Page 46 of I'm Looking for a Man in Finance
Roxie sighed as she leaned back on the couch. “I’m not sure. My time at the gallery has been great. The clients there are wonderful to me. I’ve made great connections. But I’m still no closer to leaving than I was when I first took the job. Plus, the owner’s an asshole.”
“What if we did a dream board? Like we did in college whenever we wanted to plan our lives. We can lay it all out to start. We don’t have to decide right now.”
Roxie chewed on the idea for a moment. Back in college, she’d always been the one to jump into opportunitiesfeet first while I’d just dip a toe in to test the waters. Her hesitation now was out of the ordinary.
“Okay, we can do a dream board. I think that’s fair. I’m just worried that now isn’t the right time.”
“What do you mean? Why wouldn’t the time be right?” Roxie’s eyes softened as she reached for my hands again.
“Honey, the last thing I want is for you to bethisclose to the food critic position atSophisticateand you don’t see it through. Yes, you could write this entire ‘Love on Wall Street’ series and Anthea could still pass you over, but why wouldn’t you at least give yourself a chance for it rather than counting yourself out before you even take your first swing?”
My phone buzzed on the coffee table, and James’s name flashed across the screen, making my heart stop.
“That kiss must have really been something if he’s texting you only an hour after he dropped you off,” Roxie said with a knowing look.
James:
I had the best time tonight. Would you want to grab breakfast tomorrow? I know that we only agreed to our five dates … so I understand if you don’t want to. But I wanted to speak with you about an idea I had for our next date.
I stared at the message, my thumb hovering over the keyboard. I wasn’t sure what to say. On one hand, I wanted to see him again. On the other, I wasn’t sure if I should blur the line between this ridiculous arrangement and something real. Was I getting caught up in the moment?
I looked over at Roxie, who had been watching me closely. “How should I respond?”
She leaned forward, setting her glass of wine down, her eyes narrowing in thought. “Well, for starters, stop second-guessing yourself all the time. I don’t know what it is with you and overthinking everything, but it’s holding you back. Whether it’s James, the article, or your job application—if you want something, just go for it.”
I took in her words, letting them sink in and ignoring the initial sting of them. Roxie was right. I’d spent so much time second-guessing every step I took, especially with this whole “Love on Wall Street” series, and now I was doing the same with James.
Taking a deep breath, I finally typed out my reply.
Hallie:
I’d love to. Can I choose the place tomorrow?
