Page 52 of Scoop Me Up
They forced a smile and nodded again. “I’m sure. It’s just scary. Everything is changing. I’m not sure I ever expected this to actually happen.”
I pulled them in for a soft, gentle kiss, and when we parted, I stroked Sam’s arm with my thumb. “It’s happening. And it’s going to be great.”
“What if it isn’t? What if the ice cream shop flops?”
“It won’t. This town won’t let it. But, on the off chance that it does, you can return to teaching, right?”
“That’s a good point. I’m sure the principal would take me back if there was an opening.”
“You’ve got this.” I kissed them once more, just to punctuate the conversation.
Once Sam left for the day, I settled down at my laptop to get to work. No sooner had I started checking my emails than I got a message from Adam, the colleague who’d sent me the job offer, asking if I could jump on a video call.
“Hey, Adam,” I said as my camera flickered to life. Adam was someone I’d worked with in the past, someone known as a rising star in the business consultancy field. He’d come to me for input on projects even since we’d stopped being coworkers, but I knew that this call wasn’t going to be advice-seeking. He wanted to know if I was going to take the job offer.
“Gabe, how’s it going?” He looked directly into the camera for a second, running a hand through his sandy blond hair.
I nodded and lifted my coffee cup to him. “I’m great. Just getting started for the day.”
“Same here. I’m glad we were able to connect.”
He opened his mouth to continue, but I jumped in. “Listen, Adam, let’s cut to the chase. I’m going to have to decline the job offer.”
His eyebrows shot up. “Really? Do you mind if I ask why?”
What was I supposed to say? There were so many factors.
“This is a huge offer, you know. It would really send your reputation skyrocketing.”
I shook my head dismissively. “I don’t need to skyrocket my reputation. My clients already love me and I get more than enough referrals to keep myself going.”
“Sure, but this offer… you’ll make more money than you’ve ever seen before. I told you, name your price. They’ll give you whatever you’re asking.”
It was tempting, but no. I chuckled and shrugged. “It’s not about money. I do alright for myself with my current workload. I’m going to invest in some businesses out here.”
He frowned, brow furrowing. “Out there? As in, Maplewood?” His tone was derisive, making it sound like he looked down on Maplewood for some reason. Just because it was a small down wasn’t a reason to discount it, though. I’d learned that well enough over the past few weeks.
“Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. This place is great. It’s got everything you could want in a town. Maple everything. Nosy neighbors.Allthe festivals. Believe me, it’s better than you could imagine.”
“So you’re staying there, then?”
I knew what I said next didn’t need to be the final word on my living situation, but as soon as I started to speak, I knew it was true. “I am. Ellie’s here. And… everything else that matters.”Sam’s here, I thought. And immediately after that, another thought hit me.I’m falling for them. Hard.
“Well, you let me know if you change your mind. Door’s always open for a rock star like you.”
“Thanks, Adam. Same for you. Come down to Maplewood anytime. My door is always open.”
We logged off a few minutes later and I found myself relieved that it was settled. I’d applied for the job, sure but not with the plan to move to the south, away from Ellie and everything else that mattered to me. Everyoneelse.
By lunchtime, I was starving, and I decided to make the walk to Red’s and eat there. I hadn’t gotten involved in the diner rivalry that the town seemed weirdly obsessed with and besides, I wanted a milkshake. The day was warm and sunny, with everyone I passed greeting me warmly with a hello or a head nod.
I took a seat at the counter at Red’s, Ingrid, the server, coming over to greet me as I did. It was late and I’d missed the lunch rush altogether, which was nice. I ordered a maple-bacon burger and a milkshake and waited for my food to arrive, and when it did, Ingrid lingered to chat.
“How’re you liking Maplewood so far?”
“It’s great here. Everyone is so welcoming.”
She gave me a knowing smile and raised an eyebrow. “Including Sam?”
