Chapter 12
Vanessa
Sunday
The next morning, I woke to the smell of coffee, bacon, and eggs wafting from the kitchen, rousing me from a long night’s slumber. I looked up from the cushion underneath my head and sniffed longingly at the air as I pulled myself into a seated position. It smelled delightful. My hair was absolutely horrific after sleeping on the sofa, and I tucked it swiftly behind my ears as I pulled on a robe and walked out into the kitchen.
Adam was there, cooking on the stove and wearing his suit and tie. He looked up when I stumbled in and smiled at me, but all I could muster was a shy wave. It felt weirdly intimate to be there sitting with him in my pajamas without a lick of makeup on. “Good morning,” he told me happily. “Are you hungry?”
“Starving,” I responded, walking over to get a cup.
I poured myself a mug of coffee and sat down in one of the chairs at the kitchen table. As I was adding the cream and sugar, Adam finished at the stove and brought us each a plate of eggs and bacon. “Wow, this looks delicious! Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” he responded with a smile. “I thought you could use and nice breakfast after all you’ve been through. Moving can be stressful.”
I grunted in acknowledgment and sipped noisily from the rim of my coffee mug, eyeing the muscular lines of his broad shoulders and masculine frame longingly. “So…”
He grinned at me, and then his eyes widened with recognition suddenly. He reached down into his pocket and pulled out a bit of paper. “Oh, right! Before I forget, I called my buddy Frank that I was telling you about and told him you were looking for work,” Adam explained as he was handing the paper to me. “He agreed to meet with you this morning about starting at his studio.”
My jaw fell open as I took the note from him, with an address written on it. “Oh my gosh, really? Adam, I could kiss you!”
He stopped eating and lowered his fork down slowly.
I blushed, looking away in embarrassment after realizing what I said and shook my head as if to shake away the naughty thoughts from forming. Way to go, Einstein. I didn’t mean to say things like that, or think them for that matter, but they kept slipping out at the most inopportune times. I hadn’t seen Adam in years, and it brought back old feelings that I’d been burying since high school. The chemistry was there, but we have a say in what we do with that: it’s what separates us from the animals.
“Um, I just meant to say, thank you. I can’t believe you did that for me.”
“No problem. The appointments at ten, so I hope you’re ready.”
“You better believe it,” I confirmed. “More than anything.”
Adam cleared his throat and smiled, walking his plate and mug over to the sink. “Alright, I need to head out if I’m going to make it to work on time. Good luck at the interview.”
I nodded, nibbling on a strip of bacon in my hand and pulling my legs up underneath me. He grabbed his coat and briefcase from the living room and waved goodbye before heading out the front door.
After the door fell closed, I let out an exasperated sigh and looked out over the apartment. The space was clean and organized, not what I’d expected from a bachelor pad. In the center of the living room was a plush brown couch that was angled so it faced the entertainment center. I was impressed with how well-maintained it was. Adam had been right about the prime location in the city, too. The condo was right next to businesses and far enough away that I felt safely out of reach of my parents.
Almost instinctively, I started a mental list of all the things I would need to pick up from Ikea to make my bedroom livable. A new bed and dresser were the bare minimum I required, maybe some drapes for the window, too. It would still take time for it to feel like home, but I didn’t want to spend another night on the living room couch if I could manage it. I planned on taking care of that right after I finished the interview Adam had set up for me.
That’s right. I still have to make myself presentable…
I drummed my fingers on the table and looked down at the piece of paper in my hand. Frank Howell Photography.
Just reading the address and knowing what Adam had done for me, I felt an outpouring of affection for him. Not only had he rescued me from having to live with my parents, but he’d also enabled me to have some financial independence. I finished eating the rest of my breakfast and quickly washed the dishes before running to get dressed.
Most of my clothes were still in boxes from moving in so suddenly, but I found a blouse and skirt that looked clean and professional to change into. After spending a few minutes on my hair and applying a modest amount of makeup, I collected my portfolio and résumé to head out the door.
He'd been kind enough to loan me his spare key until I had one made for myself, so I locked the door on my way out and headed over to my car.
It was more difficult than I remembered, driving the icy streets to my appointment. I'd lived in Florida so long I had forgotten how to handle the car in snow. Thankfully, I made it to the studio in one piece and without much difficulty. The building was a white industrial-style structure with a black sign and accents around the windows. I looked up at it through the windshield and had to crane my neck to see the top of it.
