I was run out of town by the strength of will of a single man who thought that I had committed the ultimate crime. It is true that my fate was not something to be entirely avoided. It was a simple matter of accepting a promotion, a raise in pay, a little more responsibility, and an office with a corner view, on the other side of the continent. I could have pressed the issue. I could have tried harder to stay. The truth is that I didn't try at all. Not once did I offer an alternative. Not once did I say, "no." I packed my bags, took the cash, and ran. It wasn't for my own sake, or my own reputation. I could have handled the scandal, but she shouldn't have to. She would have cracked beneath the glares. It is better for her to suffer a little bruising now, and never know how much I truly love her, than to go through the years of being branded a black sheep by her family and friends.
I first met Kennedy when she was 15. She was awkward and boisterous, and just beginning to fill into herself. I was not attracted to her back then. Her father would bring her to the company picnics and she would flit around the tables caught somewhere between the children's games and the boring conversations about computer programs and mortgages. Eventually she would roll her eyes at all of us and go lay in the grass, or practice her latest dance routine with her headphones in. Occasionally she would practice a bit of yoga, and then I usually watched her, because I happen to be quite obsessed with yoga myself. I was a little jealous that at age 15 she had already found the form and breath-work that I had taken years to discover. Still, I didn't know much about her. I just knew that she was Ken and Stacy's daughter, and that her name was Kennedy. Ken was one of the senior partners and so Kennedy was around, occasionally, just like any of the other office offspring.
I was a bit younger than most of the team, so I had no children of my own. In fact, 30 had come and gone and I had yet to find a wife. I had a couple of serious girlfriends, but I had always believed that I would come alive with a glowing love in the presence of the right woman. Perhaps I was still holding onto teenage dreams of romance. Perhaps I needed to grow up. But despite the fail on the personal front I was succeeding greatly on the professional front. I had no obligations that prevented me from putting in extra hours of effort occasionally, and the quality of my work quickly surpassed that of my peers. My superiors eventually took notice.
"Craig," Ken told me one day, "I want to talk to you about your responsibilities to our company."
"Am I in trouble?" I asked with an easy smile. Ken was a laid back businessman and I had been expecting this particular conversation for a while.
"No, this is a very good thing," Ken assured me, as I was sure that he would, "In fact, I want to talk to you about taking on a little more responsibility."
"That's great Ken, I definitely think that I am ready for the next step."
"I hoped to hear that. Do you fish?"
"Fish? Occasionally." I answered, a bit confused at the sudden change of topic, but not letting my smile falter.
"Are you free next weekend? The family and I are going up to Pine Lake. It's a beautiful place. I'd like for you to join us. We could get some quality time in and really discuss this idea without interruptions."
"That sounds like a great idea." I agreed.
"Great. Go ahead and talk to Linda. She has the address and directions to the cabin."
The next Friday rolled around and I was a little bit nervous about my trip up to the lake, but not nervous enough to ruin my excitement at the coming promotion. Unfortunately, the team got stuck in the office on a project that had to be finished before the weekend could start. As I was wrapped up my part I noticed Ken still working.
"Are we still going to make it to the cabin tonight?" I asked.
"It shouldn't take more than an hour. You go on ahead and we'll meet you up there. The drive up to the lake can be a bit gruesome at night. Try to make it before it gets dark. Kennedy is already up there so it's unlocked."
"Will do."
Two hours later, already well on my way to the cabin, I received a call from Ken. The project had hit a snag and he wouldn't be able to make it to the cabin that night.
"But don't worry about it. Relax, have a good time, and Stacy and I will be up there early in the morning."
I arrived at the cabin a little worn from the work and the drive, but excited to be out of the city, even if the cabin happened to be in a small resort instead of secluded from the world, as I would have wanted mine to be. I turned off my car, grabbed my duffle bag from the back seat, and headed towards the cabin. The porch light was on and I knocked on the door. Ken had said that I could just go on in, but I didn't want to startle his daughter. Teenage girls could be jumpy when they were left alone in a cabin, from what I remembered.
The door swung open and I was face to face with a young woman that I had never seen before. I knew that Kennedy had been away at college for nearly a year, and that she must have matured from the last time I had seen her, but I hadn't expected to see the beauty that was in front of me. Her hair was long and loose around her, framing her dark skin in silky blackness. She wore a casual top that tied just beneath her breasts, and jeans that hugged the curve of her hips. She looked out at me from dark green eyes and said, "hello," with just a breath of a smile.
"Uh, hi, Kennedy?" I stammered, "I am Craig, I work with your dad."
"I know who you are," she laughed, swinging the door the rest of the way open, "I remember you from the picnics. Besides, dad said you were coming."
Kennedy showed me to my room, which had a cozy cabin feel to it. I left my bag there and she gave me a quick tour of the rest of the cabin.
"Mom and dad's room, my room, bathroom. Your room doesn't have a bathroom, so you'll use this one. Um, kitchen. Would you like a beer? The drive is a bitch, I know."
"Um, sure."
She grabbed two beers out of the refrigerator and we settled into the den to drink them.
"Are you sure you should be drinking that?" I asked her as she popped the top off of her bottle.