. . .The call goes to voice mail so Daniel leaves a message and says, “hey Donovan, it’s me Daniel, I am eager to look into staying with the company and be relocated to where ever they ever I will be needed so give me a call back when you can.”
The next morning:
After spending the night in a hotel Daniel goes into the office at 7:45 am for his appointment with Donovan and the head of the HR department. As he waits, he sees that no one else that he knows from his team is there.
At 7:52 am the door opens and Donovan comes out from behind the closed doors and says, “Daniel, good to see you here as well that you are up for relocation.”
Daniel responds, “well Don I was needing a change of scenery anyways, NYC is not what is used to be when I first came here five years ago.”
Donovan replies back, “you got that fucking right. The fucking commies in Albany and in city hall are bleeding us dry with their bullshit taxes and stupid regulations so were are locating.”
Daniel inquires, “where Don?”
Donovan responds, “Atlanta, and since you were the first to sign up because while all the others have yet to respond or opted to take severance pay.”
Daniel says, “I see.”
Donvan then says, “come on in now Margie is expecting us.”
Daniel and Donovan then go meet with Margie, but since she detests nicknames, she prefers to be addressed as ‘Margaret’ or ‘Ms. Fuller’.
When Daniel enters her office he just says, “good morning Ms. Fuller” as he inhales he cigarette smoke. He sees a battle axe of a frumpy woman wearing those old-fashioned pointed edge cat-eyeglasses with thick black rims sitting behind a desk deeply inhaling a cigarette while looking at her computer screen and says, “is it Mr. Matthews? I got the same email as you yesterday, so I know that I’ll be out of a job in six months.”
Daniel is kind of shocked by her bluntness and stammers a bit, “Iiii waaas juusst beeiing polite Ms. Fuuulllleeer.”
Donovan then breaks in and says, “stop intimidating the poor boy Margie or I just might give you three month’s severance instead and stop playing solitaire on company time.”
Margie looks up and sees that Donovan is not messing with her and just says, “no I was working, Mr. Tate, I swear. I was reviewing Mr. Matthews work file.”
Donovan replies back, “bullshit Margie, I just saw the reflections of the computer screen on those massive glasses of yours. I can terminate you right now for theft of company time and Daniel here is a witness to it, right Daniel?”
Daniel speaks up and says, “you are right Donovan, I saw the reflections of Margie playing computer games as well.”
Margie then gets in a huff and says, “okay you win Donovan, what do you want?”
Donovan replies, “how about you do your fucking job for once and print out the e-mail that I sent you this morning pertaining to Daniel here about his relocation package to Atlanta.”
Margie then exits out of her solitaire game and prints out the email about Daniel. She reads it over and says, “this must be a mistake Mr. James, Daniel here keeps his base salary as well as fifteen percent increase, relocations expenses, temporary housing allowance for six months until he finds a place of his own. He will need a car and moving allowance as well.”
Margaret then gets in a huff and says, “but this is way too much Mr. James, even for Daniel here. He is not worth that much.”
Donovan replies back, “your six month’s severance package is now becoming three Margie or whatever this state laws minimally allows; that should cover Danny’s pay raise and housing allowance or do want to get off your fat ass and write up a contract that all three of us will sign in an hour from now.” He then says to Daniel, “let’s go grab a coffee while Margie gets the paperwork ready?”
Daniel replies, “sure”.
Three months later:
It took some time but Daniel slowly adjusted living in Atlanta, Georgia. He was set up in a temporary company-owned condo in Dunwoody for the first six months, commuted to their offices in mid-town Atlanta, hated the horrific traffic down Ga 400.
During the weekends and taking an occasional PTO day, Daniel explored the outer burbs some, met with realtors to find a decent place to live and checked out the many green areas that the city area has to offer. A coworker at the office who lived in the northern burbs of the city mentioned to him that if he likes, run, or just walk for miles then he should check out the Big Creek Greenway.
Daniel then considers the suggestion.
The following Saturday:
Daniel drives from his condo in Dunwoody to the starting point of the Big Creek Greenway. He sees that people are out with their trail bikes and starting up the hills around it. He then drives down a bit further to where the running/walking/ cycling trails begins.
He exits his car, fills up his water bottles and just starts to walk it. As he does so he sees a lot of people walking, running, and cycling it. They are either running alone, families walking or just cycling by.
Eventually the extreme heat and humidity of the Atlanta area catches up with Daniel so he finds a rest spot to the side of the main trail. Once he is there, he pulls off his tee shirt and takes several big swigs of water to rehydrate. As he wipes the sweat from his brow, he hears a voice say, “is it hot enough for ya?”
Daniel then looks to see who is speaking to him and thinks to himself, ‘this guy looks just like Clark Kent/Superman body but without the blue suit but just wearing white compression shorts to cover up his muscular calves almost down to his knees. He is also has on onion skin blue running shorts that have UCLA in gold lettering stenciled on the lower left side to cover up is private areas and some nice high tech Swiss engineered running shoes.
