Chapter 3

Several months had gone by since Pearl had left her marriage and left her life behind. She had filed for divorce and was working hard at getting at least some kind of settlement. Her job was going well, and life had fallen into a nice routine for her. John had talked her into trying out the band idea and they had spent some time getting some guys together to form what they could be proud of.  

She was still embarrassed about being around Dylan and he was still incredibly difficult to read. She didn't remember much about the night he drove her home.m, only that she gave him directions and thanked him. The next morning she woke up on her couch, fully clothed, so she knew nothing had happened. 

Her divorce lawyer thought things should be finalized in the next week or two. She was so happy that was going to happen, finally.  

She decided to apply for a promotion at work a month or so ago and her boss seemed really pleased with her work for the company. She started out as an assistant there, part time, because that's all Paul would allow for her to work. She had managed to take on more tasks and had been getting positive feedback from her co-workers. She felt proud of herself and work had also been a wonderful distraction from all she had going on her personal life. 

She was working on herself and it felt good. She didn't have much of a relationship with her parents, so other than John and Janie, she was on her own. It meant something to her to accomplish these small goals, one step at a time. She had no idea what the future would hold, but she knew no matter what was ahead, it was sure better than what she was leaving behind.

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6:00 am on the dot and the alarm blasted into Pearl's ear. She hit snooze and opened her eyes, wiping away the sleep and the anxiety hit her, like every morning. It hasn't been the easiest year. At 35, she thought she'd be in a better place by now but after leaving a decade long horrible marriage and starting all over again, she knew being weak and hopeless wasn't an option. 

She got out of bed and went to the kitchen of her small apartment, moving boxes still lining the floor, unpacked. Drinking coffee and sitting in her reading chair, she scrolled her phone, checking her social media and emails. Nothing exciting. It's Friday and the upcoming weekend always made her a little sad. Being alone during the week is easy with work and daily routine, but the weekend is when she felt the loneliness the most. The only light was having her friend John in her life that had also encouraged her to get back into music. Singing had always been her passion and getting the group of guys together to form a band again has been a wonderful thing for her. It was a bit terrifying but she decided to go for it. Any distraction was good, especially one with a creative outlet she loved so much. 

After getting ready for work, she headed out to start the day. Hopefully her boss would be busy enough today to steer clear of her. Lately, his attention had been directed towards her way more than usual and it was starting to make her a bit uncomfortable. Arriving at 8 am on the dot, she walked into her office, turned on the light, hung  her jacket on the hook and turned to see her boss, David Powers, at her door with a smile and coffee in his hand. He had to be roughly her age, tall, slender. Strawberry blonde hair that was cut in a way that was reminiscent to Robert Redford in Gatsby. She smiled back and offered a "Good morning, David". He may make her uncomfortable with the extra attention lately, but his eyes and smile were hard to look away from.

"I have a few things for you today, Pearl." David said in an assertive yet friendly way. "We have a meeting with the owners of the company today to discuss the merger. I'd like you there to get a feel for what direction this all might be heading. I think it would be beneficial for our marketing department to be on board early." Pearl was recently promoted to the management team of the marketing department. David was over the entire PR part of the company. Pearl was in charge of the approval and distribution of all materials sent out to the public regarding their image and promotions. It was a lot to take on, but she found it was a great way for her to dive into something and think less about her life falling apart. "I'll be there, just let me know what you need from me" Pearl offered.

"I absolutely will, maybe we could discuss it at lunch? The meeting is at 2. That would give us time to get on the same page" David said back, slyly smiling, taking a drink of his coffee. What is is with this guy? Pearl thought, almost saying it out loud.

"Ok, that works" Pearl said. He really was a beautiful man. Very put together. Not even a wrinkle to be found. Or a wedding band, for that matter. There was talk among the staff about the boss and of his personal life. Some thought he was married to a woman but didn't wear a ring. Some thought he might have a male partner. He never brought anyone along to outside of work functions. He was alone at the Christmas party last year and at the summer picnic. No pictures of family in his office. Maybe he was just a private person? 

"So just come to my office at noon. Did you bring a lunch or should we order something?" David asked.

"I have something. I'm good, but thank you." Pearl replied. She was certain she would be enjoying the view, regardless. 

After a long day at the office, a lunch meeting with her boss that could only be described as lunch with a side of tension, a meeting with the owners, piles of paperwork that she finally finished, she was headed home to open a bottle of wine and take a hot bath. As she was just settling down, she got a text from her friend John. "Hey woman, we booked a gig at The Boathouse two Saturdays from tomorrow! Super stoked. Let's practice tomorrow at 5 before our little acoustic thing at the brewery. That work?" Pearl was excited to hear it. The Boathouse was a huge local venue, and very difficult to get a gig booked at. It was on the lake and probably the biggest live music venue in the lower part of the state. They played many smaller bars, breweries and restaurants around the area but bigger gigs were always great, especially to showcase their original music as well as their covers. "Sounds great man! I'll see you tomorrow. Great job on the gig" Pearl replied. Now for some rest.