Love Will Lead You Back

Written: October 27, 2017

Author's Notes:

All characters are over eighteen, fictional and the product of this writer's imagination. Any similarities to real people, or other fictional characters is purely coincidence.

Feel free to comment and vote if you choose. I encourage it. Constructive feedback is always welcome publically or privately. I won't censure any comments, since I think the comments themselves speak volumes about the individual making them.

I'd like to thank GS for proofreading and editing this story. This was my first time around submitting a story for editing. I think it greatly improved the finished product. Any and all errors remain mine.

I first heard Delilah on the radio one night when I was in my early 40's. She touched emotions I didn't know I had back then with her advice as well as music. Her callers were looking for love; they just didn't know how to find it. My fondest hope is they did. I did.

If you get a chance, listen to the songs mentioned in the story, which are all available publically in your choice of formats. I think they help set the tone for the characters and settings.

A couple of final notes: this story is primarily dialog driven, and has no descriptive sex. So if that's not your cup of tea, consider moving on.

Thanks for reading

Spyauth

Copyright ©2018 - All rights reserved.

+++

July 2014

"Hi Chrissy."

"Hi Em, what's up. You don't sound good. What's wrong?"

"Oh Sis, Bobby left me. For good, this time I think. He's been threatening me for weeks. Said he was tired of my traveling."

"What do you mean he left you? He's a fool if he did. Do you want me to come over?" Chrissy asked hesitantly.

"No. You've got Craig and the kids to take care of. I just needed to vent. I'll get over it," Emily answered unconvincingly. She was holding back tears but failing miserably.

"Em you don't sound like yourself. I'm worried. I think I should come over. I can be there in 30 minutes." Chrissy said, more determined this time.

"No Chrissy, just stay with your family," Emily replied less enthusiastically. "I've got a quart of ice cream to help me forget Bobby ever existed. Besides, I think he already has some bimbo on a string. He probably felt guilty for cheating on me while I was traveling."

"You know I always thought he was a controlling asshole. Are you sure I can't come over? The kids are already asleep. Craig can take care of them." Chrissy said, trying to convince her older sister she shouldn't be alone tonight.

"Chrissy, I'm so disgusted with Bobby, I can barely think. He thought all that mattered were his feelings. I have them too, you know? Damnit. I didn't want to cry."

Emily cried on the phone to her younger sister for two minutes before she could bring herself to speak again. "Chrissy, I'm a mess. Can you come over, please?" She said through deep wracking sobs.

"On my way. Hold tight for 30 and I'll be there with more ice cream, and wine."

+++

November 2014

"We're finishing the buildout on the L.A. Property. We won't get the final certificate of occupancy until February, but I want you to put the startup team together now. Let's make the announcement at the end of February after we have the CO," Chuck, the CEO of Southeastern Box said to his COO Greg.

"Alright Chuck. I was thinking about naming Emily Trent the overall lead. Give her a promotion to VP and send her packing for the West Coast in early March. You Okay with that?" Greg asked.

"Sure. As long she gets the office and plant up by end of second quarter, we're golden." Chuck answered.

"I'm pretty impressed with Emily. She's done a hellava job as Sales Director. She deserves the promotion, and I know she'll do even better as our Senior VP of Sales. She's been excited about it for the last 18 months since we first talked about expansion." Greg said.

"I like Emily too. Let her know she has my full support with whatever she needs." Chuck said.

"I will. We still on for golf on Saturday?"

"Wouldn't miss it."

+++

December 2014

"Do you think you could help me with something Deb?"

"Sure Emily what is it?"

"My computer is acting up again. Every time I travel here, it seems to change the time of my appointments to Eastern, but when I go back to Chicago, it doesn't change them back to Central. I completely miss most of my meetings for the first few days back home," Emily said, frustrated.

"Let me call Cameron in IT. He's really good. I'll bet he can figure it out," Debbie replied. "He's also easy on eyes," she thought but didn't say out loud. Deb and her husband Dereck were good friends with Cam and had been since Deb and Cam met in their senior year of college.

Cameron Glenn appeared about 10 minutes later at Deb's desk. "What seems to be the trouble Deb?"

