Hearts Under Contract

THE ENCOUNTER

To her, the days that followed seemed to blend into one another. Her working routine was becoming more and more monotonous, and the weight of the proposal was gradually becoming heavier on her mind. The city full of life and energy mirrored the turmoil she felt in her heart. She was blown here and there by a whirlwind of emotions. From luxury that will come, and which she did not know, to the comfort of the present life, her mind changed every second.

One gray Tuesday, in particular, Jane was burying herself in her work to try and stay focused amidst her distractions. She was completing a critical report for a presentation to be given soon—the type of work that normally did interest her—when today her mind would not stop wandering. Each time she looked at her screen, her mind wandered away to Mount Ravenscroft and what life might really be like there, should she decide to take the proposal.

The office was very quiet since most of her colleagues were out for the day to run business errands or to attend the off-site meetings. One of the few members who were still left behind was her co-worker Shaw- easygoing but reliable as an analyst. Shaw came up to Jane's desk to strike up a conversation since he could see she was quite perturbed.

"Hey, Jane," Shaw said again, this time leaning quite casually against the cubicle. "You seem a bit off today. Everything okay?

Jane looked up, an attempt at smiling. "Oh, just this and that. It's been a bit of a whirlwind lately."

Shaw nodded, understanding. "You want to talk about it? Sometimes it helps to get things off your chest."

"It's this proposal my family has for me. They want me to marry some billionaire. It's a big opportunity, but quite overwhelming at the same time, you know?"

Shaw raised an eyebrow. "That's a big decision. What makes it so hard?"

"It's not about the opportunity," Jane restored. "It's myself, my own goals and what I built for myself. I feel by doing so I guess I will give up all there is that I worked for."

Shaw mulled over it. "It's like you are torn between two very different paths. It's much to weigh. Maybe focusing on what makes you happiest might help."

Jane appreciated what Shaw said, "Yeah, thanks. I'll think a bit about that."

As the day at work died down, she decided to take a walk around, to sort out some thoughts in her head. Her office building was located in one of the livelier parts of Manhattan, with a number of shops and cafes around. Jane walked meaninglessly, and the crisp feel of autumn was invigorating. She stopped at a small bookstore that she frequented, and she hoped to get lost in the pages of some great book.

The bookstore was charming, filled with old paper and the smell of coffee. Jane walked through the shelves, finally reaching for a novel that had grabbed her attention. When she was about to climb up to the checkout counter, she saw a familiar face among the customers: Mr. Harrison Blake, the client from that earlier-in-the-week meeting. He was bargaining with the store owner about a rare collection of first editions.

Still, she felt it appropriate to greet him. "Mr. Blake, nice to see you again."

Mr. Blake whirled around, his face lighting up with a smile. "Jane! What a great surprise. I didn't think I would see you here."

"I just popped in to see if by any chance I would get a good book to read," said Jane, showing him the novel. "And you."

He gestured to the collection of books. "I'm a bit of a collector myself. There's something special about finding rare editions."

Their conversation flowed easily and Jane was finding herself not disliking Mr. Blake much. He was knowledgeable and incredibly passionate about literature, so their talk on the book he was reading for university presented a great distraction from internal things.

In that chat, Jane did feel that she and Mr. Blake hit a strong rapport; he seemed exciting, refreshing, quite opposite of how she felt about the future. As they parted, they exchanged contacts and promised to keep in touch on anything to do with working together.

When she reached her apartment as the dim evening prepared for night, Jane had mixed feelings of relief against some uneasiness. This visit to the bookstore had been a brief respite from the churning in her mind; the proposal decision still loomed large. In that manner, she spent the evening, writing in her journal—trying to make some sense of what was going through her mind and heart. This act worked to clarify the feelings and perspectives regarding the situation at hand.

The next day, Jane had lunch with her mother at the nice café on the Upper East Side. Mrs. Smith embraced her with a warm hug and a reassuring smile. The atmosphere of the café was quite inviting and comfortable for what was probably going to be a lengthy conversation.

As they sat down, Mrs. Smith seemed much looser than when they were last talking. "I'm glad we had a chance to visit," she began. "I wanted to make sure you had everything you needed to inform your decision."

Jane felt better with her mother's style. "Thanks, Mom. I've been trying to digest it all. It's just a lot to take in."

Mrs. Smith nodded. "I understand. Your father and I just want you to be happy. We believe this opportunity may open many doors for you, but we also respect your independence and your dreams."

Jane breathed again, relieved at her mother's understanding. "I know that you both want what's best for me; I just try to figure out what's right for me."

And the symposium went on, with more of the same from Mrs. Smith, the family of Ravenscroft, and their values. Jane listened to all that and tried to weigh her aspirations against this information.

After lunch, Jane took a leisurely stroll in Central Park to calm her frazzled nerves. This was one of those serene refuges that worked for her and aided her in staying away from the noise of the city, even if she could escape it for a few minutes, so that she had some peace from the trouble in her mind. She found a quiet bench and sat for some time, reflecting on her conversation with her mother and the decisions that lay ahead.

With the sun lowering over the park, Jane felt a sense of rejuvenation, in the golden light. With the decision being a serious one, equally Jane had realized the importance of calling a spade a spade. Any path that she took henceforth, she would walk it with purpose, sure of what she was going to do.

As Jane approached her apartment, she felt in her gut that this was both exciting and frightening. The path ahead was undefined, but she was going to take it boldly. She spent the evening going through the folder containing information on Mount Ravenscroft, doing so with a clearer mind.

She closed the folder and Jane felt resolve in her finally and readied for bed. Any decision she would ever make was to be her own values and aspirations. The future might still be very much in question, but she would be determined to find her way through it with confidence and clarity.