She smiles. "I know what you mean. I missed you too."
I nod toward her apartment. "So he just showed up here or what?"
"He texted me and said he had some changes to the paper. I told him to email them to me but he insisted on coming over."
"Because he wants to go out with you."
"I don't know." She chews on her lip. "Probably."
"Did you tell him we're dating?"
"No. He's only been here a few minutes. He was telling me about his spring break."
"Are you going to dinner with him?"
"I don't plan to. Why? Would you be mad if I did?"
I look at her. "You really have to ask?"
"Bryce, he's just a classmate. I have no interest in him that way."
"But he wants to date you, so if you go out with him, he'll assume you're interested."
"Then I won't go to dinner with him. I hadn't planned to anyway." She sounds annoyed.
I take her hand. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong. I just don't...I don't want you getting jealous whenever I'm around other guys. I have to work on class projects with guys, which means I have to spend time with them."
"I'm not jealous. I'm just pissed at Chad. He could've emailed you his notes but instead he used your paper as an excuse to come over here. That's the other thing. He shouldn't be in your apartment. If he wants to meet, you can meet at a coffee shop. I don't think you'd be too happy with me having a girl at my apartment, even if she was just a friend. You were a friend and look what happened."
She sighs. "You're right. Chad and I will get out of here and go to a coffee shop. And I'll make sure he knows you're my boyfriend." She opens the door and we go back inside. "Chad, I don't think you and Bryce have officially met." She motions to me. "This is my boyfriend, Bryce. Bryce, this is Chad."
Chad looks me up and down, his eyes stopping briefly at my neck, which is covered in ink. My arms are too, but he can't see them because I have a jacket on.
He looks back at Jen. "Since when do you have a boyfriend? You didn't when I left on spring break."
"We started dating last week." She wraps her arm around mine. "But I've loved him forever."
She added that last part to make it clear to Chad that he has no chance with her. She loves me, and has forever. And hearing her say that has me grinning like a fool.
I lean down and kiss her. "I love you too."
"So where do you work?" Chad asks me. "Are you a bouncer?"
And here we go with the stereotypes. Because I'm big and have tattoos, I'm either a bouncer or an ex-con. At least he started with bouncer.
"I told you he works for his dad," Jen says.
"Doing what?" Chad asks.
"I work construction," I tell him.
He nods. "That makes sense."
"And why is that?"
He shrugs. "You just look like you do construction."
"So you can tell a person's profession by how they look? Do all construction workers look like me?"
"Bryce," Jen says under her breath. She doesn't want me to start a fight with Chad, but I'm not fighting with him. I'm just curious.
"A lot of them are built like you," he says, "and have tattoos."
"Huh. That's odd because I've been working construction for years and I've never met anyone who looks like me. Most of the guys are smaller than me and there aren't that many that have ink."
"Whatever. I wouldn't know. I don't hang around those types of people."
Those types of people. I wonder if he even realizes how insulting that sounds.
"What kind of people do you hang out with?" I ask.
"White collar types. Professionals. Same as Jen. That's why I'm surprised she's dating someone like you."
I'm about to charge over there and tell him off, but Jen stops me, standing in front of me and whispering, "Let me handle it."
She turns and storms over to the couch where Chad is sitting. "You need to leave."
"Leave? I just got here. We have to do the paper."
"Just email me your notes and I'll send everyone the revised paper later tonight." She picks his backpack off the floor and holds it in front of him. "I'll see you in class."
"Why are you making me leave? Because he told you to? Are you one of those girls who does whatever her boyfriend says?"
I really want to go over there and drag his ass out the door, but Jen asked me to let her handle this so I remain where I am.
"No," she says. "I'm not one of those girls. And Bryce was just about to leave so you and I could work on the paper. But then you insulted him and what he does for a living and I don't put up with that. So you need to leave." She drops the backpack in Chad's lap, right over his crotch.
"Fuck." He cringes, doubled over in pain. The backpack must've been filled with textbooks. "What the hell is your problem?"
"I just told you. I don't put up with people insulting my friends, or my boyfriend. Now get out of here." He doesn't move. "I mean it, Chad. Get out."
He slowly stands up. I'd yell at him to go faster but I'm cutting him some slack because of the crushed balls. I hate the guy but I feel his pain.
When he's finally gone, Jen shuts the door and kisses me. "So where do you want to go for dinner?"
"What about your paper?"
"It'll take him a while to type up his notes. And maybe he won't even send any. Maybe you were right and the paper was just an excuse to hang out with me tonight. Besides, I don't want to make his stupid changes anyway. The paper doesn't need to be changed. It kicks ass."
I wrap her in my arms and kiss her. "You're awesome, you know that?"
"Why? Because I crushed Chad's balls with twenty pounds of books?"
"Well, that wasn't at the top of my list but yeah, that was awesome."
"Let's go to dinner. I'm starving. You want to try the new Thai place?"
"Whatever you want. I came here to see you. The dinner was just an excuse. It's just like I said. All guys use excuses to make girls spend time with us."
