Page 35 of Small Town CEO Grump

I sat and started the email on my screen, not believing what I was reading. I had waited for this moment for so long. Yet, for some reason I felt a twinge of disappointment.

I read the message one more time, just to make sure it wasn’t imagining things.

Dear Miss Nichols,

I want to thank you again for the amazing article that you submitted. I have also spoken with the book publisher and he told me that you are going to be going ahead with the book. I’m very excited for you, and I know that this is going to be great things for you and your career as a writer.

IWith all of that in mind, it is my pleasure to offer you a full-time position as a reporter for our paper. We appreciate your style and what you have done for us, and we are confident that you will help take our publication to the next level.

I am happy to offer you a competitive salary, as well as a full benefit package. I would like to have you start three weeks from the date of this letter. Please take time to consider our offer, and don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Derek Michaelson

Editor-in-Chief

Coastal Times

As I felt my eyes well up with tears, I knew that any regret that I had felt was fleeting. I was being offered full-time job as a writer. This, in addition to the book I was working on, was a dream come true. I knew that working for the paper would still allow me to have the schedule that I needed to see Tyler’s games, but would almost double my monthly income.

I looked around my office, and I knew that the only thing that I was really going to miss was being able to work with Ryan. I wasn’t going to lie to myself and pretend that I was going to miss working with anyone else. I liked my coworkers and got along with them, but we were not close.

The opportunity at the newspaper was incredible and there was nothing else I wanted to do, but I knew that I was going to miss seeing Ryan every day.

Although the newspaper editor gave me some time to think about it his offer, I didn’t need the time. I knew I was going to take the job. I figured that I should tell Ryan right away so that he could begin to look for my replacement.

I took a deep breath, stood up, and headed out towards Ryan’s office. As I got ready to knock on his door, I felt a surge of excitement as I thought about the fact that if I didn’t work at the real estate agency anymore, then Ryan wouldn’t be my boss. If he was interested in me, as I thought he might possibly be, there would be nothing stopping him from asking me out.

I shook my head and rolled my eyes, feeling like a teenager. I pushed the thought out of my head and waited for Ryan to tell me to come in.

Once I heard his voice I walked in, and he smiled at me.

“Good morning!” he said, brightly. “How are you?”

“I’m good,” I answered, settling into the chair across from his desk. “Although there is something I have to talk to you about.”

“What’s going on?” he asked, a concerned expression on his face.

“I just found out today I have been offered a position as a full-time reporter for the newspaper.” My heart was pounding, and I knew it was partly excitement over the new job, but also partly nervousness as to how Ryan would respond.

“Are you serious?” he said, standing up to come and hug me. “I am so happy for you!”

“Thank you,” I said. I could tell that he was genuinely excited for me, and I was touched.

“Will you be able to have the hours you need there?”

“Yes,” I answered, smiling. I liked the fact that he knew how important that was to me.

“Well, that's just wonderful,” he said. “I mean,don’t get me wrong. We are going to miss you alot here. You are really good at what you do, and you make the company much stronger. But there is no way I would want you to not do what you’re most passionate about.”

“Thank you for being so supportive,” I said.

“Of course,” he answered. “Why wouldn’t I be supportive?”

I shrugged my shoulders, knowing he was right. He responded exactly the way that I knew he would. He was a good man.

“What does this mean for you here?” he asked. “How much longer do we have you? When do they want you to start?”

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