Chapter Twenty-Five
Gia
I’ve been watching Simon and the guys stream nearly the whole time they’ve been live. It’s been three days now and they seem to be doing a great job. While I have them up on my computer, I’m not interacting with them like Ruby is. But, then again, Ruby is really into gaming. She is also into Link and he’s had a lot of screen time.
I’ve seen Simon a couple of times. I’ve gone over to his apartment during his breaks, but he pretty much kissed me for a while then passed out.
It’s about half past ten in the morning when I finally decide to get some work done. I’ve got several emails piling up that need my attention. Plus, I need to plan my articles for next month. But I’m quickly distracted when a new email hits my inbox. It’s from Michelle at TVEdge.com, who has been my primary contact since applying for this job. She and I have also known each other for a few years, as we used to write for a smaller entertainment site that has since shut down.
From: [email protected]
Subject: Welcome to the TVEdge Team!
Dear Gia,
We wanted to thank you again for all the wonderful pieces you have written for us over the past several months. They have all been well received and we feel like you would make a great member of the TVEdge team. Congratulations! We would officially like to offer you the Feature Writer position and are looking at a starting date of November 29th.
Attached I have included a formal offer, benefits package, and our basic onboarding packet. Please print and have it with you when you arrive on day one. Since you will be relocating, I have also attached information on the area as well as some nearby apartments. We do have several resources available to you. I know from experience that relocating can be stressful and the last thing we want to have is our new employees starting off on a bad note, so please let me know if I can do anything to assist you with your move.
Best,
Michelle
Production Editor | TVEdge.com
Oh my gosh. I can’t believe I got the job. I mean, I can, because I worked my butt off for it, but it’s been the longest interview process ever. And now I finally know. I’m both thrilled and sad at the same time. A few months ago, I was excited at the prospect of trying something new. Taking the next step in my career. Getting out there and actually interviewing the showrunners and actors that I’m writing about. Attending red carpets and awards shows and reporting on the winners and losers. I had made peace with the idea of leaving Morgan and taking this next step on my own. But now … now Simon is in the picture.
And things are really good with Simon. We are finally on the same page.
But I haven’t mentioned this to him yet. And I will once again be walking out of his life. I’m not ready for us to be over when we’ve just begun.
Sighing, I close my laptop and go in search of Morgan. I need her advice on what to do but I know she isn’t going to go easy on me. While things are back to normal, I can tell that what happened between us still lingers in her mind.
I don’t even take a step out of my room when I hear Simon and Dex’s voices coming from the living room. Like me, she’s been watching the stream as well. And like me, she really doesn’t know what is going on, but it’s more entertaining than watching a tournament since they are having fun, raising money, and interacting with fans.
She is sitting on the living room floor with her back against the couch and her laptop set up on the coffee table.
“Whatcha doing?” I ask as I sit down in the chair.
“Watching the guys,” she replies.
I laugh, “Yeah, I see that, but what are you doing on your laptop? Are you designing things?”
“Ah, yes, kind of. There is the free online site that makes designing easy. I always have Nicole in the design department make me stuff, but she is going on maternity leave in a couple of weeks and I don’t know how fast I’ll get my images back from the design team. So, I thought I would learn this and do things myself,” she offers.
“Oh, cool. Is it easy?”
“Surprisingly, yes. It’s actually kind of fun,” she says with a smile. “And it’s free.”
“Nice!”
“What’s up with you?” she asks
“Ah. Well, I got the job,” I tell her with less excitement than I expected.
“What? That’s great news!” She smiles widely at me. She closes her laptop and crawls up to the couch. Her happiness quickly fades to concern. “Wait, you don’t seem too happy about the news. I thought we were hoping for the job.”
I groan, “We were hoping, and I am happy, but I don’t know why, I just kinda feel sad,” I tell her.
“Simon?” she asks, cocking her head.
I nod and look down at my hands in my lap.
“What does he think about this job opportunity? I’m guessing you haven’t told him the good news yet,” she asks.
“More like, I haven’t told him at all,” I admit, still unable to look her in the eye.
“Gia! Seriously! I thought we said no more secrets,” she exclaims. I can tell by her voice that she isn’t mad, but shocked.
“I’m not keeping any more secrets. I just haven’t told him yet,” I mutter.
