a mix of black and gray, and a noticeable belly from his wife’s delicious cooking.
“How are you, Gillian? Everything alright?”
“Actually, Damian, that’s what I wanted to talk about. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking, and you know I’ve been having a hard time since Uncle Mike passed away.
“I feel like I’m on an island, all by myself… I need to find myself again, to heal.”
“I think it’s brave of you to recognize that and want to change your situation. What do you need from me?”
“Thank you, Damian. I’d like to take a leave of absence, if that’s possible…”
“Absolutely! I mentioned that as an option after the funeral. How long are you thinking? Three weeks?”
She took a deep breath. “Actually, I was thinking more like eight weeks, maybe twelve.” She saw him wince. “This would be unpaid leave, of course.”
Damian seemed to relax at her words and nodded. “I’ll need to get approval from the higher-ups, and it might take some time to redistribute your work… But I think we can make it happen, especially once I explain the situation to HR.”
“Thank you, Damian. I wasn’t planning on leaving until the end of May or early June.”
“I’ll start the paperwork this afternoon and keep you updated,” he said, standing up to give her a comforting hug.
Feeling relieved that the first step was underway, Gillian turned to leave, but paused at the door when she heard him ask, “Where are you going? What are you planning to do?”
She smiled. “I’m going to Scotland to explore my roots.”
“You’ll fit right in, lass!” he said, attempting a Scottish accent.
She laughed and shook her head. “You need to work on that accent! Thanks again, Damian.”
Three weeks later, she was meeting Ian for dinner and planned to tell him about her plans. She knew he wouldn’t be thrilled, as he had been hoping for a vacation funded by her.
She’d been more observant of him and his behavior since her conversation with Kurt and Carrie. Interestingly, they weren’t the only ones who had warned her about him.
She’d met with Harold a week ago to share her plans. He was a seasoned traveler and gave her useful advice on handling money and credit cards abroad.
He asked her straight out if she was going alone or taking Ian with her.
“This is a solo trip, Harold. I’m going to explore my heritage and the country where my parents were raised. I’m aware of Ian and his games, I promise.”
“Good for you! I’m glad I don’t have to have a tough talk with you about him. You remember Mike’s opinion of him, right?”
She chuckled. “I do remember his…disapproval of Ian and our relationship.”
He nodded with a smile. “He certainly had some colorful words to describe him!”
Gillian was changing into jeans and a sweater when the doorbell rang. She knew the evening would be interesting after she shared her news with him, but she wasn’t going to worry about it.
It was her life and her money, and she could do whatever she wanted with it!
She opened the door to see his smiling face and couldn’t help but think about how attractive he was and the fun times they’d shared.
But then she remembered how everything always revolved around him, and he always came first: his feelings, his job, his preferences, even in bed! She shook off the thoughts and smiled, inviting him in.
He kissed her cheek gently. “How are you, Gillian? I missed you!”
She smiled back at him. “I’m doing okay, Ian, thanks.” She ignored his last comment.
His smile faltered slightly when she didn’t say she missed him too. “Are you ready to go? I can almost smell the garlic!”
She kept smiling. “Antonio’s does love their garlic! Let me just grab my jacket.”
She picked up her jacket, he helped her put it on, then she grabbed her purse and followed him to his car where he opened the passenger door for her.
He got in the driver’s seat, and they drove to their favorite Italian restaurant, chatting about work along the way.
They were seated at the table twenty minutes later, and he was still talking about the project he was working on and the recognition it could earn him at the company.
She didn’t find his work with spores, molds, and fungi particularly interesting, but he was passionate about his work, and she was happy for him.
It wasn’t until the salad plates were cleared that he finally stopped talking about spores, and Gillian felt she could finally speak.
She shared a bit about some of the exciting contracts she had been working on, and he asked if she’d read any good manuscripts recently.
She shook her head. “I haven’t been reading much lately. I still can’t concentrate on what I’m reading…”
“Gigi, you need a break! Get away and relax. Have you thought more about the resort I told you about? I can take two weeks off whenever you want.”
“Thank you for your concern, Ian. I really appreciate it…”
“I’d do anything for you, Gillian. You know, I was thinking the other night, and I really want to get back together with you. We were good together!
“Just think about all the fun we had, especially in bed!”
Gillian tried not to cringe at his words. She didn’t know what to say but was saved as the main course arrived. She carefully ate the steaming stuffed shells.
The conversation slowed for a few minutes while they ate until Gillian decided to just get it over with and tell him her plans.
“Ian, I’ve been thinking about taking a break from work. I’ve already spoken to my boss about it. I’m just waiting for the final approval.”
“That’s great news, Gigi! Where are we headed?”
She took a deep breath. “Actually, I’m planning to go to Scotland…”
“You? By yourself?”
“Yes. I want to explore my parents’ homeland. I need to find myself and establish a new normal in my life.”
“But what about us? What about our plans to go to Jamaica and rekindle our relationship?”
He sighed, and she could see the hurt in his eyes. “Alright, Scotland it is. How long are we going for?”
“Six to eight weeks…”
“Gillian, I can’t take off work for eight weeks! You need to reconsider this!”
“Ian, I’m not asking you to come with me. I’m going alone. This trip is for me. You don’t have any ties to Scotland, but I do.
“I’m going without a set plan, no schedule. I’m just going to take each day as it comes.” She was getting annoyed that he wasn’t understanding her.
“You’re going alone? Without me?”
“Yes, Ian. I’m planning on a small rental car, a single ticket, and staying in bed and breakfasts and hotels with one bed. This is a solo trip.”
“I’m going to miss you, Gigi.”
“I’ll miss our friendship, Ian.” She hoped he was getting the hint that she was emphasizing the friendship part.
Ian changed the topic again and she let him, not wanting to discuss this anymore.
She offered him a cup of coffee at her place when he dropped her off, which he accepted and then pretended to be tired, so she was able to get him to leave early.
He tried to kiss her, but she turned her head so it landed on her cheek, and he left. She was relieved that he’d taken the news relatively well, all things considered.
She collapsed into bed and snuggled under the covers, thinking about what else she needed to prepare for her adventure.
