Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
Peter
Steve hands me one more container of LEGO pieces and I add it to the very tall stack of storage bins in the basement of The Serendipity.
“I think that’s the last one,” Steve says as he slides his hands down his sweater vest. Steve and I are relatively new acquaintances, but I immediately liked his mild manner and no-nonsense approach to running things. “You have a lot of LEGO sets, Peter.”
“I was kind of a lonely kid,” I say, and Steve nods his head in understanding.
“Ahh. I get it,” he says.
“Thanks for your help.” I close the metal caging that surrounds my small section of storage space. Up until an hour ago, the only things down here were my bicycle and the luggage set my parents gave me when I graduated from college. Now, it’s full of bins of LEGO bricks…stacked, well, like LEGO bricks. I still have no idea what I’m going to do with them all. I probably could sell them. But Sophie was right. If I eventually get married and have kids, it might be nice to hang onto them.
“Anytime,” Steve says. “It’s the least I can do, seeing as how I can’t seem to fix your apartment.”
I turn and follow him through the basement and toward the elevator. “Have you talked to Archer about it? Does he have any suggestions?”
“Not useful ones,” Steve says. “Unless you also think it’s a good idea to call the Ghostbusters.”
I chuckle. “You sure that suggestion didn’t come from Willa?”
His lips quirk up the slightest bit. “I wondered the same thing.”
“I know you’re trying, Steve, but I can’t stay with Sophie forever,” I say as Steve presses the button for the elevator.
He holds up his hands. “I know. I promise this is at the top of my priority list right now. I’m just not used to the outside-the-box thinking this building requires of me.”
The elevator dings, and we step into the first-floor lobby of The Serendipity.
“I’ll keep you posted on your apartment,” Steve says as he heads toward the grand staircase. “Thanks again for your patience.”
I lift a hand and wave it in acknowledgement. “It’s not like I have much choice in the matter,” I mutter under my breath. Before I reach Sophie’s apartment door, my phone buzzes with an incoming call.
Sophie left me to unload the LEGO bins on my own, saying she needed to water the garden before it got dark, but she might be back in her apartment by now, and I definitely don’t want to answer this phone call with company.
Because it’s my boss.
Calling me on a Saturday.
That’s never happened before.
Instead of heading left toward Sophie’s apartment, I turn right and duck into the library. It’s blessedly empty at the moment, so I quickly answer the call just before it gets sent to voicemail.
“Dr. Conway,” I say. “How are you?”
“Good. Thanks for answering. Sorry to bother you on a Saturday,” my boss says.
Dr. Conway is a good boss. A great boss, really. He’s patient and respectful of my intelligence, and he doesn’t micromanage. As long as I get my work done, he lets me manage my time working from home however I see fit, whether it’s two in the morning or two in the afternoon.
“That’s okay, sir. You caught me at a good time. How can I help you?”
“Well, I just got out of a very long meeting with the executives down at corporate, and we had a conversation I think is going to interest you.”
“Okay,” I say, nerves making my gut tighten. Is this about the promotion? Have they decided not to give it to me?
“I know you’re expecting the lead data position here in Serendipity Springs.”
“I wouldn’t say expecting,” I say, rolling back some of my earlier confidence. “Hoping, but I know I’m not the only one qualified?—”
“You’re the best man for the job, Peter,” he says, his tone perfunctory. “Everyone knows that. Unfortunately—or fortunately, depending on how you look at it—corporate is also impressed with your work, and they’ve got another job offer they’d like you to consider.”
“A job?” I ask. “At corporate?”
“If I were selfish, I’d discourage you from taking it,” he says, “because I hate to lose you. But they need a new chief data scientist, and they want you. It’s one heck of a promotion, kid. You’ll be making what I make. Executive salary, full benefits, retirement, all of it.”
I drop onto the nearest chair, heart pounding.
Chief Data Scientist for IronKey Cybersecurity.
It really is a promotion. One I wouldn’t expect to get for at least another ten years.
“Why not you, sir?” I ask. “You know so much more than I do.”
“Nah,” Dr. Conway says. “I don’t, and we both know it. I might have more experience, but you’ve got the brain power. Besides, they offered me the job already. My wife would leave me if I tried to move her out of Serendipity Springs, and my kids would help. But you’re young. And Charlotte’s a great city.”
Charlotte.
North Carolina, but right on the border with South Carolina. I’d probably be within just a few hours of the rest of my family.
“I don’t know what to say,” I say. “Moving…that’s…” My words trail off because what can I really say? I don’t particularly want to move. I like where I live. Where I work. I like being close to Sophie.
But I don’t know how to say no to an opportunity like this.
“Just think about it,” Dr. Conway says. “No reason to make a decision right now. HR will email over the official offer so you can take a look at the salary and benefits package. You’ve got a couple of weeks to think it over, but I expect they’ll want a firm yes or no by the end of the month.”
“Right. That makes sense. I’ll look for the email.”
“Good. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.”
“Wait, Dr. Conway. One more question.”
“Sure.”
“If I don’t take it, will there still be the possibility of the lead scientist position here?”
“Absolutely. And I’d love to have you. But it might mean you miss out on future opportunities. Corporate likes people who want to play the game.”
“Understandable,” I say. “I appreciate your honesty.”
“Congratulations, Peter. This is a big deal.”
He hangs up, and I drop my phone into my lap, letting the silence of the peaceful library wash over me.
I have no idea what to make of the job offer. I wasn’t expecting it. And if my family were staying in Massachusetts, I probably wouldn’t even consider it.
But now, maybe I should.
Leaving Sophie, though. Even just the thought is absolutely gutting.
Then again, if Sophie winds up finding someone through her dating experiment, moving might be exactly what I need. A fresh start just like Allison is getting. Somewhere I won’t have to be confronted with a daily reminder that Sophie didn’t choose me.
I pocket my phone and leave the library, walking the short distance down the hall to Sophie’s apartment. I open the door and find her standing in her kitchen, phone in hand.
She looks up, her expression wide-eyed like I startled her, and tucks her phone behind her back. “Hi,” she says.
“Hey. Are you okay?”
“Yeah. I’m good. Great.”
“Why do you seem like you’re hiding something?”
She pulls her phone out from behind her back and looks at it, like she’s angry it incriminated her. “Oh. I, um…” She swallows and tugs her bottom lip into her teeth. “It’s nothing. I was just…scheduling another date.” She says this with a measure of caution she wouldn’t have used yesterday or the day before.
She’s only using it now because of what happened at my house.
Because she’s letting me down gently.
A million emotions pass through me at once, but I have handled this kind of rejection before, and I will handle it again. “That’s great,” I manage to say. “Maybe this will be the one that finally works out.”