"I'm not having a problem, but Emily is," Deb said, pointing to her boss's closed door.

Emily Trent was the Director of Sales for Southeastern Box Company. They made packaging for all types of products from corrugated cardboard. She was currently occupying her Raleigh, NC office this week as she met with the sales team to review the fourth quarter sales, just prior to Christmas break in a week.

"I'll need to look at her computer to check it. Is she meeting with someone?" Cameron asked.

"I told her I was calling you, so just knock and go in. She's alone," Deb answered.

Cameron knocked twice, then entered. Emily smiled easily as Cameron entered and introduced himself.

"Deb said you were having a problem with your laptop. She mentioned something about meetings changing times when you travel. Can I take a look?" Cam asked.

"Sure. That would be great. I'll be leaving tonight, but I'm sure by tomorrow, I'll have missed most of my meetings if the times don't revert back to Central," Emily answered, aggravated.

Cam, spun her laptop around so it was facing him on his side of Emily's desk. He thought he knew what the problem was. He went to the settings for her mail program and checked the box to display appointments in their local time zone. It was just a quirk of the software. Only people that traveled between different time zones would have noticed it.

He certainly noticed Emily however. He spent more time than necessary reviewing her other system settings, glancing at her over the top of her laptop. She was probably in her early 30's like he was. She had ginger blonde hair that was up in a messy bun, with a few strands hanging down tucked around her ears. She looked very professional with her dark blue suit, over a white silk blouse. Very cute oval shaped face, with inviting lips he thought. Her features were outlined with only the slightest amount of makeup drawing an admirer to her playful green eyes. A hint of freckles across the bridge of her small rounded nose, provided a glimpse into her Irish heritage.

It had been three years since Cam had even thought about another woman. For just a minute, he caught himself thinking about Emily as another woman. One he could be attracted to, and not the Sales Director, for Southeastern Box Company.

Cam shook himself back to reality as quickly as he closed down the open settings window. He spun the laptop back around to Emily. "You should be fine now, Ms. Trent. I changed a setting to display your appointments in their local time zone. Text or call me tomorrow if things don't display properly."

"Wow! That was quick. Deb said you were good. Thanks Cameron. And please call me Emily. It's always first names with me," Emily replied, hoping she didn't appear to be flirting with him, although maybe she was trying a little. He was handsome she thought. She was still devastated from her breakup with Bobby. She desperately needed a booster-shot for her low self-esteem.

The office policy was documented clearly. Dating anyone within their chain of command was strictly off-limits. Cameron worked in IT, while Emily was in Sales, so they only came together at the CEO level.

"You're welcome Emily. I go by Cam to my friends. I should get going. I'm sure you have things to wrap up if you're leaving tonight. Safe travels."

"Thanks again Cam. I'll see you next trip." She wasn't sure why she added that she'd see him on her next trip. He was very personable she thought.

Cam left the office, closing the door. Deb winked at him. "That didn't take long. Didn't you want to stay and chat with her?"

"I'm sure she's busy. Besides the fix was pretty simple. Are we still on for your Holiday party next Saturday night? I've got my parents stopping by to watch the kids."

Deb nodded. "You know she's single Cam," Deb said, as Cam was getting ready to return to his office. He stopped momentarily, spinning on his heels.

"Are you playing matchmaker now? Is that part of your 'other duties as assigned'?" Cam laughed.

"No, but you would make a cute couple," Deb shot back at him. Cam seriously considered it for a split-second, then laughed again.

"Deb, thanks for the tip, but you know my kids keep me pretty busy. Between their schools, daycare, after school activities, I barely have time to sleep as it is. Truthfully, I'm not ready to give up the kids, and I do need my sleep. Plus I doubt Miss Trent, I mean Emily, would be interested in an IT guy like me."

"Cam, don't sell yourself short. I hate when you do that. You might be very surprised what women find attractive. My last question, then you're free to slink back to IT is, do you think Emily is attractive?"

"Gee Deb, that's kind of personal, don't you think? I mean we're friends and all, but still." Cameron stopped to think for a second. The answer was easy really, knowing Deb wouldn't let him get away without it. "Yes Deb, Emily is a very attractive woman, but then you are too. And happily married last time I checked." Cam winked back at Deb.

