Love Without Borders Page 2

  When she started thinking about going to Paris, Jared wondered why they couldn’t head to New York City instead. Why did they have to fly farther and spend more money when there were so many places in the US to explore? But she wasn’t drawn to the US. Val wanted to see the wider world, experience different cultures, and hear new languages. Jared couldn’t understand that she was pulled to go farther. The whole world was out there and she wanted to be a part of it.

  Eventually, they drifted apart. Last she heard, he was dating a nice girl who wanted to get married and have his babies. Oh well. I hope he is happy, she thought.

  Val wondered what the next level would be in her own life. In high school, the goal was always college, so Val kept up her grades and immersed herself in extracurriculars. Once she was in college, her goal was to find a major she enjoyed and graduate.

  After bouncing around to a few jobs at the beginning of her career, Val settled into communications and marketing. She loved writing but also liked the human aspect of business. What makes people want to buy a product? How do companies connect to customers in new ways? For the most part, she had been happy with her career choice.

  She didn’t feel the burning desire to get married and have kids like Bri. So what else was there? Work for another 35 years and then retire? Her mother had worked at a job she loved her whole life and spent her free time volunteering in the community and supporting her church. Nan’s life was full of joy. She loved people, especially children, and people were naturally drawn to her. Val wished some of that had rubbed off on her.

  She brought her attention back to the trail in front of her, her feet pounding out a steady rhythm. She ran because it helped clear her head and reduce stress. She didn’t love it enough to run marathons. An occasional 5K was fun, but she wasn’t a die-hard runner. She volunteered with the local food pantry and sometimes ran in sponsored races to support them. Collecting food and helping hand it out to the less fortunate kept her connected to the community. Her mom encouraged her to volunteer growing up, and she was happy to follow her lead.

  Val looked at her phone, three miles down already. She had run her usual route and was almost back to her apartment parking lot. Another area of her life on autopilot. When would she be able to break out of these ruts?

  Chapter 2

  Val arrived at O’Brian’s first. She grabbed a dark wooden booth near the back of the restaurant and threw her purse and jacket beside her. She and Bri didn’t come to O’Brian’s for the high culinary experience. The place wouldn’t be serving fancy martinis anytime soon, but you could get a good beer and some decent food for a cheap price. Val and Bri had been coming often enough that Lenny, the owner of the restaurant, fussed over them a bit and gave them the “family” treatment.

  The bartender brought over Val’s usual beer, and as if noticing she was a bit down around the mouth, he asked,

  “Tough day?”

  “No, just wondering if I’ve lost my zest for life. You know, the usual sort of life questions one asks oneself on a work-night.” She forced a laugh. “What do you think? Would you guess I have a wild and crazy side?” Val asked.

  “Hmm. I wouldn’t say ‘wild and crazy,’ but you’ve always seemed pretty happy when you are in here. Maybe it’s my amazing bartending skills?” he joked.

  “That must be it,” she said with a laugh. “Though believe it or not, my life used to be more exciting than a well-poured beer. I think I need to try to recover my sense of adventure. I don’t feel like I’ve changed, but it’s dawned on me I’ve slid into a quiet, suburban life without realizing it.”

  “Well, it’s not too late. You’re not 80. Go out there and be wild,” the bartender suggested with a smile before walking back toward the bar. I was watching his retreating backside, considering his words of advice, when

  Bri breezed in and sat in the booth. She waved to Lenny, and he quickly moved to get her regular drink order going.

  “Happy Monday!” said Bri, always in a cheerful mood. The perfect foil to Val’s sometimes grumpy disposition, Bri could find something to look forward to or celebrate in any situation, even Mondays. “One day down, four to go. I cannot wait for Friday,” she added.

  “Got another hot date?” Val asked.

  “Probably,” said Bri. “Fritz and I are texting nonstop, so I’m hoping we make plans to go out this weekend. What about you? Any new prospects?”

  “Nope. I’d have to actually put myself out there to meet anyone new. Unless I stumble upon them at Starbucks, TacoCity, or the grocery store, I don’t come across too many eligible bachelors,” Val responded.

  “I could fix that for you. We could make you a great profile on one of the dating sites: Match, eHarmony, even OKCupid. You know we could come up with something to get all the guys interested in you.”

  “Thanks, but no. I need something to break out of my routine, but I’m not sure I’m ready for online dating.”

  “Break out of your routine?” Bri asked, an expression of confusion on her face.

  “You know, I want to see the world, taste new foods, take photos of far-flung locations…” Val explained as she looked off, across the bar, envisioning her imaginary life. Her daydreaming was interrupted by t

  he bartender, who brought Bri’s beer and took their order. Salad for Bri and a sandwich for Val, both of which they had ordered many times before.

  Bri gave her a funny look. “Dreaming of adventure again? When are you going to get off your duff and actually do something amazing? Your trip to Paris last year looked fun, but all you did was see touristy sights and eat croissants. Plus, I’m guessing you spent at least one day reading in your hotel room. Am I right?”

