“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 drinking 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 visit 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.

They arrived at the airport, and Val drove up to the departures area, avoiding the taxis and vans dropping off passengers. Adam seemed to be stalling before he got out. She could see the smile on his face as he talked about ESAG and how he started his work with them. Val was fine letting Adam lead the conversation; she wasn’t one to volunteer too much about herself to strangers anyway.

After Val helped Adam with his bags, he paused and looked at her sincerely.

“Thanks for the ride. I hope that you decide to come along with us on the May trip. I’m hoping John will come along, too. It will amaze you. Seeing the projects is always more exciting than it sounds,” said Adam.

“I’m seriously considering it,” said Val.

“Please do. If you have any questions, just let me know,” Adam said. He pulled a business card and pen out of his messenger bag. He started writing on the card. “You can email me, but I’m not as quick on email as I am on text. My cell phone number is on the back. Text me anytime.” He gave a little smile and walked into the terminal with his bags.

Val looked at the card. Text him anytime? That sounded above and beyond normal business protocol, but she was pleased. She was quite taken with the idea of going to Rwanda on Adam’s trip. She was glad that she got to spend this little extra time driving him to the airport. She was interested in the trip, and to be honest, she was intrigued by Adam, too.

Soon after Val returned to work, John popped his head into her office.

“Did Adam get off to the airport ok?” John asked.

“Yes. What a fascinating project,” said Val. “I admit that I’m quite curious about it. Adam mentioned you were thinking of going on the trip to Rwanda in May. Are you?”

“Yes and no. I would love to go, but May is a bad time for me to travel, and it’s a long trip—two weeks. I’m not sure Laura would be happy about me going for that long,” said John. Oh yes, Laura. John’s new wife was quite the looker, but also quite emotionally needy. Blonde, young, and beautiful, she was the high-maintenance trophy wife that successful men seemed drawn to. Having just celebrated their one-year anniversary, John was still in the honeymoon phase of his marriage.

“True. Adam suggested that I go on the trip. Frankly, I’m thinking about it,” said Val. “I’ve been looking for a new place to explore, and Adam’s presentation really grabbed me.”

“That would be fantastic!” said John. “I’ve been looking to get more involved with the DC chapter of ESAG, and this could be helpful. It would be a big step for our business to send someone to Rwanda in support of this project. Let’s talk more about it later, okay?”

“Sounds good,” said Val. John left her office, and she set about finishing her work for the day.

That evening, Val called Bri to talk over this new development.

“You’ll never believe what happened today, Bri,” said Val.

“Did you meet someone?” she asked excitedly.

“Sort of. You know how I’ve been going on and on about needing more adventure and excitement? I took your advice to heart and decided to make it happen. Just pick somewhere exotic and go,” said Val.

“That’s great! I’m so glad. I think it will make you feel much better. Get a little more control over things,” said Bri.

“So, I was researching places to go, and I was contemplating someplace off the beaten path in Asia or Africa. I’ve never been to either. They are about as exotic as you can get, and I’m sure there are amazing adventures to be had there. Then we had a meeting at work today…”

“What happened at the meeting?” asked Bri. Val could feel her best friend suck in and hold her breath.

“John called a staff meeting, and we were all scared it was something terrible like layoffs. Instead, a guy from Engineers Serving Across the Globe came to talk about a project in Rwanda to build wells and water pumps. John has been involved with the DC chapter of ESAG and wanted Adam to tell us about the project so Anderson can get more involved,” said Val.

“Adam. I like the sound of that. Was he tall, dark, and handsome?”

“Bri, stop it. Adam is very knowledgeable and passionate about this project. I admit that I was fascinated. It sounds like an amazing thing. He’s taking a team of people to Rwanda next month to see the projects.”

“That sounds perfect,” said Bri. “Will John give you the time off?”

“I don’t know that I’m going yet. John asked me to take Adam to the airport, and we spent the ride talking about the trip and how Adam got involved with ESAG. I’m really tempted,” said Val. “It almost seems too perfect. Here I am looking for excitement and now there’s a trip to Africa dropped in my lap. Seems crazy.”