"But she's not. Think about it. And yes, we're still having everyone over next Saturday. You're free to return to your dungeon of dark matter." Deb laughed.

The good natured banter with Deb made it natural to think about it. He thought about it quite a bit actually. By 5 that afternoon, he was still pondering it. He thought about what a date with Emily might be like, until he picked up his twin 6 year old girls from daycare. His thinking took a decidedly different direction as dinner, homework, and prep for the next day filled his thoughts.

+++

Emily was rushing through her last meeting that ended at 5 so she could get a cab to the airport. As soon as the last person left her office, Deb asked if she would like a ride to the airport since it was on her way home. Emily quickly agreed while she packed her laptop.

They were on the way to Deb's car, when Deb asked, "Did Cam fix your calendar problem?"

"I think so. I'll have to wait and see tomorrow, provided I don't miss my flight," Emily said distractedly, checking her watch every few seconds.

"Relax Emily, you've got plenty of time. What did you think of Cameron?" Deb asked timidly.

"He was fine I guess. He seemed to know what he was doing. He wasn't there 5 minutes and he had the problem fixed. I'd say he's pretty competent, if it works tomorrow."

"Anything else?" Deb prodded.

"Nothing that comes to mind. Why?"

"Oh no reason," she replied, mysteriously.

Emily knew there was more to Deb's question. "Okay. What's really going on in that devious mind of yours? Spill."

Deb could barely hold back a snicker. "Well I did talk to Cam a little after he fixed your calendar today."

"Okay, and what did you and Cam talk about Deb? Am I going to have to pull this out of you one question at a time?" Emily asked, growing frustrated.

"Before I tell you, do you think Cam is handsome?"

"What kind of a question is that Deb? You know I don't like to talk about the personal lives of anyone in the company. That includes their appearance."

"I know, we've had the talk before, but humor me for a minute. Then I'll tell you what I talked to Cam about." Deb said, quickly. They were less than 5 minutes from the airport.

An irritated Emily paused for a second to think, "Yes. Cam checks the columns on my scorecard for looks. He seemed personable, but perhaps a little shy."

"Interesting," Deb responded. "Would you like to know what he said about you when I asked him the same question?"

Emily felt nervous. This was territory she never strayed into with anyone at work. She kept very close reigns on her work relationships so they never drifted into personal space. Talking like two high school girls about a boy she just met, certainly didn't meet her personal business conduct guidelines.

"Deb, I think we should stop right now. If you're trying to play cupid here, that's probably a mistake and one I want no part of. Are we clear?" Emily said, perhaps too sternly.

"I do. And I respect you for that. For the record, however, he said you were very attractive. Those were his words, not mine. But I won't go any further. I understand how you feel about work relationships. But think about it. He checks your scorecard, he thinks you're attractive. Just think about it."

"I probably shouldn't, but now that you've planted the damn seed, you know I will," Emily replied uneasily.

That was all the green light Deb needed to continue.

"Good," Deb said as they pulled into Terminal 2 at RDU. "American?"

"Yes."

Deb dropped Emily and hugged her outside baggage check-in. "Just think about it. You have my cell, if you want to talk about it anytime, just call me. My husband and I both consider Cam a very good friend. I can give you the 411 on him. I think you'd make a great couple."

Emily waved goodbye as Deb drove away. She couldn't stop thinking about 'what if' Cam were to ask her for a date. What would she do? How would she respond? Would she fall back on her ethical backbone and refuse to date anyone in the company?

Considering her situation for a moment as the plane taxied down the runway, she knew she felt lonely. She had no male companionship, nor was she building towards any. When she was home in Chicago, she went out with her posse of girls from college, who were married and starting to pop out babies. Their times together were growing further and further apart, while she was just existing—going along with the status quo—not pursuing male companionship or being pursued.

Emily saw her clock turn another year vicariously, as each of her friends had a baby. Her clock continued to clang louder in her head. But more importantly, she was frustrated with men in general. She had long ago ditched the bar scene and casual sex. She needed the commitment of a relationship, to enjoy emotional and physical intimacy. It was more than just physical or biological for her. There had to be an emotional connection. So far, she hadn't found that connection with anyone.

