Page 32 of Jilted Jock
I am grateful for how quickly a job opportunity has presented itself.
I am grateful for…
I glanced out the window, taking in the cute waterfront stores. I would miss it here. The beauty, the ocean, my family.
I am grateful to have lived in Hermosa Beach.
But, and this was a big one that scared me a little, so I knew it was especially important.
I am grateful for a new adventure in New York.
I went through my usual routine when I got to the office and then sat at my desk reading the job details for the interview on Friday. Richard was right, it did sound like a perfect opportunity. I’d be a clerk instead of an assistant and the job duties were more in line with the parts of my current job I enjoyed. They were a larger firm and probably had an office manager who took care of the other things I did in my present role.
The salary range was a big bump, though I knew it would be a more time-consuming job, too. Possible travel up to twenty-five percent. They had offices in Paris, Dublin, and London. My head was spinning so fast. It was nerve-wracking but exciting.
I liked my job now and I was good at it. I had a knack for expecting the unexpected and thinking two steps ahead of everyone else. Often, I’d already done things before Harry and the other partners even thought to ask. I was an asset, but New York would be a new challenge.
When Harry got into the office, I followed him in with a bag containing his favorite jalapeno bagel and an iced coffee.
“Good morning. Did you have a nice weekend?” I asked, setting the bag and coffee on his desk.
Harry shrugged out of his jacket and adjusted the knot of his tie while he looked at my offering and then me.
“You look nice. Really nice. New dress?”
I stifled a laugh. I’d bought this dress for an event I’d attended with him, but that had been years ago so I could hardly hold it against him for not remembering.
“No.” I ran a hand down my side. “Just had it tucked away in the back of the closet.”
He stared a bit longer – a look I recognized on his face. I’d dated him for long enough I knew when he liked what he saw. He caught himself and sat down, smiled stiffly, and dug into the bag for his bagel. “Thanks for this. My weekend was crap. Charlotte and I worked a fundraiser at her kids’ school and then Tatum had two friends stay the night. I woke up in the middle of the night to giggling and found them trying to make breakfast downstairs. Real French pastries.” He shook his head but there was a happiness about the way he said it. A contentedness. Harry had begun dating a single mum shortly after we broke up. He was happy. A happy we’d never been.
“Sounds eventful.”
“What about you? Did Richard come into town this weekend?”
“He did.” I clasped my hands in front of me. “Actually, since we’re on the topic, I wanted to ask if I could have Friday off to go to New York.”
He nodded as he chewed. “You know the office schedule better than anyone. Just make sure Bobbi has a heads up on anything that needs to be taken care of. Two weekends in a month, huh? Pretty soon you’re going to be telling me you’re moving up there.” He gave a little laugh and when I didn’t join in, he stilled and put down the bagel. “Christ, I thought this might happen, but I’d hoped not. When are you going?”
“I have an interview Friday. I won’t leave you in a lurch, you know that. Even if this interview goes well, I’ll make sure someone else is trained before I leave.”
“I hate to see you go, but I get it.”
“Thank you, Harry. I really appreciate everything you’ve done for me.”
“Likewise. You’re the best employee this office has seen in as long as I’ve been here. You outgrew us a long time ago, but I’m thankful you’ve stayed as long as you have.”
His words touched me. “Thanks for taking a chance on a girl with a shoddy work history.”
He smiled a bit sadly and I backed out of his office and went to grab my phone. I tapped out a text to Richard to let him know I was able to get Friday off and then emailed Madelyn myself to confirm and attach my resume.
I could only hope everything else would fall together as easily as it had so far. Including telling my brother. Like me, I was sure he assumed my moving was something that wouldn’t happen anytime soon and I wasn’t ready to break it to him until I knew for sure.
Adele
There was a strange smell in my house. I stepped through the front door with my purse in one hand and a brown bag with my half-eaten sandwich from lunch in the other. My stomach growled and did a somersault at the sight of Finn in my kitchen. Fact: a man in the kitchen was hot. Also a fact, Finn was hot. The somersault therefore couldn’t be helped.
“What are you doing?”
