"Yeah, and he kissed me at the clinic and then told me that he wasn't looking for anything long term. Like I'm a slut that's going to spend the night with him and expect nothing but a good lay from it." I growled and shoved the last cinnamon stick in my mouth.
"Um, you did sleep with him, and it was you that pushed him away, left him in a hot tub, treated him like shit at the club until he was willing to help you make Jackson jealous, and I'm pretty sure you left Miami without a word to him." She shrugged. "If we're counting asshole moves, you're winning, my bestie."
My phone began to ring. I turned to see who was calling me, but left the phone alone. I hated unknown numbers, and if it were anyone important, then they would already be in my contacts.
"I get it, okay? I'm just struggling with all of this." I licked at my fingers and turned as the phone dinged. Whoever it was left a message.
"Then dump him and get it over wit
h, or go all in and shut up about it. He's perfect for you, and he's put up with a torrential amount of stuff for a guy who doesn't deserve any of it. So you have baggage, Viv. We all do. Fuck Jackson for ruining your future, but Easton doesn't deserve to lose the chance at something great with you because of Jackson. Does he?" She moved to the edge of the bed. "I love you, and I'm telling you to let this go. He didn't call for a reason. Ask him why. Pull it out of him."
"Alright. You're probably right." I ran my sticky fingers through my hair.
"I always am. Now, see who left us a message."
"What are you, my agent now?" I grumbled at her and turned my back to her to listen to the message. The woman's voice was curt and professional.
"Hi, this is Sherry Jackson. I'm the assistant to Jon Williams at Wilmington and Branch. We've received your application, and Jon would like to schedule an interview. If you'd like to call–”
I stopped the message and turned to face Casey as my mouth dropped open.
"What?" She asked. "What is it? Good or bad?"
"Really good. That was Wilmington and Branch. They want to give me an interview." I squealed and jumped up, bouncing on my feet like a ten-year-old. Casey joined me and we danced around the room until she jerked me to a stop.
"Wait. Who are these people?"
"Easton's company." I beamed. There was a chance that I could get a job with him and be beside him instead of having to watch him leave town all the time. Nothing could have dented my mood. Fate was alive and well, and even if I didn't believe in her, she sure as hell seemed to believe in me.
"Oh wow. Did he set that up?"
"No. I applied myself." I pressed my hands to my mouth. "Oh no. You don't think that he'll think that I was being too forward or stalker-like, right?"
"What? No way. That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. He'll probably see it for what you meant it to be. A new opening for a career and the possibility to be with him more. Can you get your jobs lined up to travel together?" She yelped. "Oh my God! Wouldn't that be insane?"
"Yes, but I need to get the job first."
"You need to go to the interview. Call them back."
"They didn't leave a number." I turned back to the desk and realized I'd cut off the message in the middle of it playing. "Wait. I think I cut it off early."
I replayed it and motioned for Casey to get me a pen and a piece of paper. I jotted down the number as excitement rushed through me. I needed to tell Easton what I'd done, but I'd rather do it face to face.
"Call them back!" She wrapped her arms around my shoulder and squeezed. "How exciting, Viv. Your first interview for your dream job."
"Yeah. It is." I smiled and read the number a few times before letting out a long breath and calling. The woman was professional and nice, and the interview was able to be scheduled for later that day.
*****
I sat in my car for twenty minutes, trying to still my racing heart as I sat outside of Wilmington and Branch's main office on Times Square.
"Just stick to the script. You've gone through your education and know the ins and outs of it. You can tell them that you know Easton, just to keep things on the up and up. He's a good friend. No, he's my boyfriend." I growled. They would get the wrong impression possibly if I told them that Easton and I were dating, but I couldn't lie. I hated liars.
Getting out of the car, I worked to still my thoughts and pulled out my phone, deciding to text Easton and wish him a safe flight home. I told him to call me the minute he got in, and that I missed him horribly.
Some part of me was still a little angry and wanting to be reserved, but Casey was right. The scale was vastly tilted in favor of my being a jerk, and yet he'd still called the minute he'd got back into New York from Miami and taken me to a beautiful dinner.
I smiled as I walked into the building and stopped at the front desk. "Hi. I'm here to see Jon Williams of Wilmington and Branch."