Gotta give credit for this story to emmanurse so go follow her!! She is the master mind behind it. I've had so much fun co-writing though!! Hope you all enjoy!
"Are you sure this is what you want to do? I mean, Ozzie's coming with me to Nashville for a few weeks, you could join us?" Dansby questioned as he sat on his friend's couch, watching as he gathered things, "We're just gonna chill and catch some hockey games. It's a change of pace from what you're used to."
"Thanks, hermano," Ender shook his head, "But my mind is made up. I've already booked the place. I'm quite satisfied with it," He handed the brochure to Dansby, "This is what I need."
Dansby eyed the cabin and arched an eyebrow, "Okay, impressive. But alone? You sure you're not taking a lady friend?"
Ender laughed at Dansby's suggestive tone, "Come on, Swanson. You know me. I don't have time for relationships, even in the offseason. As soon as I get back it'll be the holidays then time for work once again. Why is it so hard to realize I just want time to myself."
Dansby shrugged and checked a text on his phone, "Alright, well you do you, bro-" He stood and extended his hand to give Ender five, "I'll see you around. I won't be back until after Christmas though."
"Alright, I'll be here," Ender laughed, "Hopefully a new, changed man!"
"Without a woman involved," Dansby mused as he put his hand on the door, "Doubtful! See you, man."
Ender sighed and made his way back to his room. He had much to get done and little time to do it in. Packing was always a chore, regardless of the reward at the end of the task. Finally though, after a mere half hour, Ender was positive he was ready. He zipped his suitcase and was satisfied he had everything he would need. It was a two-week trip away from everything, and he was positive he'd never been more ready for anything.
His friends and fellow baseball players had tried to talk him out of it. He wasn't sure why they hated the idea so much. Two weeks with no communication with the outside world didn't seem half bad to him. No questions, no judgment, and nothing to distract him from the relaxation he desperately needed. Typically, he'd be at the beach with his brother or going home to Venezuela, but this year he needed something different.
Winning the World Series was what every player dreamed of, but the aftermath and the constant demands weren't all it had cracked up to be. The interviews, the calls, the photographs, despite how humble he was, he felt like he had to breathe. Ender wasn't being ungrateful, but the season had taken so much out of him, he felt as if he couldn't continue.
A four hour drive had lead him down we roads and to sites he'd never seen before. He leaned forward to turn down the radio as it began to lose signal. Ender's hands crossed over one another as he turned the steering wheel of his truck to navigate down the long dirt road. Another two miles at least had gone by with nothing but pine trees and hillside, before he finally arrived at his destination. A smile crossed his face as he parked, and glanced up to the cabin. It was more than he could have ever expected, "North Carolina, we hardly know one another, but I like you."
He quickly grabbed his things and headed inside. The living area was a decent size, a beautiful fireplace accented one wall, while windows adorned the back offering a panoramic view. He made his way to the back porch and he took in the view of the surrounding mountains. He was excited to find a grill and a hot tub, both nice touches that he hadn't expected. He carried his things through the kitchen and into the bedroom. It was a small cabin, but efficient for what he needed.
It was quite a bit more chilly than it had been in Georgia, so he unpacked one of his heavier jackets and decided on going to get firewood. Everything he was about to encounter was out of his element, which oddly enough, made him more relaxed than he had been in years.
The night had been extremely rejuvenating, so much, in fact, Ender hadn't even made it to bed. He yawned and sat up slowly on the couch, rubbing the sore spot on his neck as the first rays of light peeked through. Regardless, he'd slept better than he had in years. Just knowing there were no obligations made him smile.
Ender made his way into the kitchen and decided to attempt to cook breakfast. He'd brought so many groceries but hardly knew how to prepare any of them. After he stood and stared into both the cabinet and the fridge, he finally came to a conclusion, "Eggs it is."