  Val looked guilty. “Ok, ok, I did read a lot, but that’s what I do. And Paris was great. You haven’t lived until you’ve seen the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre—”

  “You’re not convincing me,” Bri interrupted, pulling Val back from her daydream. “For someone who has jumped out of an airplane, taken trapeze lessons, and gone ziplining, seeing the sights in Paris does not qualify as the same level of excitement. What happened to that exciting girl? After we graduated college, you tried all sorts of crazy things. You seem to have settled into a bit of a rut lately. What about an exotic trip to some remote beach in Thailand? Maybe you’ll meet a handsome stranger there and fall in love.”

  Bri found a way to work finding a man and falling in love into most conversations. Val didn’t know how someone so fixated on love and romance had escaped settling down so far, but she was sure Bri’s optimistic attitude would work out for her at some point.

  “Maybe you’re right. Between your dating sagas and the adventures of Steve from the office, I’ve got dating on the mind. Maybe I do need to find a nice guy who’ll travel the world with me.”

  “A nice guy? Who needs a nice guy? You need a dashing and handsome man who is mysterious and exciting to sweep you off your feet,” Bri said.

  “Riiight. Then he’ll abandon me in some third-world country once he finds a cuter travel partner.” Val wasn’t upset about her appearance, but she never paid too much attention to it. With lots of freckles and a medium build, Val was firmly in the average camp in her mind. She could get gussied up with the best of them but preferred plainer clothes. Val spent more of her money on books and movies than on fashion labels, expensive handbags, or designer names.

  “You’re no fun. Why so grumpy today?” Bri asked.

  Val fessed up. She knew from experience that if she didn’t, Bri would pester her until she did.

  “I realized after my big birthday celebration—which was amazing, by the way—that I don’t have any idea what I want to do with the rest of my life. If getting drinks with you guys on my birthday is the most exciting thing to happen to me in months, I need to make a change. Like you said, I used to be exciting, but now we go to the same restaurants and get the same drinks. I eat the same lunch and drive the same way to work. I even park in the same spot and wear the same outfits. How did I
get like this?”

  “Oh please, we’re all like that. Look at how much I talk about guys and dating and romance. Still not married, still dating, still looking for romance, sometimes in all the wrong places. It’s natural that we talk a big game and don’t back it up. I think eventually the talking catches up with us and we either do it—whatever our ‘it’ thing is—or we stop the talking. Personally, I’m hoping that we both just do it.”

  Val shook her head. “Maybe. I hope that’s true. Otherwise, I’m all talk and no action. The worst kind of cliché.”

  “Look, if it’s upsetting you this much, do something. I know you’ve got money saved. The only things you spend money on are eating out and books. You’ve got to have enough saved up to go on an amazing trip. John will give you the time off, and I’m guessing you’ve got vacation days to spare. Get out, go away, do something. Then you can either find a way to keep having more adventure or get it off your mind and accept the quiet life.”

  Val looked up and directly at Bri. She let her friend’s words soak in before shaking her head. Val didn’t want to live a small life. At her funeral, she didn’t want people reflecting on how many books she read or how often she went to the movies. She wanted to be known as worldly, exotic, wise. She wanted a life full of exciting experiences to remember, experiences that set her apart and made her life unique. Something solidified inside of Val. She would do it. She would go far away and make her life into what she said she wanted. Or she would shut the hell up about it.

  “I don’t feel the same need that you do,” Bri continued. “I don’t care if I never see the world, but I do care if I never settle down. I’m always hoping that this next guy is the one. Maybe Fritz is. Or maybe he’s another ass in the long line of asses I’ve dated, but I have to try. I want that life. The wedding, the husband, the white picket fence. Even the babies and the dog. Maybe I won’t get there, but I won’t stop trying.”

  “You’ll get there, Bri. You are beautiful and fun and positive. Any guy would be lucky to have you.”

  “That may be, but it takes two to make my dream happen. You can do it alone. You can take off and travel. You can go on adventures. You can be whatever you want to be. All it takes is you taking the chance. You can’t give up yet. You’re—we’re—way too young to accept life as it is. So go. Go.”

  Val looked at her friend. Bri was right. Val could change her life. All she had to do was decide. Make it happen. Get on that plane. Dye her hair blue. Spring for some daring clothes. Pick up a new hobby juggling knives…

  Well, maybe not that last one.

  When Val got home from O’Brian’s, she changed into comfy pajamas and a hoodie. When you are single, your pajamas and other lay-around-the-house clothes tend to be way too comfortable and not nearly as cute as when you have a boyfriend. She looked around her apartment. The whole place seemed to have the same problem. The furniture was worn but not shabby. The kitchen was functional but not fancy. The only things that gave away her personality were the bookshelves full of books and the travel photos on the walls.

  Val loved the photos on her walls. They hinted at the adventurous life she used to live—and maybe would live again. She made it a point to have at least one photo from each trip printed and hung on her wall, along with a painting or drawing that she had found during her travels. Her newest photo was of the underside of the Eiffel Tower. The lines of the steel beams and girders were striking and dynamic. She cherished these reminders of her time away from her normal life, doing something new and different with each day.

  Val walked over to the bookshelves. She glanced through the guidebooks from her past trips to places in Europe, the US, and even a couple in the Caribbean. Travel used to be more of a part of her life. Maybe she needed to push the envelope to break out of this rut.

