Page 4 of Accidental Getaway

Not even a minute passes between the end of the meeting and my phone buzzing.

My eyes narrow as I glance at the screen.

Piper’s name, along with a picture of us paddle boarding on Pineview Lake, fills the screen.

At least it’s not Amber. I grab the phone and run up the stairs to my bedroom.

I need privacy and to lie down for this conversation.

The phone keeps buzzing in my hand, and I briefly consider letting it go to voicemail. But I know she won’t stop, so I swipe to answer.

“Ok. Tell me what is going on. What in the world could possibly keep you from accepting a trip to Greece for free ?” Piper practically shouts as soon as I answer the call. She’s talking a mile a minute. “Not to mention the career opportunity. This is huge for you! Have you lost your mind?”

“Hello to you too. So nice to hear from you,” I respond, acting offended to buy myself some more time.

I sit on the bed and start picking at the embroidery ties of a quilt I made in elementary school.

“I don’t know. I just don’t think it’s the right time to go.

I’ve got my parents to consider. They are going camping next week, so I need to watch the house and animals. And I have some other plans.”

“Sorry, friend. That isn’t going to work with me. You know that I know you have no life. And since when do your parents need you? They can take care of themselves.”

But the chickens can’t.

“And chickens don’t need tending while your parents are camping. They are also self-sufficient.”

I groan. Dang it. She always reads my mind.

I put the phone on speaker and take three steps to the mini fridge I have tucked in my closet. My hands are still slightly shaking as I pull out a jug of cold brew and a bottle of creamer. I need some caffeine to have this conversation.

“I … I don’t know what to tell you. I had a brief moment of insanity. I literally don’t know what came over me. But it was a mistake.”

I grab a mason jar off the top of the mini fridge and get to making myself an iced coffee.

“It wasn’t a mistake. You are the perfect person to do this! Obviously. You have the experience, you have the talent—you just need the opportunity. And here you go.”

The sincerity in Piper’s voice has softened my anxiety. She’s my best friend, so of course she supports me.

“Look, I’m not taking no for an answer. I got you this job and I want to see you thrive. If you don’t do this for yourself, do it for me. Or tell me what is really going on.”

I can’t tell Piper what’s wrong. I never told her how horrible that final meeting was.

The way hot tears streaked down my face before I even stepped out of the elevator.

The way I walked twenty blocks in the middle of a Chicago winter and bled into my heels.

The way my head throbbed for hours. I have never told her how absolutely terrified I am of being in a meeting with a client again.

I thought if this was just over video call I could fool myself into thinking it wasn’t that bad, but every time I picture sitting in a boardroom in front of a bunch of men in suits, my blood runs cold.

What if I say the wrong thing? I don’t think I would be able to handle the looks on their faces. The looks I got back in Chicago.

Even with Piper, I can’t talk about that.

I have spent a year trying to forget that feeling of being so small.

So insignificant. So annihilated by the opinions of a few men in suits.

It keeps me up at night. So instead, I tell her the acceptable reason—the one that doesn’t require me sinking to that low again.

“You know I don’t travel.”

While it’s a secondary issue, it’s true I have never left the country. My parents don’t travel, and I’ve just never had the opportunity to do it on my own. I wouldn’t know the first thing about managing my way to Greece for this project.

“And?”

“What if I get lost? Or make a cultural faux pas? Or hate the food?”

Okay, when I say it like that, it definitely sounds silly. But that doesn’t make it any less anxiety-inducing on top of the other fears attempting to drown me.

I always wanted to travel. After taking an art history class during my freshman year of college, I dreamed of seeing Europe.

At the end of my sophomore year, I was accepted for a fall study abroad in London.

It was extremely competitive to get a spot.

I even convinced my mom that it would be safe.

I got a passport and even researched all the shows and museums and cities I wanted to visit.

I was so excited. But that summer was my first internship at Prewitt Luxury, where I met Malcolm.

I dropped out of the program a couple of weeks after we started dating because he said he would miss me too much.

“ Do you really expect me to stay here for months by myself? I could never do that. If you go to London, we have to break up. I just wouldn’t be able to handle you being gone.

” I was so inexperienced that I thought he was being sweet.

I couldn’t believe that this smart older guy cared so much about keeping me in his life.

Not to mention I was already worried that if I broke up with him, my chances at the firm would be affected.

Piper finally clears her throat. When she speaks, her voice has softened, and she doesn’t sound quite so confused or accusatory. “I see you. I get it. That’s a lot. But I know you can handle it. So tell me, what could go right?”

I try to picture it. I volunteered to try and get promoted and fix all of my problems, but what else?

“I could prove him wrong.” The words are out of my mouth before I even realize I’m thinking it. Crap.

“Malcolm? I thought you said?—”

“No,” I say immediately. I can’t believe I said that out loud. “Not Malcolm—I told you this isn’t about him. I meant the guy from my interview yesterday. He said something about me not having enough experience, and it bugged me.”

I retreat into myself. Proving Malcolm wrong would be the best sort of vindication. Showing him I’m not as useless as he always made me feel.

