Unexpected Opportunities

BECCA

The next few days went very smoothly. I went for another job interview, and this time, I felt that I’d made an impression. I was more confident, and I guess it helped me to answer the questions in a more relaxed way than I had been doing before.

The chief editor of this agency was a brilliant woman, and she was satisfied with my job experience and my knowledge.

Strangely, I started to get used to this never-sleeping city. It was easier for me to find my way among the streets and places. I guess having that talk with Chase helped me. As always, he had been there for me so many times, I honestly had no idea how I was going to repay him.

It was Monday, and I was making a list of things I would need to take with me. I had dinner with Jenny and Chase, and they went for a stroll. They invited me as well, but seeing my bewildered look, they both understood that I wouldn’t go anywhere until I finished what I had started.

My phone started buzzing. Kate’s face appeared on my screen. Just what I needed. I loved her and missed her, but sometimes she was deaf and blind to my feelings and emotions. She had always been like that, but with time it became more and more difficult for me to cope with it.

“Hey, Kitty Kate! What are you up to?”

“Rebecca, you have no idea how much I miss you! I guess I annoyed Tim beyond measure with my constant whining about you now living in New York.”

“Well, it’s only been a month. Before that, I was in Miami and also wasn’t close to your home. What changed?”

“Honestly? I thought that if you moved somewhere from Miami, it would be our hometown, or…”

“Stop!”

“Becca, but…”

“No. Enough of this shit, Kate. I closed that book a long time ago. I’ve asked you so many times not to bring up the subject again!”

“It’s unbelievable! You won’t even let me say what I was thinking!”

“Is there something else you wanted to talk about? If not, I have a lot of things to do.”

“You’ve changed. You even sound different.”

“That’s because I grew up!”

“Excuse me?! Are you saying what I think you’re saying?!”

“Yes, Kate. That’s right. You are childish, and you haven’t changed at all.”

“Screw you, Rebecca. You just envy my happiness with Tim.”

“Delusional as always.”

With that, I ended the call. I was frustrated and angry. It was precisely the reason why I was closer to Lily than to Kate. Lily respected my privacy; she never judged me and was always ready to support my every decision. She even visited me more often than Kate.

Kate was happy with Tim, and I was happy for them, but she changed too drastically. Some of her qualities became too annoying. She thought that since she was able to marry her college boyfriend, she knew life better than any of us. Oh, and she believed that we all envied her. Fuck!

My phone started ringing again. It was Kate’s second nature, for the last words to be hers.

“What?!” I spat the word in an angry voice.

“Okay, I guess I’ve called at a bad time.” It was a man’s voice, and I had no idea who it was.

“Oh… I am sorry. Who am I talking to?”

“It’s Justin Wilson.”

Oh my God!

“Mr. Wilson, I am so sorry. I would have never…”

“Rebecca, it’s okay. It’s me who needs to apologize to you. I am in Stockholm right now and didn’t think about the time difference.”

“In Sweden, huh?” I sat more comfortably on my bed and waited for his answer.

“Well, yeah. It’s not my first time here, and I really like this country. But that’s not why I am bothering you. My assistant called and reminded me that I needed to make a decision about the open position.”

“I am listening.” I was biting my lower lip because somehow I was sure that I knew what he was going to tell me. Either way, why would he need to call me from Stockholm?

“Ms. Dawson, you impressed me with your knowledge and your experience. I thought back and forth about it, and I want to hire you. But…”

“But?” Please, don’t be a jerk. I won’t be sleeping with him to get this job.

“I will be in Europe for a month, and I will need you to start working for me as soon as I am back if that is okay with you. Are you willing to wait for a month?”

“It depends on your offer. What about my salary?”

“It will be what you were asking. And I will also add a bonus for waiting.”

“Okay. But I will need something more official than just your offer by phone.”

“That’s understandable. I will ask Beth, and she will send you our offer. I am looking forward to working with you, Ms. Dawson.”

“Me too, Mr. Wilson. And have a nice sleep. If I remember correctly, it must be close to midnight in Stockholm.”

“Beautiful and smart. I think I’ve made the right decision.”

“Sure, you did. Goodnight, and thank you!”

“Goodnight, Ms. Dawson.”

I can’t believe it! I got a job! I did it! And I will be working with this successful man! I can learn a lot from him, that’s for sure. He has fantastic experience, and a list of his clients is only growing. I am so happy right now!

I stood up and started pacing my room. Okay, if I receive an offer from his assistant for real, I will have a month—a month to myself. A month to spend time with people I love. A month to relax, because obviously, as soon as I start working for Mr. Wilson, I won’t have time for a vacation.

Now I know what to do. I took my laptop and searched for flights. I will change my return ticket to New York, and this way, I will be back just a week before I start working.

Three weeks at home. It sounds like a miracle. I don’t remember the last time I was there for more than a week. Justin Wilson not only gave me the job of my dreams but also very precious time with my family and friends.

When I was done, I started collecting my things. I would need more clothes if I went home for three weeks. I never thought that I missed my parents and my hometown that much. I was super excited, and even thoughts about Lily’s wedding weren’t so scary for me. Not anymore, at least.

After Jenny and Chase returned home, they checked on me and were very surprised to see me in full action. Chase even thought that I’d decided to go back home for good.

But when he heard the news, he scooped me in his arms and gave me a big, tight hug. It was even hard to breathe when he was holding me that close to his chest. When he finally let me go, my eyes were filled with happy tears, and then it was Jenny’s turn to hug me.

That night, they helped me collect my things, and we talked about my plans for my unexpected vacation. They also wanted to know more about my future boss. This time, I told them everything that I knew about Justin Wilson.

Yeah, he was known as a playboy and a womanizer, but he never was involved in any scandals or public arguments with his girlfriends. He was gorgeous and successful.

But most importantly, he was very wise for his age. He was 32 years old. He had dark brown hair, deep blue eyes, and an adorable smile with dimples. I showed his pictures to both of them. Jenny looked at me approvingly, while Chase shook his head.

I know what he wanted to say. This guy may have sounded like Drew, but by his look, he was quite similar to Logan. All of my previous boyfriends had this similarity to Logan Jones.

For me, it was the confirmation that he was my type of guy and nothing more, while Chase thought that I was secretly regretting not pursuing my relationship with the infamous quarterback.

Truth be told, I never regretted anything. Not my relationship with Drew, not my friendship with Logan. Our lives consist of situations that we can use to our advantage. These situations make us stronger; they teach us life lessons and help us grow as adults.

Without my past, I would have never become the person I am right now. And I do believe that what goes around comes around, and we will all receive what we deserve.

Almost every wrong decision in my life had its price. Sometimes I thought it cost too much, and I didn't deserve these situations to happen to me.

But upon reflection and looking back at my past, I realized that everything that happened, happened for a reason. My mistakes were the reasons.

When I moved to Miami, I thought that life was giving me another chance at happiness. It was an opportunity to start my life from scratch. I did just that.

With my new life in New York, I hoped not only to pursue my dreams in my job, but also to improve my love life. It was an intuition. But I was confident that I would find my person in New York. Honestly, I even hoped for it.