Page 18 of Hooked
Jeremy forced his face into a smile. “That’s exciting.” His heart was racing. He felt like he wanted to puke. “So they emailed you back?”
“Yes.” Her cheeks were flushed. “I filled out an interest form, and they emailed me back. They’ve emailed me a couple of times now. I think they may want me to come up for an interview.”
“In San Francisco?”
“Yeah.” Her chin lifted. “In San Francisco.”
Was it healthy for your heart to be this irregular? Jeremy felt it going a million miles an hour, then it felt like it stopped completely. That couldn’t be healthy.
“That’s… fantastic.” He swallowed hard. “So exciting. What’s the job?”
“They’re filling a number of positions, but this would be blogging and influencer outreach. I’d be evaluating their social media network and pairing the right influencers with companies that fit their style and budget audience.”
Oh shit.“You’d be an amazing fit for that.” She was perfect for that. She was fantastic. They were going to hire her as soon as they set eyes on her.
Tayla finally met his eyes. “Thanks. You’re like the first person who’s been happy for me.”
“Of course.” He glanced around the table. All eyes were laser focused on him. He kept his smile plastered on. “I mean, how could we not be happy for you?”
You’re a schmuck, Jeremy Allen. And the woman you’re half in love with has been looking for a way out of town while you’ve been playing some stupid long game.
“Everyone knows Tayla is fucking amazing,” Spider said. “And she could do whatever she wants. But no one wants her to move back to that shithole city.”
“San Francisco is not a shithole.” Tayla glared. “It’s a beautiful city.”
“Whatever,” he muttered.
Daisy said, “Spider doesn’t like any city, Tayla. It’s nothing about San Francisco in particular.”
“Not true. I like Milwaukee.”
“Really?” Jeremy snapped out of his frozen state. “Milwaukee?”
Ethan took a drink. “That’s random, dude.”
Spider shrugged. “I like what I like.”
“Question eighteen is next. Which famous lead singer was born Farrokh Bulsara?”
“I know that one,” Ethan said. “Give me the paper.”
“Everyone knows that one,” Daisy whispered. She wrote Freddie Mercury on the answer form.
Ethan, Daisy, and Spider started bickering over the answer sheet as Jeremy and Tayla fell silent. Jeremy forced the smile to remain on his face the rest of the night, and Tayla avoided his eyes.
Jeremy finished his beer and made his excuses while Tayla was in the bathroom. He had to get out of the pub. He couldn’t bear the pressure in his chest another minute. He walked out the door and into the cool night air, taking a deep breath as soon as he was alone.
Tayla was leaving. If it wasn’t for this job, it would be for another one. She wasn’t settled in Metlin like he thought she was. She was looking for a way out.
So where the hell did that leave him?
Jeremy triedto clear his mind as he grabbed the green jug halfway up the bouldering wall. He glanced up to see Cary to his right, already nearing the top of the wall. They’d come to the climbing gym at the last minute to find the top-roping area full with a beginner class, so they decided to spend their time practicing on the bouldering wall.
The large plastic hold he’d grabbed with his left hand was called a jug. He could fit nearly his entire hand around it. He stretched his right leg out and pressed his toe to the wall, shifting his weight so he’d be able to boost his body up to the small hold—or crimp—he needed to grab with his right.
“You all right?” Cary had reached the top and was watching him.
“Fine.” Jeremy grunted and used his left leg and torso to reach up. His fingers curled around the crimp for a sweet second before his knuckles gave out.
