CHAPTER 26
The role had been posted internally for a week.
Arlowe had texted her that they were about to post it externally for people to apply, but Eline had been going back and forth about whether or not she even would.
On one hand, she wanted to stay in the country more than anything.
On the other hand, she hated putting people through what she was going through now: an application process that would likely lead nowhere.
On yet another hand, a third one that she didn’t actually have, Eline had agreed to it, and Arlowe’s company was doing this for her, so she’d feel bad if she didn’t go through with it at all.
Arlowe sent her the link the moment it went live.
She knew that because when she went to check it out, the job had only been live for seven minutes.
Arlowe had shown her the job description, so she had known what to expect.
It wasn’t exactly what she wanted to do, and it would be a couple of steps back in her career, but she was grateful to even have the chance to apply for something with a guaranteed interview, even if it might be considered unethical to some, including herself.
She hovered over the submit button after she added her resume and cover letter.
She’d had to answer a few questions about herself, but overall, the process had taken less than five minutes, which was a breath of fresh air for someone who’d applied for over fifty jobs in one week and had had to not only upload a resume and cover letter for some, but also had to enter the information in manually, which was frustrating.
She’d yet to hear back from any of them, and she didn’t have much time.
It had already been over a week. Even if she heard back from one of them the following week, she’d still have to schedule the first interview, and for the kinds of jobs she was applying for, she’d have to go through at least two to three interviews that would probably be a week apart if her experience was any indication.
There was also usually an assignment or test of some kind for engineers, so she’d have to complete that as well.
She was probably looking at a minimum month-long process, and that was only if someone actually reached out for an interview knowing that she would need a visa from them to stay in the country.
Eline did end up hitting the submit button because, in the end, she felt like she had to.
Then, she took a break from the job search and decided to clean up her apartment.
Arlowe had been staying over every night, and Eline had always been a little more on the tidier side than the ex-girlfriend whom she was dating again.
They’d talked about using the girlfriend term for what they were today, too, but things had been both confusing and complicated, with Eline losing her job, so she wasn’t sure if she should call Arlowe that until they talked about it again and decided that they both wanted and were ready for that definition and not merely because Eline might have to move.
She didn’t want them to escalate their relationship just because she might be leaving.
She wanted them to go at their pace and enjoy being together without some ticking clock looming over their heads all the time, but that might not be possible.
“Eline, I have news,” her father said when she answered the phone.
He hadn’t even greeted her first and sounded like he was in a hurry, which was odd and had her a bit concerned.
“News?”
“I know you want to stay there and that we need to respect that decision, but I met with someone from the university yesterday, and they are looking for a software engineer to work for their business. He’s a professor currently, but he’s about to retire from teaching.
He has a good business idea, and he’ll be working on it part-time until he leaves the university, but he needs someone to help him build it from scratch and grow the business with him.
He told me he’d even be offering part ownership to the people he needs to get things moving.
It’s a great idea. He explained it to me, but I was only focused on the fact that he’s in need of an engineer.
I mentioned that you were looking for a new job and told him a little bit about you and what you’ve done.
He was very interested, Eline. He mentioned wanting to offer the product in English first, so the fact that you’re fluent is very helpful.
Anyway, I told him that you’d be interested in talking to him about the job.
You’d be in charge of all engineering for the company. It really is an amazing opportunity.”
“I assume it would be based in the Netherlands?”
“Yes, of course,” her dad replied. “And there are legalities to consider with having an employee there, even though you’re a citizen here, and the time zones, and– Well, you understand, I’m sure.
He’s looking for an office right now, but it likely won’t be in Amsterdam proper.
Outside of the city and near the campus is what I think because he’ll have work at the university until he retires. ”
“I want to stay here,” she stated.
“I know that. I didn’t go looking for this opportunity for you.
I was having a conversation with a colleague, and it came up.
I couldn’t not bring up my daughter, who has been looking for a new job.
He might let you work from there if he thinks he can make it happen and trusts you to do what he needs done.
Maybe it’s not an issue. You’d have to check.
I only know what he told me, which was that he wants someone here, but you might be able to convince him. ”
“I can’t work from here for a Dutch company. I have to work for an American company to get the visa that I need to live here,” she reminded.
“I know, but you might be able to convince him to let you stay there until your visa is up. That was my point. I don’t think he’d mind it if you got the job and worked from there until you could get home.”
“I don’t know.”
“This could be important, Eline. I’ll give you his information so that you can look him up, but it’s a big opportunity for you to build a company from the ground up. You’d get to create the product from scratch, which I know you’re interested in.”
“I am, but I’d feel bad. If I get that job while I’m here, and my visa extension comes through, or I find another job here, I’d have to leave that one.”
“You’d really do that?” her dad asked. “If you got a job there after getting this one, you’d really quit here?”
“Yes, I would. I think.”
“But why? You’re not going to find something where you can do this there.
Unless there’s something I don’t know, of course, but those kinds of companies won’t have the resources or the time to help you apply for another work visa.
Besides, you’ve been applying for jobs but haven’t heard back yet, correct? ”
“Yes.”
“Then, I don’t understand. I know you like it there, but you need a job, Eline.
I have the perfect opportunity for you. You can probably interview tomorrow without even having to apply, and I’m sure you’d impress him.
You could be home working next week. Why would you continue applying around just to stay in a country that’s not your home? ”
“Because I like it here. I wanted to be here, Dad. That’s why I took this job even though I applied other places, including home. I wanted to move. I didn’t know that at first; maybe not until I got here and was here for a while, but I saw the job posting, and I–” Eline stopped herself.
“You saw the posting, and what?”
Eline still wasn’t sure if she should tell her parents about rekindling things with Arlowe, but in her mind, she felt like she understood it now.
Moving here had been an adjustment, and not exactly an easy one.
She’d had to get a learner’s permit and take an adult driver’s ed class right when she’d gotten here because one needed a driver’s license here just to get to work or get around since there wasn’t reliable public transportation.
She’d known how to drive, but she still had to learn the signs and laws here, and she’d never really wanted to drive; she much preferred trains and trams. She’d also had to figure out the measurements and use Fahrenheit instead of Celsius and the easily scalable metric system she’d grown up with, and even adjust to not having the good food brands or freshly baked bread in the grocery store, along with everything else that made America…
America, but there had been something about the city or the company or just something that she’d felt all on her own when she’d applied to work at GoldStash.
She hadn’t thought much about it at the time, mostly because she hadn’t expected to get the job in the first place, but now, as she sat on her sofa, thinking about why she had wanted to move here so badly, she could only come up with one reason: her heart.
Her heart had pulled her here. As ridiculous as it was for her to even think it, she had somehow known that Arlowe would be nearby without knowing it, and she couldn’t shake it.
It seemed so obvious to her now why she’d been drawn here.
Yes, she’d adjusted to living here and didn’t want to leave anymore, but she’d been drawn here because Arlowe was here.
“Dad, I saw the posting for the job I just lost, and it felt right. I didn’t think I’d get it, but I did, and now, living here feels right.”
“I understand that, Eline, but you don’t have that job anymore. How can you even afford to stay there beyond a few more days? You said they only paid you one more paycheck. You’ll have rent, food, and other expenses.”
“I know. I’m trying to work that out.”