“I know it’s scary, but you can do this. You just have to say yes.”

I can’t shake the feeling that this might be my only chance.

“Wait,” Piper says. “Do you have a passport?”

The little blue book came in the mail a week after I withdrew from the London program. Opening the envelope and holding it in my hands turned into a painful moment once I knew I wasn’t going to use it. But I tucked it away, hoping I would one day.

“I think so … I mean, yes, I do. I just have to find it somewhere.”

“Then there is no problem. You are going to kill this presentation. Don’t let your fear of travel stop you from finally taking control of your life.”

If only it were that simple. Before I can respond, my phone rings with another incoming call.

“Ugh. I’ve got to go. Amber is calling.”

“Please don’t say anything?—”

I hang up before Piper can finish and switch calls. Looks like I have to face the reality of this trip sooner than I hoped. I move to the window bench in my room, sit up tall and answer the phone with a happy-to-help voice, through a wave of nausea.

“Hi! Is now a good time to chat?”

“Sure, yeah. Happy to.” Anything but, really. Delaying this conversation isn’t going to change anything, though.

“The more I have thought about your involvement here, the more I think it’s perfect,” Amber says.

“Oh, really?” I grip my phone in surprise. “Because I was going to apologize for being so presumptuous. You can absolutely change your mind, and I would be happy to continue on with my work and forget I ever suggested it.”

I can always find another opportunity. Somewhere down the line. When I feel more ready.

“I think taking this on will be a great experience for you. You’ve earned it, and I can’t wait to see you succeed. I’ll be here on the other end of a phone call or email the whole way through.”

My nausea wanes knowing she will be involved the entire time. And the thought of waiting months or years for another opportunity or job interview to go my way is enough to make me second-guess myself.

“Are you sure I’m the right person? Maybe Piper or one of the other associates can rearrange their schedules.” My voice wavers.

“When I hired you, Piper said you were an incredible marketer, but that you needed to get back on your feet in a low-pressure job. I didn’t ask any questions because I was happy to help.

I would hate to lose you as my assistant, but we’re going to need to expand if we land this client, and I would love to see you shine. ”

I’m going to kill Piper. She did not tell me that was how I got the job. “I… I don’t know what to say.”

“Say yes, of course! I know you can do this.”

I bite my lip. How do I say no when she is being so kind and supportive? I am just going to have to figure out how not to mess it up. “Okay, I’ll do it. Thank you, Amber. I really, really appreciate it.”

“That’s what I like to hear! I’ll send you over all of the details, but for now all you need to know is that the Omorfiá Hotel is owned by a Greek conglomerate, but the general manger, Niko Psomas, is running the show.

He’s been modernizing the hotel and called us to help with the US market.

The board simply wants to approve any partnerships before contracts are signed.

They are pretty old school, so it should be easy to focus on facts and figures and show them we get results. ”

That sounds easy enough, I guess.

Leave it to you to screw up something easy, though. My stomach turns at the voice in my head. It’s Malcolm’s voice, still constantly beating me up.

I try not to let Amber hear me falter.

“Great! I’ll familiarize myself with the property and create a portfolio of similar hotels and resorts we’ve worked with, showcasing ROI and year-over-year bookings and maybe look at demographic trends—” I stop, realizing that I’m rambling.

“Does that sound right to you? I’ll do whatever you think is best.”

“That’s exactly what I would be doing. I’m fully confident you can do this. ”

That makes one of us.

“This is such a dream come true moment for me,” Amber continues.

“When I started this company, Greece was the one of the places I dreamed of representing once we broke into the international market. There is just something so magical about it. I was devastated that I couldn’t go to the meeting myself.

I can’t tell you how much it means that you volunteered. ”

Great, that doesn’t sound high pressure at all.

I was nervous enough already without knowing Amber’s dreams hinge on me landing this client.

I can’t let her down. Not only because I need a promotion, like tomorrow, but because she wants this so badly.

I don’t think I will be able to return to work and meet her eyes if I fail.

My phone vibrates, and I pull it from my ear to take a peep at the notification.

Piper: Love you! You’ve got this!

Heat spreads across my cheeks. I guess I really don’t have a choice, do I? But maybe Piper is right. Maybe I can do this. Maybe it could even be fun?

“When do you want me to go?” I ask.

“I’ll get in touch with Niko and get you booked. I think he wants you to spend some time there before the meeting to get to know the place and so you can work together on the presentation. But sometime next week. I’ll send you an email once everything is nailed down.”

We say our goodbyes and I stare at my phone, trying to process what just happened.

Jenni: I hope you’re right …

Piper: Eeeek! Does that mean you’re doing it? You can SO do this! We’re coming to help you get ready. Don’t try to talk me out of it. We’re already loading the RV, and we’ll see you tomorrow!

What have I gotten myself into? How did I accidentally get myself a trip to Greece? This is either going to be the adventure of a lifetime, or it will crash and burn with the heat of a raging bonfire. I try not to think about which is a likelier outcome.