Chapter 20
CHAPTER TWENTY
Leo placed a tall and thin gift on his shelf in between two of his woodworking trophies from high school. “Dad never looks here, so this will be extra confusing,” he said.
“So what’s the clue? Talents of my middle child I’m ignoring?”
Leo turned to find a sly smile on Andie’s face, tongue planted in cheek.
“Or is that too harsh?”
“It’s harsh. It also works.” He held out his hands and she handed over the paper and pen so he could add the clue.
That left them one final gift to hide.
Andie collected the gift from the bed. “If I may?” She bent, her dark-jeans-covered rear sticking in the air, enticing him with her soft curves to the point where she could have lit his room on fire and he’d think the heat emanated from him. Only after she stood did he realize she snuck it under his bed, barely visible by the bed skirt.
She wiped her hands together. “This I call ‘where dust bunnies sleep.’”
Leo snorted. She charmed him, from the tip of her nose to the bottom of her soul. “You are something else, you know that?” He wrote down her clue, proud of this woman, even though he had no right to be.
“We teachers need to think on our toes.” She rocked on her feet, a shift in her as swift as the wind. Some of her enthusiasm diminished, her light dimming, and he had to fix it beyond anything else.
He put down the paper and pen. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
Andie pressed her lips together, eyes flitting from one corner of the ceiling to another. The seconds passed and he waited her out, giving her the time she needed to process whatever had caused her shift in behavior. When he thought for sure she wouldn’t answer him, she finally spoke. “What do you know about Millie’s preschool experience?”
Of all the possible things she could have said, he never would have guessed that. “Um, I guess it was good. The temple has a preschool, so that’s where she started her education.”
Andie nodded and he somehow guessed this wasn’t new information.
“But you knew that.”
“I did. Jodie told me.” She clasped her hands together, wringing them.
He reached out, covering her hands with his. The connection hit him, as it did each time they touched. Only this time he hoped he could bring her some peace from her troubles. “Is something wrong?”
“No.” She turned one hand around to grip him, freeing her other and flailing it as she spoke. “I found out about the preschool while there for the Chanukah party and was invited to apply. They called me yesterday and it turned into an interview. A good one at that.”
Hope had never hit him this fast, and he nearly stumbled backward. Instead, he gave her hand a squeeze and swallowed the rest of his emotional reaction. “They offered you a job?”
“Well, no, not yet at least. But it’s an option, potentially, and local …” She bit her lip. His head might be spinning from the new information, but he still had to fight not to lean forward and soothe the sting.
“I thought you accepted the Ohio job?”
Andie’s hair swished as she shook her head. “No. Not yet. I planned to, soon, because it’s a good job offer and there aren’t any other prospects.”
“Now you have a prospect.”
“Right. And … more people in my tiny world that I’ll miss.”
It boiled up inside, the desire to ask her to stay. The selfish need to keep her as an important member in his life. “I’ll miss you, too.” It didn’t count as a grand gesture or a request, not that he intended it to. This had to be Andie’s decision. He wouldn’t have her regret something because of him. Letting her know she meant something to him—that he could do.
“What are you going to do?”
Andie shrugged. “I don’t know. I think I have a big pros and cons list to make for each.”
“I’d like to be a pro, and a con, in the appropriate categories.”
“And which categories would that be, Leo?” She brought her hand to his neck, resting it there, bringing their bodies closer together.
“Which ever one reduces the chances of me getting a bad neighbor.”
Her laughter cut short when he kissed her, hoping to relay the rest of his sentiments through his lips and not his vocal cords.
“Uncle Leo! Andie! Are you finished?” Millie’s voice broke their fog.
“Not nearly finished,” he grumbled into Andie’s neck, her laughter bouncing against him.
“Later. For now, I believe you have uncle duties to attend to.”
He wanted to stay in this position for the rest of the day. Heck, the rest of his life. And before he could overthink it he blurted out. “What are you doing New Year’s?”
