Page 88 of Hooked
What had her father sacrificed?
Family. A relationship with his wife. His daughter. Did he think it was worth it in the end? He’d reached the height of success at his firm, and yet he slept alone at his club most nights with no one but a bunch of other rich assholes to keep him company.
“I don’t believe in sacrifice.” Ginger was curled over Spider’s arm. “I mean, I believe in working your ass off. That kind of sacrifice. And I believe in going after what you want. Personally, I think if the world isn’t going to give you want you want, then you make the world your bitch until it gives it up.”
“That’s poetic. Thanks, Ginger.”
“Hold up,” Spider says. “She’s got a point. I mean, how great a job is it if you have to give up living in a place you like that has a better cost of living and is where most of your friends live? Sounds like you’d be happy at work and nowhere else.”
Tayla sighed. “It’s not that I don’t like doing people’s books and being my own boss and working with Emmie sometimes and leading book club and all that stuff. But I cannot tell you how excited I am about this company. For real, it’s not just a normal job. It’s like… a mission. It’s being part of something big. Who’s to say I won’t make new friends at this job? They seem like really cool people.”
“Yeah, okay.” Ginger shrugged. “Whatever works for you. If you feel like settling, settle.”
“It’s notsettling.”
Ginger lifted the needle. “Tayla, everyone in Metlin likes you. You’re practically a celebrity here. Don’t pretend you don’t like it. Your best friend is here, and she’s not leaving. And added to all that, you’re banging Jeremy Allen, who is about the sweetest damn man in this town, and he looks at you like you’re a fucking goddess.”
“You also dominate on trivia night,” Spider added. “There’s no guarantee you would in San Francisco. There’s probably more book-smart people there.”
“Thanks, Spider, that’s helpful.” Ginger shook her head. “Remind her she’s surrounded by numbnuts here.”
“I saidbooksmart. Not real smart.”
“I like Jeremy.” Tayla felt her cheeks flush. “More than like him, maybe.”Definitely. “But Ginger, you of all people cannot be telling me I should give up an amazing job opportunity to stay in Metlin for a man.”
“I’m not saying that.” She turned the needle on again. “I’m saying I think you should get everything you want.”
“Life doesn’t work that way.”
“Says who?” She glanced up. “In a dream world, what would you want? Emmie to move back to the city? Would you want Jeremy to move up to San Francisco with you?”
The thought was tempting, but also impossible. “Neither of them can move, Ginger. And Jeremy would be miserable there. He hated living in LA.”
“I agree. So… I don’t know. Don’t settle, and figure out how to get everything you want. That’s my advice. You’re a smart girl. Work it out.”
Tayla turned back to the computer while Ginger continued filling in Spider’s tattoo.
Just figure out how to get everything you want.
Sure! Why not? I mean, why wouldn’t SOKA move their entire operation to Metlin? Give up their amazing office in the city? Move away from a large international airport and down to Bumfuck, California?
Made total sense.
Tayla almost snortediced tea through her nose. “He did what?”
Gus smiled. “So I told his mother there’d been a little complication and we’d be late for dinner.”
“Getting stuck fifty feet up a pine tree isn’t a little complication! Did you tell her about the tree?”
“If I’d told her about the tree, she’d have tried to keep that boy in town, and he wasn’t made for town.” Gus winked. “I knew that much when he was a little bug.”
Jeremy had his hand over his face. His cheeks were dark red. “Pop, you’ve got to stop telling people this story.”
“We managed to get him down. I knew a forest service guy with a cherry picker.”
“How long was he up there?”
Jeremy said, “About five hours.”
