I almost choked. “Are you serious?” I repeated.
“Yes. I promise you, I’m serious,” Kate replied shortly. “So, we’ve established that I’m very, very serious. What do you think? That would mean you’d be expected to work from the office as opposed to remotely. Do you think that would be a problem?”
I was having a hard time formulating sentences. My mouth opened and closed soundlessly. Sure, Southern Gardens magazine wasn’t a hard-hitting publication covering current events but it was a step in the right direction. I would be writing. And making money doing it. That was all I wanted.
“Gracie? Are you still there?” Kate asked, sounding slightly annoyed. Shit. I needed to give her an answer.
“No, Kate, that won’t be a problem. And yes! I’m interested! Thank you! Thank you so much!” I let out in a rush.
“You’re welcome. I wouldn’t have offered it if you didn’t deserve it. You’re a talented writer, Gracie.”
“Thank you, that means a lot to hear you say that,” I told her sincerely, hardly able to believe what was happening.
“Okay, well come into the office on Monday and we’ll get you sorted. I’m glad to have you on board fulltime. I think it will be a good fit for everyone,” Kate concluded.
“I do too. I’ll see you Monday,” I said and then hung up. I put down my phone and started jumping up and down in the middle of the kitchen.
“Woohoo! I’m so awesome!” I sang, waving my hands in the air.
“What’s with the dance party?” Cole asked, padding into the room with socked feet and no shirt. And no pants. Yep, except for the socks, he was naked. What else was new? I averted my eyes and stared at the chipped paint above the refrigerator. Viv and I were going to have to have a serious talk about her boyfriend’s aversion to clothing.
“I just got offered a fulltime job at Southern Gardens magazine,” I said excitedly, making the mistake of looking at him and then covering my eyes. “Dude, can you put something on? I don’t want to see your schlong when I really want to scream and jump around about my new fulltime job.”
Cole chuckled. “Okay, your eyes are safe.”
I peeked between my fingers and saw that he was now wearing boxers. Where the hell had he been hiding those? Up his ass crack?
Cole filled the coffee maker with water and turned it on. “That’s great, G. Congratulations,” he said, his words punctuated by a yawn and a scratch to his now hidden junk.
I could overlook his exhibitionist tendencies just this once. I grabbed his hands and started shaking them up and down. “Come on, jump around with me, Cole!” I commanded, wiggling his arms.
He lifted a fist into the air and gave me a limp fist pump. “Woohoo! Go Gracie!”
“Why are you woohooing Gracie?” Vivian asked, slapping her boyfriend’s ass as she breezed into the kitchen looking like she had just gotten back from a photo shoot as opposed to rolling out of bed. I knew that she had just been frantically applying makeup and styling her hair after Cole had left the room. My roommate didn’t believe in messy hair and morning breath. It was against her religion.
“G got a job,” Cole explained as he handed her a cup of coffee.
Vivian’s eyes widened and she shrieked loudly. “Oh my god! You did? What job? Tell me!”
Cole covered his ears with his hands. “You guys are so loud in the morning,” he moaned as he trudged back to Vivian’s bedroom.
“Come on, Gracie, don’t leave me hanging!” Vivian prompted.
“Kate, my editor at Southern Gardens magazine, was impressed with my latest article and asked if I wanted the fulltime position she just opened up. I am now officially a fulltime journalist,” I told her. She screamed dramatically and started shaking her hips in a dance and I wiggled along with her.
When we finally settle down, Vivian squeezed my hands. “This calls for a celebration! We need to go out!”