“Hello. May I speak with Jaymerson Holloway?”
“This is she.” I peered up at Stevie, shrugging.
“Hello, Ms. Holloway, my name is Erika Anderson. I work at the Smithsonian.” Everything froze, only the thump of my heart ticking in my ears tracked time passing.
“Ms. Holloway?”
“Yes. Yes, I’m here.” My hand slapped my chest, air squeezing in my lungs.
“I received a call and letter of recommendation from Caterina Bianchi at the Accademia Gallery.”
A squeak came from me, my eyes meeting Stevie’s curious ones.
“Normally I would never consider someone so young and with such little study in the field, but Caterina and I go way back. She would not recommend someone to me unless she really believed this person was quite special. I do not take her references lightly. Plus, recommendation came from another person, a Colleen Russo, I think. But it was Caterina who made me take a moment to look at your portfolio.”
Oh. My. God. Caterina did it. She actually took the time to contact them on my behalf. My chest swelled with joy, pride, and flat out fear. Terror I wouldn’t live up to the endorsement from the renowned Caterina Bianchi. What if I failed her? Failed myself? I swallowed through the anxiety.
“The fact you have already worked with Caterina at the Accademia and came out favorably speaks volumes. Not many last under her.”
“It was a dream to work and learn from her.” I finally spoke, my throat dry. Stevie perched on my bed, waving her arms around wanting to know who I was talking to.
“I am calling now because as you know, our submissions were closed, our choices for the positions already picked. Unfortunately, someone had to drop out, leaving a vacancy. I wanted to first see if you would be interested in an interview for the position before I proceeded to our waiting list.”
Holy. Shit. Was this happening? My head started to spin before I realized no words were coming out of my mouth.
“Yes.” I gripped the phone. “Yes, I would love the opportunity.”
“Great. How’s the day after tomorrow, around four p.m.?” Erika asked. “I’ll email the specifics.”
“Yes. That would be fine.” I didn’t care how; I would make it work. The train from my grandparents to DC was only five or six hours.
“If everything goes well, the internship starts in less than two weeks. We usually take on graduates, so if you are thinking about fitting university in, be ready for a very strenuous year. We are very hands-on here.”
I knew my dad was focused on my going to college, but this would be learning in the field. Hands-on experience instead of theory. Granted, I still wanted to continue my education, but this was the most important to me. I would fit in art history and science at night if I had to. I knew the rarity of even getting an interview for this. I was going to seize this opportunity and not let go.
“Thank you, Mrs. Anderson.” I gaped, my lungs struggling to draw in oxygen.
“Call me, Erika.” Her tone lightened. “I look forward to meeting you, Jaymerson. Goodbye.”
“Same. Goodbye.” I clicked the off button, my mobile dropping to the floor along with my jaw. “Holy shit.”
“What? What happened? Oh my god, I’m dying over here.” Stevie bounced on my bed.
“That was Erika… from the Smithsonian. They want to interview me for the two-year internship there.” I shook my head in shock.
Stevie blinked, then screamed, excitement igniting her face. “OH. MY. GOD. WHISKEY! This is amazing!” She bounded off the bed, tackling me in a bear hug.
“What’s going on?” Reece burst through the door, her hand propped on her hip, followed closely by Mom and Grandma.
“Are you okay? What’s wrong?” Mom searched the room looking for any reason we’d be screaming.
Still trying to soak in the news, I palmed my chest, a smile expanding my features.
“The Smithsonian called!” Stevie danced on her toes, picking up Reece and dancing around with her.
“What?” Mom’s mouth dropped as she turned to me.
“They want to talk with me the day after tomorrow.” I was too young to have a heart attack, right? “Caterina recommended me, and they want to interview me for the two-year internship I told you about.”
“Really?” Mom’s hand went to her mouth, but excitement bubbled in her eyes. “The Smithsonian! Oh my god, are you kidding me?” She darted to me, hugging me with a squeal. “This is so exciting!”
