Authors: Nikki Rittenberry
“Are you ready?” He asked.
“As ready as I’ll ever be, I guess.”
They went downstairs, hailed a taxi, and headed to the airport.
Cassie stared through the tinted glass as they left Manhattan. She’d kept quiet during most of the ride; her mind occupied with visions of her time spent with Jacob and her unwillingness to leave him again. Her hand was interlocked with his and the reassuring caress of his thumb comforted her soul more than any words he could have spoken.
The taxi came to a halt along the curb and the driver removed her luggage from the trunk. She exited the cab and Jacob followed.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to walk you in?” Jacob asked.
“I’m sure”, she softly replied.
He caressed her cheek with the back of his hand and stared intently into her hazel eyes. “I had an amazing time with you this weekend”, he added.
“I did, too.” Cassie smiled. It took every bit of her strength not to cry.
“I want you to call me as soon as you get home. I want to make sure you’re safe.”
Cassie shook her head; she was unable to speak.
Jacob leaned closer and pressed his lips against hers before finally wrapping his arms around her. “I’ll see you next month in New Orleans,” he whispered.
He kissed her again, but was quickly interrupted by the sound of a loud horn. Apparently the taxi driver had grown impatient with their lengthy goodbye. Cassie grabbed her luggage and headed inside to the ticket counter. As much as he wanted her to, she never looked back.
CHAPTER TWO
Cassie returned to her apartment shortly before noon. She was overwhelmed with emotions. It would be another four weeks before she would be able to see Jacob again and it seemed like a lifetime. After getting settled, she reached for her cell phone and called him to let him know she’d made it back home safely. She wondered how on earth she would be able to concentrate during classes and clinicals. It would be incredibly difficult, but doable.
As the
days went by, she found that
remaining focused was
particularly
challenging. Jacob had taken up
permanent residence in her mind, his face always visible whenever she closed her eyes. She often slipped into a daze, reminiscing about her recent trip to New York, fantasizing about their future together. There was usually enough distraction throughout the day to keep her fairly busy, but when she was alone at night in her cozy apartment she longed for him. She kept a calendar on her nightstand and attached a small picture of Jacob with a paperclip. After gazing into his eyes each night, she would meticulously mark through the date and count the remaining days until they would be reunited again.
* * *
Jacob spent almost every waking moment over the next few weeks preparing for his big debut at the Anderson James Architect Firm. This presentation, he’d predicted, would put him on the map and attract attention to his undeniable talent. Senior partners, Herman Anderson and Ken James, were rumored to make an appearance which was certainly unheard of. Most interns would crumble under that kind of pressure, but not him. Jacob excelled in situations like these. He knew the plans he’d devised to turn an old, abandoned brick building into a modern upscale condominium were exquisite and coupled
with his natural magnetism, his
presentation would be talked about for years to come—maybe it would even be legendary. Well, at least in his mind he hoped it would be.
With his deadline quickly
approaching, he had very little time to converse with Cassie, although she was always present in his mind. At least a dozen times a day he would catch himself daydreaming about their time together during her recent visit to the city. As
much as he wanted to dive-in
and surround himself with visions of the two of them entangled in each other’s arms, he knew he had to do his best to tune her out of his thoughts—at least temporarily.
Nailing this presentation would do more than land him a prominent position in the firm. It would also land him a very generous bonus, which meant he and Cassie would be able to start their lives together more financially sound.
* * *
Cassie sat on the side of her bed and reached for the acceptance letter she’d received several weeks ago from the Denver Therapy Institute. She unfolded the paper and silently read it again.
Dear Cassandra Warner,
It is our pleasure to announce your acceptance into our distinguished Physical Therapy Internship Program. You, along with nine fellow candidates, were hand-selected amongst thousands of applicants to further your training and begin your promising career at our world-renowned facility. Please respond no later than December 1st in order to reserve your place. Failure to respond will result in forfeiture of your position. We at the Denver Therapy Institute look forward to hearing from you and participating in your quest to further enhance your knowledge.
Cassie let out a deep sigh, folded the letter and placed it back inside of the
top drawer of her nightstand.
She repeatedly told herself that turning down this opportunity and moving to New York with Jacob was what she wanted; her mind was definitely made-up. Yet, every time she read the letter she couldn’t bring herself to pick up the phone, contact the program director and explain she would be declining their offer. She leaned back and collapsed on her bed, her legs still dangling off the side. She closed her eyes trying her hardest to clear her mind of the burden she’d been carrying with her for
the last few weeks.
