Fated

"Great news!" Eric called out as I entered the apartment. He came out of our home office and met me in the living room, seizing me in a bear hug, obviously giddy with excitement. I purposely remained silent, allowing myself to be lovingly crushed as I basked in his enthusiasm.

"We've found a new office location," he said finally as he released me, "and it's right next to the university!"

It was my turn to be giddy and excited and enthusiastic.

*****

Saturday morning, Eric and I went to see what would be his company's new office. As we drove, I kept thinking just how wonderful it would be to have him working literally across the street from main campus. Potentially, it meant that once his company had moved into their new location, I could have lunch with my big brother on a (hopefully) regular basis.

The energy in the car was almost electrifying, even as we drove through the area which had been ravaged by the tornado. Even as we drove past his former office building, our outlook remained positive despite the destruction still plainly evident around us.

When we arrived at the new office building, I was impressed. This was the same building which had just opened a few months earlier. I had not realized that this was the address in question. It was a tall building -- at least fifteen stories tall and sporting multiple communications towers on its roof -- with a blue and black mirror-like façade. Already, most of the space building had been leased; my big brother's company was scheduled to sign a lease on Monday.

As we stepped out of the car, I felt underdressed. Even though Eric was wearing a

Ghost in the Shell

t-shirt, shorts, and sandals, I somehow felt underdressed for being at an office building. But no one seemed to mind as we went inside and spoke briefly with the security guard and waited for the elevator with several strangers.

We arrived soon at the eighth floor. One door was open, and Eric led the way into his company's new office.

Without any furniture, it was a wide open space which appeared quite vast. It was evident where the cubicles would be placed, and the reception area and the break room were also prominent in the design of the office. There were also conference rooms and individual offices along the three windowed walls.

"Eric! How do you like it?"

"It's great, Greg! It's definitely a step up for us in size and image."

I was quickly introduced to one of Eric's colleagues. "Eric's spoken about you before. I understand you're a student across the street."

"Yes, Sir," I acknowledged, purposely being polite even though Greg was clearly younger than my big brother.

"Beautiful and overly polite," Greg noted with a wink at my big brother. "I can see why you like her!"

While I tried not to show it, I was genuinely touched -- it had been a long time since someone other than Eric had called me "beautiful" and had not meant it in a sarcastic manner.

"You're actually the first of the office-holders to be here," Greg said, "so you get your pick of the offices. The ones along that end are for the C-levels, but the other window offices are wide open. Pick one and it's yours. Just let me know and I'll make a note of it."

I stayed rather close to Eric as we perused the available offices. We quietly discussed the pros and cons of each: location, view, built-in whiteboard, where his desk would be positioned, and the like. In the end, Eric selected an office with a nice view of the university and a small whiteboard. It would be a small office, but there would be enough room for him to have a moderate-sized L-shape desk and two chairs for any guests.

While Eric returned to the main area to chat with Greg and another colleague who had come to visit the new location, I stood at the window of what would soon be his new office, looking out at the university. He would have a nice view of Main Commons, where there were currently a few people biking or jogging before the temperature became too hot. For a moment, I envisioned him sitting at his desk, looking out the window and seeing me, watching me from above as I strolled along sensing his eyes upon me, undressing me from his private lookout while I mixed with the general public on the way to a class...

"It's done," Eric announced as he returned to me. "This will be my office, and I hope to occasionally look out across the university and see you."

Once again, we had the same general thought. I simply smiled at him and returned my gaze to Main Commons, knowing that, whenever possible, I would pass through that area once my big brother was fully installed in his new office.

When we left the office building, we did not go to the car. Instead, we kept walking, strolling together around the university, ultimately coming to Main Commons and pausing by the fountain at its center. Looking up, we spotted the floor where his office would be located, but behind the black-tinted glass, it was impossible to determine exactly where on the eighth floor his office was located.

"I guess I should consult my class schedule when we get home," I said, "so we can figure out commuting plans. It would be great if we could car pool to and from work and campus."

"Very true. Besides, I liked having you as a companion during rush hour traffic in the mornings before the tornado hit. Just chatting with you in the car made the traffic much more bearable, and being able to spend even more time with you is always wonderful."

I smiled, feeling my heart swelling within my chest.

"Let's go," my big brother said, referring to our errands for the day.

Although we spent much of the day doing very mundane things, I was happy, for my big brother would be beside me at home, and almost beside me when I was on campus and he was at work. How could a loving little sister not be happy about that?