12. Elsa
Chapter Twelve
Elsa
My foot bounced where I sat in the waiting room with one leg crossed over my other knee. I was trying not to be nervous, but I was failing. Taking a quick breath, I let it out in a quiet sigh.
You are qualified for this job, Elsa.
The woman at the receptionist’s desk called my name. I stood so quickly I almost lost my balance.
“That’s me.” I practically ran to the desk, catching myself at the last minute and forcing my stride to slow.
“Janie will be right with you.” She stood and opened a door beside her desk, leading me down a hallway and into a small conference room. “Go ahead and have a seat.” She gestured toward the table. “Would you like some coffee?”
I shook my head quickly. The last thing I needed was more caffeine. “Thank you, though.”
Just as I was sitting down, another woman appeared in the doorway. “Hi, you must be Elsa. I’m Janie.”
Awkwardly, I immediately stood again. “Yes.” Thrusting a hand forward, I shook hers. Her grip was warm, her handshake steady.
“Go ahead and finish having a seat.” She chuckled as she closed the door behind her and sat across from me. “How are you?”
Her calm tone and warm eyes eased the tension drawn tight inside me. I really wanted this job, and it wasn’t just because I needed the money.
Monitoring the beluga whales, tracking their migration patterns, and contributing to conservation efforts was basically a dream job for me. Beyond those main duties, the office here monitored many other local wildlife and helped with any rescues.
By the time my interview was over, I didn’t even remember most of my answers.
I finished with, “Thank you so much. This is basically a dream job for me, and maybe I’m not supposed to say that, but that’s how I feel.
” My words sounded so earnest that I felt ridiculous once my brain caught up to what I said.
Janie’s brown eyes crinkled at the corners with her smile. “I can tell you’re passionate about this, and that pretty much makes my day.” She looked as if she were pondering what to say next, and I forced myself to keep my mouth shut while I waited. “We’d like to offer you the position.”
“We?” I squeaked.
“Well, me .” Janie laughed softly. “Your credentials and references are excellent. Your education is a great fit, and you were born and raised in Alaska. That, for this, is important. You understand the environment here and the many competing issues we face as wildlife biologists. Your primary role will be the projects around monitoring whales, but that won’t be all of your responsibilities by any stretch, and we need someone with that kind of flexibility and interest.”
It was all I could do not to jump up and down and shout for joy.
Instead, I nodded slowly. “Oh wow. This is amazing! I thought there would be so much competition.” I took a deep breath, letting it out in a ragged sigh.
Before I knew it, I had dropped my face into my hands, trying to keep from bursting into tears.
In this case, it was a mix of happy tears and sheer overwhelmed tears.
“Are you okay?” Janie asked.
I lifted my head, swiping my fingertips across my cheeks. “I’m sorry. I know that’s not professional.” My voice was watery. “It’s just... it’s been a lot. Coming home has been a lot.”
As I looked at her, I realized she must know my story. I wasn’t naive enough to think people didn’t do online searches when hiring.
She didn’t comment, but her gaze was warm and understanding. “Well, from what you said in your application, you just moved back to town, and this is where you grew up. That would carry a lot of emotion, no matter what.”
“Thank you for understanding.” Somehow, that little burst of emotion helped me gather myself. “I hope being this unprofessional doesn’t make me lose the job offer.”
She shook her head. “No, you were our top candidate before you even came in for your interview. You have the most experience specific to this job, which is a specific job. Not to be repetitive, but it fits.” She chuckled when I beamed back at her.
“I’ll introduce you to our HR person on the way out, and she’ll get you all set up. When do you want to start?”
“When do I want to start?” I repeated.
She grinned. “Yeah. Officially, this position’s funding starts next week, so you can start any day after Monday. But we also realize you may not be ready then. I don’t know where you’re at with housing and all that, so?—”
“I can start Monday.” I cut in immediately.
As I skipped from my car into the barn, giddiness spun inside me. It felt like a sense of hope was sprouting. I jogged up the stairs to the apartment. I was opening the door, walking through it and not paying any attention when I collided with something solid.
Glancing up, I found Haven stepping back. “Sorry about that.”
I was too excited to even think clearly. “I got the job!” I burst out, jumping up and flinging my arms around his shoulders. Thankfully, he had quick reflexes and caught me.
And, sweet hell, Haven gave excellent hugs. His embrace was strong and warm.
I kicked my feet up behind me, feeling the rumble of his chuckle against my chest when he spun me around. He was still holding me when I leaned my head back, so caught up in my joy I wasn’t even thinking.
“Isn’t it awesome?” I exclaimed.
He chuckled again, and the sound vibrated through me. As if we recognized at the same time that he held me in a full-on embrace, we both fell quiet. Heat blazed into my cheeks, and I took a quick breath.
“Okay, maybe that was weird,” I suddenly said.
“Being excited that you got a job? Your dream job?” he prompted, still holding me close.
I didn’t want him to put me down. I liked being this close to Haven. A lot.
I took another shaky breath. “I kind of flung myself at you.”
His lips curled at the corners, and my belly did a little shimmy, tingles radiating throughout my body.
“I guess I can catch.” He slowly lowered me to the floor before stepping back.
I ignored the sharp pang of disappointment and forced myself to take another step away.
“We should celebrate. Tell me what kind of food you want, and we’ll have it for dinner.”
“Huh?”
“You know, celebrate that you got a job?” Haven eyed me curiously.
Maybe it wasn’t obvious to him that celebrating little events like this wasn’t something I was used to. “Oh, um, we should celebrate?”
“Absolutely,” he said firmly. “What’s your favorite food?”
I blinked, biting my lip. “I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?”
“I love cheese. Like, when your mom made that charcuterie board? That was amazing. And... I’ve never had homemade mac and cheese, but I’ve heard it’s really good.”
“Okay. We’re definitely having mac and cheese, and my mom will probably make a lot more.”
“I don’t want your mom to put herself out.”
Haven rolled his eyes and took a step back in my direction, placing his big hands on my shoulders. Ithrilled at the feel of his touch, heat flaring in my cheeks again.
“You’re not putting her out. Or anyone. That’s what we do here. We celebrate small wins, and this isbigger than small. It’s your dream job, and you freaking got it.”
A giggle slipped out. “I know. I kind of can’t believe it.”
He startled me by dipping his head and giving me a quick kiss. “Fuckingbelieve it.”
We stared at each other. Once again, it seemed as if we both realized what had just happened. It wasn’t like that was a sexy kiss or anything, but it was still a kiss, and my lips burned from it.
“I’ll see you at dinner tonight.” He lifted his hand for a high five, and I slapped my palm to his, the heat of his touch flashing up my arm.
He hurried past me, closing the door behind him and leaving me upstairs by myself. I pressed two fingers to my lips, almost as if I couldcatch his kiss and hold it there. I was hot all over, ablaze with awareness and sensation.
I didn’t know how long I stood there until my phone chirped in my pocket, and I nearly jumped at the sound.