"Whoa... Adam, where have you sent me?" I mumbled to myself quietly as I was cutting off the ignition.
I grabbed my satchel off the seat beside me and stepped out onto the snowy parking lot. Carefully, I stepped over the curb and approached the set of double doors with my heart thumping wildly in my chest. I was nervous about letting Adam down after he went through all the trouble of setting this up for me; what if I didn’t get hired?
I shook my head a sigh, refusing to let myself be negative at a time like this and stepped into the office lobby. Inside there was a reception desk and a few waiting chairs set up along the wall, but there was no one sitting at it. I looked around confused when a handsome blond gentleman came out from one of the side rooms and offered me his hand. "Vanessa Butler?"
"Yes!" I responded instantly while shaking his hand in welcome. "You must be Frank."
He smiled warmly and gestured back down the hall. "Right this way."
I followed him back the way he came to a corner office where he offered me a chair. I expected him to take a seat, but instead, he pulled up a chair beside me and addressed me comfortably. “So, Adam says you’re rather talented.”
I blushed nervously and said, "Well, I don't know about that."
The man’s smile widened. "Modest, too. I've seen you're work. You're quite good, you know."
I stared at him dumbfounded. "You've already seen my portfolio? How is that possible?"
"Magic," Mr. Howell replied dramatically. Upon seeing my reaction, the man couldn't help but laugh. "I'm just teasing you, Vanessa. When Adam called me yesterday, I took the liberty of researching you online. The school in Tampa had some very nice things to say about you, as well."
My heart was overwhelmed with emotion as explained how very impressed he was with me. "I don't understand, did you want to see my résumé? Is the position still open?"
Frank waved his hand dismissively and said, "There's no need for that. There was never an opening here, to begin with. I'm creating the position now."
"You’re offering me a job?"
"I am indeed," the man confirmed. "But this is a relatively new area for me, and I'm looking to expand. I was hoping you and I could chat about how your skills could benefit our company. What kind of services and work would you be interested in doing here?"
My hand unclenched on the seat beside me, and I felt my whole body relax, telling him all about my plans and what I'd like to do. He soaked up every word I was saying and nodded encouragingly. His professional tone and genuine interest in my work put me immediately at my ease, and the words came flowing comfortably. Now that I was finally being heard and validated, I could feel myself beginning to shine.
This is what I did. This is what I loved.
Frank was more than pleasant, and when he shook my hand an hour later, I felt like the entire world was spinning. I had a job. A good job. And, I had Adam Hillis to thank for it.
I couldn’t believe my impossible good luck at landing a job so easily and smiled happily. It finally felt like the tables were turning in my favor and that everything would be alright. I couldn’t wait to call my mom and tell her what had happened. She’d be over the moon for me.
As I was walking out to the front desk, I saw the familiar face of my friend Meghan waiting there. I hadn’t seen her in so long that I almost did a double take. She had wavy dark brown hair cut so that it curled just below her chin. Instant recognition of my high school friend struck me as I called out to her in surprise, “Meghan?”
She looked up from the desk that she was working at and saw me, with the satchel bag still slung over my shoulder. “Vanessa? Oh my gosh, what are you doing here? I haven’t seen you since you left for college,” she asked me with a laugh, standing up to come and wrap her arms around me in a hug.
I looked back down the hall that I had come from and couldn’t help but smile. “Actually, I just got hired as one of the photographers.”
“That's amazing! I mean, what are the odds? Who would have thought that one day we'd be working at the exact same company?"
I laughed along with her and nodded. "I know, it's crazy!"
“I didn’t even know you were back in town.”
“Oh, yeah. It’s pretty recent,” I confessed. “I’ve only been back a couple weeks now.”
“Where are you living these days?"
"That’s a funny story, actually..."
Meghan laughed in her rich and melodious alto, and said, "Great, you can tell me all about it over drinks. Do you wanna go out sometime?"
"That would be wonderful. I can't tonight. I’m still in the process of moving, but how about dinner tomorrow? I'll call you."
"Absolutely. It was great to see you, Vanessa."
"You, too."
I waved goodbye to her and stepped over to the doorway. My car was parked just outside, and I laughed with glee, walking over to it.
For the first time in a long time, it felt like things were looking up.