No Romantic Attachments

No Romantic Attachments

“I can’t marry you, Andrew,” Julie said, her lip quivering, her hands trembling, as she removed the ring from her finger and placed it in his hand.

Strong fingers closed around hers but she pulled them away. “I-I do love you. You know that. It’s just that…that…” She wanted to tell him, so much, but how could she put it into words?

“Don’t try to explain, Darling. It’s all happened too quickly, hasn’t it? You need time and space. I think we both do.” He placed the ring in his pocket. “I’m going up north for a week. We’ll talk when I get back.” He gave her a brief hug and turned on his heel and left.

Julie watched his departing figure, her thoughts in turmoil. He had made it so easy for her. No protest, no questions. Just a simple acceptance of her decision. He hadn’t even suggested she keep the ring in case she changed her mind. Was he having second thoughts also?

They had known each other for two short months. Andrew had collided with her in the corridor and sent her papers scattering and had stopped to help her collect them. In that moment they had both known that their relationship would not end in that brief encounter. When she left the office that evening, he was waiting at the entrance to the building and fell into step beside her as she made her way to the railway station.

“You’re Julie Pierce, aren’t you? I’m Andrew McKenzie. I work on the floor above you. Just transferred down from Kendon. “

“You’re Mr. Edward’s nephew. You took Mark Holloway’s place,” she said as realisation dawned.

“Yes.”

Briefly they discussed his predecessor who had been tragically killed in a motorbike accident, then, conscious of the passing time, Julie quickened her pace. “I really must rush. I shall miss the train. It’s been nice meeting you, Andrew. We’ll probably see each other again.”

“I’m sure we will,” he said as she left him.

And they had. The had worked together, Julie transcribing and typing his notes and figures. They had walked together to the railway station each afternoon and they had begun seeing each other outside of working hours.

When Julie tried to analyse their relationship, it was as if she had found the other half of herself in Andrew; as if some great void within her had been filled. It had been so easy to say “Yes” when he asked her to share his life.

Andrew was everything she had ever hoped to find in a man. He was considerate and kind. He stirred her emotionally as no other man had done and he stimulated her intellectually so that they could discuss anything, even to the point of disagreement and still remain friends. Yes, she loved him. There was no doubt about that and she did not question his love for her. But she could not marry him.

Julie sighed. Andrew thought things were moving too fast. If only that were the problem! For two months they had lived in a whirl of emotional discovery. Julie had been transported to heights she never knew existed. Thoughts of Andrew filled her mind from daylight to dark and when she slept he filled her dreams as well.

Julie could not concentrate and her work was suffering. For someone as level-headed as she, this ecstasy was too much. She certainly needed time and space. She needed to come down to earth, to feel her feet again on solid ground. Yes, she needed to touch reality again.

But…it was more than that…

Mr. Edwards, her boss, had called her into his office earlier that morning and turned her life upside down.

“Miss Pierce,” he’d said, peering over his horn rimmed glasses, “as you know, my assistant was planning to leave the company at the end of the year. Now, due to circumstances beyond her control, she has had to finish sooner. I would like you to take her place.”

“M-me?” Julie stammered in astonishment.

“Yes! Miss Pierce…Julie…you have been with the company for several years now. You know our policies and I’ve been watching you for some time. You would be more than capable of handling this position.” He paused, studying her. “You do realise of course, that the job entails a lot of travelling. We have a number of branches scattered throughout the world and you would be required to travel to and from the various branches from time to time.”

Julie nodded, grasping the desk for support. Was this really happening?

Mr. Edwards continued. “You have no commitments that would interfere with your work? No romantic attachments?”

“I-I…There is someone.” She took a deep breath. “ I need time to think about this, Mr. Edwards. When would you need to know?”

“Beverley is leaving next month. I would need your answer within the fortnight.”

Julie left the office in a daze. She could hardly believe what had transpired in the last fifteen minutes. Mr. Edwards was offering her the chance of a lifetime.

Then Julie remembered his words. ..”No romantic attachments…” “Oh, God,” she prayed as she thought about Andrew. What was she to do? They had known each other such a short time but they had known so very quickly that they were meant to be together. Just one short week had passed since Andrew had proposed. It had been a magical moment. No place on earth had seemed so wonderful as that spot where they had pledged their love for each other. Now, Mr. Edward’s offer had changed everything.

Julie had never dreamed of love and marriage as her friends did. She had dreamed of travelling to exotic, faraway places, places she had only read about in books. The more she thought about Mr. Edward’s proposition, the more she felt drawn to accept it. She want that job so much but she couldn’t have the job and Andrew. It would have to be one or the other so she had to make a choice. All day she mulled over it. In all fairness, she couldn’t ask Andrew to wait for her. Maybe in time, she and Andrew might get back together again. Meanwhile, she wanted the job and it was best they went their separate ways. Breaking the engagement was the only practical solution.

