Tropicana Redefined

Chapter 6

Cana was too busy the next morning to notice there was no word from Shannon. Since she had her phone on silent the whole morning, she checked at lunch break for any miscalls, but there were none.

This was truly unlike Shannon who usually greeted her with a good morning call. Growing concerned that he may have seen Rad do his kidnapping act last night, she tried calling him but only got his voice mail.

"Shan, are you okay? Give me a call when you're able to."

She knew he had a busy schedule, but he usually made time.

'Fingers crossed that he will call.' She thought.

She wondered where Rad was.

He wasn't bothering her. So that was a good thing.

A tiny voice whispered,

'But you want him to bother you',

That voice she ruthlessly quelled.

She was filling the days summary sheets when the phone on the desk trilled. She looked over at the other two consultants who were on her shift, hoping they'd answer. But they were busy catering to the tourists who had wandered in. Some of them needed answers to concerns they had. Or to book tours or flights.

Resigned, she picked up the phone.

"Hi, Cana. You busy?"

Shannon's welcome voice sounded in her ear.

"Hey Shan, are you okay?"

She heard the exhale of breath on his end of the line.

"Is there something wrong?"

Apprehensive, she waited, desperately praying he hadn't seen them.

"Cana, I don't know how to tell you this, babe."

His endearment lifted the dread in her heart.

"I have been transferred to Europe, Milan to be precise. I have been angling for this job for ages."

His voice was hushed.

"I finally got it, babe. I still can't believe it."

He sounded elated. She could imagine the grin on his gorgeous face.

"Oh Shan, that is so awesome. So happy for you, hon."

She was genuinely happy for him, wished him nothing but the best. Inevitably she knew that he would come down from that high. He'd remember what it meant for them. She didn't want to burst his bubble too soon. So she kept quiet while he crowed about his promotion.

Then it hit him a few seconds later.

There was a pregnant silence. She jumped in to avert what she knew he was about to say.

"Wow, babe, look what it means for you. A step up the corporate ladder. You're on your way to bigger things."

Her interruption hadn't knocked him off his train of thought.

"Yes. But what does that mean for us?"

He sounded crestfallen. The elation just a moment before had deflated like a flat tyre.

"Shan, I know what you're going to say. Let me say what I need to say first."

She had to be totally honest with him.

"I don't think there is an 'us' anymore, Shan. Not for a long time now, anyway. And I think you know that too. You take this opportunity."

He tried to interject at this point, but she overrode him.