She'd dedicated her life to her career. At 32, she had what some would call a dream job-Director of Sales for a large national company. The skills she'd mastered, managing the sales department were transferrable to almost any other product or service. Her career track and financial stability were guaranteed even if her current employer folded up their cardboard and declared bankruptcy.

Her personal life paid a heavy toll to achieve stability. She had a lovely 3 bedroom condominium on the Gold Coast in downtown Chicago, but no one in her life to share it. What good was money in the bank and investments, if there was no company to share the fruits of their combined labors?

Her last relationship was an abysmal failure by her analysis. He claimed he loved her, yet found every possible excuse to disrupt her career, through his petty demands. He was so insecure that he demanded she stop traveling for work. She wouldn't compromise herself for adolescent whims. The two parted less than friends as a result. Still, she learned quite a bit about herself in the process. She realized she wasn't in love with him. When she probed deeply into her emotions, she realized, she didn't really love him, because he wasn't the right man for her. Yet, she knew she was capable of loving the right man, if she could find him.

Deb stopped by Cam's desk, the following Monday morning after dropping Emily off at the airport. "Hey Cam, just thought you might like to know, Emily is going to be here the Monday after New Year's. She's taking Christmas and New Year's weeks off."

"Thanks Deb, but why are you telling me this?" Cam asked, puzzled.

"I'm just sharing. Like I did with Emily about how you thought she was attractive," Deb said, holding back a giggle.

"Please tell me you didn't. This is going to come back and get all of us fired," Cam replied, exasperated with Deb, but interested in the outcome nonetheless.

"I did," Deb answered proudly. Her tone snarky, challenging Cam to fight his interest in Emily. "I also told her you're a hopeless romantic and listen to Delilah on the radio in the evenings too. Funny, she was still interested even after I told her that," Deb said as she rolled her eyes.

"Thanks Deb. I'm glad you're in my corner," he said sarcastically.

Deb revealed the rest of her conversation with Emily. Cam's thoughts turned uneasy. He knew nothing about Emily. He supposed Deb shared his life story with Emily. Women he knew, did talk. Would he have the courage to ask her out next time she came to town? Did he really even want to ask her out? She lived in Chicago and visited Raleigh every other week. The distance made him cautious.

+++

"Hello caller, this is Delilah, You're on the air."

"Hi Delilah, this is Cameron. Thanks for taking my call."

"Hi Cameron. I hope you're keeping warm on this chilly New Year's Eve. Tell me your story and what song I can play for you."

"Well...there is a woman where I work, and a mutual acquaintance has dropped hints, like maybe this woman is interested in me. I don't know. She's 800 miles away in Chicago but travels quite a bit to my office in Raleigh, NC. I just don't' see long term potential. What should I do?"

"Cameron, what's stopping you? Is it the distance?"

"My first marriage didn't work out very well. That was three years ago. I have two children. They are my life right now. But, she's very attractive, probably even out of my league."

"I think I understand. I've had my share of marriages and kids, so maybe my advice isn't the best. But I sense something else in your voice." Delilah laughed at summarizing her own personal history. "Ask yourself this: Don't you deserve to be happy?"

"I've been burned pretty badly I guess. I mean, my ex-wife decided I didn't make enough money, so she left me for a rich guy. Thankfully, she agreed to the kids living with me since he didn't want anything to do with them. I suppose... I'm just really afraid to get hurt again. This would be my first date since my divorce. My kids are everything to me. What would they think?"

"Cameron, I'm sure your kids would understand a night without their Daddy. I'm sure your children would want you to be happy. Let me play you a song to touch your heart, give you inspiration and courage, to ask your girl on a date. I can tell you're a wonderful person, full of life. Show your girl the wonderful side, the one I can hear in your voice. Please call back and tell me how things went on your date. We all deserve to be happy in life."

"Thanks Delilah, I will."

Delilah played "Somewhere Out There," by Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram. It fit Cameron's mood perfectly he thought. Delilah had picked up on his hesitation regarding distance, by playing this song. Distance, was a huge obstacle in his mind, if he were to consider a relationship with Emily. He listened intently to the song and the lyrics. It did help to think maybe she was thinking of him too.