I hugged Mom back, but when I pulled away, my gaze caught Grandma’s.
“I knew you would get it.” She winked at me, pride filling her face.
Tears fell as I ran to her, squeezing her to me. “Thank you. Thank you for pushing me, for believing in me.”
“That was the easy part, my girl,” she whispered in my ear, her embrace strong. “If you get it or not, it doesn’t matter. I couldn’t be prouder of you. Don’t ever let fear stop you from the possibilities. Life is to short, take it by the horns, fight for what you want, and don’t ever apologize for it.” She kissed my temple. “I have no doubt you will get it.”
I knew I was younger than the other applicants and had a lot less schooling, but what I learned in Italy was way beyond the classroom. The hours with Angelo, meticulously restoring a sculpture done by a famous artist, or the countless times I listened to Luca discuss art, or the exhausted days they had me running around. There was always a lesson in what they had me do. I learned so much there.
I was going to get this internship.
Only one thing nibbled at the excitement.
Hunter.
Once again, we barely had time to be together before our clock ran out.
My jeep skidded up to Doug’s house, excitement still making my hands shake. Hunter’s text was brief, just saying he was home. I practically flew out the door after Dad got home from work, and I shared the news with him. At first he was stunned but quickly absorbed my exhilaration, hugging me tightly. I could see the questions about school forming behind his smile, how it would work and where I’d go, but he bit them back, knowing nothing was certain until after the interview.
Excitement and fear circled my stomach when I saw Hunter sitting on the front porch waiting for me. It took me back to the time he left the first time to follow his dream, how easily we fell apart. Were we stronger now? Could we make this work?
Trepidation dripped slowly on my joy like tar when I saw him rise seeing me step out of the car.
“Hey.” I practically skipped toward him, but I slowed when he moved down the steps, his jaw clenching in fury, his gaze driving into me. “What’s wrong?”
He stared at me for another moment, ripping the air from my lungs, his anger extinguishing all my elation.
“Hunter, you’re scaring me…” I swallowed.
“What did you say to Krista?” he spoke, his timbre low and deadly.
“What?” Confusion wrinkled my brow.
“I can’t believe you.” He ran his hand over his hair, glancing to the side. “You had no right.”
“What are you talking about?”
His head snapped back to me as he strode toward me, his chest puffed, looming over me. His hands rolled into fists. I stepped backward.
“Krista told me what you said to her at the party,” he spat at me. “She thinks Cody should start calling me ‘uncle’ now… that I should no longer be his father.”
Oh shit.
“Hunter…”
“No, Jayme.” He shook his head. “You had no fucking right to step in like that. What relationship I have with Krista and Cody is my business. Not yours!”
“Not my business?” My spine went rigid. “If we are going to try and make this work, then, yes, it is my business because it affects me too.” I took back the few steps parting us. “Especially because that’s what tore us apart before.”
“You leaving for Italy is what tore us apart,” he growled.
“Seriously?” My head rattled. “That only parted us physically; we wer
e already broken by then.”
“How Krista and I raise Cody, what he calls me, is our decision.” He stabbed at his chest.
“Yes, it is.” I nodded. “But don’t say it doesn’t affect me or what happens between us. Answer me honestly. Do you want to stay here and work in a garage the rest of your life?”
“Is that not good enough for you? I’m not fuckin’ Colton… I told you that. I would never be the guy who would work at my father’s company and wear suits.”
“That’s not what I am saying. If you truly love working at Doug’s garage and staying in this town, that’s great. But take Cody out of the equation for a moment. Would you stay here? Would this make you happy day in and out?”
Hunter inhaled, shifting on his feet, no answer coming to his lips.
“I know you, Hunter. You’ve always wanted more. Maybe the dream of being a supercross legend is gone but don’t give up on life because you’re scared to try again. You are only twenty and so talented. Don’t hide here because it’s simpler.”
“You make it sound so easy,” he snarled.
