Chapter Thirty
Two Days Later
Vivian
Easton hadn't called all week. By the time Friday rolled around, I was ready to force myself to get over us. If he didn't have the decency to check in with me, then I didn't matter in the way I needed to with him. It was most likely my neediness from having Jackson destroy my future that made me so high-maintenance, but whatever it was, it wasn't going to change.
"You look like hell." Casey walked into the dorm room and lifted a small bag as the smell of cinnamon and sugar moved through the room. "I brought treats."
I glanced up from the desk beside my bed and forced a smile. "I'm good. Just trying to get some studying done. I'm so ready to be out of school. It seems like it's just dragging on and on at this point."
"I understand that all too well." She moved to sit on my bed and pulled at the back of my rolling chair, forcing me to turn and face her. "I've been your friend all my life. This isn't just about school. Did he call today? Did something happen?"
"No. That's the problem, Case. Nothing has happened." I closed my eyes and fought back tears. No damn way I was crying another tear over a man. "My mom was right. Guys are assholes. Jackson cheated on me, and this guy can't even touch base with me for four damn days after spending the night promising me the world."
My tone must have been harsh because Casey flinched twice during my rant. She handed me the bag and gave me a sad smile.
"I wish I had an answer. Eat those cinnamon twists. They'll make you feel better for a few minutes at least." She reached up and brushed my hair behind my shoulder. "I just didn't get a vibe that Easton was an asshole. He honestly seemed like the opposite."
"Oh yeah? How so? I'd love to move from borderline hating him back to remembering why I agreed to dinner last Sunday night." I snatched the bag from her and pulled out a twist, shoving half the thing in my mouth and calming quickly thanks to the sugary goodness of it. I glanced at the clock, realizing that I hadn't eaten in the last ten hours. No wonder I was bordering manic.
"Well, he didn't get upset at the airport when you knocked him over, and then bumped heads with him, which was entirely your fault." She laid back on my bed and propped her feet up. "He took you to a great restaurant our first night in Miami and kicked some robber-dude's ass in the dark alley for you."
"True." I took another bite and nodded, hoping that she would keep going.
"He took care of me when I got hurt and carried me all the way to the clinic, remember? He didn't have to do that, but he did."
"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 with, 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."
"Of course. Take the elevator to the twelfth floor and his assistant, Sherry Jackson, will help you out." The woman smiled brightly.
"Thanks." I turned and walked to the elevator as I smoothed down my dark blue business suit. My hands wouldn't quit shaking no matter what I did, so I was just going to have to go with it. I could lay out a disclaimer to the guy that I was scared to death. Hopefully he would remember his first real job interview and go easy on me.
I rode the elevator up with a crowd of people and got off on the twelfth floor to find a motherly-looking secretary who stood as I walked toward her.
"You must be Vivian Hall?" She extended her hand. "I'm Sherry Jackson. Nice to meet you. Jon's ready when you are. Just knock once before going in."
I swallowed hard and turned, gripping my portfolio under my arm as if it might fly away any minute. I glanced back at her, and she gave me a slight nod.
"Just knock. He's a great guy. You'll love him. We all do."
"Okay," I whispered and knocked on the door.
"Come on in." A loud boisterous voice responded.
I walked in and gave the handsome older man a curt nod and extended my hand. "I'm Vivian Hall. I appreciate you seeing me on such short notice."
"Of course. After reading your submission, I'm not sure I had much of a choice." He shook my hand and motioned for me to move to a small table in the middle of the room. "Come have a seat, and let's talk. You should know ahead of time that I brought your résumé and several others to my top reviewer in the company, and he was more than impressed with you."
"Oh. Do I know him?" I had an inkling that he was talking about Easton, but I let him continue. It would be nice to see what Easton referred to me as with his boss. I was grateful that if nothing else, it just saved me from having to figure out whether he was a friend versus being my boyfriend. Here he was saving me again without even trying.
"I should hope so. He said that the two of you were dating." A smile played on the side of Jon's mouth.
"Easton." I smiled and let out a short chuckle. "He's a dream."
"I agree, but don't tell him I said that. Alright. Let's talk about you, missy. Your submission was the best I've read in years. Makes my top ten list. Tell me about your studies, your history, and then your demands for a possible employer."
My nervousness dissipated as Jon and I continued to talk, and I could see why Easton loved working for Wilmington and Branch. I answered all of Jon's questions and gave him my thoughts and desires on everything.
"Well, that's all very doable, and I like what I've seen thus far. Anything else before we move on to round two of the interview?"
I lifted my eyebrow, wondering what round two included. "Just one thing, and it might be a total no-go, but I have to try."
"Shoot for the moon, honey. The stars will catch you if you fall. Good place to be." He gave me a smile that should have been on the big screen.
"I'm not sure where my relationship with Easton is going, but I want it to go far. I'd like to be paired up with him as my mentor and hope that we could be assigned the same areas as often as possible. I'm very professional, and he is too, but it would be nice, should I get the job, to spend our down time together." I pressed my hands into my thighs as my nervousness reared to life again.
"Something that I would consider, no doubt. The second part of the interview is hands-on. I'll send you to a restaurant if you have time, and you'll critique two dishes for me, create a write-up, and I'll review them. Should they impress me as much as your last one did, the job is yours. The man that you'll be interviewing with next is a great guy too. You'll like him, and most likely we'll pair you up with him for training. He's just a better fit, I think."
"Excellent." I stood and extended my hand. "Thank you again for the opportunity to interview."
"Absolutely. It was a pleasure meeting you. I'm glad to see you're just as intriguing in person as you are on paper. Stop by and get the restaurant location from Sherry before you go, and good luck, Vivian."
"Thank you, sir." I turned and walked from the room on cloud nine. Nothing could top the emotional high I was riding. Well, seeing Easton maybe, but nothing else.