Page 8 of Beauty and the Grease
“Let’s unpack that,” she says in a dopey voice.
I laugh. “Let’s drill down and use digital transformation as our North Star.”
She snorts. “What? No, don’t explain. I don’t want to know. How about this one:corporate right-sizing.”
My own laughter fades.
She looks my way. “Do they not say that anymore? I’m sure you’ve heard it. It’s just downsizing rephrased in a way to make the powers-that-be feel better about firing people.”
I’m all too familiar. It’s what’s about to happen to me unless I do something this weekend to prevent it. I angle forward to see out the front windshield. “The sky is looking pretty strange.”
It takes Jenny a beat to adjust to the new topic. “Definitely brewing a storm.”
On cue, the rain hits harder. Soon, it’s raining so fast and intense, the drops appear as a white wash across the window. Road visibility disappears. She slows and flicks on the hazard lights. “Well, this is a mess.” She doesn’t seem stressed at all.
The rain pelting the truck at all angles further turns my insides. There’s so much I want to say to Jenny. To apologize for leaving the way I did. At the time, I trusted my parents had my best interests in mind. I blamed myself for getting swept up, for acting impulsively. I knew my parents would never be cool with us getting married. They’d already pestered me to move on from my “college relationship” to a “real relationship.” Conveniently, they had Lisa waiting in the wings. Lisa, who they introduced me to.
But Jenny…she made me so happy.
We werehappy. She logged hours at the gallery and painted in her free time. I worked my way through graduate schooltoward an MBA. For fun, we’d get in the car and drive to a small town we’d never been to. Sometimes a bust, but sometimes we’d find a great place to eat or an offbeat antiques shop. Other times we hiked a trail. Little adventures, we’d called it.
I loved our little adventures. My family spent big money on resort trips and cruises. My senior year of high school, we flew to France for spring break with a side trip to Portugal. We toured beautiful cities and art, but somehow it didn’t compare to discovering a local craft fair in Novi, Michigan, where Jenny and I spent our cash on crocheted tissue box covers made from plastic and yarn. Lisa made me throw those away when we moved in together.
Nothing was wrong with our lives back then except my need to please my parents. I thought I was strong enough to stand up to them when we eloped. I lasted two weeks.
Jenny angles to the side of the road, still with the hazards blinking. “Don’t worry, we’ll get you to your retreat. All those synergies are waiting to be synergized.”
I try to smile but what’s happening inside me is its own storm. Seeing her stirs up emotions I haven’t felt in ages. The closest I can think to my state right now is when Owen was born. My first child. Seeing his red little face all scrunched up and screaming, the weight of fatherhood pressed in, but at the same time, intense joy shattered any doubts. It’s the mostI’ve everfeltat once. And while sitting in a truck in the rain with my first ex-wife isn’t the same as a child coming into the world, something about this moment feels important.
“I’m sorry,” I blurt, at the same time she asks, “Want a mint?”
I stare at her.
She stares back, holding a clear plastic box. She rattles it, causing the little mints to collide. “Don’t apologize for bad weather. It’s not your fault.”
I can tell she knows that’s not what I’m sorry for.
CHAPTER 5
Jenny
The air in this truck is thick enough to weed wack. Thankfully, the rain backs off its tantrum and I can drive again.
Driving lets me think. Only I can barely think with Chase beside me. I don’t dare ask what he’s apologizing for. That’s going to open a whole can of something that needs to stay deep in a cabinet.
Ahead, taillights glow. I lower my speed again. So much for twenty minutes.
“Jenny,” Chase starts. His tone is way too serious. I can’t be trapped in this truck and forced to participate in a serious conversation.
“I bet you want to know how I got into this business.” I snap a look his way. He was clearly about to say something else.Victory!“Pretty different than art galleries. Or administrative work at a car dealership.”
His mouth closes and he nods.
Too late, I realize the full backstory contains multiple potential conversation bombs, many of which lead back to him. Why is it all my roads lead back to him?
I think quick. “See, there was this Reddit forum. That sort of started it all.”
“Reddit, like the website?”
