I sigh and lean back against my chair. “Ugh, I didn’t want to tell you this on your first day back.”
“Tell me what?” she asks.
“Well, Huxley Cane stopped by my office the other day and offered me a new job.”
“Uh . . . what?” she asks. “Who is Huxley Cane, and why is he trying to take you away from me?”
A nervous chuckle falls past my lips. “Huxley Cane is the billionaire who owns Cane Enterprises with his brothers. They invested in The Jock Report and have many properties from coast to coast. They have many fixed-income housing for single moms and people who can’t afford the expense of living in cities. They’re one of the front runners for eco-friendly office buildings, revolutionizing how major corporations handle daily waste. They have a lot going on, and his wife is also cousins with my college roommate.”
“Uh-huh, blah, blah, blah, why is he stealing you?”
I smile. “He offered me a job with their philanthropic side of The Jock Report. I don’t know what the details are, but he did just email me, and that’s what the look was. I’ve been both waiting on the email and nervous to get it.”
“Nervous because I might murder you if you leave me, or nervous that you might like the job so much that you do leave me . . . in my time of need?”
“How is this your time of need?” I ask her.
“Uh, hello. I just had a baby, and I don’t feel like myself.”
“Your boyfriend just jacked off to a picture of you.”
“Doesn’t mean I don’t feel insecure.”
“You’re right, sorry,” I say. “I didn’t mean to set aside your feelings like that.”
“That’s right, you’re sorry. Now, to make me feel better, how about you just delete that email, and we can continue celebrating my return with these cronuts?” She holds hers up, examining it as if it’s a piece of gold in her hand.
But I don’t move. I think about the email.
What it says.
What the offer might be.
When she notices that I’m clearly focused on the email, she says, “Ugh . . . is this something you want?”
“I don’t know,” I say. “I really have no clue as I’ve been waiting to see what it’s all about.”
She gestures to my phone. “Well, open the email. Let’s see.”
I unlock my screen and open the email. I decide to read it out loud. “‘Blakely, it was so nice seeing you the other night. Thank you for treating my family with kindness and thinking about the little things like a quiet suite for the babies. I appreciate it. As I said, below is the job description, and the offer we’re making you is two hundred fifty’ . . . holy shit.”
“Wait, what?” Penny sits up and leans over. “Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars? For one job? What does it entail? Nudity?”
I chuckle and shake my head. “The company is thriving and has the best employee feedback. This is probably why. Look, two hundred and fifty thousand dollars a year with guaranteed bonuses based on goals. Full, paid-for benefits, and even a housing stipend. Is he joking with this?”
“Uh, I hope so.”
“‘The job would be VIP relations’ . . . oh my God, with the athletes. I thought it would be with organizations or the public, but I’d still be able to work with the athletes, which is huge for me.”
I can sense the worry in Penny’s voice when she says, “Would you have to move?”
“I have no idea. I’m assuming yes. Kenzie told me they have an office in Los Angeles, and since I’d be head of the Pacific Coast, I’d assume they’d want me in the office.”
“Doesn’t Ollie work for The Jock Report?” Penny asks. “She lives here.”
“I know, I thought about that, but her job is different. I feel like it can be remote. I’m not sure this could be.”
“Does it say? Email him? Are you really considering this?”
