“Well, don’t let her get away. You can try that reverse number lookup thing, but with the address.”
I shake my head. “Nah. I’m not going to do that. I’ll try to stop by her house again and leave a note or something after I know she’s back. I’m not letting her slip. Don’t worry.”
“Well, it’s about time. I had dubbed you king of the eternal bachelor society. I guess they’ll need a new ruler now.” We laugh at that. Maybe he’s right. Maybe I’ll trade in my bachelor status for Katrina. If I am dating, she’s the one for sure.
* * *
My last week at work was a direct-order delivery from Hades! It’s as though all the forces that be were trying to confirm that I needed to quit this grind of a job and take the leap to start my own business.
In the end, Joel blamed me on a conference call in front of corporate and our client for something I had nothing to do with at all. That was the straw that broke this camel’s back. If I hadn’t already given my two weeks’ notice, I would have that day.
After I leave work, I check my messages while I’m driving home. This morning, the realty office in Bozeman left the answer I’ve been waiting for.
Hello. This is Jenny from Big Sky Properties. Mr. Anders, I’m calling to tell you the lease for the property on Main Street went through today. Please call me back if you have any questions. I emailed the documents to you this afternoon. Congratulations.
I let out a whoop in my car. I have to call Caleb. “Hey, Caleb! Guess what, bro!”
“Hey, Jack. What’s up?”
“The lease went through. I’ve got the space on Main! It’s official, man. I’m coming back to Montana and I’m doing this thing!”
“I’m so proud of you, big brother, and I know you are going to do great. I can’t wait for you to be closer.”
“I know. I’m so overwhelmed. I can’t believe this is real. I have a rental I’m looking at too. A little two bedroom for the time being until the shop takes off.” My mind is going a mile a minute.
Caleb asks, “What are you going to name it?”
“That’s a surprise. I’ll tell you when I’m there.”
“Well, as soon as I can get over there, you know I will. Thanks for calling.”
“Thanks for encouraging me. I’ll see you when you can get time to visit. Stay safe. Love you.”
“I will. Love you, bro.”
We hang up and I picture Katrina’s animated expression when she exploded with encouragement over my idea to open a shop. That girl. She could be the stuff of dreams. But, she’s off on another trip, and she has no intention of settling down. Her love is her photography.
That day on the beach was amazing. In fact, it probably ruined me for other women forever. If that’s the case, it was worth it. I’d rather be wrecked by a woman like Katrina than settle for someone nice who doesn’t set off sparks in my heart and body every time I think of her. She’s like a breeze coming off the ocean, fresh, salty, surprising, calming. But, like the breeze, she blows away as quickly as she came. I wonder if she’s back from Europe yet.
* * *
I finished cleaning everything out of my apartment this morning and just sent the moving company off to drive up to Montana with everything I own in the world. It’s an oddly liberating feeling. I finally feel like my life has purpose. I’m getting off the hamster wheel and I couldn’t feel more alive.
Well, except at the top of the Ferris wheel in Santa Monica. But that’s a sweet memory. This coffee shop, that’s my reality.
I call Brett before I head out. “Hey, man. I just wanted to check in. I’m about to head out.”
“Man, I’m so happy for you. You’ll be sorely missed. You know that.”
I take one last look through the bedrooms for anything I might have missed. “I know. I’ll miss you too. Once I’m open, you’ll have to take some time off and come up to see everything.”
“For sure. So, are you leaving right now?”
I stand looking around one last time. “Yeah. I’m about to take off. But before I leave town, I think I’m going to stop and say goodbye to Katrina. I want to thank her for inspiring me to take this risk.”
Brett encourages me. “Jack, you need to do something to keep the door open between the two of you.”
“No. I don’t think so. I’m moving now. We don’t have something solid enough to ask her to commit long distance. I guess you never can tell. I think it was meant to be a relationship to make me see what I’m missing. She breathed life back into me, you know? Nothing seems to hold that girl back when she wants something. But we’d never make it now. I just want to thank her.” A thin smile crosses my face as I think of her, and then realize I’ll never see her after today.
“Well, I hope you at least get her number. Can’t hurt.”
“Okay, man. I will. Take care, Brett. I’ll call when I’m settled.”
I pick up the last few items off the counter in my kitchen and look around the apartment. I really have had enough packing to last me a lifetime between emptying Mom’s home and clearing out this apartment. But this is different. I’m not doing this because I have to say goodbye. No. Today I’m starting my new life. I close the door and hit the road for Pasadena. One last stop before I leave L.A. in my rearview mirror.
* * *
I walk up the steps to the porch on Katrina’s Craftsman house and knock on her door. As I’m standing there waiting a guy steps out of the other half of the rental. “You looking for Kat?”
“Kat? Uh. Yeah. Katrina. I’m a friend and I was just wanting to pop in to share some good news with her.”
He looks me over a little skeptically. “Well, I think she’s in Europe or Asia or something. I don’t think she’ll be back until Thursday.”
“Okay, Well, can you just tell her Jack came by. Do you have a second? I’d like to leave her a number where she can reach me.”
“No problem.”
I grab a pen from my glove box and a receipt I had in the console. I write,
Katrina – I really hope we can talk again.
Call me when you are back in L.A. – Jack
Then I scribble my cell number underneath and hand it to the guy next door. He says he’ll give it to her when he sees her. I didn’t want to write the news of my move and the new shop on the receipt. That’s the kind of thing I want to share in person. I can’t wait to tell her. I just want to do it when we’re talking, not scrawled on a scrap of paper.
I get back in my car and drive down Katrina’s street toward the freeway, questioning whether I should have left the note. We were just getting to know one another. If she wanted me to call her again, she would have asked for my number or given hers.
Those kisses and the connection I felt left me wondering if there could be more. But it’s my moment to pull up stakes. Kat is amazing. She’s just not mine. I need to leave her in L.A. with everything else. Time to start the first day of the rest of my life.
* * *
Setting up shop has been fully consuming. I’m standing in the middle of the room right now admiring how far it has come. I love the ambiance in here. The historic brick walls rise to spacious, high ceilings covered in embossed tin tiles. Full glass windows cover the wall along Main Street.