Driven to Date by Susan Hatler

to respond, then he closed it, and held his hand out. “Good luck, Charlie.”
    Charlie eyed me a moment, then shook Ryan’s hand. “You too, Ryan.”
    Ryan nodded, then strode toward the exit.
    Charlie put a hand on my shoulder. “I’ll be in touch.”
    I nodded, as he pulled me into a hug. Closing my eyes, I wanted to beg him not to leave. His resignation had sparked the road fork my life now faced. Terror trickled through me. Having no choice but to let go, I wished him well. “See you, Charlie.”
    With one last squeeze, he released me, then headed toward the exit.
    My throat cinched to the point of pain, and I bowed my head. After being so preoccupied with myself this past week, the reality finally hit me. After five years working together, Charlie would no longer be here. And my life would now change drastically—if only I knew in which direction it would go. I ran my fingers under my eyes, whisking away the few tears that escaped. Taking a deep breath, I lifted my head.
    Ryan stood just inside the door, watching me with a concerned expression, and everyone else had left.
    Embarrassed that he’d witnessed my emotion, I held my head high, and strode toward the door.
    “You don’t have to say it.” His gaze held mine, as I started to pass by. “I know you’ll miss him.”
    “I really will,” I said, wondering why I’d admitted that to Ryan. Even more, I wondered why Ryan seemed to care.

Chapter Five
    The next morning, I sat in my office and scowled at the black phone on my desk. I’d arrived late to work after an hour massage with Ginger’s massage therapist, but I could already feel the tension creeping back into my shoulders. How would my parents react when I confessed that I hadn’t gotten the promotion?
    I chewed on my pinky nail, telling myself to just call, and get it over with. With a jolt of courage, I managed to hit line two and punch in the dreaded ten digits.
    “Hello?” Dad answered.
    “I didn’t get the promotion, Dad.” There, I’d blurted it out. “Charlie gave notice, the partners hired someone else, and I didn’t get the promotion.”
    The silence was audible.
    “Sorry, Ace.” His voice was tight. “I was hoping it was your mom calling.”
    “Mom?” I tapped my fingers on the desk, wondering where his words of encouragement were. Or at least my condolences, like everyone else had given. “Isn’t Mom at work?”
    “No.” Pages rustled in the background and fingers were punching a keyboard. “Your mother is gone, Jill.”
    My heart stopped. “Define gone.”
    Instead of answering, he started muttering, which confirmed he wasn’t paying attention to me. What in the world was going on?
    “Dad?” I squeezed my stapler repeatedly, dropping tiny scrunched staples into a pile on my desk. “Where is Mom?”
    “She left me.” His low voice sent chills up my spine, like he’d had trouble getting the words out. “Said she was done being burdened with responsibility, that she was going on a much needed vacation, and that I’d better not be here when she got back.”
    My throat weakened as I held the receiver to my ear, and a gray tunnel vision made the room close in on me. “You’re getting divorced?”
    “Not by my choice.” His words were stilted, like he was about to break down. “I-I’m not sure what to do. I mean, I wanted to connect with her. I suggested dinner and movies, trips to Cabo, even parasailing. Work always took precedence over our relationship. So I made a life for myself, supporting her always. Your mom’s the calm, steady one. But we grew apart.” His voice hitched. “She says our relationship can’t be reconciled.”
    The calm steady one.
    I brushed tears from my cheeks, as the realization crept up my spine. I worked year after year with no end in sight, just like my mother. Passing up friendships and fun. Would I crack one day, too? Disappear without so much as a good-bye to my child? Or to the man I’d once loved? The scenario terrified