“You think I find it easy?” I snapped back, tears building behind my eyes.
“I’ve lost everything I ever loved. My brother, my career. I’ve almost died several times, my bones were crushed, I had to learn to walk again, twice, and I watched my family fall apart. My mother tried to commit suicide, and you walk away from me. Cody is the only consistent thing that has kept me going. He’s my brother’s… the last piece I have of Colton.”
“I know.” I rubbed my temples. I felt no matter what I said I would come across as the bitch because a baby was involved. “But even when Colton was alive you stepped into the dad role for him. You’re such a good guy; you would give up everything for him, even be the father you never had and the one Colton never would have been. I get it. I never want you to choose between us. That’s not what I’m asking, but what about this new baby? Will you stay here and be the father to both? What if Krista meets someone else? Gets married? What happens then? What if you want to?”
His feet began to move, pacing over the walkway. “I don’t know.”
“Hunter, I love you.” I twisted my hands, heaviness pushing down on my airways. “I always will. But I’m not staying here. I can’t.”
His feet halted, his gaze swinging to me. “Are we really here again? Are you breaking up with me?”
“No.” I shook my head. “That’s the last thing I want… but tonight I got a call.” I swallowed. “I have an interview with the Smithsonian, and if it goes well, I’ll be moving there right away for at least two years.”
He blinked at me. “Shit. That’s amazing, Jayme.”
“Thank you.” Why did I want to cry instead of celebrate? “We both knew this was coming anyway. If not DC, it was New York in a month.”
He nodded, rubbing his scuff.
“We’ve been through so much together… and we keep ending up here.” My throat wobbled. “What do we do?”
His lashes beat rapidly, his shoulders sagging. “I don’t know.”
My teeth ground, trying to hold back my emotion. We stood for several moments, the silence shredding my heart in pieces.
“Hunter…” I whispered.
He stepped up to me, clutching my face, softly kissing my forehead.
“I am proud of you. Go rock the Smithsonian’s ass,” he said quietly. “We’ll talk when you get back from the interview.”
Through my lashes, I peered up at him. “I don’t want us to end.”
His lids squeezed briefly before his blue eyes met mine. “I don’t either, but you and I both know life doesn’t give a shit about what we want.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
“Ms. Holloway, this way please.” A blonde woman in her thirties, dressed in a nice pencil skirt and jacket, her hair rolled in a low bun, motioned for me to follow her. Her heels clicked on the smooth floor, leading me down a long hallway, my nerves weaving from my throat down into my gut. The few bites of lunch Stevie insisted I eat threatened to reappear. “I’m Leah, Erika’s assistant.”
“Nice to meet you.” My throat felt like parchment paper.
“Have a seat here. They’ll be right with you.” She smiled warmly, pointing at a row of chairs outside a pair of double doors. I sat down. “You’ll do fine,” she whispered to me before heading back down the hallway.
I took a deep breath. The folder with my resume and sketches trembled on my lap. All I wanted was to go back to the hotel room with Stevie, watch bad TV, and munch on Red Vines.
Stevie insisted on coming with me to DC, which calmed my mother. Neither she nor my father could get out of work and they hated me going there alone. How quickly they forgot I had spent a year traveling around Europe on my own, but while under their roof, I was their little girl again.
“I know you came with me to get away from your mother for a night.” I teased Stevie when we stepped off the train. Union Station was filled with a mix of what looked like business people, college students, and tourists rushing across the marbled tile floor. The gorgeous gold-trimmed arches and curved ceilings reverberated the noise in a loud hum.
“Completely.” Stevie hitched her overnight bag on her shoulder. “This was purely selfish. I used you like a napkin. And I am okay with that.”
I was grateful she came with me. She helped ease some of the nerves, distracted me and knew when to squeeze my hand.
My brain kept telling me if I could deal with Caterina, these people should be no problem. But it didn’t work. When I got that position, I was green and unaware how important she was. Here, I could not pretend they didn’t hold my future in their hands. Sweat dampened my nice blouse, while my tongue was a desert.