“Oh, stop worrying. Think of it as kismet and go for it. You’re the one who wants adventure,” said Bri. “Maybe this trip falling into your lap and you saying yes is just the risk you need to take right now. How bad could it be?”

“True. I’ve not gone to anyplace quite so remote as rural Africa, but it would be out-of-the-box. I would certainly scratch my travel itch with this.”

“I think you should do it. Take the risk. Fly off with tall, dark, and handsome Adam.”

“I never said Adam was tall, dark, or handsome,” said Val.

“No, but you didn’t say he wasn’t either. I know you. I can hear it in your voice that he’s at least a little attractive. Do it. Seriously, just do it,” said Bri. “I’ve got to go get ready for a date with Fritz. Those Friday plans did end up coming true. We’re off to a new bar downtown.”

“I’m happy for you. Have fun!”

After Val hung up the phone, she went about the weekend as she usually did, except now she couldn’t get the idea of the Rwanda trip out of her head. When she volunteered at the food bank on Saturday morning, each bag of food that someone picked up reminded Val of the new foods she could be trying in Rwanda.

The afternoon cleaning her apartment, buying groceries, and fitting in a yoga class made her think of how different everyday life would be like in Africa. She wouldn’t be living a routine there. She didn’t even know what kind of place she would be staying or how the days would go. That afternoon, a package arrived for her and she wasted no time in tearing it open and diving into the two guidebooks. She started with the one on Africa.

When Sunday finally rolled around, she went to church with her mom and, afterward, grabbed lunch at a favorite café of theirs. Val broke from her traditional order and got something new. Her mom gave her a funny look, but she ignored it as she enjoyed eggs in a new way.

“What is going on with you?” Val’s mom jokingly asked. Val smiled.

“I’m just trying to get back to my wild child roots,” she said. “One breakfast order at a time,” she added in jest, lifting her fork dramatically before popping it in her mouth.

“Ah yes, I remember those days. You shaved your head that one time just for kicks. Are you planning on doing that again?”

“No, but I’ve got other plans. I’m trying to spice things up again. I’m not ready to be settled into a forever routine. In fact, I’ve got an opportunity to go on a trip to Africa!” Val told her mom all the details about ESAG and the project in Rwanda. She mentioned Adam and how John wanted the office to be more involved with ESAG.

“That sounds exciting all right,” replied Nan. “It would be outside of the box, just make sure you do all your homework first.” They continued talking as they finished lunch and headed their separate ways. Val used the rest of the afternoon to read more of the Africa guidebook, learning about the different countries and landmarks from the couch in her comfy clothes.

After fixing herself some dinner and catching up on TV, Val got ready for bed with the Rwanda trip still on her mind. What was holding her back from saying yes? ESAG was a reputable organization. She looked them up online and read some amazing stories about the work they do around the world. John was very involved in the local chapter, so that was another point in ESAG’s favor. It would be a little odd traveling with her boss on the trip if he decided to go, but it sounded like he was most likely opting out. No, this was exactly what she was looking for.

Val decided to take the next little step. She couldn’t get the idea of the trip out of her head. If she couldn’t eat this elephant of a decision in one bite, she could at least nibble on the edges. She took a chance that 10 pm on a Sunday night wasn’t too late to text Adam.

Hi, Adam. It’s Val.

As she waited for a text back, she felt a little silly. She should have waited until tomorrow morning. Yet, she told herself this was more practical than trying to text Adam when he’d most likely be in meetings all day.

Hi, Val. What’s up?

Just wanted to get more info from you about the trip. Price? How do I sign up if I decide to go?

No problem. Let me email you the trip info tomorrow.

That would be great. Thanks!

I hope you do decide to go.

I’m definitely leaning that direction. Just out of curiosity, where are you?

Dallas. In my hotel room after a long day. Want to know what I’m wearing? ;)

Val’s eyes widened. That got awkward quickly. She didn’t mean for this text stuff to turn personal. Or was he just messing with her? Having talked with him for all of one car ride, she didn’t have a handle on his sense of humor.

Uh, no. Thanks for the info. I’ll look for the email in the morning.

Val wasn’t sure how to take his texts, so she just took them at face value. It was hard to tell inflection over text and she didn’t want to assume he had romantic intentions. But she smiled thinking that he might.