  She wanted to go somewhere out there, so out there that she could prove to herself what she was made of. Somewhere that wasn’t touristy but off the beaten path. A discovery.

  Val pulled out her laptop. She brushed her finger across the sticker of a monkey on the cover and smiled. The monkey was a free giveaway from a company she ordered a running shirt from, but to her, it was lighthearted and fun. A symbol of how she wanted to be—light and free. “Come on, monkey. Show me where I should go,” said Val, and she began searching for the perfect place. The farther away the better.

  Chapter 3

  Val stood in her closet, staring at her wardrobe. She had unknowingly created uniforms for herself. For work, she wore slacks, a tank top, and a brightly-colored cardigan. She was usually cold at work, so a sweater always seemed prudent. Sometimes she got a little daring and added a scarf. On the weekends, it was jeans and casual shirts or sweaters. She only owned two dresses, mostly to be worn on special occasions or holidays.

  Val decided that there was no time like the present to start being her more adventurous self. She picked up a scarf she had purchased in Paris, the price tag off even though the trip was over a year ago. It was a nice color and matched a couple of her work cardigans, but the style was bolder than what she usually wore. She decides to make a break from the usual and wear it.

  Today is the day to finally wear this, she thought. Putting it around her neck, she looked at her shoe selection, next. Normally, she would pick the sensible black flats that went with everything. But not today. Today, she slid into some canary yellow flats. Val wasn’t 100% sure they matched the outfit but figured no one would look too closely. She left the apartment, feeling a little bounce in her step.

  When she walked in the door of her favorite Starbucks, the barista looked up, noticed her, and went to work making her usual coffee. Val smiled a little; it was nice to be known, but today was the start of new things. She interrupted the barista and asked him to recommend a new drink instead.

  “You don’t want your usual vanilla latte?” the barista asked with a surprised look on his face. “Ok, umm, sure. Well, we have a couple of new fruit-flavored smoothies or maybe you’d like a green tea latte?”

  “Yes, that sounds perfect—a green tea latte,” responded Val. She was excited to try something new and happy at how easy it was to start changing her routine.

  White cup in hand, Val continued her usual route to work, flipping between radio stations like an impatient Chihuahua. She thought about other ways to continue this transformation into new and exciting Val 2.0. Did she need to change everything? Where was the line between routine and “wild and crazy”? She knew it wouldn’t stop at picking a new morning beverage, but she didn’t think she needed to reboot every little thing in her life. Pulling into her spot, she rode the elevator to the 4th floor and walked through the Anderson Engineering doors.

  “Good morning, Anna.”

  “Hi, Val. Happy hump day.”

  Val smirked a little as she entered her office and booted up her computer. Today was hump day, but it was going to be the day she got on with the business of getting over the hump in her life. Before she could get her email open, her boss poked his head into her office.

  “Val, we’re going to have a staff meeting on Friday. Got someone coming in to give a presentation, so let’s get some bagels and muffins and stuff. Tell Anna, will you?”

  “Sure, John.” Val’s gears began spinning.

  With such a small office, a staff meeting was rare. When they did happen, it was usually to announce a big, new project or change in the office. The last staff meeting had dropped a couple of bombs from the board of directors. Big changes to a number of their projects and setbacks in others left the staff reeling. Afterward, Val and Steve had to scramble to put out the resulting fires. Since John preferred to meet with people individually or in small groups to get everyday work done, this all-staff meeting was out of the ordinary. Val’s mind immediately began jumping to conclusions. Perhaps there would be staff layoffs this time or some sort of restructuring. Val was mentally preparing for a big surprise—and not a good one.

  Trying to get her mind off the ominous possibilities of
the meeting, Val ate lunch at her desk that afternoon. She used the downtime after inhaling her sandwich and diet soda to research a possible trip. What about Asia? Maybe Africa. She didn’t have the slightest clue what she was looking to do. Considering her trip to Paris turned into a tourist trap, how could she make this trip different and more adventurous?

  Her internet research was interrupted by the phone ringing. She picked up her office phone and was greeted by the sound of her mother’s voice.

  “Hi, Mom. What’s going on?”

  “Just checking up on you. I hadn’t heard from you in a while, so I decided to pick up the phone. What’s new?” said Nan.

  “I’m trying to figure out how to add excitement back into my life. I keep talking about wanting adventure and travel, but all I seem to do is sit in my apartment and read or hang out with the girls. I need to start walking the talk.”

  “What about Paris? That was exciting. Why don’t you plan another trip? You must have vacation time since the last time you went anywhere was last year.”

  “That’s what I’m thinking about doing. Somewhere really out there though. Maybe Africa or Asia. But what do I do there? How will I know where to go or who to talk to?” Val worried.

  “You don’t have to travel if you’re nervous about it. How about a class? You liked that pottery class you took.”

  “Mom, that was years ago. And yes, I did like it. I’ve liked all the classes I’ve taken, but I feel like I’ve taken everything interesting. Pottery, painting, writing, knitting. The list goes on. Unless I start to get really obscure, I’m not sure what else is out there for me to try. Juggling flaming batons?”