Far Away

Chapter 1

Valerie LeBaron, greeted the doorman to her apartment building. Giving him a tired smile and a wink when he politely asked how the day went. It had been a long day at work but she had finally sealed the deal on a new, but potentially lucrative client. Even though she loved being the Marketing Executive at Visuals, the leading advertising agency in Chicago, it was still a stressful job. She had left work early and now she was glad to be home with a little more time to relax. 

Valerie made her way to the kitchen where she unpacked her groceries wondering what to do with her time, and decided to take a shower first. Walking into her room now she lazily stripped off her clothes and walked into the bathroom. She ran the water until it was the right temperature. Then she walked in under the gentle spray of water, letting it wash away her stress and weariness. 

As the water poured like a warm rain, she thought about the day's events. Just before she had left work, Tom Harding, her fiancé and fellow executive had asked her out to dinner, she had gently refused because she had wanted to be alone. Tom was a decent guy, good looking and charming, but she felt like something was missing and she was not sure what made her feel that way. 

Valerie had not been looking for anyone when Tom had asked her out last year, and though she had been reluctant to start any relationship he had been persistant, but never actually imposing anything on her unless she was absolutely sure. And soon his charm and gentleness had slowly wilted away her resolve. When they started dating a year ago she never thought it would go this far, and now she was engaged and soon to be married, but she could not help shake the feeling that she really did not want to get married to Tom. 

As a shiver ran down her spine as she put aside the troubling thoughts and with their new client, Bastion Corp an international company, recently relocated to Chicago, in the bag she could now take a much needed breather from work tonight and simply relax at home. Valerie loved her place, it was her sanctuary. She had painted and decorated it herself. All the walls were painted a deep, dark purple, with a white floral print close to the floor. The floors were done in a polished white wood. The walls were covered in modern art and in the small enclaves across most of the walls, she had put framed pictures of past moments. 

Frozen pieces of memories of family and friends and places she had lived in or visited. Her sofa set in the living room was a soft white leather, she had chosen it because it was very comfortable. The coffee table, which was on top a thick white rug, was a black wood design and matched the dining room table and the small end tables. 

The dining room, kitchen and living room had no walls between them allowing easy access between them and giving an illusion of endless space. The wall leading onto her terrace from the living room was actually a set of large ceiling to floor windows, which gave way to a spectacular view. The terrace had a swimming pool and deck chairs for the times she just wanted to lie down in the sun. 

In the corner between the wall and the window was a black, polished grand piano. Beautiful and well taken care of. She had set it there so she could look out at the view while she played. Lately, she had been too busy to play music, it was one of her most favorite past times. Valerie, was now in the kitchen, wearing a snug pair of blue jeans and a black tank top. She prepared a light meal and went to sit on her favorite couch. 

As soft music was playing in the background she slowly ate her food. She had come a long way to make ends meet and she was happy with her achievements but on days like these she felt there was something she had not quite yet done. This was something that had been bothering her for the last couple of months, after she had reached the peak of her career. She had been struggling with what to do next. 

She had a dream of a house, a great car in her garage, plenty of money in the bank, and a decent guy who loved her. Now she was at loss as to what to do next. She could take a vacation she thought. It sounded like a great idea but she did not feel like leaving for anywhere and she knew whatever was bothering would still be there in the back of her mind no matter where she went.