“Are you bringing up a second holiday while we’re still celebrating the first?”
“Yes.” Thoughts of Andie in his bed on the New Year would not go away.
“You are something. How about this: I have tentative plans with Sarah. Let me check in on those after Chanukah and see what we can work out.”
“Okay. This doesn’t change the pro/con placement does it?”
Andie’s sweet laughter hit him as she turned to the door. “No. Not yet, at least.” She winked over her shoulder. “I’m going to use the bathroom. I’ll meet you downstairs.”
Leo took a minute to compose himself before joining the family.
Andie checked her phone while going to the bathroom, force of habit and all that. She scrolled through her email, deleting all the marketing junk decked out in red and green and sporting this or that deal, pausing when she found an email from her potential Ohio employer.
“Did they make my decision for me?”
She finished up, and quickly washed and dried her hands, before checking on the contents.
Dear Andrea,
I wanted to thank you again for meeting with us virtually. It occurred to me in our excitement over what you’ll bring to our center, I didn’t go over the benefits package in full. Please find those missing details attached. Let me know if you have any questions. And we look forward to hearing your response.
Sincerely,
Natalie Wright
Andie leaned against the counter, curious despite her dueling options and building desire to stay local. She opened the document, scrolling through the pages. Basic time off, health benefits, though she noted a few areas stronger than with her current employer, or any she’d seen. Then she hit a new area that had her forget how to blink. The heading read: continued education benefit.
“No way.”
This couldn’t be real, and yet excitement built as she speed read the details. Tuition reimbursement, time off for classes, an entire plan with the continued education of their staff in mind. She could go back to college and get her master’s without it putting her further into debt. This alone would more than make up for the expense of moving.
“Is this place for real?”
She stopped reading and took in her environment, Leo’s family bathroom. Baby blue paint on the walls, white tile in the shower with a blue floral curtain over it. A few worn parts to the corner of the sink and on the floor, showing years of a family being raised here. They had welcomed her in and accepted her, giving her a glimpse at a future she so desperately wanted. And yet, the offer in her hands gave her another path, matching a different set of dreams and goals. A strong divide built inside. The Ohio job had always presented as a good opportunity for her, a chance to grow in her career, and this option solidified it. Yes, she had reasons to stay, but not professional ones. She still had a few more days before she’d hear anything from the temple.
A crossroads appeared before her, both paths holding potential. Professional versus personal growth. She wanted to peek ahead, get a glimpse of the outcome, and settle back and know which way to go. Life didn’t work that way, not with both sides calling her forward.
She checked the document again, searching for a loophole, something to make this amazing benefits package less than amazing, and found nothing. Not even a smidge of a reason not to take on this opportunity. All she found were reasons to not pass. This wasn’t simply her next job; it was one that would help shape her future and give her job security.
Laughter echoed up the stairs from the first floor and a stab of guilt hit her. Prior to seeing the email her pro/con list had been nearly set, now the table had been flipped, and the contents rearranged. Somehow, she needed to go downstairs and not have “existential crisis” stamped on her face.
She exited out of the email and switched to her phone app, clicking on Sarah’s face. “Come on, come on, pick up!” She muttered. She needed her bestie more than she’d needed a warm shower this very morning.
“Everything okay?” Sarah asked in way of greeting.
“Would you move for an excellent benefits package?”
“Hell yeah, I would, but that doesn’t explain this frantic phone call while you should be cuddling on a couch with your new flame.”
Andie sighed and updated Sarah on the email. When she finished she could hear a pin drop on her friend’s end.
“Is this place for real?” Sarah finally said.
Andie had to laugh, though it felt bordered on hysterical. “I asked the same thing.”
“If you don’t want it, I’ll take it. We’ll do a romcom switcheroo. They’ve only seen you on zoom, they’ll never know the difference.”
“But then I’d lose my bestie and a fantastic opportunity.”
“Do they want two for the price of one?”