"You don't need an excuse. You're my boyfriend. And my best friend. You get to see me whenever you want, no excuse needed."
I kiss her. "Are you kicking me out after dinner?"
She smiles. "I was hoping you'd spend the night."
And so I do.
Tonight Jen proved to me just how much she loves me. She stood up for me in front of Chad and stood up for my profession. I didn't need her to do that. I could've done it myself. But she wanted to prove to me that, even around her college classmates, she isn't embarrassed by me or what I do, and is proud to be my girlfriend.
It's just another reason why I love her and can't imagine my life without her.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Jen
I've been back in class for a few weeks now and have barely had time to sleep. In addition to the usual homework and tests, I've been writing cover letters and sending out resumes.
The Monday after spring break, I met with my advisor and he had a whole new listing of job opportunities, so I applied for them right away, hoping my resume would stand out as being one of the first ones received. That probably won't make a difference in getting the job, but maybe the hiring manager will at least look at my resume before tossing it aside.
As for my current jobs, I ended up getting fired from the restaurant so I'm pretty much broke right now. Bryce has tried to give me money but I won't let him. Having my boyfriend give me money is too similar to something my mom would do, and I refuse to be like her. I know it's not the same, but still, I just can't do it. But I did let Bryce buy my groceries last week, mainly because he's over here a lot and I can't afford to feed him. He eats three times what I do.
Bryce has been coming over a few times a week after work. He usually spends the night, then leaves early the next morning to be at the job site. He's building an addition onto a house, and after that, he has three more jobs lined up, all because of those referrals from Mrs. Peterson. He's had even more referrals
the past week and his dad's having him do the follow-up work to get the sale. I'm so proud of Bryce. And he really seems to like the sales side. He's happier now than he has been in years. Of course that could also be because we're dating. I wish we'd done this sooner. We're so great together. Being with him just feels right.
"Jen, have a seat." Mr. Lintz, my advisor, motions me to sit down in the chair across from his desk. He asked for this meeting yesterday but didn't say what it's about. "How are classes going?"
"Good. But I'll be glad when they're done. I'm exhausted."
He laughs a little. "The final stretch is always tough on seniors. You're ready to be done and yet the professors keep piling on the work."
"Yeah, exactly. So what did you want to talk about?"
He picks up some papers from his desk and hands them to me. "Remember this?"
He gives me a copy of the paper I wrote back in February. It was an analysis of different accounting methods and a summary of which ones have proven to be most effective for various industries. As part of my research, I interviewed some companies about their accounting methods, then used them as examples in my paper. This was my big senior project so I spent months doing the research and it paid off. I got the highest grade in the class.
"Yes, I remember." I set the paper down. "Why? What's this about?"
"I got a call yesterday from the accounting department at Claston Apparel, one of the companies you researched for the paper."
"Oh, yeah? Why did they call?"
"They wanted to know more about you. What kind of student you are, your skills, your strengths and," he smiles, "if you'd be a good fit for their company."
I straighten up in my chair. "They're interested in hiring me?"
He nods. "Very interested. In fact, I gave them your number and they're going to call you later today for a phone interview. If the interview goes well, they'd like to fly you out there for an in-person interview next week."
"I didn't think they had any openings."
"They don't. But they were so impressed with the analysis you did on that paper and the conclusions you drew based on that analysis, that they want you on their team." He smiles. "What do you think?"
"It's great. I can't believe it." I immediately think of Bryce, wanting to tell him the news. Whenever I have good news, he's always the first person I want to tell. The only bad thing is, Claston Apparel is in Denver, which is why I have a tight, anxious feeling in my stomach right now.
"I'm confident you'll get the job," Mr. Lintz says. "They sounded very interested when I spoke with them yesterday."
"Did they tell you anything about the position?"
"Just a little, but I'd rather have them explain it to you. They did ask me to tell you that they offer a very competitive salary and a generous benefit package, including three weeks vacation the first year. The fact that they're already trying to sell you on the company is a good sign. It shows how much they want you to work there."
He pauses to let me respond but I'm too shocked. I didn't even apply and yet they want to hire me?
"How do you feel about Denver?" Mr. Lintz asks.
"Um, well, I've never been there but I've heard it's nice."
"It is. It's a great city. Lots to do. Beautiful scenery. I take the family there every year to ski. We fly into Denver and drive up to the mountains. That's what's so great about living there. You can work in the city and drive up to the mountains on the weekends. I think you'll really like it."
He's talking like I'm already moving there and it's making me even more anxious. I'm not ready for this. I told myself I was, but apparently I'm not because now I feel sick. I've never lived anywhere but Chicago, and even if Bryce weren't in the picture, the thought of moving someplace I've never been is making me really nervous.
Mr. Lintz taps his hand on the desk. "Well, that's all I had. Do you have any questions?"
"What time are they calling me?"
"She said late afternoon. I don't know the exact time."
"I have to work this afternoon at the bookstore."
