“Not so far,” I replied, eyeing him as he walked back toward me. “I’ve put out feelers, and I searched online today, but I didn’t see anything that I’d want to do long-term.”
“You think you’ll try and find the same thing you were doin’ before?” he asked, sitting down beside me.
“I’m not sure,” I confessed. “I liked what I was doing, but I think I’m done traveling so much. I was moving from state to state every few months—or few weeks—and it was fun for a while, but it was beginning to get old.”
“Hard to put down roots.”
“My roots are here,” I said simply. “Eugene is home.”
“You think you’ll be able to find somethin’ local?” he asked, pulling my feet onto his lap. He took off my boots and socks and set them next to the couch.
“Ideally, yes,” I replied as he began to rub my feet. “But I might be able to find something where I could work remotely from here and just go to the office a couple times a month.”
“Still a lot of travelin’.”
“Yeah, but I could have my home base here.” I tipped my head back against the couch and sighed. “Any offer would look good at this point.”
“You’ve been home a week,” he reminded me, pinching my big toe. “Stop stressin’.”
“Yes, because telling someone to stop stressing always works to keep them from stressing,” I argued, wiggling my toes.
“You’ll find something. Right now you’re livin’ with your parents—”
“Don’t remind me.”
“So, you’re in a good position to wait for the right job, not just the first one you find.”
“You think I should hold out for the perfect job? It doesn’t exist.”
“I fuckin’ love my job,” he argued. “Perfect for me. See how that works?”
“Yeah, yeah.”
“Why don’t you start your own business?” he asked. “Make the perfect job.”
“My own consulting firm?”
“Sure,” he said, nodding.
“You have no idea what I do—did—do you?”
“Not a fuckin’ clue,” he said, chuckling. “Somethin’ with numbers?”
“Yeah,” I replied, pulling my feet from his lap so I could move across the couch. I swung one leg over his thighs so I was straddling him. “Something like that.”
“You’re smart as fuck,” he said as I leaned in to kiss him. “I know that much.”
“I’m flattered.”
“Your dad never shuts up about it,” he said against my mouth.
I snorted and then covered my face in horror.
“Do it again,” he ordered, his eyes wide.
“Shut up.”
“Do it.”
