Heartbeats Away From Disaster

I watched with a smile on my face as Justin made his way through the crowd of guests, greeting each and every one of them, making sure that they were all enjoying themselves. I remember when I first started working with Justin, back when he only had one small restaurant, but had even bigger, better dreams. Good things happen to good people; that much is evident when one steps back and examines Justin's life.

His chain of restaurants here in Chicago has only been open for three weeks, but already they are a great success. It's kind of hard to think back to when we started out, and then fast forward to where we are now. It's a blessing to be involved with the kind of business I'm in. I mean, millions of people work and operate restaurants, but very few of them are people like Justin, who donates most of his income and profits to charities across the country.

It's flattering to think that of all the people he's worked with through the years, that I was the one he turned to, and asked to oversee his business here in Chicago. As happy as I am to be the one 'representing' Justin, I still feel incomplete. Work is great, everybody knows how much I love my job.

But then whenever I go back to the apartment, I'm reminded that everyone I know, that everyone I love is in Michigan. Chicago is amazing, but Michigan is where I was supposed to be.

When I first got here, it was the initial anxiety of being homesick that made me want to go back to Michigan, but when Craig made me stay here, I got over myself and was able to adjust to Chicago. But, now that I have, it's clear to see that Chicago isn't the place for me.

I have too many memories in Rochester Hills, my roots have settled there on those grounds for too long; I couldn't possibly pack up and move away without at least taking one familiar face with me. I can't do it.

I haven't told Craig yet that I'm moving back to Michigan for good. Hell, I haven't even told Justin yet either, although I'm sure that he's picked up on it by now. Like I said, I've known Justin for a while now; he knows when something's not right with me.

As if he felt my eyes upon him, Justin glanced up to where I was seated beside the bar, watching over everything, and then locked his eyes with mine. He flashed me his charming smile and then excused himself from his current conversation, and then made his way toward me.

As he approached the bar, he smiled to Tomas, the bartender, and ordered a drink before he took a seat beside me. He glanced once more across the room before he turned his gaze back to me, studying me with his eyes that seemed to catch everything.

"Thank you so much for everything you've done here, Mitzi." He said softly. "The banquet tonight turned out amazing, and word on the street is that you'd kicking everybody's ass, and keeping them in line around here." He smiled.

Feeling my cheeks flush slightly, I suppressed a smile and shrugged my shoulders. "Who ever thought that managing over one hundred people in three restaurants would be so much fun?" I joked.

Justin laughed softly and reached over, brushing the bangs out of my eyes before he sighed quietly to himself. "You want to go back to Michigan, don't you?" He asked.

Biting my lip, I nodded my head slowly. "Chicago is great, but it just feels like I've left so much behind in Rochester." I said quietly. "I love working here; it's just that when I go back to the apartment at the end of the day, I'm so alone there. I need to go back to Michigan, and I need to stay there, Justin."

At my words, a small frown crossed Justin's face. "I was hoping that I wasn't asking too much of you to spend so much time away from Craig and the guys," he mumbled, "if I had known that it was going to be this hard for you to be away from them, I would have never asked you to do it in the first place. I'm sorry, Mitzi." He whispered.

"No, no, it's not your fault Justin. I knew that it was going to be hard and I decided to give it a shot." I said. "It didn't work out, so I'm the one who should be apologizing to you because I'm afraid that now you're going to have to find yourself a new manager."

Justin wrinkled his nose slightly, and then shook his head. "Actually, I was thinking about sending Brent out here if you didn't like it here. He's a bachelor now, you know; I think he'll enjoy getting out of Michigan and chasing around the Chicago ladies." He said with a hint of laughter in his voice.

I couldn't help but laugh as I nodded my head in agreement. "In that case, I think Chicago is the perfect place for Brent." I grinned.

Justin laughed as well before he took a deep breath, and then let it out in a soft sigh. "So when are you heading back to Michigan?" He asked.

"I don't know." I replied. "I was going to go back on Saturday, but I don't know now."

"You can go home as early as tomorrow if you want to, Mitzi." Justin said. "I'm going to be in Chicago here for the week, and there's nothing that I need you to work on for at least a couple of weeks. Even so, you can do all that in Michigan. I can take care of things while Brent gets moved over here."

"Are you sure?" I asked. "I can stay and help manage the restaurants while you're waiting for Brent to get here. I mean, I'm sure that you'll be busy running around, taking care of other things as well, yeah?"

Justin smiled softly and then shook his head. "I'll manage, Mitzi." He replied. "You should go back to the apartment and start packing your things; I'd imagine that you're anxious to get back to Michigan."

"Are you sure? I can - "

Justin cut me off by placing a finger over my lips and then laughed quietly to himself. "Mitzi, go on, get outta here." He smiled.

As he lowered his hand, I let a small smile cross my lips as well. "Thanks for this opportunity, Justin." I said. "I'm honestly flattered that I was the first person you thought to offer this job to."