"I know the manager. I'll call and explain why you can't come in today. Does that work?"
"Yes. Thank you."
"You're welcome." He stands up. "And congratulations. This is the first time I've had a company call me like this because of a student's paper."
I'm about to ask how they got a copy, but then remember my professor emailed it to them after I turned it in. He sent a copy to both companies I cited in the paper.
I leave my advisor's office and go back to my apartment and nervously wait for the call. This is my first real interview. I've done interviews for all my hourly jobs, but this is my first interview for a job that might start my accounting career. Maybe my nervousness is just excitement. I'm happy about this, at least I think I am. I guess I can't decide that until I find out more about the job.
A half hour later, my phone rings. It's Bryce. I text him back, Can't talk right now. Waiting for an important phone call.
What phone call? he texts back.
I'll tell you later.
I'll be over around 5:30.
Okay, see you then.
I'll have to tell him about this tonight. I wonder how he's going to react. He's been nothing but supportive of my job search so I'm sure that won't change. Then again, this is different. This is an actual job I might get, not just some posting on a job board. Before today, I was just sending resumes out into what seemed like a black hole, getting no response from anyone. I was starting to think I'd never get an interview, but now I have one for a job I didn't even apply for. In a place I've never been. This is so unexpected.
They call at five, which is four there. If I move, Bryce and I won't even be in the same time zone anymore.
"Hello, this is Jennifer," I say, using my full name to sound more professional.
"Hello, Jennifer," a woman says. She sounds young. "This is Tracy Wills from Claston Apparel in Denver. I assume your advisor told you we'd be calling."
"Yes. It's nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you as well. Let me start by telling you more about Claston."
The conversation continues. She tells me all about the company and the job I'd be doing, then asks me a few questions, but not as many as I was expecting. Maybe they're saving all the questions for when I go out there. The call ends with a plan for me to fly there next Tuesday. I only have one class in the morning so I'll leave right after that, have the interview that afternoon, then fly back late that night. Tracy was already having someone get my plane ticket while we were on the phone.
Right after I hang up, there's a knock on my door. I check the clock. It's five-thirty.
I answer the door and see Bryce standing there, a big smile on his face. I love him so much. As a friend. A boyfriend. In every possible way. So could I really do this? Could I really move away?
"Hi." I hug him, which I normally don't do when he's standing at the door. I usually wait for him to come in first, but after that call, I need to hug him. Taking that job might mean losing Bryce, and I can't handle the thought of losing him, not after everything we've been through, and all the time it's taken us to get to this point.
"Jen, what's wrong?" He senses something's wrong even without me telling him. That's how close we are, and always have been.
We go inside and I just blurt it out. "I had an interview. A job interview. Just now. I just got off the phone."
"That's great."
I nod. "Yeah, it is, but that's not all." I swallow. "The job is in Denver."
"Oh." His smile drops. "Well, how did the interview go?"
"Let's sit down." I go to the couch and once we're seated, he holds my hand and I relax a little. His touch always comforts me when I'm stressed. "It was more of an informational interview. She talked about the company and went over what I'd be doing in the job, then asked me a few questions."
"So that's it? Or what happens next?"
"They're flying me out there on Tuesday.
I'll be interviewed by several different people." I shut my eyes and take a breath. "They really want me to work there. I think I might actually get this job." A tear runs down my cheek.
He squeezes my hand. "Jen, why are you crying? This is good, right? It's what you want?"
"Yes." More tears fall as I open my eyes. "From what she said, it sounds like a great job, and the company has really good benefits. But...it's in Denver. That's so far away."
His face is tense. He's trying to hide his emotions from me but I know what he's feeling. Because we're connected like that. We feel what the other person feels.
"Jen, it sounds like a great opportunity. You can't pass this up."
"But what about us?" I bite my lip but the tears keep falling.
"We've known this might happen for months. You've been applying for jobs all over the country."
"I know, but we've never talked about it. Because honestly, I never thought I'd get a job somewhere else. I don't know why. I just didn't. And I didn't even apply for this job. They called my advisor and asked him about me. They knew me because of that paper I wrote back in February. They were one of the companies I researched."
He looks down. "So they really want you. The interview is just..."
"A formality. I'd have to really screw this up to make them change their mind."
He looks up at me. "Then we'll just have to make this work. We can do that, right?"
I sniffle and wipe my eyes. "I don't know. I really don't. It'll get expensive flying back and forth all the time and I get the feeling I'll have to work a lot of hours, maybe even weekends. We're not going to be able to see each other much."
"Then..." His eyes dart all around, like he's desperately searching for a solution. "Then I'll just move there with you."
"No. Bryce, you're doing so well here. You're learning the business and someday you'll take it over with your brothers. You need to be here. In Chicago."
We both know it's true so there's no use even discussing it. But the fact that he even suggested moving shows how much he loves me, how much he wants to be with me.
"Maybe I just shouldn't go," I say.
Can't Let You Go: A Wheeler Brothers Novel Page 24