Chapter 2: Adventure is Just Over the Horizon

Julia sat perfectly still, staring blankly at her boss. She knew she had screwed up, again. It was happening more and more these days. Sure she had a lot on her mind, but who wouldn't in her position? Still, her situation was no excuse for being late to work. Especially when it cost the company an important client as it had today.

"I'm sorry," Julia tried to apologize for her mistake. "I just overslept."

"I don't want excuses!" her boss screamed at her. "I want results! You knew this was the special Bay of Pigs Anniversary luncheon!"

Julia began to drift. What does he know? she thought. If he knew the real reason I was late, he wouldn't say a word.

She was making a conscious effort not to make eye contact. She didn't want her boss to see the tears that were welling up inside her. She sucked tried them back in and return to the conversation at hand.

"I promise I'll try harder, sir," was all she could think to say. She clenched and unclenched her hands, a nervous fidget she had learned from her mother. It did not help to calm her nerves in this situation.

I'm going to lose my job.

"That's not good enough this time, Julia! If we can't get results from you, you're going to have to go someplace else!"

"But Sir, my career will-"

"I can't think about you, I have to think about us, the company. Even the blind guy and the guy with no arms are making more sales than you are! If were up to me, you'd be gone already, but apparently Jim has some faith in you. You'll be heading out to visit with a client in Chicago."

Julia didn't know what to think. One moment her boss was giving it to her and the next he was giving her another assignment. Her amazement was clearly visible on her face.

"Don't thank me. If you mess up this time, you're through."

"When does my flight leave?"

Julia's boss chuckled to himself. "Screw ups don't get free first class flights around here. What they get is rental cars."

"What?!?!? The distance from Los Angeles to Chicago is some fifteen-hundred miles!"

Her boss only smirked at her displeasure. "Actually, it's more like two-thousand, but who's counting?"

What a gigantic ass. But I'm not in too good of a position to argue right now.

"Fine! Where's the damn car?"

"Here's the file. It has all the information in it."

Julia angrily snatched the folder out of her boss' hand. She only risked a quick glance in his direction before storming out.

As she drove towards the rental car agency, Julia couldn't help but think about how much she hated her boss. He had always been out to get her. When she joined the company five years ago, things weren't too bad. She was an attractive 20 year old girl with a good mind for business and a knack for knowing what people wanted. At the time, her boss only saw her as a way to further his own career.

Now Julia was practically running the company under her boss' nose. Jim, the company's owner, had continually noticed the job she had done with high profile clients. He was asking her to take all the big assignments and giving her more and more responsibilities. She believed the animosity coming from her boss was because he was jealous of her. He was afraid Jim would choose her for promotion over him, even though he had been in the company for some twenty years. Not to mention the fact that she wouldn't go out with him.

But lately her work had suffered. There was something bothering her and it was affecting her entire life. She couldn't work the way she used to - she had trouble eating and she even found no joy in her daily run. Maybe it was because she had heard Kenny G was coming out with a new CD. Maybe not...

Julia found the rental car agency without incident - Rent-a-Wreck. Even the name seemed to mock her. She approached the front desk with the receipt her boss had printed out that morning. She skimmed it over before presenting it to the cashier perched behind the counter.

Great, a Plymouth Horizon - apparently he didn't have time to load a gun and shoot me.

"Nice weather we're having, isn't it?" the cashier attempted to strike up a conversation.

"Just push the buttons, register biscuit."

I need a drink, but somehow I don't think I'm going to have time for that right now, maybe when I get to Chicago.

Julia got the keys to her car and found it in the parking lot. Her unfortunate ride was conveniently parked as far back on the lot as possible. She opened the driver's side door and threw the folder down on the seat beside her. She climbed in. Sitting in the car, she looked down at the bio of the man she was supposed to wine and dine, booze and schmooze. Looking at the picture of a man who would make Chewbacca look like Brad Pitt only furthered to darken her mood.

She pulled out of the parking lot and began her long journey. She reached for the radio, only to realize there was no radio. She glanced around. There was no air conditioning in this ride, either.

Couldn't they just shoot my mom or something? I think I'm going to have to stop before I reach Chicago or I'm going to kill someone.

She rolled down her window, allowing her long, dark hair to whip wildly around her.

She noticed a hitchhiker on the side of the road with a sign that read "St. Louis or Bust." Julia thought about picking up this man, but thought better of it.

I'm not going to St. Louis, anyway.

She sighed. This is going to be one long trip.

Continue on to the next chapter, following Julia's plotline...
Continue on to the next chapter, following the original storyline...