My job was interesting and enjoyable. The only thing I was missing was someone to share it with.
I turned in my chair, staring out the window. My mother had been filling my head with that idea for years, but I’d always brushed it off. Now the absence of a woman felt like a gaping void in my soul.
Or maybe it was just the absence of a particular woman.
I shook my head. It didn’t matter. A trip to Japan would be fun in the meanwhile. It’d been a while since I’d last made it there.
I wondered if Juniper and Emily would like it. I blinked, processing the thoughts. I wouldn’t lie to myself by rejecting what my instincts told me.
Emily seemed like she wanted to travel more, and her daughter would love a lot of the colorful and exciting places we could visit in Tokyo. A man could go on a dozen trips there and still not see everything.
Emily had mentioned not being able to travel much. I wasn’t sure of the reasons, but from what she said, I suspected her ex-husband was the main reason. And I could understand why a single mother wouldn’t want to travel around a foreign country by herself with a young child.
But what if she didn’t have to travel by herself?
I nodded. The more I thought about it, the more I became convinced they’d both have a great time. Only one question remained: Would it be too forward to ask?
I still didn’t know what Emily and I even were. Were we dating? We’d kissed several times. That seemed like something that couples dating did, but the first time she’d been drunk, and the second time I’d surprised her with it to annoy Lionel.
Half the time, Emily seemed to want to spend more time with me, and the other half she seemed uncomfortable; it was almost like she was looking for a reason to not go out with me.
I rose from my chair and moved over to the window, looking down at the people and
cars moving so many stories below. Several deep breaths later, I returned to my chair.
Maybe Emily was only grateful for me helping her out with ex-husband. I’d given her the upper hand a few times in dealing with Lionel. I didn’t want to believe that our spark, our connection, was one-sided, but I couldn’t be sure.
No. I couldn’t keep this up. If I wanted the woman, I needed to pursue her. I needed to prove to her that I saw her as a woman and that I was a good man and not a bastard like Lionel.
A great opportunity sat in front of me, a way to prove to Emily I could offer things a lot of men couldn’t. It was good to be a guy who cared, but it was better to be a guy who cared who also had money. And I had a lot of money.
I grabbed my phone and sent a text to her.
Emily, you interested in a weeklong trip to Tokyo?
A few seconds passed. My phone dinged. I glanced at the text.
Haha. Very funny, Logan.
I frowned at my phone for a moment, but I could understand her reaction. It was time to push forward.
I’m serious. A trip to Japan.
Japan?
Yes. Tokyo.
Is this a serious offer?
Serious as a heart attack.
And Juniper?
I grinned. I’d worried that she’d reject me out of hand. It wasn’t like flying halfway across the world with a man you’d only recently met wasn’t a little strange.
I needed to keep the momentum going. So, I texted back right away.
I’m sure Juniper can miss a week of school for an adventure overseas. There are lots of parts of Tokyo I’m sure she’d love. Maybe we can even find some Japan-exclusive LEGOs.