Page 117 of June

“Remote? Like, you can work from home?”

“No,” Enid replied. “Well, I don’t know, exactly. Sylvie said they want someone in the office, but she’s going to check for me to see if I can work from here instead. I don’t know that it will happen, though.”

“Do you want it?” Caroline asked. “The job, is it what you want?”

“It’s not perfect, and I’ve never been to Jacksonville, so I don’t know if I’ll like it there. The job is fine, I think, but I haven’tresearched the company yet, so I don’t know if I’ll want to work there. I was going to do that tomorrow.”

“When were you going to tell me about this?” Caroline asked. “Jillknew, Enid.”

“No, Jill doesn’t know about this, I promise,” Enid told her, cupping Caroline’s cheek. “I met with Melinda today to talk about work at NOLA Guides, so Jill knows about that part.”

“Extra hours?”

“Melinda and I discussed something more permanent, but it was just talk for now. I can’t do school and work there full-time, with my school program getting harder in the fall.”

“What about school? If you move, what would you do?”

“See if I can switch to the longer program and take it online.”

Caroline nodded and asked, “And what about us?”

Enid slid her thumb over Caroline’s cheek and said, “I wanted to check out the company and see if I really wanted to apply before I told you so that you wouldn’t worry. I really like you, Care. I want this to continue. I didn’t plan on this.”

“Jacksonville isn’t a quick drive, Enid. And I’ve got to finish school, or I’m on my own. I don’t even have a part-time job yet. I couldn’t afford rent or–”

“I know,” Enid said, interrupting Caroline’s mild freak-out. “I haven’t decided anything yet.”

“Would we do long-distance if you move?”

“I hope so,” Enid replied. “We’d have to decide that together because it’s not only about whatIwant.”

“I’ve never been in a long-distance relationship. I don’t know how to do that, Enid.”

“We’d figure it out together, Care. If you want to, we’ll figure it out.”

“I don’t want to live in Florida. I like it here. But I’d live somewhere else. I just don’t want to move to Florida. I don’t want Texas, either, if I’m being honest.”

Enid chuckled and replied, “I don’t plan on being there forever, either.”

Caroline nodded and said, “Can you maybe take me home? I think I need to do some thinking.”

“Care, don’t pull away. None of this is happening right now.”

“I’m not pulling away, but I don’t know that I have the energy to do anything else tonight, either. I think I just want to sketch and sleep.”

“Caroline, this is new, but I want it,” Enid told her.

“I know. So do I,” she replied.

CHAPTER 29

“You’re moving?” Rory asked.

“Why do people just assume that when you get an interview for a job, it means you have the job already and are packing your bags and will be leaving?” Enid asked before she took a sip of the coffee from the coffee cart.

“You said she called you personally,” Jill said. “If she’s calling you and telling you to interview, that means you probably have the job, right?”

“Maybe.” She sighed. “I looked into the company this morning, and it’s a good one. They’ve been around for about fifteen years, but they already have over ten thousand employees, so there are tons of growth opportunities, which is important to me. I want to move up in an organization.”

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