Page 31 of Another Love, Another Time

River

It’s my first day of my new job and saying I’m nervous is an understatement.

In the Army, it’s hard to get fired, and even when you start a new job, you already know the rules or processes.

Everything is standardized, no matter where you are stationed.

This will be my first job working in the civilian world.

I’ll have to build trust not only with my team, but also with my partner. We had orientation this morning, and we will be meeting our teams this afternoon to get settled and assigned. So far, everyone seems nice. We have just been going over all the paperwork.

The guy doing the orientation releases us to go to lunch, but we need to report back in exactly an hour so our team leads can take us to meet with our teams. Since we have an hour, I’m going to drive back to my mom’s house and grab something to eat.

I really hope my partner is not a cocky hard-ass or someone on a power trip. I had had enough of both in the Army.

My mom is at work, so it’s just me in the house. Spider, her black cat, rubs up against my leg as I walk into the kitchen. I’ll just make a sandwich quickly and get back.

I’m excited to meet my partner. I’ve always gotten along with everyone on my team in the past. My brain is currently hurting from this morning’s overload of information. Hopefully, this afternoon is not as taxing.

~

I got back a little bit early, but I see a few of the others walking into the building, so I decide that I might as well head back in too.

Almost everyone else is back in the room, waiting for directions.

As I look around, I notice for the first time that everything looks younger than me.

I guess that makes sense. We all may be starting our first jobs, but I have more experience than anyone I’m sitting next to.

That makes me feel a little bit better about being a little bit older, that I’m not starting over.

The orientation leader walks into the room with a few other people.

I still haven’t picked up on his name. I really hope there is not a pop quiz on the names.

I would definitely not pass that test. In my head I’ve been calling him “Booger”.

He reminds me of Booger off “Revenge of the Nerds”.

He starts talking and the room quiets down.

“Okay, ladies and gentlemen,” he says. “The time has come to meet your team. When I call your name, stand up, and one of these guys will take you to your team. Okay, let’s get started. Smith, you’ll go with Johnson. Ruiz, you’ll go with Parker. Wait, you’ll go with Sanders…”

He keeps going until I hear my name. I stand and go to my partner as directed. He holds his hand out and introduces himself as “Mack,” but lets me know that most people call him “Mackey.” I take his hand and give it a confident shake.

“I know you’re used to being called by your last name, but I prefer first names. Is it okay that I call you River?”

“That’s my name.” I laugh awkwardly. “Why would you have to ask permission?”

“Oh, you’re going to fit right in with the team.” He chuckles.

“Are you my permanent partner?” I question, thinking he’ll be fun to hang out with. We start heading out of the room and down the hallway.

“No, your partner got held up. He’ll be back any minute. He asked if I could grab you while he finished up what he was doing; although, I think he’s going to be a little surprised.”

“Why is that?”

“Well…” He hesitates before deciding to continue, “I think he thinks you are going to a man; we only get your first initial and last name. We don’t get a lot of women on our team, especially with your experience.

Just saying. Don’t worry about it. Your partner’s a good guy, but I will say, the last time he had a female partner, he had to ask for a change because his ‘girlfriend,’” he makes quotation motion, “gets extremely jealous.” He looks me up and down.

“Yeah, she will definitely be jealous of you.” My cheeks redden.

“Don’t be embarrassed. And I’m not hitting on you.

I’m speaking facts.” I don’t doubt the truth in his words.

We reach a door, and he scans his badge before opening the door, allowing me to enter. As I’m walking forward, I look over my shoulder. I chuckle and say, “Facts, huh? Well, if that’s what we’re calling it today.”

Before I can finish, I run into a hard chest. Arms grab me to keep me from falling on my ass. The touch sends butterflies to flutter in my stomach, which has only happened with one person.

Before I look up, I know. I know who it is before I look up into the blue eyes I’ve been running from for the past five years. When our eyes finally meet, my breath catches.

“River,” he breathes.

Auggie is no longer a boy, but a man who has aged very well. His soft facial features have now sharpened to give him a more serious look. His hair is kept neater than when he was younger.

I know he’s caught off guard. Hell, I am, too. I wish I had asked more questions about what Auggie was doing. I would have been a lot more prepared.

Finally, I can’t handle him touching me anymore and back away from him.

Mackey glances between the two of us. “Well, I was going to introduce you two, but it looks like you already know each other.” Mackey turns to me, “Meet your partner: Hunt, Auggie Hunt, but I think you already know that. I’ll leave you to it.

See you around, River.” Then, he turns to Auggie, “Man, you’re in deep shit.

” He shakes his head, chuckling to himself as he walks away, leaving me with Auggie.

I want to run after Mackey and ask him not to leave me with Auggie, but I’m a big girl now. I don’t run anymore, and I won’t today. I don’t have anything to run from. I’m here to do a job, and I’ll do it. I turn back to Auggie to get this over with.

“What are you doing here, River?” Auggie questions.

“Working,” I deadpan.

“No, I mean here.” He points to the ground.

“I know what you mean. I’m here to do a job,” I huff.

“You don’t want to answer me.” He sounds irritated.

“No, I don’t have to answer you, Auggie.” Remaining calm, I continue, “I owe you nothing, just as you owe me nothing. I’m at work. Let’s keep this conversation professional.” I’m trying but failing to brush him off. I’m not going to escape him or this conversation.

“You don’t owe me anything? River, we used to be best friends, speaking every single day, and then something bad happened, and you cut me out of your life.

You didn’t even hear my side of the story, and then you were just gone.

You left without even saying goodbye. You joined the Army.

I was told to give you time. I did. I was told not to reach out.

Then, I saw you at your dad’s funeral, and you avoided me. ”

I see the hurt in his eyes. He’s right. I did avoid him at my dad’s funeral, even though I didn’t want to.

He’s the only person I did want to see. At that moment, all I wanted was Auggie.

When I saw him there, I wanted nothing more than to run up to him, let him hug me, and have him tell me everything would be alright.

To be honest, I had been looking forward to seeing him. When our eyes connected from across the room, I started heading his way. But then, I saw Melissa slide right up next to him and wrap her arm around his bicep.

I redirected, moving to my car. I was done. Other than Auggie, my dad was the only one who could help me see reason, and he was no longer here. I was done greeting strangers. I was done being nice to people I didn’t like. I was just… done. I decided to let the rest of my family deal with that.

I wasn’t going to stick around to watch Melissa paw at him the rest of the day. He knew how I felt about her. How dare he bring her to my dad’s funeral? I guess she finally got what she wanted: Auggie.

At the time, I was shattered. I had been in the Army for a little over a year when I got a call from my mom letting me know that my dad had had a heart attack and didn’t make it. I was granted leave to go to the funeral, so I went back home to bury my dad.

I was devastated that I would never get to see or talk to my dad again.

I couldn’t call the one person I wanted to.

After all, I had pushed him out of my life.

But when I saw him? Oh God, I just wanted him to hug me and tell me everything was going to be alright.

But he brought Melissa, and we were both alone in our own ways.

I shake the memory from my head and take a deep breath. If I’m being honest, Auggie still has the same effect on me.

I snap, “Yeah, you seemed like you had your hands full.” I don’t allow him to respond.

“If I’m your partner, I really don’t want to fight with you, okay?

We are going to have to work together. I’m sure we will have a lot of time to talk later.

Right now, let’s focus on what we really need to be doing today. Okay?” I glare at him.

“I just have one question.”

“Okay, you get one,” I allow, only because I already know what it’s going to be.

“Why is your last name listed under Baxter?”

“That’s my married name.”