“I guess. I’m picking up the pace. See you at the end of class,” he waves.
Nick is standing outside the girls’ locker room when I grab my things. We walk to the parking lot, and I see all the guys there. He and Seb drive me home today.
Zander arrives home a little after 6pm. I tell him there’s salad in the fridge, which he happily eats. After he finishes dinner, he tells me about a government contract they’ve won for trainingpilots. “It’s something we applied for before I knew about you. It will require some overnight stays for me. I’m not sure what to do about it honestly, because I don’t want to leave overnight when you just got here. It may be best to turn it down.”
“Were you excited about the contract before you found me?” I ask him, taking a seat at the island.
“I was, but I’m not now.” Zander grabs two muffins for dessert, offering me one.
“Tell me more about it,” I request.
“I’d be working east of Columbia at a joint military base. Training would be on and off for four weeks. I can drive up there for most of it. Depending on the schedule, I’d have to stay there for nighttime flight training. It would probably be for a few nights in a row.”
“That doesn’t sound so bad.” That’s only one month of work. It doesn’t bother me at all. His job is important.
“I wouldn’t want you staying here alone, though. You don’t have your license yet. Then there’s the Ben situation.” He points out.
“Okay, I can understand that. So what’s the solution?”
“I’m not sure. You’d have to stay somewhere else or have someone stay here with you.”
“We can talk to the guys about it. Is Troy going with you?”
“No, he would be here. I’d take Jensen with me. He’s a helicopter pilot too.”
“I’m okay with you taking the job, Zander.” I can tell he’s secretly excited about the contract, despite him downplaying it. He offers again to pass on it, but I push for him to accept.
“We can talk to the guys and see what they think. This contract could lead to several more for the company, and the pay is massive. Am I a terrible father for even considering this so soon after you’ve arrived?”
“No, I don’t think so,” I smile at him. “It’s not like you’re leaving me for months or anything. It’s just a few nights. Take the contract.”
Zander nods at that. “Okay, everyone should come to dinner tomorrow. I’ll order some takeout, and we can discuss it.”
“Sounds good. I’ll text the guys tonight.” I finish my homework and spend the rest of the night stretching and massaging my legs. I call Seb and tell him about Zander’s upcoming trip. He, of course, volunteers to stay with me. I send a text to the other guys, inviting everyone to dinner tomorrow to talk about Zander’s job.
Chapter 39
After getting a hug from E and Seb when I arrive at school, I ask the guys what they want for dinner tonight. The consensus is pizza, so I text Zander about the order.
AP English class is annoying today because Cara keeps trying to talk to Seb. So much so that she gets detention for interrupting class. She glares at me for somehow causing her to be disruptive. Not sure when I developed mind control powers over other people.
It’s raining this afternoon after school, so Ben and the rest of the baseball team are in the workout room. Ben waves to me with a big smile, but I don’t acknowledge him. It’s crowded on the indoor track with us all running at once, so our coach has the sprinters take a break halfway through so the distance runners can practice. I run distance on pace with Jaxon. Jaxon and Holly walk me to the pool after practice so I can wait for Alex and Bay. I decide to ride with Bay to my house. “I hear you’re going to a meet on Friday. I’m excited to watch.”
“Yeah, in the afternoon.” Bay doesn’t sound like he’s looking forward to his season beginning, so I ask him what’s wrong. “I get nervous before the first meet every year. I’ll be okay once I dive that day,” he smiles.
Olivia is apparently bummed because her extended family is arriving that day, and she can't go. Bay tells me she wanted to sitwith her new friend, Summer. That’s so sweet. “Isn’t Sue arriving on Friday?” Bay asks me.
“Yes, I’ll take her with me if she wants,” I say, which earns me a big smile from him.
I unlock the door for all the guys when we arrive. “I’m showering,” I holler, walking down the hallway. After my usual routine of a shower and soak, I join the guys in the living room. I sit on the floor in front of the coffee table and apply my cream and stretch.
“What is the meeting regarding?” Alex asks.
“It’s about a job Zander is considering taking. He’ll have to travel,” I reply as the front door opens again and Zander and Troy come in carrying pizza boxes. We all get up as I grab plates and napkins for everyone. E gets the drinks, and then we settle in at the table.
“Thanks for coming today, guys,” Zander says as we all start eating. “Finn has been awarded a new government contract that I applied for 8 months ago. It’s for training military pilots outside of Columbia. I’ve discussed it with Summer, and she is insisting I take the job, but I’d be gone for long days and would have to spend several nights on base for night training. I won’t leave her here alone, especially since she doesn’t have her driver’s license yet. I’m torn because I don’t want to be away right now, but,” he shrugs.
“If you pass on this contract, you will most likely lose others. If you take it, you will get more contracts in the future, I assume,” Alex states.
