The Pursuit

Fifteen

FIFTEEN 

Weeks had passed by after the huge turn of events in my life. The house was sold on its first week of being on the market. I felt sad to see it go, but a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulder. I was back to living in Seattle, going to the internship, and continuing my relationship with Caleb who never failed to put a smile on my face. 

It was one of those slow days at the office, and Oliver was telling me a story while playing Solitaire. I was doodling on a scratch sheet of paper trying to listen and comprehend what he was relaying to me. 

"Are you going to the convention in Vegas?" I interrupted him out of the blue. 

He frowned at me for my rudeness but answered anyways. "I don't think so. I'm planning on quitting the internship anyways."

I then recalled him telling me how he landed an apprentice position with a chef somewhere in California. He was leaving.

"Oh yeah, I forgot," I said sadly. "It won't be as fun here without you."

He smiled. "Hey, you still have me for a week. It'll be fine. Plus you have that hunky boss with you. You'll be more than all right."

As soon as he finished saying that, Clarisse walked up to our desks with a sour look on her face.

"Hey, Clarisse," I greeted her. "Is there anything we could do for you?"

"Yeah," she sighed tapping on her clipboard. "Mr. Wilkes would like to see you in his office immediately."

"Right now?" I asked confused.

She scoffed and replied in a sarcastic tone, "That's what immediately means right?" She turned around and went on her way. 

"I guess I better go then," I said to no one in particular.

I pushed my chair under my desk and walked past Oliver who only shook his head with a smile. I walked around the perimeter of the floor all the way to the other side where Caleb's new office was located after Luis came back.

I'd only been there a handful of times to drop of things of papers and have a quick kiss here or there. The 'keeping it on the down low' thing was more exciting than I thought. It felt like we were teenagers hiding our relationship from our parents.

Clarisse was nowhere at her desk, so I just walked up to the door and knocked twice. 

"Come in."

I opened the door to see Caleb leaning back in his seat, staring intently at the computer screen with the square glasses perched on his nose that I loved to tease him about. His face looked up as I walked in, and a smile transformed his entire face. 

"Clarisse said you wanted to see me," I told him walking closer to his desk. "Immediately. What is it that you needed?"

He straightened in his chair and took out a folder in one of his dressers. With an excited look, he threw the folder right in front of me with a thud. I raised an eyebrow at him and opened the folder with one hand. 

"What is this?"

"If you read it, you might find out, Bethany." He stood up from his seat and walked around to my side of the desk, snaking his arms around my waist. Caleb kissed the side of my neck softly. 

With eager hands, I grabbed the first few papers stapled together and read it. "This is the convention in Vegas that Luis was talking about..." I murmured. "I don't understand."

"Read further, sweetheart," he chuckled into my shoulder. "You ask too many questions before trying to get the answer on your own."

I didn't answer him and continued reading like he suggested. "You're going to the convention?"