Love Without Borders Read online

  “What about meeting a nice boy? That would spice things up. You haven’t been seeing anyone since Jared. Or have you? Got anyone I should know about?” asked Nan teasingly.

  “No, mom. Jared was my last attempt at the world of dating. I’m sure I’ll find someone else; I’m just not that interested right now. Unless you know someone who is looking to whisk a girl off to an exotic location tomorrow. That I would be interested in.”

  “Ha ha. If I had friends with eligible bachelor children, I’d be introducing you right quick. Not that I’m pressuring you—when you’re ready, I’m ready for grandchildren.” Val could hear her mom’s smile through the phone. Nan had a long career in pediatric medicine and she loved spending time with kids. Her mom would love grandkids of her own one day.

  “Got it, mom. Loud and clear. But you might want to put the fire under Michael’s butt about grandkids. He’ll be the one to settle down way before me. He’s already on those online dating sites and has talked about getting married one day. I can’t figure out how to venture outside my daily routines, much less meet eligible bachelors.”

  “We’ll see, Val. I’ve got a feeling that you can’t escape the settling down either. You’re too much in your own head. You can have both, excitement and someone who loves you for yourself.”

  “Mom, you’re starting to sound like Bri. I’ve got to get back to work.”

  “Ok, honey. Talk to you soon. Love you!”

  “Bye, mom. Love you too.” Val hung up.

  Thoughts swirled in her mind for the rest of the day. She rotated between wondering what this all-hands meeting would bring and asking herself if a big, exciting trip would satisfy the unsettled feeling she had. Distracted by her thoughts, she could hardly focus on work.

  The day went by quickly as Val snuck peeks at travel websites in between work tasks, but she wasn’t able to devote much time to it until she got home. After making a quick dinner of pasta, she ordered two travel books—one on Asia and one on Africa. Thank goodness it would only take two days for the books to arrive. She couldn’t wait to flip through the pages and narrow down her search to a more specific destination.

  I’m almost past just talking about an exciting life; I’m making it happen with this trip. Val thought to herself as she changed into her pajamas. She climbed into bed and, to settle herself before falling asleep, she decided to read a new book that was calling her name. Instead of her usual mystery or sci-fi novel, it was more along the lines of self-help. It didn’t hold her interest like the prospect of the travel books did, but she hoped it would help her better understand why she fell into her rut in the first place. Before she could unlock the answers, her eyes grew heavy and she drifted off.

  By the time Friday rolled around, Val couldn’t wait to find out what this special meeting was all about. She spent all week imagining the best, and worst, and it was time to put her mind at ease. She stopped at a nearby cafe for bagels, coffee, and pastries for the big staff meeting before heading into the office.

  I hope whatever John is going to drop on us this morning is not terrible. Business has been pretty good, so I hope it’s not anything like layoffs, thought Val.

  She pulled into the parking lot and balanced all the baked goods as she walked up to the building and rode the elevator to the fourth floor. After helping Anna set up the food and coffee in the conference room, she swung by Steve’s office to see what he thought.

  “So, what do you think this meeting that John is calling is all about?”

  “I have no clue. I’ve been looking over the books and we’re doing pretty well. We just put more cash in reserves and we have contracts booked out over the next year. Maybe John’s got some wild idea?” Steve was the resident accountant, office manager, and sometimes HR manager. With a small office, he wore several hats, as did all the employees. Val was marketing and communications but also pitched in on IT and website issues. And picked up bagels when the occasion called for it.

  “John’s been traveling so much we haven’t had much of a chance to catch up on things, so I’m clueless, too. At least we get a bagel and coffee out of it,” said Val.

  She gathered up her phone, a notepad, and a pen and headed down the hall to grab a seat for the meeting. Half of

  her co-workers had already taken their seats and the rest were still arriving. With 10 employees plus an extra speaker for this meeting, the small conference room would be full.

  John walked in with a man dressed in casual clothing. The chatter in the conference room stopped and bagels were put down as everyone got a good look at the guest. His face was handsome in a traditional way. He had a square jaw and light brown eyes, and his slightly messy, light brown hair looked like it could use a haircut. He was not freshly shaven, but his skin was tan enough that she could tell he spent a fair amount of time outside. Her eyes were drawn down from his face to a small charm he wore on a leather cord as a necklace.

  This wasn’t someone who worked in a cubicle all day; this was someone who enjoyed the outdoors and could rely on his skills to get things done. He wore a green button-up shirt and khaki cargo pants. They matched but nothing looked pressed or creased. Brown work boots completed the look of a man just stopping by the office, not of a man that worked in one. The mysterious man looked around the room, seemingly comfortable despite all eyes being on him, while John turned on a laptop and connected it to the projector.

  Val was taken by this new person in the conference room. She had seen handsome guys who worked outdoors for a living, but she had never dated one. Jared, her last boyfriend, was completely different than this windswept man—he spent most of his time in an office or on calls and his style showed it. He preferred a preppy look and liked his shirts dry-cleaned. This guy was different. He was handsome, yes, but more than that, he seemed confident. Jared wore his clothing, but he didn’t own them like this stranger did.