Exhaustion soon overpowered her, allowing her mind to rest for the first time in days…
She dreamt she was back in New York with Jacob. She’d arrived back at the apartment after her first day of internship at one of the area hospitals
and found him sitting on the couch
waiting for her. She was so happy to see him, but the look on his face didn’t reflect her own.
“What’s wrong?” she’d asked him. “Aren’t you happy to see me?”
Jacob sat perfectly still on the
couch; completely void of any emotion. She looked down at his lap and suddenly noticed the acceptance letter she had
received from the Denver Therapy
Institute. He never said a word—he just looked at her—
through her.
As if on cue, the phone rang and Jacob finally broke his silence.
“Do you mind getting that? I told the director at DTI you’d be home at six o’clock. Pack your bags; you’re moving to Denver…”
Cassie awoke abruptly, startled by the sound of the phone ringing. She’d had the same, recurring nightmare ever since she’d received the acceptance letter. Her decision
to keep the letter a
secret weighed heavily on her conscience. The phone rang again and she quickly rolled over and reached for it.
“There she is.”
“Jake—oh my goodness; it’s so good to hear your voice!”
“I’m sorry to call you so late. I hope I didn’t wake you.”
“You did actually—but that’s ok. I miss you so much.”
Jacob closed his eyes, trying to envision her as he spoke. “I miss you too—more than you know. It’s almost over, Cass.
“I know. I can’t wait until all of this is finally behind us. How did your presentation go today?”
“Oh, you know… I nailed it!
“Jake—that’s wonderful! I’m so proud of you! So, tell me what happened.”
“Well, Herman Anderson and Ken James were both there. It was perfect. I had everyone eating out of the palm of my hand—hanging on every word I said. They loved the plans and especially appreciated that my proposal came in under budget! After the presentation I was approached by Mr. Anderson and Mr. James. They said there was a lot of hype surrounding my proposal and I without a doubt lived up to it! Then, they handed me a pretty substantial bonus check, patted me on the back and officially welcomed me aboard!”
“Wow, looks like you’re really making a name for yourself there, Mr. Nelson!”
“Yes I am. Just a few more projects like this and who knows… maybe one day soon my name will appear above the firm’s doors.”
“I don’t doubt it for a minute!”
Cassie couldn’t help but smile, his
confidence was one of the many things she loved about him.
“You know, this bonus money couldn’t have come at a better time. We could start looking for a bigger apartment. A buddy of mine at the firm told me about this realtor he and his wife used a few months back. Maybe we can have him show us around a few places after your graduation?”
“Sounds perfect”, she replied.
It did sound perfect, didn’t it? Cassie took a deep breath. She believed with all of her heart that Jacob was the one. The distance between them had been devastating, but she could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. Jacob would be arriving in New Orleans to spend Thanksgiving weekend with her in a couple of days and that would certainly reaffirm
her decision to forego
the opportunity in Denver as well as justify her reasons to keep her acceptance into the internship program a secret from him.
* * *
The sun was shining brightly through Jacob’s bedroom window. He squinted and rolled over to check his alarm clock. His normal morning routine consisted of him getting dressed in his shirt and tie, grabbing a protein bar and a coffee from the small neighborhood store below his apartment, and taking a train to the firm in Lower Manhattan. This however was no ordinary day. His supervisor had graciously given him the day off and since his flight didn’t leave for New Orleans until the following morning, he had an entire day to wander the streets of Manhattan. He ambled toward his miniature kitchen and glanced at his bonus check wedged between his coffee machine and the yellow Formica backsplash. He’d decided to deposit most of it into his money market account at the bank down the street, but not all of it. He wanted to take the remainder of his earnings and buy Cassie something special and he had a pretty good idea of what to get her.
If someone had asked him several years ago if marriage was in his future, his response would have been not only no, but
hell no
! Now that Cassie was in his
life he couldn’t imagine it any other way.
He knew with every fiber of his being that she was his once in a lifetime love. He wanted to spend the rest of his life
showing her just how special and
important she was to him. He hated that
he’d been so busy over the past few months and couldn’t make the time to visit or even call more often. He wanted
her to know how excited he was for her
to move-in with him and more
importantly, how serious he was about
beginning their lives together.
Jacob began his quest at a legendary jeweler near Rockefeller Center and was utterly astounded over their selection. He had no idea there were so many different options to choose from. It seemed like an easy task; you walk into a jewelry store, pick out a beautiful ring, and walk out. However, he wanted the perfect engagement ring for the perfect woman. After meticulously inspecting countless possibilities, he stumbled upon one that he somehow must have overlooked. It was flawless and unique, just like Cassie, and he couldn’t help but smile when he imagined how stunning it was going to look on her hand.