Page 102 of Isn't It Obvious?
“And you wonder why I thought we were only work friends,” Yael says.
Gina brings her hand over the cross pendant on her chest, a show of mock offense, which gets another laugh out of Yael. “So what happened? I told you I didn’t snitch, and I meant it.”
“I know you didn’t,” Yael says. “But I admitted it freely. Lauren was pissed, mostly about the way it could look if it gotout. I think also a little pissed that I’d managed to hide it from her until it got this big.”
“Poor Yael, suffering from success,” Gina jokes.
“She heavily implied that she could fire me for doing both, even though legally she can’t. I had an employment lawyer read my contract before I even made a Patreon. So, she couldn’t outright say it, and instead tried to pressure me into quitting the podcast ‘so my attention wouldn’t be divided’ or whatever.”
“But you didn’t.”
Yael shakes her head. “No, I, um… quit my job here instead.”
“What?”
“I know.” Yael closes her eyes slowly, still unable to make eye contact with Gina when she opens them again. “I know, but I’m making enough money from the podcast now. And I gave her until the end of the school year to find a replacement. There’s no reason the book club couldn’t be volunteer-run. I have plenty of time to get my shit together.”
Gina blinks at her.
“I got this job right out of graduate school, and it’s at the high school I went to. Lauren was my principal! And you’re the first lasting friend I’ve made since college. Honestly, it would probably be good for me to try something new.”
Slowly, Gina nods, working her jaw. “If Lauren folded tomorrow and asked you to stay, podcast be damned, would you?”
“I don’t know. I don’t think so. Having only one job for a while would be a lot easier on me, mentally.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah.”
“You quit your job, Yael.”
“I quit my job.”
“You’re a full-time podcaster now.”
“In five months,” Yael corrects.
“Congratulations,” Gina says. “I’m proud of you.”
And then, for the first time ever, she wraps up Yael in a hug.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Early Friday evening, still hiding in his office even though he heard Suresh and Mia get home an hour ago, Ravi opens the bonus episode in his editing software. He gave himself a few days to get himself together. He downed a cup of coffee late enough that he knows he won’t be able to fall asleep. He can focus now.
Yael laughs through the intro. Ravi immediately gives up.
Suresh was right about one thing, Ravi thinks.This is torture.
He pulls up the most recent email from Yael, clicks reply, and starts to type.
To:Elle Rex
RE:December Bonus Rough Cut
I can’t be your editor anymore. I know I need to stop loving you, and I can’t do it with your voice in my headphones for hours every other week.
This podcast was incredible before I had a hand in it, and it still will be without me. I’ll letRenegadeknow on Monday.
