"I will and don't worry, I know you'll get hired and then we'll get your ass moved here. I'll take some leave to come help you.”
Hanging up, I can't help the smile that spreads across my face. This is a chance to see somewhere outside of my hometown of Freeport, Texas. I hadn’t visited Ryan since he returned from overseas. Well, I was going to go until I heard Jeremiah was there. I changed my mind real quick. I just couldn’t do it. My heart still longs for him no matter how many times I tell myself he is off limits. Not only is he taken, but he’s also my brother’s best friend, and, worst of all, married. Talk about a trifecta.
Last year, on my twenty-first birthday, Ryan came home to take his little sister out drinking, as he promised. I didn't care much for alcohol, so I pretended to drink more than I did, sneaking away to ask the bartender to exchange my tequila shots with water and to make my Jack and Cokes just Coke. She smiled and eagerly agreed. It didn't hurt that I gave her a good tip.
He confessed in his drunken stupor that he had threatened all his friends with death if they even looked at me. I was one hundred percent off limits to them. I'm sure that's a threat that will still be enforced if I move there.
Getting up, I head into my little office in my two-bedroom apartment and turn on my laptop. Hopefully, I get the job. Turning in my resignation to Principal Steiner will be the happiest day of my life. Hell, I may just get together with the girls and go clubbing. I'm going to miss them.
Two are my best friends from high school and we met the other two in college. We became a tight-knit group that no one could tear apart. I knew in my soul we were going to be best friends for life. They know how I feel about Jeremiah and how hard it’s been for me to date anyone. I can’t count the times they cried with me over ice cream and wine.
We often joke about how we will all marry our best friends and when we grow old, we'll live in a retirement community together.
It doesn't take long to fill out the application, attach my credentials and press submit. Curious, I do some research on the area. Looking at what the city and the surrounding areas have to offer, checking out the statistics on the schools, and even looking at some apartments. I don't want to live with Ryan forever, but I do plan on it for a few months if I get the job.
Fayetteville is located perfectly between the beach and the mountains. It isn't a big city like New York, but seems to have things to do both there and in the nearby cities. The crime isn't something I'd want to write home about, but crime’s everywhere and I can't let that rule where I live and go. If I did, I'd never step foot outside of my door. After being cramped inside my apartment during COVID, I never want to be confined again.
All I can do now is wait.
I'm happy and anxious all at the same time. The more I think about it, the more I wonder if I can actually avoid Jeremiah. I'll be staying at Ryan's and at some point, they'll likely come over. Shit, what if Ryan has a party? I'll have to make an appearance. There's no way I will be able to avoid seeing them then. The excitement starts slowly slipping away.
The days drag on and I've almost given up hope of being considered as a candidate until I open my email and see the offer for employment at Kishwaukee Elementary school.
I thought they’d want to interview me before just offering me a position. But the email says they’re experiencing a teacher shortage in the area. My credentials hold more weight than I thought, so there’s no need for an interview. Fine with me! I plan on showing them just how good of a teacher I am.
I jump up from my chair, doing a happy dance, with all the pitiful rhythm that I have. Then it hits me; I need to call Ryan. Rushing out of my office, I head straight to the living room. I rifle through my purse, and find my phone, immediately scrolling through my contacts until I find his name.
It rings three times before he picks it up. He's breathing heavily and I try not to gag. Did he answer while he was having sex?
"Hey Amberlee. What's up?"
"Umm, if this is a bad time, I can call you back later," I rush out, wanting to get off the phone and scrub the thoughts currently holding up residence in my mind.
"No, it's not. Wait. Why do you think it's a bad time?" I can already tell by his snicker at the end, he has an idea and just wants to embarrass me. Really, he's twenty-eight, almost twenty-nine years old, and he acts like a prepubescent teenager.
"I'm not answering that. Just call me when you're not busy," I scold him.
"Sis, I'm at the gym. I'm not busy. What's up?" I can hear muffled voices around him, but by the depth of them, I know it's guys. He must be telling the truth.
"I got the job!" I squeal.
"Hell yeah!" I can hear him shout some expletive words in his excitement before he speaks to me again. "Okay, so when do you start?"
"Well, school doesn't start until August. But I want to get there beforehand to get acclimated to the area. So I guess the question is, if you're going to help me move, when can you get here?"
"I'll talk to my commander in the morning and put in a leave request. How much time do you need to get things sorted on your end?"
"Let me think for a minute," I tell him as I mentally go through a checklist of things I need to handle before leaving.
While I'm doing it, I hear my brother's voice become muffled, like he's covered his phone with something or pulled it away from him. He's talking to someone, but I can't make out what he's saying. I continue mentally making my list.
1. Resignation letter.
2. Notice to my apartment complex. My lease ends next month, so that's not a big issue and I haven't signed a new lease yet. I knew I had to give a thirty-day notice which would take me into next month, anyway.
3. Turn utilities off.
4. Pack. I need to see how big his garage apartment is. I may need to get a small storage unit there until I get my own place. I worked hard for everything I have, so there's no way I want to go out and buy all new stuff there when I have practically brand-new furniture.
