— TWELVE —
SHE was going to Haunt the Park in two days. To surprise Rafe. Right after Olivia tucked into bed with a book that night, Dani texted to confirm Dean would point Rafe in her direction, and they’d take a wagon ride together. It would be fun.
So why did she feel so damn nervous?
All the way through Friday morning breakfast rush, with everyone talking about the event, she was flustered. What would she wear?
That was a stupid question. It was the end of October in the Bruce, she’d be wrapped in warm stuff from head to toe.
Her phone chirped at ten o’clock, and then again at quarter after. By the time she sat down with a fresh cup of coffee, four messages were waiting from Greg. Good to go on the town meeting read the first one. Then, You’re working this morning, sorry. She laughed to herself. When you get a chance, call me. And then the last one was the longest. Will you call sooner if I tell you we want to offer you a full-time job until June?
Her head shot up and looked toward Frank in the kitchen. As it was, her Dancelight paycheque already matched her take-home from the diner, tips aside. He’d told her he wasn’t expecting her to stay forever, but still…her hands shook as she texted back. Swamped this morning, will call soon. And then, worried that wasn’t enthusiastic enough, she sent another. Really thrilled on all counts, have many questions.
She put her phone on silent and did the rest of the morning on autopilot.
Her first instinct was to talk it out with Rafe. No, he won’t see the drawbacks. From what she’d observed already, everyone on this project worked long hours. The same kind of workload she’d always resented Rafe having. Did she want to take that on, just as she was considering re-investing in their relationship? He didn’t choose you over his job. She rubbed the space between her eyebrows and slowed her breathing. That wasn’t fair. He couldn’t choose her. She’d known he was fulfilling a life-long goal of becoming a police officer when she met him. That he was a soldier, like his brother, and he felt that calling deep in his bones. He couldn’t separate himself from those roles, not without stripping a part of his soul. She shouldn’t have asked him to, no matter how subtly. And maybe if she was doing something she was passionate about, they’d be on more equal footing. So…take the job for him? Her head spun with all the possible implications of a job offer that hadn’t even been officially made yet.
No, she needed to make her own decision. Stand on her own two feet.
What was in Olivia’s best interest? She needed to trust herself to make the right call.
And when she thought about not taking the job, of turning Greg down and staying at the diner full-time…that tipped her sideways. A profound sense of loss and sadness gripped her from the inside, and she realized this was what it was like to love your job. She’d known in her head, but never truly understood in her heart, what compelled Rafe to work so hard all of the time. Now she got it and panic threatened at the idea of missing out.
No way was she letting this opportunity slide through her fingers.
After punching out, she waited for Frank to hand off to the afternoon cook, Lily Gill, whose name was so cute everyone used both first and last when referring to her.
When he saw her waiting on the steps outside, Frank shoved one hand through his hair. “It’s too cold to be loitering outside today, Olivia.”
“I wanted to talk to you.” Her voice wavered and she tried to smile to compensate. It didn’t work. Her lip wobbled and when he patted her on the back, she started to cry.
“This is either really good or really bad.” He nodded toward his beige SUV. “Want to sit for a minute?”
Inside his car, he handed over a box of tissues. “Are you pregnant?”
She laughed and hiccuped. “No.”
“Someone die?”
“No.”
“Then whatever it is, just tell me.”
“The movie people…I think they’re going to offer me a full-time job.” She took a deep breath. “And if they do, I’m probably going to take it. I’ll give you lots of notice and help you find someone else, of course. But…” She trailed off and started crying again. This was embarrassing. If she was pregnant she could blame it on hormones at least.
“But you’ll miss me.” He grinned, his eyes disappearing into crinkly skin. “Totally understandable. I’ll let you stay on the roster and take the occasional shift to make you feel better.”
That made her laugh, and actually was a great idea. “You’re not mad?”
“No, sweetheart. I’m proud of you.” He made a shooing motion with his hand. “Now get out of my car, I’ve got to meet a hot date for bingo at the Wiarton Legion.”
She called Greg as soon as she got home. He was agreeable to a gradual transition to full-time, starting in mid-December or as soon as she could get away from the diner. He emailed a revised job description while they were talking, and explained that over the holidays she’d be expected to do some remote office reception to cover rotating time off, but for the most part she’d do work on the ground to prepare for the arrival of just over a hundred crew members and another dozen in the cast. By the time they arrived, she’d know everyone’s assistants and be the location liaison for the duration of filming.
“And we’re just one of three production companies involved in this film, remember. You’ll be able to do a lot of networking. I don’t know if you’d be interested in traveling for work, but these types of things have a way of turning permanent.”
“Oh.” The thought of moving to Toronto or Vancouver to work on movie projects thrilled and terrified her. Mostly the latter, given that she’d just allowed herself to start fantasizing about a new start with Rafe. Not just fantasizing—actually doing it. She couldn’t think about leaving Pine Harbour. Except this job made her heart thump in an entirely different but equally awesome way.
Hot tears pricked behind her eyelids. She didn’t want to think about leaving.
She didn’t want to leave. But she didn’t want to drift without a purpose, either.
“Olivia?” Greg’s voice filtered through the noise of her thoughts.
“I’m sorry, Greg. I got a bit overwhelmed there. Can you repeat that last bit?”
“If you aren’t interested in a permanent position with a single production company, than freelance work might be more up your alley.”
She cleared her throat. “This would be the second time today that I asked one of my bosses if he’d mind if I worked for someone else, so you’ll have to excuse me if this sounds rude, but … I’d like to know more about that.”
He laughed. “No worries. I get that you’re attached to your home town. You’re a real rock star of hard work, Olivia, you’ll land on your feet at the end of this project.”
A different kind of heat rocketed through her veins. Frank had always said she was a good waitress and she liked that work, but this was on a different level. Pride. It made her a little lightheaded to think that she might have value to other producers.
A niggle of an idea took hold, something she’d have months to work out all the details on. But the kernel of an idea was there, something she might be able to do in Pine Harbour.
Excitement took hold and for the afternoon she almost forgot to be nervous about the next day.
Almost.