  John cleared his throat, distracting Val from her thoughts. “Let’s get started, people. We’re changing it up today. I want to introduce our guest, Adam Cabrera. Adam is a program director for East Africa in Engineers Serving Across the Globe. While he went to school for engineering, he decided to take his studies in a different direction and go into nonprofit work. ESAG is doing a lot of good work in places that could use engineering support, like certain areas of India and Africa.

  John continued, “I met Adam at a meeting of the local ESAG chapter. A colleague told me about the chapter, and I went to a meeting to see what it was all about. I was blown away. I’d like to see Anderson Engineering expand into more nonprofit work. Adam and his group offered us a chance to do more than just write a check. Maybe we can partner on a project, maybe we can fundraise locally. Keep your mind open as Adam gives his talk, and let’s see if we can come up with a way for us to team up. Take it away, Adam,” said John.

  Adam calmly stepped to the center of the room. He took the remote offered by John and began talking.

  Chapter 4

  “As John mentioned, I’m Adam Cabrera, Program Director for East Africa for Engineers Serving Across the Globe. You may have heard of the organization, but if not, we’re very much what our name suggests. ESAG is a nonprofit group that offers its engineering expertise on projects in the developing world. John wanted me to come to this meeting today to tell you about one project in particular: wells in Rwanda,” said Adam.

  Val was riveted. Not only was his voice exactly right for his looks, calm yet confident, he had the attention of everyone in the room. He didn’t hurry through his speech. He seemed knowledgeable but also conveyed his passion about the subject. He truly cared for this organization and the work it did. You could have heard a pin drop as Adam clicked through his presentation slides.

  “ESAG has long been involved in Rwanda. After the genocide in the early 1990s, ESAG began its work in this small east African country. We’ve assisted with building hospitals, re-creating infrastructure, consulting on roads, and much more. Right now, we are focused on bringing clean drink
ing water to rural villages in the form of easily installed and maintained wells with water pumps,” continued Adam.

  Val could not process what she was seeing. Here was a handsome man, right in front of her, at her office, talking about a project to help people in Rwanda. Heading to rural Rwanda would definitely qualify as off the beaten path. Africa was one of the places that Val had been mulling over for days. Adam’s presentation narrowed Africa down from dozens of possible countries to a solid location and idea. Was this a sign? Val thought this was a little too good to be true, but it didn’t keep her from being glued to every word Adam was saying about the well project in Rwanda.

  As Adam clicked through his slides and talked about the community involvement and impact of the wells, Val couldn’t take her eyes off of Adam.

  “Are there any questions about the project? Or about ESAG in general?” asked Adam. Val raised her hand to speak.

  “What a fascinating project. Can non-engineers be involved in these projects, beyond the fundraising? Do you take groups to Rwanda to see the sites and work on the wells?” asked Val.

  “Yes to both questions. Even though our focus is on engineering projects and therefore require a significant expertise by engineers, we are open to anyone who wants to help. And we do take groups out to the project sites. In fact, there is a group heading to Rwanda in two months that might be able to add another person or two,” said Adam. He waited a moment. “If there are no other questions, I’ll pass around my business cards in case you have a question later. I know Anderson Engineering is open to being involved in any number of ways. In the meantime, we also accept contributions. I just have to throw that out there.” He smiled at the last statement, eliciting awkward giggles from the group.

  John spoke up. “So, what do we think? I love the Rwanda well project. How else can we be involved?”

  Val’s co-workers suggested a few more ideas from sending people to see the project to donating tools to teaching engineering classes in Rwanda. John nodded at each suggestion and Anna wrote them all down. When the flow of ideas slowed down, John turned back to Adam.

  “So, how realistic is all of this?” John asked.

  “I don’t think you’re too far off base. We don’t have set ways that people can help; ESAG prefers to be flexible and work with the ideas of each partner. But before we get too far along, the best step may be to send someone to Rwanda to see the project. Once you have a good handle on how things work, you might be able to better see where Anderson might fit in.”

  “That sounds like a good plan,” said John. The meeting wrapped up, and Val’s co-workers stood up and started walking back to their offices. Most stopped to thank Adam or shake his hand as they passed by. John called out to Val.

  “Val, can you stay for a second?” said John.

  “Sure.” Val sat back in her chair and waited for the other employees to leave the room. After the others had gone, she walked up to John and Adam.

  “Val, I wanted to ask you a favor. Adam doesn’t have a car while he’s here in the area. Could you take him back to the airport this afternoon? He’s got a flight to catch, and I told him I was sure someone here could give him a lift,” said John. John often had unusual requests for Val. He wasn’t trying to turn her into an errand girl, but Val knew he relied on her to get things done no matter how odd the request.

  “Of course. I’d be happy to,” she said.

  Val noticed that Adam was watching her while she and John discussed taking him to the airport. She noticed the subtle way he took in her clothes and body. She didn’t have on jewelry, save for one ring, and her hair was simple. There was a lot to be said about simple. Uncomplicated. Able to focus on what really matters. Val wanted people to see the real her, not just thick makeup or fancy clothes. While she didn’t focus on her looks on a daily basis, she did enjoy attention from the opposite sex. Val was surprised to be getting such looks from a handsome man, but she wasn’t unhappy about it. Maybe it’s the scarf, she thought with a grin, ducking her head to hide it.