“Ms. Holloway?” A door opened, making me jump to my feet, my stomach falling to my toes. A woman dressed in a matching suit and heels with short dark salt-and-pepper hair stood there. She was only about five-four and curvy, her almost black eyes meeting mine. She reached out a hand. “Thank you for coming today. I’m Erika.”
“Pleasure to meet you.” I took her hand, cringing at my damp palms. Nerves tangled me up so tight my head spun.
She touched my shoulder, leading me back to the room she came from, stopping as she pulled the door open.
“Relax,” she said without a smile. She didn’t seem like a warm person, but she didn’t feel as intimidating as Caterina either. “The interview will be long and detailed, as we want the best person for the position. You are here for a reason. Caterina thought enough of you to recommend you. In the twenty years I’ve known her, she has never done that. Remember that.” She opened the door, gesturing for me to walk in. I was pretty sure she meant it as an inspirational speech, but now it was like Caterina had stepped in the room with me, smoking her cigarette and glaring at me. “Don’t let me down, Ms. Holloway.”
I looked in on a large room with opaque windows where five people sat on one side of a long table. A single chair sat opposite them in the large room, all their focus on it as though I were already sitting in it.
I gulped, hearing Erika shut the door behind me with a loud click.
Suddenly, my grandmother was in my head. Don’t ever let fear stop you from the possibilities. Life is too short, take it by the horns, and fight for what you want, and don’t ever apologize for it.
She and Erika were right; there was a reason they wanted to interview me. I was worth this internship. If I didn’t get it, I wanted to know I gave it my all.
“Ms. Holloway, please have a seat.” An older, slightly built gentleman with round glasses, dressed in a nice suit, waved at the chair. “I’m Dr. Phan.” He introduced the rest at the table as I settled into my seat. “Are you ready to begin, Jaymerson?”
I lifted my chin, rolling back my shoulders.
“Yes.”
“No matter how you think it went, Whiskey, I’m proud of you.” Stevie held up her glass of champagne, clinking it against my sparkling water.
We sat in a tren
dy restaurant in Georgetown, the place buzzing with a mix of twenty-somethings sipping cocktails and eating scrumptious food.
“I guess I thought of DC as old white crusty men… but damn…” Stevie’s eyes wandered around, enjoying the attractive people. “If you get the job, I’m coming here all the time to visit.”
“Not sure we have to worry about that.” I frowned, slumping back in my chair, wishing for a cocktail instead of my water.
“It couldn’t have gone that bad.”
“Do you not know me?” I chuckled, stabbing my fork at my dinner. The interview lasted an hour and a half. For a while I felt strong in my answers and experience, then about an hour through it shifted, their questions went into areas I didn’t know, showing how little study I actually had. The things they talked about went way over my head by the end, and I wanted nothing more than to curl in a ball when I saw frowns start tugging at their lips. Otherwise, they gave no indication if I was answering well or if it was as painful to them as it was to me.
“You still have me and New York. You can always reapply down the road, right?”
I nodded. “Yeah.” It was probably better if I went to school first and tried again later, but disappointment curled in my chest. The thought of not being part of the internship brought tears to my eyes. I had talked to my family, who sent encouraging words back, but it didn’t help my mood.
“I’m sorry, girl. But I can’t say I don’t love the idea of you coming to New York with me.”
“Yeah. That will be fun.” A couple of days ago that’s all I could think about, how exciting it would be, but since Erika called, everything changed. I realized how badly I wanted this.
“So will a funeral and a root canal,” Stevie snorted, motioning to the waiter for another drink.
“Sorry.” I wiggled my arms, trying to rid myself of the darkness clinging to me. “I’ll be excited again. I just need a day.”
“You text Hunter?” Stevie asked. On the train ride I told her about our fight and the impasse we were in. The days apart hadn’t helped me reach a conclusion.
Broken Love (Blinded Love Series Book 2) Page 30