“We’ll never survive on the price of one.”
“Boo. You’re right. But boo.”
Andie leaned back, head meeting the mirror. “I’ve been hearing amazing things about the temple preschool. Leo’s niece went there. I think it could be a really good match and allow me to stay close to you and him. But …” She worried her lip between her teeth.
“… but the odds of them having a benefits package that even begins to compare is highly unlikely.”
“Exactly. What do I do?”
“Well, I doubt they’re expecting an answer right this minute. Relax. Enjoy Chanukah with Leo and his family. You started seeing him thinking that it would be temporary, what’s changed?”
What’s changed? That really was the question. Andie’s heart wanted to stay. After such a short time of really getting to know her neighbor, she felt this deep connection, one she wanted to hold on to. Add in the family downstairs and he represented the potential personal life she craved.
Too soon. This was simply a glimpse at a potential. And right now, all she had were potentials, on the professional and personal front. The only guarantee was this amazing offer already on the table.
She hadn’t expected it to hurt, but she couldn’t deny the slight tear in her heart at leaving. There’d always been one there, now adding in Leo and the Dentzes, it had more than tripled in size. For all the good the Ohio job came with, it also brought the pain. She couldn’t go after one without losing out on the chance of the other.
Down on the first floor, Leo intended to join the women in the living room, but he got pulled in by Dean and David huddled together in the dining room.
“What’s going on here?” he asked, joining the group.
The two welcomed Leo into their huddle. “I want in,” David said.
Leo waited for that to make sense, but nope, his brother-in-law stared at him, arms crossed, not even flinching. “In regards to …?”
“Dean was explaining your plan, to start your own business since Glen isn’t thinking clearly. I want to help.”
Leo couldn’t stop it, his eyebrows tried to touch the ceiling. “You have a full-time job and limited knowledge of antiques.”
“He’s got a full-time job that pays well enough to light up his house like the overachieving Maccabee.”
David jabbed an elbow into Dean’s side, not looking at the man.
Dean doubled over, rubbing the spot. “It’s true! Your electric bill has an extra zero to it than mine!”
“You live in an apartment.”
“Potato, potahto.”
Leo crossed his arms, waiting.
“Silent partner. For more reasons than one. I’ll help fund your startup capital. We’ll develop a contract fair for everyone.”
Leo mulled that over and had to make sure the facts were all on the table. “Silent from Jodie?”
“Nah, she’s in. Antiques mean a lot to all of you.”
“And your catch?”
David didn’t even flinch. “None. I’m in a position to help, I want to help.”
Leo shared a look with Dean.
“This is good. You and I have the skills and knowledge. We know we can manage a new business. This will give us the cushion we need to start strong and stay strong. Dentz Antiques two point oh.”
“We’re not calling it that.”
“I’m not suggesting we call it that. What do you say?”
Leo looked back and forth between the two. It was sticky, stickier than this never-ending feud he had with his father. David was family, and family had each other’s backs. On the other hand, David was family, and any potential problems came with risk to the family unit. He’d been there for all of them since he started dating Jodie and he was more than a brother-in-law, he was a friend. Leo trusted him.
“Are you sure about this offer?”
“Yes. Look, why don’t we meet up the first week of January. Glen would have made some sort of decision by then. We’ll talk plans, see if we can agree.”
“New businesses are not cheap.”
“Neither is his light feti—”
Dean stopped talking when David wrapped an arm around his head, covering his mouth, silencing him. “As your brother kindly points out, I have the funds.”
A vision formed, a new place, a different version of Dentz Antiques. Leo could focus more on restoration. Dean could sell. With careful planning they’d pay David back for whatever he contributed. They could take on retro items as well, attract more buyers.
It could work.
Leo held out his hand. “Let’s talk in January and make sure everyone really thinks this through. I won’t have another business move of mine split this family.”
David grabbed his hand and shook. Dean wrapped both of his hands over the others. Yes, they’d make a good team. All three of them.