He replies, “a bit I’m not used to this, it’s a bit too hot and humid for me.”
The guy replies back, “welcome to Hotlanta and same here” as he takes a seat next to Daniel and takes a sip from the runner’s “camel pack” that he as attached to his back. He then says, “you must be new here.”
Daniel replies, “been here a few months. From Nebraska originally but was in NYC until recently.”
The runner replies, “No one from Atlanta is really from Atlanta originally. I came from California originally, lived in Texas for many years but got transferred to here about a year ago.”
Daniel then asks, “and how do you like it?”
The runner replies, “it’s okay. The traffic sucks as well as there is no real nightlife around here unless you go downtown or some seedy titty bar.”
Daniel says back, “ain’t that the truth but I’m not the titty bar type. On occasion I’d go club hopping in Manhattan, pay for overpriced and watered down drinks and check out people, you?”
The runner then saya, “Ohh I’m in bed by 10 pm wake up at five the next morning, hit the gym shower and go to the office type here” and then asks Daniel, “did you meet anyone at those clubs?”
Daniel replies and lets it slip out, “just once. I met my last boyfriend at a club, we worked behind the bar aaa” . . .and then realizes what he just said.
The runner then pauses for a moment and then says back to Daniel, “I better get back to my run.”
Daniel then replies back, “yeah I best get back to my car. I chose the wrong time of day for a run.”
The mystery runner then says, “well see you around ‘Cornhusker’”.
Daniel replies back, “maybe ‘Kal-El’, I’s still getting a feel for the area.”
Daniel and the mystery runner then depart ways.
One week later:
The following Saturday, Daniel returns to the Big Creek Greenway in order to hopefully catch another look at ‘Kal-El’ because he found him so attractive and mysterious. Once he parked his car and hit the trail for a light jog, he sees the sees the mystery runner coming from the opposite direction, still wearing the same gear he did last week. The both of them give each other the ‘man nod’ then pass one another. Daniel keeps on jogging by until a voice says from him from behind, “hey ‘Cornhusker’”.
Daniel then stops in his tracks, turns around as sees the mystery runner from last week approaching him and he sees that ‘Kal-El’’s upper body is all covered in sweat from his intense running with beads of sweat that is covering his semi-hairy muscular chest and abs. He here him then say, “out for another run, ‘Cornhusker’”?
Daniel replies back, “just for a light jog today, I don’t think up ready for an intense run in this heat and humidity just yet and how do you know I’m from Nebraska?”
The mystery runner then points a finger at the tee-shirt that Daniel is wearing and says, “well that big ‘N’ and ‘Cornhuskers’ that is on your tee-shirt kind of gives it away”.
Daniel looks down at the tee that he chose to run in and says, “ohh yeah.”
The runner then gets closer to Daniel and says, “didn’t we meet last weekend here?”
Daniey then coyly replies, “maybe, possibly, it’s difficult so say. I’ve met a lot of people over the past few months since I’ve been here.”
The runner then replies, “but recently relocated from New York, right?”
Danny says back, “yeah I did.”
The runner with the body of Superman then say, “I thought that was you so how are you adjusting to life here?”
Daniel then lets down his guard some and says, “if I’m not working, I’m trying to find a place to live and I hate the fucking traffic.”
The mystery runner then laughs a bit and says, “that’s so fucking right. Good thing that my place and job are around here so I don’t have to commute to downtown.”
Daniel adds in, “my company gave me temporary lodging in Dunwoody until I can find a place on my own; I work in Mid-Town.”
The runner then gets up close to Daniel and says, “well if you need any assistance knowing the city, getting around or maybe a running partner, just let me know: I’m Jared by the ways but most people call me ‘Jerry’”, as he extends a hand to shake.
Daniel replies back, “thanks Jerry, I’m Daniel but you can call me ‘Danny’.”
Jerry then pats Dan on the back and says, “so how about we exchange phone numbers so maybe we can run or maybe workout together some times?”
Daniel replies back as he pulls out his cell phone and says, “sounds good Jerry what’s your number?”
Both Daniel and Jared exchange phone numbers with one another and once that is all done Jerry says to Daniel, “so do you want to run a bit for awhile and get to know one another better?”
Daniel then says, “sure Jerry” as a light rain begins to fall.
The both of them then ran and talked to one another, exchanged their life and work stories for a couple of minutes until the light rain became more heavier. Jerry then says, “shit. Fucking Geogia rains. I better be heading back home before it gets torrential and I waked here..”
Daniel replies back, “my car is back in the lot so only a quarter mile away. I don’t mind driving you back home Jerry and wait out the rainstorm, if that’s okay with you?”
Jerry replies back, “deal Danny and I’ll treat you to dinner.”
The both of them then run like hell to Daniel’s car and as they do so the both of them are drenched with rain water. Once inside of it Daniel says to Jared, “where too?” . . .
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