When I put down the phone I almost couldn't believe the conversation that I had just been a part of. I picked up the phone again and the familiar voice on the other end of the phone picked up.
"Yes Mr. Carter." She asked.
I didn't really know what to say, I was still in a daze from the conversation. The words just hung there like a heavy cloud on a humid rainy day. I searched for what I wanted to say, but nothing was coming to mind.
"Mr. Carter?" she said again, slightly confused or worried. I couldn't tell which.
"Yes, I'm sorry. Rachel if you would please cancel my meetings for the rest of the day. I... I have to leave." I said still not quite knowing what to say or how, or why. I hung up the phone not waiting for a response.
The phone call I had received just moments earlier had taken a man who normally was never short on words completely blank. I didn't know what to feel, what to say. I sat down behind my desk, and pulled up my computer and logged on to my social media account. Given my position I was hardly ever on it, mostly just to keep up with old friends. That was the reason for this log in. I pulled up the account in question and began reading.
"The world lost a great man today. You will be missed." Read on line
"I can't believe it when I heard it. You will be missed" Another read.
I scrolled down the time line and kept reading, maybe just maybe I will find the line that says this was all a joke, that my best and oldest friend had not passed away. But it never came. He was always a joker playing practical jokes on everyone, maybe this was another one of those jokes. A cruel joke to play on everyone, his friends, his family. What was his family going to do?
I continued to scroll until I hit the line that I didn't want to read. There it was staring at me right in the face. Clear as day, a post from his wife, or at least someone using her profile. I read it once, then again, just to make sure. It didn't change the outcome was the same. He was gone.
I was sitting there staring out the window trying to remember the last time we had spoken. It had been a while, we kept in touch but we both had our own lives. He married the love of his life, and had children, the picture perfect family life. I on the other hand stayed the bachelor, concentrated on my career, decided to let the family life move to the back burner. Not saying that I have any regrets, which I didn't, other than we didn't really spend that much time together any more. He had moved on to another part of the state. I stayed here in town.
I was in the middle of my thoughts and didn't even realize she had come into my office, until I felt her presence slowly moving around my desk.
I snapped out of it as soon as I noticed her reflection in the window.
"I am going to be taking a few days off. Cancel my meetings for the next few days let them know I will reschedule as soon as I get back into town." I said coming back to reality for a second. "I am headed home right now to pack, then I am headed to Houston."
"Do you need me to make the arrangements for you?" Rachel asked me. Sensing that the news on the phone wasn't something that I really wanted to hear.
"No I think I will be able to handle it. Thank you." I looked up at her. I could see in her eyes her concern for me.
Rachel had only been with me as an assistant for a short time, short in comparison to my last assistant anyway who had been with me since I started in the business 12 years ago. Rachel had only been with me for about a year now, but she had really learned my habits, my moods, and most importantly she learned to anticipate what I needed. She asked me if she needed her to make arrangements, but most likely they we already made.
"Well I went ahead and called the airport to let them know to expect your call." I was right, she was good.
Rachel was good to me. Not in the sense that we were sleeping together good, just good in general. She was beautiful however. Long brunette hair, and baby blue eyes. She was younger than I about 26 or 27, 5'6", and had an athletic body type, probably from the gym that we had on the first floor. Believe me, sleeping together would definitely been on the top of my priorities had she not worked for me.
I took one last look at my laptop, and the words that were on the profile and closed it. I was starting to get a few things off my desk when she reached out for my arm. I stopped and looked up at her. She was leaning on the side of my desk watching me fumble my way through trying to leave.
"Are you sure you don't need me to do anything for you before you leave?" She asked more concerned than anything.
I reached out and grabbed her hand. It was soft, and warm. I gave it a soft squeeze and a half fake smile. "I will be ok... Thank you, truly, thank you."
I finished up gathering all my things and loaded them into my bag and started making my way towards the door. I stopped about half way through my office as a thought came to mind, spun around, and looked at her still standing by my desk. She was watching my every move. I started to say something but she stopped me.
"I've already called a car. It is waiting for you outside." She said smiling.
