The reason for Lora Monroe’s flowers was less about me getting the job than it was the job itself. She had always dreamed of working for a magazine. Granted, the ways of work had changed since she was young—less print media, more online coverage—but the mechanics were the same.
She never had the chance to pursue that dream, though. Mom and Dad were high school sweethearts who had an oopsie baby—aka me—at sixteen. They struggled to take care of me,and while I always thought they did great, Mom chose a stable, less stressful job over her dream magazine job.
I knew my parents were worried I lacked things growing up. Maybe I never had the shiniest toy or the newest phone, but I recognized that the love they poured into me at a young age was worth so much more. They gave up so much for me. I wanted to repay them in any way I could.
But now I was beginning to wonder if there really was something like a “dream job.” It felt like we were all suffering during the hours of 9-5 so that we could afford to live our lives from 5-9. Rinse and repeat, and you have a typical week.
“What are you still doing awake?” Kira padded through our shared living space to the kitchen. “Still thinking about Noah’s proposal?”
“Proposal is a strong word. I’m working,” I answered. “Hey, if you’re making a snack, can I have some?”
Kira returned with a pint of cookie dough ice cream and two spoons. “Don’t distract me with ice cream talk. You didn’t tell us much about Noah’s suggestion the other day.”
“I didn’t?”
“I think you were too busy complaining about how annoying he is.”
I spooned a large amount of ice cream into my mouth. Sweet, sweet calories.
When Noah had first DM’d me and asked to meet up, I almost sent him to spam, convinced it was a bot. Then I saw the blue checkmark and realized that yes, it was the real Noah Hansley asking me out.
Not that it was a date.
My first instinct was to delete the message and move on. But when I realized he might have more intel on the video than me, I thought it would be a good idea to meet up. Just so I could learn what he knew.
I never expected a resort in Aruba to have contacted him about hosting us as members of the press team.
“He is annoying,” I said as I stabbed a chunk of cookie dough. “Though I suppose him telling me about the press trip invite makes him a little less annoying.”
And a little bit nice.
Twirling the spoon between her fingers, Kira said, “I’m still surprised you turned him down. Weren’t you just telling me about opening new doors in your career?”
I dropped my spoon on the stained coffee table and curled my knees under myself on the couch. “Yes, but I only want to open them if they’re my door to open. Not Noah Hansley’s.”
Even though the invite had made me feel a little special. And maybe, just maybe, I took a little satisfaction watching him flounder when I turned him down.
“Fair.” Kira shimmied the fluffy throw blanket off the top of the couch and covered both of us with it. “But you don’t have to open doors alone. Sometimes, the door is so heavy you have to go through it with someone else.”
I huddled under the blanket. “We’re not going to Narnia.”
Kira cracked a smile, all perfect, shiny teeth. “I was scrolling through his posts…”
I groaned and pulled the blanket over my head. I could make a home under here. Warm and cozy, with ice cream only steps away.
“He’s got that bad boy persona, but I bet there’s more under the surface. Also, he’s hot.”
I lowered the blanket beneath my eyes.
She looked at me and said, “And you know that means a lot coming from me.”
“I’m still not going.”
Kira pulled the blanket down, exposing the rest of my face. “Macey, not all influencers are like your ex.”
Ugh, just thinking aboutthatsituation sent a spiral of anger through me. Considering I was a writer for an online magazine and my ex was a famous local influencer, I should have known from the start that getting involved romantically could impact my professional future.
There was nothing that threw me off my game more than attending events for work and running into the boy who cheated on me.
