He nods. “Thank you, Iris. That is kind of you.”
I pull money out of my purse and throw it on the table, giving him one more smile before I head out of the restaurant.
This is why I didn’t want to date people in New York City. I love that it is so diverse here, but that also means the dating pool is harder to navigate.
The trip home isn’t a long one. It’s only a subway ride down a few stations until I get off where my apartment building is. As I walk up to it, I sigh.
I miss Boston.
Sure, it’s a city too, but New York feels like another country sometimes. I miss the simple life I led back in Boston.
Ignoring the pangs of sadness, I wave to our doorman as I head into the building. It isn’t long until I’m in my apartment, changing into my comfy clothes.
I shoot a text to Bethanie to check in, still feeling guilty that I haven’t clung to that relationship more. Then I sent one to the group chat letting them know the date was a bust.
I’m about to settle in to watch a rom-com when my phone rings. I sigh when I see it’s Max.
Part of me doesn’t want to talk to him. The wounds from the date are so fresh. I know comparing my date to him is part of the reason the poor guy didn’t stand a chance. Still, I answer because it’s Max, and I always answer.
“Hey,” I mumble into the phone.
“What’s wrong?” he asks, forgoing his greeting.
“Nothing. Just feeling melancholy. What did you need?” I ask.
“It’s not important. Are you home?”
“Yes,” I mumble again.
“All right. Give me twenty minutes. I’ll be there.”
He hangs up, leaving me to wonder if I should have told him to stay away.
Looking at my phone, I open up my email app. There at the top is the offer from the Astor Conglomerate.
I should turn it down. Tell them to take their poaching ways and get out of here.
Then again, it’s a position I think I would enjoy. It’s in London as well. My second favorite city besides my hometown of Boston.
I look to my window, seeing the skyline of New York City.
I can’t stay here much longer. The city is sucking my soul.
So I open the email, and I type out a quick response.
Thank you for the opportunity. I can’t make any promises, but if you are available to meet in person at the London office during the fifteenth and eighteenth of this month, I would be happy to stop in and discuss this further with you. Please let me know your thoughts.
Best Regards,
Iris Howard
I feel guilty as hell, but I also feel like I would regret not even hearing what they have to say. Many times over the years I have been offered jobs at other companies, but it was always as an assistant. No one ever saw my worth as more. It’s hard being a woman out here.
This is the first real opportunity that has presented itself to me that I would actually consider taking. The only thing stopping me is Max.
If Max wasn’t my boss and I hadn’t spent ten years with him, I wouldn’t hesitate to take this position. The money is comparable, the city is a much better location for me, and the job is something I would truly enjoy.
Still, the thought of leaving Max behind makes me feel like I have hives. How did I let this one man burrow under my skin so deeply?
