Chapter 3 #2
“Sutton! Hey! What are you doing here?” I ask, stepping toward her.
“My boss sent me here to help out at the beginning of this project,” she says with a roll of here eys.
Sutton is Claire’s older sister and works for Daydream Resorts.
“Come on, come on! I am in desperate need of a coffee, and we can chat in the break room. You’re perfect for this job, kind of a shoo-in.
” My brows furrow, and I look over my shoulder, confused and wondering if maybe she’s speaking to someone else, but I’m the only one in the room.
“Job?” I ask, hesitantly.
“Yeah, honestly, it’s so easy, mostly making sure everyone leaves Julian alone so he can handle the important stuff.
Making sure his calendar is sorted, deadlines for permits and whatnot are going well, that kind of thing.
” She leads me into a break room, pours herself a coffee, and offers me one, though I shake my head, still totally lost. Finally, Sutton sits on the edge of a table, an iPad in her hands.
“The rest of the candidates were okay, but they didn’t have the personality required to handle a job like this.
You’d be perfect. Hell, if you can wrangle a group of fifth graders, you can handle this easily.
” Claire must have given her an update on my current jobless status, something that doesn’t bother me, since I like Sutton and always have.
“Plus, your brother is the contractor on this, and the person you’ll be working to keep him on target. I can’t think of anyone better.”
“I, um,” I say, biting my lip and looking around. “Do you have my resume?” I know I applied for a dozen jobs the other day, but I don’t remember filling out one for…whatever this position is. She shrugs a shoulder and grins.
“Something happened to the docs, so they accidentally got deleted.” My eyes widen.
“Don’t tell Graham, okay? I can’t figure out for the life of me how to undo it, and he’d never let me live it down.
I’m so lucky you were one of the candidates because I already know your qualifications.
” I should tell her that I’m not here for an interview and I will, but what could learning about this position Sutton seems to think I’d be perfect for hurt?
I did say I was going to try harder to say yes to opportunities, didn’t I?
“Can you, um…can you remind me what the job is for?” She nods eagerly, then turns the iPad toward me, an email on the screen.
“This is the position, and I’ve highlighted what I’ve been approved to offer the final candidate.” My eyes narrow at the screen, trying to take in everything at once, but failing miserably as my eyes move right to the highlighted section.
The salary is double that of my teaching job, which, granted, isn’t that hard, but if I kept this job even for a year, I would be able to set myself up and add more padding to my savings.
Even if I went back to teaching, I would have so much less stress.
And if I didn’t…I’d have a buffer if I wanted to try anything else.
The job itself, Coordinating Assistant to the project manager, seems like a relatively straightforward position and one I could absolutely do.
Maintain the manager’s meeting schedule, sift through applications, stay on top of township deadlines, identify and reach out to influencers for promotional opportunities, and manage any remaining tasks related to the opening and operation of Daytrip, the new offshoot of Daydream Resorts.
Excitement brews in my belly, just a bit, because it actually sounds like a fun position.
Still, I can’t take advantage of my friend this way.
Sighing, I hand the tablet back to her. “Sutton, I don’t want to get you into trouble.
I’m almost positive I didn’t apply for this.
I do need a job, but I really don’t want you to get in trouble for offering a job to someone and—” She cuts me off with a wave of her hand.
“Look, I know you, I trust you, and I have shit to do. You’d be helping me out, really.
I could stop looking and focus on what I have to do.
It would be so easy to train you. Plus, you know everything about this town.
Whatever hiccups we’re bound to hit, you’d know the best way around them.
You’re probably more qualified for this job than I am. ”
“I don’t know about that,” I say with a laugh.
“I do. Now, will you please take this job so I can stop interviewing people?”
“Don’t you have an interview, like, right now?”
“No show,” she says with a shrug, as if it’s a non-issue. “But you came instead. Kind of feels like it was meant to be, doesn’t it?”
It does, actually. In fact, the kismet of it all feels exactly like what I promised Claire and Lainey. I promised myself I would view this as my lucky summer, and if an opportunity like this just falls into my lap…it has to be the universe giving me a sign, right?
Right.
“Uh, well…in that case…sure. Yeah. Why not?” I say with a wide smile, feeling a bit crazed and reckless, but excitement running in my veins all the same. Sutton grins.
“Yay! Amazing—I’ll send over your paperwork tonight.
I’ll text you for your email. Could you come in on Monday for your first day?
I know it’s soon, but we’re neck deep in opening day tasks, and I’m heading to Hudson City at noon to help Rowan with something for the Bali location.
” She starts tapping at the table as if checking her schedule or sending an email, already busy on her next task.
“I, uh…” I bite my lip, a sudden nervousness taking over the momentary excitement, but then I spot Grant talking to someone in the background, and my resolve strengthens.
I don’t want him to worry about, once again, having to step in to help me. He’s done more than enough by now.
“Yeah. That’s totally fine.”
“Yay!” Sutton says, clapping, then standing to pull me into a huge hug.
“What’s going on here?” Grant says, taking off his hat and flipping it around, looking at Sutton and me with confusion. I expect him to remind me he told me to stay in one place and out of trouble, but I speak before he can lecture me.
“I just got a job,” I say with a winning smile.
He looks at me, rightfully confused. “What?”
“Sutton just offered me a job here at Daytrip. Assist the project manager who has been running this thing. Pays pretty well, normal weekday hours, a desk job.”
“With insurance!” Sutton adds, and I nod, smiling wider.
“And with insurance.” He looks at me again for a long moment before shaking his head, a smile on his lips as he puts a shoulder around my arms, pulling me in for a side hug.
“Only you could literally have a job fall into your lap,” he says.
“It’s what happens when you’re lucky,” I say, genuinely feeling it to my bones, because I am so lucky, and everything is working out for me.