Andrew went north as he’d said and Julie buried herself in her work, finishing tasks she had been avoiding, dealing with problems and generally catching up on the backload that had filled her basket for days. She liked her work. She never considered herself a career woman, but she prided herself on her efficiency and she was well aware how much her work had been neglected since Andrew came into her life. Not for a moment could she let herself think about Andrew and the plans they had made for a future together. She must concentrate now on the work that lay before her.

It was only when she left the building and made her way to the railway station that she let herself dwell on the subject of Andrew. Already, she was missing him. They had seen each other every day since they had met. She thought of those snatched moments in the elevator; those secret looks that passed between them when they were in a room full of people, lunch in the park feeding the pigeons, catching a later train so they could have coffee, special moments they had shared together as their feelings deepened. She pushed the thoughts from her mind. She must not dwell on them or she would weaken in her resolve.

Back in her flat, Julie wandered about restlessly. The evening stretched before her. She kept listening for the phone, the doorbell, but they were silent. She had never been lonely before she met Andrew. She liked her own company. Why should she feel lonely now? She picked up the tapestry she had started but her mind was not on her sewing so she lay it down again. She turned on the television, flicked through the channels and turned it off again. She could not settle to anything. It only Andrew would phone, she wished, but Andrew was giving her time and space and besides, she was getting on with her life without Andrew. She was going to travel and see the world. There was no room in her life now, for Andrew.

And Andrew, it seemed no longer had room for her. He had been away a week and not once had he phoned or made contact with her. Julie felt hurt and abandoned. She busied herself more and more in her work and returned to her cold empty apartment each evening with an overwhelming sense of desolation. Somewhere, in the region of her heart was a dull ache. She was missing Andrew more than she ever thought possible. Once again her thoughts and dreams were full of him and his silence was unbearable. If only he would return.

On Monday morning, the phone rang shrilly, awakening her from restless sleep.

“Julie? Did I wake you?” Andrew greeted her as she spoke sleepily into the phone. “I’ve just flown in. How are you, sweetheart?”

“You never rang me,” she said, despondently.

“I know,” he answered, sensing her mood. “I wanted you to have time to think things through. Could we have lunch together?”

Her heart was beating furiously. Andrew was back. She tried to think of something to say.

“Julie?”

“I’m here.”

“I’ll see you at one. I have something to tell you.”

“I’ve something to tell you too,” she whispered. She heard the click on the other end of the line. Andrew was gone.

Julie spent the morning in a state of nervous anxiety. At one o’clock, Andrew was waiting for her at the entrance to the building. He took her hand in his and led her to a small coffee shop. Julie felt awkward. It had been a week but seemed like a lifetime since she had seen him and told him she could not marry him.

“What did you want to tell me?” he asked as they waited for their order.

“I-I wanted to tell you I love you.” The words rushed from her. “I missed you so much. I do want to marry you Andrew. I’m sorry…I was wrong. I was so uncertain…”

“But you’re not now?”

“I’ve never been more sure,” she whispered.

“Oh, Julie,” he murmured hoarsely as his hand tightened around hers. It was a poignant moment. Neither spoke but each knew what the other was saying in the silence.

Later when Julie was wearing her ring again and all thoughts and dreams of exotic places were behind her, they meandered back to the office. “What did you want to tell me, Andrew?”

“I’ve been promoted,” he said, grinning sheepishly. “My uncle phoned me yesterday. I’ll be travelling backwards and forwards between the branches.”

“Oh!” Julie gasped as an overwhelming sense of deflation came over her. She thought of the conversation she had had with Mr. Edwards the previous day. She had known even before she heard Andrew’s voice that morning, she couldn’t take the job. Not under the conditions specified. “No romantic attachments, ” he’d said. She had told Mr. Edwards about her relationship with Andrew and their plans to marry. He had been so understanding. Gave her his blessing and wished them both well. She couldn’t understand why he had chosen Andrew for the position instead. Now Andrew would be flying off to visit all those exotic places she had dreamed about and she would be stuck at home. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair at all.

Andrew turned her towards him and cupped her face in his hands, oblivious of her feelings. “Yes, Uncle Charles has decided to retire. It’s strange really. I never thought he would give it all away so soon, but he says it’s time someone younger did all the running about. “

Julie blinked, trying desperately to keep back the tears that threatened.

“There’s just one problem,” he added.

Julie looked at him curiously. “Uncle Charles mentioned he had offered you Beverley’s position. He also said you refused. Something about getting married. Well, with Uncle Charles retiring and Beverley moving on, I need someone to take her place. I don’t suppose you would reconsider the position. We can get married and travel the world together. What do you think?”

“Sounds a lot like a romantic attachment. Do you think your uncle would approve?”

“Of course he would. It was his idea!”