"Since the start it's been you and me Mitzi," he grinned.

Smiling softly, I nodded my head. "I'll see you when you get back to Michigan, Justin."

"Alright, see you later, Mitzi." He said, watching me as I stood up from my seat. "Have a safe trip back home."

"If you need me to help you with anything before I go, Justin, give me a call." I told him.

"Sure." Justin smirked. "Go on, get outta here."

Giving him one last smile, I turned my gaze from him and went to gather my things. Without a doubt, I was lucky to have a boss as understanding as Justin.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Sighing softly as I pulled up into my driveway next to Craig's car, and then looked around to see if I could see him anywhere. The house itself looked depressing, all its windows dark, with no sign that anybody was home. I frowned slightly as I got out, and then grabbed my purse before I made my way up the sidewalk to the front door.

I quickly made work of the lock, and then stepped into the house. An eerie silence met my ears as I stood in the foyer, and I felt the goose bumps spread across my bare arms. I hitched my purse up higher on my shoulder and then slowly made my way through the house.

"Craig?" I called out quietly. "Babe, are you home?"

When no one answered me, I abandoned my purse on the couch in the living room and then made my way up to me and Craig's room. As soon as I approached the room, I saw that the door was slightly ajar, enough for me to look inside the room to the bed. Lying across the bed was Craig, a book lying abandoned by his side while he flipped through his photo album.

I watched as he examined each and every single picture, pausing momentarily here and there to run his fingers across a particular photograph, before he would move on to the next. Finally, before I knew it, Craig closed the photo album and then set it on the bedside table before he took a deep breath, and let it out in a long, loud sigh.

With that, he turned his gaze to the picture of the two of us that he kept in a frame beside the bed. He frowned softly and then reached over, running his fingers across the glass, and then mumbled a few incoherent words under his breath. His blue eyes that usually held a sparkle of excitement was now glazed over with a type of sadness that I couldn't stand to see.

Not being able to stand seeing him like that anymore, I cleared my throat and opened the door all the way, causing Craig to jump in surprise. He lay there, staring at me for a split second before he realized it was me and then got up, crossed the room in two swift steps, and then swept me into his arms, hugging me tightly.

"Sweetheart, you're home early." He mumbled before he kissed my cheek. "What are you doing home so early? I thought you weren't coming home until this weekend?"

"Justin said I could come home early." I whispered as he continued to kiss random spots on my face and neck.

"When are you going back?" He asked.

"I'm not going back." I said slowly.

All at once, Craig's kisses stopped as he abruptly pulled away from me. Placing his hands on either side of my face, he gave me a stern look. "Mitzi Lynn, don't tell me that you quit."

Sheepishly, I nodded my head.

Craig's blue eyes grew wide. "You seriously quit?" He asked in disbelief.

"Well, I didn't quit." I sighed. "Justin knew that I didn't like it there, being so far away from you and the guys, and he said that I come back to Michigan." I explained. "So technically, I never actually told him that I quit."

"Baby, you love your job though." Craig frowned.

"I love being with you more though." I mumbled. "What's the use of having a job you love, if it keeps you from being with the one you love?"

"Mitzi, babe, it seems like you're always giving up something just to be with me." Craig whispered. "What have I ever given up for you?"

"I would never ask you to give up anything for me, Craig." I said softly.

Staring down at me, Craig sighed quietly and then lowered his arms to my waist, wrapping them around me gently. Without another word, he leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine, kissing me lovingly. When he pulled away a few seconds later, he sighed and then rested his forehead against mine.

"I'm not going to lie," he whispered, "it was hard having you in Chicago, while I was here in Rochester." He admitted. "I didn't want to tell you, though, because I didn't want it to seem like I was being a sissy. I mean, I'm gone for months at a time, Mitzi, but when you leave for three weeks, I feel like I'm dying. It wouldn't have been fair to ask you to come home, when my job takes me away from you for a much longer period of time."

"Craigery," I said softly, "it's different."

Stubbornly, he shook his head.

"Craigery, its okay if you go on the road for months at a time because I know that if I do so much as hint around to the point that I want you to come home, you would drop everything and come home to me." I said quietly. "You've already done it for me once before; I have reason to believe that you'd do it again."

Tilting his head to the side a bit, Craig studied me with his bright blue eyes. "You put so much faith in me, Mitzi Lynn Carter. I hope you know that that scares me to death, because when if I screw things up?"

I shook my head slowly. "You won't, Craig." I said simply.

With that, I unwrapped Craig's arms from my waist, and then took his hands in mine, leading him back to the bed. Nothing saying a single word, I kicked my shoes off and lay down on the bed, pulling Craig down with me. Gently, he took me into his arms and pulled me against him, resting my head on his chest where I fell asleep, listening to the gentle sound of his heart beat.