I smiled back at her thinking to myself, "this girl is good." "You're the best, and I don't know what I would do without you." I turned and walked out of the office making my way towards the elevator. My thoughts quickly went back to why I was leaving early on a Monday morning.
I got on the elevator and headed down to my waiting car, with what needed to be done running through my head. I didn't really know how long I was going to be gone, but I knew I needed to go. I was deep in thought when I felt my personal phone went off. I considered ignoring it, since I didn't think anyone of importance would be messaging me with anything that needed my immediate attention, but instinct kicked in and I grabbed it and opened it up.
I didn't recognize the number that had sent me the text message. All it said was "He's gone; I don't know what to do. Are you coming?"
I stared at the phone trying to figure out who it was. They obviously knew about my friend and they were close to him as well, but who was it" I responded with the typical "who is this" and returned my phone to my back pocket.
The elevator stopped and I made my way to the front door. Someone who worked in the office, smiled, greeted me and opened the door for me. I think I responded but I wasn't quite sure. I was back in my own little world going through the motions only. I do believe I smiled at him at least. I continued out the door headed to waiting car. My driver Joe smiled, greeted me and let me climb in. Within moments we were off and headed to my apartment downtown so I could pack and head to Houston.
Again not really thinking of anything, just staring out the window, trying to recall all of the good times we had in the past. On the golf course, our late nights at the bar when we were both single and not a care in the world. We had some good times together. We had an apartment together at one point, those were the good days. We would stay out all night trying to pick up women, and if we couldn't do that we would just get drunk and try and remember where we lived for the cab driver. It was good times, times we could never tell our kids about, at least not until they were older.
He went into car sales early on, and I branched into management for a restaurant chain. We both progressed through our careers, quickly. He opened and ran one of the best dealerships in the Houston area, and then branched to different large market cities. I became a VP of my company in record pace and now as CEO oversee the operations of well over 200 restaurants for multiple concepts and we are growing. We stayed in touch, but not as much as either of us would have liked. Whenever I would do restaurant tours in the area we would always make time to hit the links.
He was a couple of years younger than I was, a little less focused but he was good at what he did. He did have a few extra marital affairs but it never clouded my judgment of him. He did well for his family and he loved his children. If his wife knew about the affairs she didn't let anyone else know she knew. They had their moments, but they stayed together until the end.
The end. I can't believe that's what this is. 35 years old. Just a few years younger than me, and this is the end. Life is short, and it's unfair sometimes.
I was in the middle of my thoughts when I felt my phone vibrate again. We were pulling off the interstate and headed downtown toward my apartment. The phone vibrated again, and the thought crossed my mind again that this couldn't be anyone of any importance, at least not as important as what is going on right now. It vibrated again.
We pulled up in front of my building. Joe put the car in park and ran around to my side to open the door. I climbed out and as if on autopilot walked to the front door and went up to my place. I was probably only up there for a few minutes but it felt like an eternity as I packed up everything I would need for a few days.
I strolled back down to the waiting car. Joe still waiting by my door for my return. He turned his smile back on and opened it up again for me.
"Headed to the airport Mr. Carter?" He asked promptly. "I will take those bags for you sir."
"Yes please, thanks Joe." I said dropping my bag and climbing in the sedan.
Joe quickly grabbed my bag, threw it in the trunk and jumped in the driver's seat and we were off. For me to face the bitter truth of what I had heard and been reading all morning. An emptiness started creeping in. I tried not to think about it.
We wound through the city street while I continued to glance out the window. In a few hours I would be with his family. What was I going to say? What were they going to say? I didn't know and it was making me uncomfortable to think about it. I was never good in these types of situations. Thoughts kept running through my mind, I couldn't focus on a single one of them however. My phone vibrated again and snapped me back from where ever I was.
I leaned over and grabbed my phone out of my back pocket. 3 missed notifications. Rachel confirming that she went ahead and made hotel reservations at a hotel in downtown Houston, and arranged transportation from the airport. I smiled at the gesture, she really is too good to me. The other two notifications where from the mystery number.