After a quick breakfast, he dressed warmly and grabbed a fishing pole. The lake was freshly stocked and he hadn't fished since he was a boy. What better way to spend the afternoon than by sitting on the shore of his own private lake to catch his dinner? There wasn't any. Ender realized the next two weeks would go by entirely too fast, so the effort to savor every moment had already begun.
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"Miss Lucas, the boss will see you now-"
"Thank you, Janet." Remi stood and smoothed her skirt with her free hand; Her iPad that was supposed to be full of ideas in the other. Today was a big day. It had started out like any other, but then she'd gotten a dreaded text. Four simple words that could make or break her career, 'Come to my office'. Her boss wasn't too bad, but she was always worse when she was wanting something. Remi felt positive this meeting wasn't just to chat about the weather and drink coffee.
"Remi! I was expecting you. Please sit," Andrea Carver sat behind the large desk in her pristine office that overlooked downtown Miami, "Do you have anything to give me yet?"
"No, ma'am..." Remi swallowed hard. She knew that was coming, "I um, I'm not sure how I want to start--"
"You haven't even started?" The older woman peeked up from behind her glasses, "That's not good, Remi. It's not just about you here. Not only is the public pressuring Carver Publications, they are directly writing me directly with complaints. I told you ending the book with your heroes separated was risky-"
"I know," She sighed, "I'm trying. I'm just not-- I mean we talked about this," Remi frowned, "If only I'd went through with the tragedy-"
"That wouldn't have worked either. Your main characters need justification. They were together from second grade, and you had them take separate paths after high school to find each other out of college- and then you let them fall in love to break them up again. You have a best seller. You have to put them together... putting your own commitment issues aside!"
Remi corrected, "I don't have commitment issues! I just don't think every story has a happy ending. I don't want teenagers to think their first love will be their last love, in every case."
"Have you ever been in love, Miss Lucas?" Andrea folded her arms over her chest and watched as Remi shifted and became uncomfortable, "You're scared to write about something you're clueless about. You've got to step out of your comfort zone," She pulled out an envelope and slid it across the desk, "Take this. Go home, pack, and follow the instructions. I don't want you to come back until you have something for me. A beginning, an ending, a middle- a nice, flowing idea. I want you to figure out in your head whats wrong, and why you can't write a romance novel as a romance novel."
Remi kept her eyes on her boss as she took the envelope and stood, "Yes, ma'am.. but where am I going, if I may ask?"
"Doesn't matter. It'll do you good. Trust me," She watched as the younger girl was seemingly defeated as she turned to leave, "If you can't do this then we can't continue to employ you. I'm sorry. I know how important this is to you, Remi, so I have full faith you can do this..."
Remi nodded but didn't say another word as she walked out of her office and out of the building. Once to her Jeep Wrangler, she opened the envelope and stared at its content in shock, "North Carolina?" She frowned, "Secluded cabin- ha ha." She tossed it into the passenger seat and backed out of the parking space with fury. She wouldn't be caught dead out of a big city. Especially not in a backwoods cabin in the Carolinas.
Which is exactly why she was on her flight the next morning.
_______
After a flight and rental car drive that took nearly three hours, Remi had arrived at the long dirt road that would lead her to the cabin. She felt like she would be hacked up before she even seen it, though. Once over the hill, the gorgeous structure came into sight. She couldn't lie, it was brilliant. However, her mini skirt and heels probably weren't ready for the chill in the air.
She hopped out of the rental and shivered a bit as she grabbed her bags and began the treck inside. She carelessly tossed her bags aside and went straight to the kitchen, "Probably isn't a grocery store for miles. There better be food-" She was pleased when she seen everything stocked.
Satisfied with how everything looked so far, Remi gave in to the tired feeling and headed to the bedroom. She felt strange seeing a suitcase in the corner but honestly thought nothing of it, "I'll remove that in the morning-" She yawned and collapsed back onto the bed. It was too cozy for her to move, and when her eyes slipped closed, she didn't know she was in the world.