Chapter 6 #2
“I don’t think I was serious about that,” he says.
“You have a right to change your mind.”
“The thing is, I ran into Austin at Babies ‘R’ Us the other day—”
I laugh. “You went to Babies ‘R’ Us? Already?”
“Shut up. It’s a great store. They have everything you could possibly need for a baby and a hell of a lot of things you don’t. Anyway, he told me that the League is looking to hire a facilities manager for all the ballparks and—”
I hold up my hand. “Why was Austin at Babies ‘R’ Us?” Austin is the executive director of the Hometown League and has four grown daughters.
“One of his girls is pregnant.”
I wonder if it’s Vega, the youngest. We graduated from high school together. She might be having a baby and I’m not even thinking about getting married yet. Not since Candy, that’s for sure. And not since my entire focus became the GM training program.
“I’m confused,” I say, attempting to bring the conversation back to the Hometown League.
“Well, Jaws, when two people love each other very much…”
“Not about that, you dick.”
Andre laughs. “What are you confused about?”
“The nonprofit partners with cities and counties to utilize their ballparks. That’s part of the deal. They help renovate facilities that benefit the entire community, not only the people who play in the League.”
“That’s not changing,” he says. “They need someone to manage that and take the responsibility off the executive director’s plate.”
I lean back. “It’s actually not a bad idea. Austin’s overextended even without that part of the job.”
“Exactly.”
“So, you’re thinking of leaving corporate for this?”
He shrugs. “Kelsey and I are still hashing out the pros and cons. It’s convenient to go to the same building for work every day, and the employee relations department announced last week that they’re bringing a daycare center to the corporate office.”
“Wow,” I say. “That’s progressive.” Mom would have loved that when we were babies.
“And convenient. The League office is twenty minutes in the opposite direction.”
“Would there be much travel involved?”
“Only in the event of a real mess, you know? Austin travels a lot, but most of my work could be done over the phone. Even occasional travel is definitely one of the cons, especially if Kelsey starts traveling more.”
“How’s the pay?”
He snorts. “It’s a nonprofit. It would be a pay cut, but it could be worse. Kels is up for another promotion.”
Of course she is. My sister takes no prisoners. I’m kind of proud of her, even if I’m still swimming in the murky waters of the merch rotation. At least with Abbey hired, I no longer feel like I’m about to get swallowed by the undercurrent.
“What about you?” Andre asks.
“What about me?”
“When are you going over to the League? Austin said they’re building a community relations role into next year’s budget.”
I’m lifting the bottle to take another drink but freeze at his words. I can’t imagine why he would ask me this. Everyone knows I’m busting my ass to finish rotation and get my own store—the flagship. That’s been my goal since I graduated from college. Probably before.
“What makes you think I want to work at the League?” I finally ask.
“Look, Jaws,” Andre starts, then sighs. He’s the only member of my family who calls me that, because he was with Sam and me back in our earliest warehouse days. “I know you’ve got your heart set on running Woodlake, but I gotta ask, does it make you happy?”
“Does it make me happy?” I echo. “Is it supposed to? What’s gotten into you? Has fatherhood turned you soft already?”
“Look, I get it, man. This is what you think you were born to do, like Kap and Kels. She wants to run this company more than anything, and you think you want to run the flagship store.”
“I more than think so. I know it. I’ve known it for a long time.”
“Mmhmm,” he murmurs and downs the last of his beer.
“Every time I’m at the store, you seem miserable, you know?
Like you’re going through the motions, and the motions are bringing you down.
But I’ve also seen you with those kids in the League, dude.
They fucking love you. They revere you. And I’ve seen how happy you are out on the ball field and at the bowling events and shit.
Maybe you could focus your career on something that makes you happy instead of gives you the anxiety shits before every eval. ”
“I don’t get anxiety shits, Andre.” Most days, though, I am miserable, but it’ll all be worth it when I have my own store.
“Whatever. I’m not gonna tell you what to do.” He stands. “Time to split. We gotta pick up the crib before Babies ‘R’ Us closes. Special order, because of course she couldn’t have something as basic as what they have on the sales floor.”
“Good luck getting past Chanelle,” I say.
Andre goes back inside to find Kelsey, but I stay and look out over the manicured lawn to the parkway and the walkers on the path.
A couple on a bench between two oak trees.
The muted sky at dusk. The lake, still scummy with algae blooms. I think about what Andre said about happiness.
They don’t teach you in business classes that you should find a job that makes you happy.
They teach you about analytics, finance, marketing, HR.
Profit and loss, margins, audits, evals—that’s what matters.
I can get through this miserable part, and then, when I’m the GM of Woodlake, then I’ll be happy.