“Just how many hours are enough?” I asked, my frown deepening when he told me. “Man, you know that doesn’t make any sense, right? With those hours, you’d be lucky to have enough time to sleep, much less actually be there for Sydney and the baby. Is that really what you want? To be a provider without being present?”
Kevin huffed out an explosive sigh. “No, of course that’s not what I want, but what other option do I have? Having a kid isexpensive.And I want Syd and the baby to have the best of everything—but with our crappy insurance, that means paying for alotout of pocket.”
There was no way I was going to let my best friend struggle to take care of his family. I’d kicked around the idea for years but never extended the offer because I knew he’d shoot me down. Things were different now.
“Come to work for Ashford.”
Kevin let out a long sigh. “You don’t have to mercy-hire me, bro.”
“Stop,” I snapped at him. “You know you’re the only pilot I truly trust. And it doesn’t have to be a lifetime commitment. Put the school on hiatus and fly with Ashford until everything gets sorted out.”
Deep down, I knew that once he moved to flying for Ashford, the school wouldn’t be an option. He’d worked hard to build a life he loved, and now everything was unraveling. But wasn’t that always how it worked? Love always asked too much of you and always meant making sacrifices. But I had his back. I could make sure that at the very least, he had a soft place to land.
“I’m serious,” I continued. “You know it’s the right decision. You’ll get full health benefits from day one, plus profit sharing. All of your worries will disappear.”
We both ignored what he’d be giving up to make it happen.
When I told him what the salary was, there was dead silence for a good ten seconds. Finally, he spoke, sounding like he’d just gotten the wind knocked out of him.
“That’s…wow. Yeah. Super generous of you. I know I should jump all over it. It’s just…” He sighed again. “I appreciate it, man. I really do. I’ll talk to Syd.”
He sounded resigned. The choice was clear, but the cost was high.
“The minute you give me the greenlight, we’re good to go,” I reassured him. “I can get you onboarded in twenty-four hours.”
“Thanks. I’ll let you know ASAP.”
We hung up, and I stared out at the twinkly cityscape. Why was I so damn conflicted about providing my friend with a solution to his problem?
TheAfter Darktheme music drifted into the room, reminding me that I had my own drama to contend with. I walked back to where Gwen was waiting.
“You okay?”
Her face was earnest in a way that made me warm. I was usually the problem-solver, the one people went to when they needed advice. Case in point: the call with Kevin. It was a little weird to be on the other side of the equation and have someone show genuine concern about me. Weird, but…nice. Really nice.
“Yeah, just talking a buddy through some stuff. It’s all good.” I pointed at the TV. “How was his opening monologue?”
“So funny,” she said. “You got caught in the crossfire a little, but he’s setting up your segment. The big redemption arc.”
She’d moved from the swivel chair to the couch to see the TV better. Given the way the seats were arranged, I had no choice but to sit down beside her.
I noticed that she pressed herself against the arm of the couch as I settled in, like she didn’t want to get too close to me.
It was fine. Despite the late hour, half-zipped dress, and empty bottle of wine, Gwen and I were nothing but colleagues.
I just had to keep reminding myself of the fact.
14
GWEN
“Ithink I like this one,” I said, swiveling so I could see my butt in the dressing room mirror. I glanced at my phone perched on the chair.
I’d Facetimed Sarah to get her opinion on possible outfits for the concert tonight. I hadn’t packed anything concert appropriate, and Harrison and I were going to be in a VIP box. The interview was a home run, which meant people were going to be watching for him at the concert. I had to look my best given all of the reflected attention.
And yeah, deep down I also wanted to look good for Harrison.
Okay, maybe not so deep down. I wanted him to look at me the way he did in Aspen. I couldn’t help thinking back to one night in particular, when we’d finally managed to pull ourselves out of bed to go for a nice meal. I’d worn my trusty slim-fit knit dress, the one that looked painted onto my body, and his eyes had nearly popped out of his head when he saw me.
