Page 4 of And They Had a Great Fall

“Kat, I love the idea, but I can’t look like I am playing favorites and sending you out of the blue,” Will mused.

“You don’t have to be the one to send me. I’ll go on my own. Logistically, this works out perfectly. I’ve been planning a trip to Copenhagen to see a friend right after our November launch. I can just move the trip up a month. You wouldn’t have to gettravel approved. It’s already booked.” She cringed at her uncharacteristic white lie. She hated lying about as much as she hated being spontaneous. “All you’re doing is approving for me to work remotely from the Copenhagen office.”

She paused and watched Will’s face process her proposal. “Please Will,” she said, “let me do this. It’s a good idea, and it gives me a chance to prove to the board that I have more dedication than anyone.”

“Okay Kat. I’ll approve your request to work remotely. Ten days. I need you back here focused solely on the US before October first. I’ll call Poul, the Denmark regional president, and let him know you’re coming. By the way, he’s a personal friend of our founder, so Poul is a good person to impress. You keep focused, use the global early launch to make the US even more successful, and your case will be practically flawless to the board.” He stood up, indicating the meeting was over.

Kat walked back toward her office, picking up her pace when she got out of Will’s view.Shit. She needed to work fast. Although this wasn’t the first time she had to arrange last-minute travel, it unnerved her all the same. Her first call was to Linda, Kat’s mother-in-law … or ex-mother-in-law. What do you call your mother-in-law after your husband dies? She still didn’t know and had never brought herself to Google the answer. Becca’s grandmother—that’s what she called Linda.

“Hi Kat!” she answered cheerfully. Linda sounded out of breath and Kat could hear dogs barking in the background.

“Sorry to bother you so early,” Kat started.

“No worries. I am out in the garden pulling weeds. Easier to do it in the morning while the ground is wet. It’s beautiful today, how’s the city?”

Kat had little time for small talk and spared no time asking Linda if she could take Becca to upstate New York while Kat went out of town.

“Of course. We love having Becca here.… she’s starting to remind me so much of Ben.” Linda stopped talking, and Kat heard the hitch in her voice. Kat remained silent. She couldn’t do this … she couldn’t talk about Ben … not right now. After a moment, Linda continued, “You’ve been traveling a lot for work, Kat. I don’t know how you keep it up.”

“It’s part of the job. I’m working toward a promotion next quarter,” Kat said, internally cringing when she calculated the amount of time Becca had spent with Ben’s parents in the last six months. “It will mean increased international travel.”

“Moretravel?” Linda asked and Kat’s shoulders tensed. She held back her anger at the need to justify herself to a woman she barely knew. They would be forever connected through death, but their relationship since Ben’s death was through Becca. They were little more than acquaintances. She was closer to many colleagues than her own mother-in-something.

“With this promotion, I can finally pay you back for the apartment,” she said, keeping her voice steady. “I know I ask a lot; I can hire help if this is too much.” She was steeped in guilt over the burden she put on Ben’s parents. She was a constant reminder of the son they’d lost, and it ate away at her.

“Kat, stop,” Linda interrupted. “I’ve told you before, please don’t worry about paying us back and no, you don’t need to hire help. We are always here when you need us,” her voice was devoid of the earlier cheerfulness. “Text me your flight time, and I will come get Becca for as long as you need.”

Kat was relieved when she could hit “end” on the call with Linda. She pushed it to the back of her mind as she went to her last stop. Emily Meyer, President of Product, was Kat’s second-in-command. Emily would need to take a larger role with the on-the-ground US teams while Kat worked out of Denmark for ten days. Kat had no doubt Emily could handle the role. Emily knew the job and did it with the same precise efficiency asKat.This will be a good challenge for her, she thought. Emily was just waiting for the day when she would have Kat’s position, and instead of a competitive relationship, they made a good team.

“Great idea to see an early-launch market,” Emily said offhand. “Things are fine here. We don’t even need you.” She winked at her, teasing. “I’m guessing this has to do with you being named COO next quarter?” Emily was fishing, but Kat didn’t bite. If Kat became COO, she would recommend Emily for a promotion into Kat’s job. A lot was riding on the launch, for both of them.

Kat kept them focused on the task at hand. “Let’s go through the status of each departmental workstream today at 1:30 so we’re both in the loop. I’m worried about the design and marketing departments. They say they’re on track, but I saw an email last night about a delayed video creative. Marketing is notorious for missing our deadlines,” she said as she left Emily’s office.

As Kat walked down the row to her office, it finally hit her. She was indeed going to Copenhagen.This is the best decision for my career and for Becca, she convinced herself. That shiny brass ring was right in front of her, and she was grabbing on with all her might.

As she settled in to review the marketing plan, she was interrupted by her text chime. She glanced down to see Jake’s number pop up on her screen. She stifled a smile as she swiped open her phone to reply.Going to Copenhagen has nothing to do with Jake, she thought as she typed confirmation that she was coming.It’s not about hearing his voice last night … and most certainly not about how much I’ve missed him.Her heart raced and she set her phone face down on her desk.She buried her head in her hands and whispered to herself, “What the hell am I doing?”

chapter three

Under seventy-two hours later, Kat woke with a start as the plane touched down in Copenhagen. She stretched her legs, took in a deep breath, and ran her fingers through the tangles that had formed in the back of her hair. The eight-hour-and-fifteen-minute flight from New York to Copenhagen had been a special form of drudgery, especially stuck in the middle seat of row 27.

As the plane taxied to the gate, she switched her phone off Airplane Mode. She wasn’t surprised to see texts from Jake. Five, to be exact.

J: Hi!

J: Glad you got on the plane okay. Not sure if you have your phone on? Probably not. Sleeping? Doubt it if you’re in coach (why didn’t you let me book the flight? I would have put you in first class … duh).

J: Anyway … I wish you would let me pick you up (really). I have good disguises. It’s better here than in the US. Less paparazzi fuckers.

J: Shit. I’m going to be late. We have night scenes to shoot tonight. You get in at 7? I’ll be home around 9. My keypad entry is 7302. Text me if you didn’t write down my address.

J: Can’t wait to see you. Might be closer to 10. Not sure.

She let out a laugh at his flurry of texts. He was a lot to take in all at once: brilliant, manic, confident, and unsure, all rolled up in one person. She wouldn’t deny how excited she was to be in the same orbit as Jake, even for just ten short days. After a year of dwindling texts, video chats, phone calls, and any other way of staying connected without actually connecting, she didn’t know how she would feel when she was in the same room as him. Until he’d called, they hadn’t had any contact in over four months. During the flight, she couldn’t stop wondering why Jake was so troubled, and, after all this time, why hers was the number he dialed.

She walked at a brisk pace through the Copenhagen airport and barely looked at her phone as she shot off a quick text to Jake.

K: Just off the plane. No rush. Do what you need to get done. See you at your place later.

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