“Hey.” She reaches out a hand and places it on my knee.
I look up at her and all I see is concern in her features.
“Why haven’t you told him yet?” she asks.
“Because I wasn’t ready to lose him. We started being friends again so quickly and then went beyond that even quicker that I just didn't think about how I needed to warn him that I might be leaving. You know he would have turned tail and run,” I say.
“Maybe, maybe not, but now you will never know,” she offers.
Groaning again, I shift so my head is in my hands resting my elbows on my knees. I talk through my hands.
“He’s going to hate me again.”
“I doubt that. That boy loves you,” she says. I laugh at that.
“Mm-hm.”
Chuckling she leans back on the couch and says, “No, he really does. Now that I know the history between you two, I should have seen it from the start. The anger and heat in the looks he used to give you are so eerily similar to the way he looks at you now.”
“And how does he look at me now?” I ask, turning my face toward her.
“With love and a shit ton of lust,” she says matter-of-factly.
My insides heat and I know I start to flush. Just hearing the word lust when talking about Simon gets me going. Now that I’m thinking about what Simon likes to do with all that lust he has, it makes me shift in my seat.
“And I can tell by your reaction that you know it. Not to mention it’s the same way you look at him, like he hung the moon.”
I take a deep breath and let it out slowly.
“What has you the most anxious? That you’re going to have to tell Simon that you are leaving or that you’re going to have to leave Simon?” she asks.
“Both,” I reply.
“So, to be clear, you do still want to take the job, right?” she asks.
“Yes, I do still want the job, but I’m also not as excited about it as I was a couple of months ago,” I tell her honestly.
She is quiet in thought for a moment.
“I think that you need to talk to Simon about this, as soon as possible,” she says tartly.
“I know, I know I do. But he’s smack dab in the middle of this Race event. I’m going to have to wait until that is over.”
She sighs, “That’s a good point. But don’t wait any longer than that.” She eyes me. “I’m gonna be stuck on you like glue, asking you about it until you tell him. So, don’t expect me to let you get off easy.”
I roll my eyes with a good-natured chuckle.
“Well, for what it’s worth, I’m sad that you are moving away, but I’m also really excited for you. I know this has been your dream job for a while now. All your hard work paid off.” She smiles at me genuinely.
“Thank you, Mo. That means a lot to me.” I take a breath. Reality: a hard pill to swallow. “I’m gonna miss you so damn much.”
I can see her eyes start to water, she’s a crier, but shit just got real and I’m probably leaving. Soon.
“It’s going to be really hard being here without you, Gia. We’ve been together, had each other’s backs for almost a decade,” she says, fighting back the tears.
“I’ll always have your back, Morgan, even if I’m not right here,” I say, leaning forward and reaching to grab her hand. We sit like that for a second, both fighting tears, holding each other’s hands.
“OK, just give me another minute or two to be sad and teary-eyed, then I promise I will be nothing but supportive and happy from here on out. Well, until the day you leave. I reserve the right to be a crybaby the day I send you off on your own,” she sniffles.
I laugh and nod as she wipes away some of the tears that just sprang free.
After a few more minutes, we turn back to the stream. Simon and Dex are on similar schedules, so they are currently both running the show.
“Oh my gosh. Isn’t ComicGem68 Ruby’s screen name?” Morgan asks looking at the TV.
“Yeah, she’s been trolling Link whenever he stops by. It’s actually been quite entertaining,” I reply. I look closer at the TV and see that she called Simon out on the mistake he just made. Dex is taking the supporting seat this round and is interacting with the fans. He laughs and reads her comment out loud to Simon. He looks slightly annoyed until Dex tells him who exactly thinks he should throw in the towel and give up—to go take a break because he’s obviously too tired to be playing. His face loses all trace of annoyance and he chuckles, looks right at the screen, making me feel that he's looking right at me and speaks.
“She’s your friend.” I can’t help but let out a bark of a laugh.
“So, I take it the guys know it’s Ruby as well?” Morgan chuckles. I shake my head and smile as I watch the handsome man that I’ve loved for so long in his element. A rush of sadness overtakes me with the thought that in less than a month he probably won’t be happy and joking around with me anymore. That at least, if I want to see him again in the future, I’ll always be able to watch as a fan. And probably nothing more.