  After John said his goodbyes and darted off to another meeting, Val and Adam headed down the hall to her office. She grabbed her purse, and the two walked into John’s office to grab the backpack Adam had stashed there during the meeting. Then they headed to the elevator. Adam didn’t say much as they waited for the elevator, and Val guessed he wasn’t a talkative person. Val didn’t feel uncomfortable in the silence, but she was too curious about Adam to stay quiet for long.

  “Where are you flying to today?” Val asked.

  “I’m off to Dallas for a few days. The Dallas chapter of ESAG is meeting, and I’m giving a talk there before visiting a few large donors and, hopefully, making some new contacts,” answered Adam. “John has been very helpful during my time in the DC area. After we met, he put me in touch with some great engineers and possible donors. I’m hoping that I can get John to visit the project in Rwanda one of these days.”

  The elevator arrived, and the two stepped in. Enclosed in the small space, Val became aware of Adam’s physical presence. She had noticed his clothes and demeanor in the meeting earlier, but now she noticed his broad shoulders. He was tall but not overwhelmingly so— she’d guess 6 foot 2 inches. Standing at 5 foot 7 inches, Val didn’t usually feel short, but standing next to this confident, handsome specimen made her feel smaller.

  It was clear Adam wouldn’t talk just to avoid silence, so Val took a moment during their quiet elevator ride to size up the rest of him. He had a messenger bag to hold his laptop and one of those backpacks that looks like it could take on Mount Everest: big with more straps than she knew what to do with, rugged and sturdy but not new. This bag looked like it had seen its share of use in any number of places.

  They arrived at the ground floor, and Val directed Adam to her parking spot. Her trusty car was a small SUV, not meant for off-roading but for suburban roads. Val opened the back and let Adam toss in his bags. They sat in the front, and Val pulled out of the lot. She turned down the radio that was too loud for conversation but took a moment to scroll through the stations for a song she liked.

  “Not one to just pick a station and leave it, huh?” Adam commented.

  “No. I’m always flipping around looking for songs I like. Thank goodness the controls are on the steering wheel or I’d really be a menace.” Val didn’t waste any time in getting into what she wanted to know. “Tell me more about this trip in a couple of months.”

  “Well, we leave the end of next month. It’s mid-April now, so the end of May. I guess it’s not two months away at all. Time gets away from me when I’m traveling all over the place,” Adam said.

  “If you want to go, you’ll need to sign up by the end of April. You pay your way, we make all the arrangements, and you join the group that will visit some of the projects we have going in Rwanda. I spoke about the wells this morning, but ESAG also has a couple of other projects. One is a hospital we are building, and the other is a trade school.”

  “What do you mean by trade school?”

  “ESAG selected a handful of engineers to teach certain individuals in each village or community how to maintain and fix the wells. These villagers, mostly men, are selected based on interest and ability, and we teach them some skills around maintenance and engineering,” Adam continued. “I know training was an idea at the meeting this morning, so this would be a good thing to see in action to see if it would work for Anderson.”

  “That is great; you’re really getting the community involved. That way you don’t just drop a well and disappear but equip them to use what is being built,” Val said. “The team going on the trip will help with these projects?”

  “Not really. It’s more like an observation trip. We have some of our larger donors signed up, so they can see where their money is going. We also have a couple of chapter heads that will be able to bring back the info and spread it in their area.”

  “So, what would I do if I went?”

  “It would be similar. You’d vis
it the projects, see how things work, observe the community involvement. Then once you came back, we would work with you to plan further actions. Maybe provide a new donation. Maybe a few engineers join ESAG. Like I mentioned, it’s open ended so we can tailor it to each partner,” said Adam.

  Adam became animated when talking about his work. He began using his hands in the conversation and his face lit up with excitement.

  “You studied engineering in college?” Val asked.

  “Yes, after getting my degree in mechanical engineering in college, I wanted more than creating drawings on a computer or working on contract projects. I had been involved in ESAG at college through a student chapter,” Adam continued. “Once I graduated, I found the ESAG meetings to be a place where I clicked. It made sense to me to use my skills in places that needed them. There were a million people in the US that could help build a road or building, but there weren’t enough engineers in rural Africa to help it get infrastructure and develop its resources.”

  “How did you go from being a fresh-out-of-school graduate to living in Rwanda?” Val probed.

  “Once I realized that ESAG was where I wanted to be, I found a way to get more involved: work for them. After taking two of the trips like I am describing to you, I approached a contact at the ESAG headquarters office to see if there was a place for me,” Adam said. He continued, “I had done some traveling for ESAG already, and I was interested in doing more. As it happened, ESAG was looking to start a project in Rwanda and wanted someone to lead the project and all the support for it. So BOOM, I found myself traveling, giving talks, finding donors, and getting the project off the ground. I’m glad ESAG took a chance on me despite my lack of experience in project management or international development.”

  He kept talking about his work, mentioning all the places he had visited during this trip to the US and how ESAG was practically forcing him to take a vacation before returning to Rwanda.