CHAPTER 18
GEORGIA
There were several times that I almost contacted him while I was at the airport. Was I really going to just leave without saying goodbye?
Two days had passed without him trying to reach me. I wasn’t sure if he was just cooling down, too proud to make the first move, or perhaps pissed enough to never want to see me again. My pride had also gotten the best of me, so I forced myself to keep busy instead of pining away or waiting for a measly text message from him.
I certainly had no intention of making the first contact. However, when his dad’s executive assistant had informed me that my papers have been processed in a jiffy and I had to leave for London at once, I suddenly began to have second thoughts.
My parents were very happy for me, of course. This could be the breakthrough I’d been waiting for. It will carve out a significant milestone in my career, no doubt about it. But then, this time it was different. I had Drake now to consider. Or did I? Was he even worth worrying about? I can’t believe he had the nerve to assume I had used him to get this grant from his father!
I was seated in the plane, waiting for it to take off, squirming in my seat and thinking about Drake. I hadn’t even had much time to prep myself emotionally, much less pack all my bags and have a heart-to-heart with the only man I ever loved.
If he’d reached out before this, I probably would have requested for a later flight. But I wasn’t going to turn down this great offer. All my life I had dreamed of this prestigious London grant. Falling in love was never in my plans. Besides, as Lauren had pointed out, if Drake truly cared for me, he wouldn’t have let even a day pass without talking to me. And if he loved me, he’d patiently wait for me or make a way to visit me there.
To my surprise, a tear rolled down my eye. I quickly brushed it away. I should just focus on the exciting things ahead. It was going to be a fantastic year for my career, with or without Drake in my life.
Finally stepping out onto the lovely streets of London city, I felt as if I’d been zapped into the romantic flick Notting Hill, one of my best friend Lauren’s all-time favorites. It wasn’t mine, obviously, because I had never been the hopeless romantic she was. But being here in the midst of it all, my thoughts suddenly went back to Drake again. How beautiful this entire experience would have been if he were here with me, or if we were at least on good terms.
“Are you ready to settle into your apartment now, Dr. Hill?”
I snapped around, forgetting that there was someone with me. The man who stood behind me was some sort of personal assistant that Mr. Walton had hired for me. He was maybe a little older than me, and was actually quite good-looking now that I got to have a good look at him.
“Sure, uh…”
“Tim,” he finished. “It’s Tim Patel. I work for Mr. Walton in the U.S. but I’m just here for a vacation.”
“If you’re on vacation, why are you with me today?”
He chuckled. “Actually, because of you, I’ll get to stay longer in my hometown. As long as you are here, I can do my job from here.”
“Ahhh, that’s why you sound American already,” I figured out. “How long did you live in the U.S.?”
We began walking toward the parked Jaguar that he had used to pick me up at the airport. It looked so classy and luxurious, and I felt like a princess with my very own bodyguard!
While in the car, I was like a little girl who’d suddenly been given a free pass to a candy store. I drank in the scenery and enjoyed just observing the neighborhood. What’s more, Tim turned out to be a very entertaining pseudo-tour guide. Soon I found myself relaxing and simply looking forward to the wonderful things in store for my future.
My apartment was medium-sized, but beautifully decorated. It was contemporary, but with an old English ambiance. Tim said goodbye, promising to accompany me the next day to the medical research center where I was going to be oriented about my scholarship grant.
All alone with nothing to do, my mind drifted back to Drake. I tried to busy myself unpacking and then reading the grant materials I’d been given, but it wouldn’t work. I really, really missed him. Terribly.
Upon connecting to the wifi, I sort of expected a message from him. But I got nothing. Nada. There were only messages from Mom, Dad, Lauren, and other well-wishers.
Sighing, I decided to take a walk and check out the neighborhood where I was going to be spending a year in. It turned out to be a fascinating walk. I was, naturally, feeling like a tourist who’d immersed myself in another country and their culture.
As the surroundings dimmed, I found myself going into a classic but quirky 18th century London tea room, extravagantly designed like in those English movie reruns I used to watch at home. There was a lot of options to choose from, which both confused and thrilled me.
“What the heck!” I muttered to myself when I saw the menu prices. It’s my first day in London and I’m brokenhearted. I deserve to splurge a bit.
I tried not to cringe as I ordered their famous afternoon tea set. I just realized I was starving, and honestly, I just wanted to forget all my problems for the meantime and just revel in the wonderful fact that I was in London.
I took my time choosing among the various types of tea available. Finally I settled on Darjeeling. The gentle, floral aroma calmed me. I closed my eyes as I sipped it bit by bit from a beautiful teacup.
When the set of tiny but mouthwatering sandwiches and pastries arrived on layers of platters, I could hardly contain myself. I gobbled up a lot of it in just a short period of time. When I was totally full and there wasn’t much left of it, it suddenly struck me that I was binge-eating. That wasn’t a good sign.
No, it’s real bad, I thought, shaking my head. Whenever I was like this, it was a sign that I was beginning to feel depressed but was trying not to admit it.
I paid the bill and went out for an evening stroll, deep in thought. The London magic suddenly felt very surreal. I wrapped my coat tighter around my body. It was getting so cold.
Somehow, though I hated to admit it to myself, I was starting to regret my decision to come here.