Mr. Big Deal (Mr. Big 4)

When the excitementand fear had died down from the morning’s events, I spent time on the patio reading the latest article in the international relations policy journal I subscribed to. Although I wasn’t working on my dissertation, I still was interested in keeping up with developments and so I received a monthly journal and read it with interest.

Around two in the afternoon, while Leif was down for his nap and Luke was in the city at his meeting, I received an email from Professor Turner, and read it with interest.

Dear Alexa:

Just to let you know that I sent your CV to a friend of mine who works at the UN as part of the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). He’s the Assistant Director and is looking for a temp part-time Policy Advisor in October when his current Advisor comes back from Maternity Leave and wants to job share. I think the job is right up your alley and told him about you and your work in the area. He seemed really interested. You could work part-time for the OCHA and get some great experience under your belt. I sang your praises and so don’t be surprised if his office doesn’t contact you and offer you the temp position starting in November. I know that’s still a bit sooner than you planned on going back to work, but it would be only two and a half days a week for a year.

Take care and let me know if he contacts you and what you decide.

Cheers,

Helen

I read the letter over again and again, and then did some Googling of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the current Assistant Director, who was Helen’s friend. The job sounded amazing and would deal with issues of displacement during conflict and disasters, preparing policy position papers and monitoring countries and areas that had potential for humanitarian crises leading to displacement.

In other words, it was right up my alley.

I felt a surge of excitement and wrote her back right away.

Dear Helen,

Thanks so much for forwarding my CV to your friend in the OCHA. The job sounds fantastic and with it being part-time, it would be a great way to get experience and ease back into the working world after my maternity leave. I could work on my dissertation and work part-time, so if your friend is truly interested in me, then by all means, tell him I would be very excited at the opportunity.

Thanks again for thinking of me and for the job offer.

Sincerely,

Alexa

I sent the email off and then got up and started fixing things for supper, marinating the chicken breasts, and cutting up the potatoes and marinating them in the same Greek marinade I made from a recipe I got off my favorite Instagram recipe page. I made a salad and then heard snuffling sounds from Leif over the baby monitor, and so I went to get him up from his nap.

His cheeks were rosy and there was a big smile on his face when he saw me.

“There you are, my little man,” I said and picked him up. He was soaking wet and so I changed him and brought him out to the patio, where I fed him and then put him in his activity chair so he could play with his toys while I read over material about the OCHA. Luke was scheduled to be home in about fifteen minutes and then we’d have a drink before supper and Luke would grill the chicken, vegetables and potatoes.

I was excited to be able to tell him about the potential job with the UN in Manhattan. I checked my cell and decided to text Luke, so I knew when he was on his way.

ALEXA: Hey, any update?

LUKE: Yes, I spoke to the police officer who has the case. They figure the suspect — some guy named Bowen — stupidly thought the property was empty and he could come in and steal some expensive electronics before the security company arrived.

ALEXA: I’m sure he’s just some local hood or something, hoping for a computer or flatscreen they could pawn for drug money. It’s just this is happening too often. I thought we’d be safer out here than in the city, but now I’m thinking your penthouse apartment in Manhattan is safer than we are out here.

LUKE: I’d hate to leave the beach house. It’s so great to be close to the ocean, so Leif can grow up on the beach… But if you really feel that way, we could move into the city. The penthouse is big enough if we want to live there. I’m not sure about schools in the neighborhood though. That could be a problem.

ALEXA: We could find somewhere else in a good neighborhood. What about Brooklyn?

LUKE: Brooklyn would be nice. We have time to decide. I’m leaving in half an hour, so should be there by six or six thirty.

ALEXA: I’ll let you finish up. Text me just as you leave the building, okay?

LUKE: Okay. XO

ALEXA: OX

I sighed and stood at the patio doors, looking out at the yard. Despite the wall that surrounded the property and the security cameras and alarm system and guards, I didn’t really feel safe.

* * *

I gota text from Luke around four in the afternoon letting me know he was just getting into the vehicle. I had the chicken skewers marinating in the Greek dressing, as well as the vegetables, and there was a fresh loaf of bread waiting in tinfoil to be warmed up on the side of the grill. Luke would want a beer and to rest for half an hour before he started to grill so I planned that we would eat by seven thirty.

Leif was playing in his activity chair when I heard the ding of an arrival at the gate and knew Luke was back. It had taken him a little bit longer to get out of the city, so the traffic must have been heavy.

He came in the front entrance, and so I went to meet him.