Page 13 of Heart Like Yours

For as long as I can remember, she has always been there. It’s to the point where we could each take one look at the other and know what they need. She’s never once gotten upset or held it against me if I didn’t want to talk about my home life. Just as I never blamed her for needing time after she broke up with her ex.

We both know that sometimes we simply need to sort through our thoughts and that eventually, we will open up when we’re ready. Occasionally, one of us needs a nudge, like when she moved down here to Tampa and spent a week secluded in her dad’s condo. She needed that time, but she also needed to get out and see what this wonderful city had to offer her.

Having spent the majority of my life coming to her for advice, there’s no doubt in my mind that she’s exactly who I need to talk through this job offer with.

“So are you going to tell me what prompted all this or are we sticking with mindless gossip and catching up?” she asks as if reading my mind. A smirk tugs at the corner of my lips but doesn’t quite take hold.

Sighing, I set my plate down and reach for my bag that I dropped beside the couch. After pulling out the folders, I set them on my lap and reach for my glass of wine to keep my hands busy.

“I told Garrett I wasn’t happy in my role.” I hold a single finger up when she opens her mouth to say something and continue, “I didn’t say that I was going to leave or even that I was looking at a new job. Just that it feels like something is missing.”

I take a sip and stare down at the folders.

“What did he have to say about that?” Lilly asks, grabbing her drink and watching me from the corner of her eye.

“He offered me a promotion.” I set my glass on the coffee table and face her completely. Sucking in a deep breath, I finally say everything out loud for the first time. “And not in a normal ‘step up the ladder’ kind. This man handed me the mother of all promotions. Imagine him seeing me climbing a ladder like a normal person and then just casually suggesting to catapult me to the top. That’s what he did.”

Lilly’s eyebrows crunch together in confusion as she brings the can of seltzer to her mouth. “What do you mean?”

“Garrett offered me to be the Chief Operating Officer.”

Lilly chokes on her drink, her eyes widening with surprise as she attempts to get her breathing back to normal.

“Wh-what?” she stutters around a cough.

“My bad.” I grimace and gently pat her back to help. “Probably could have waited to make sure you weren’t drinking.”

She waves a hand in dismissal while turning her entire body to face me.

“Garrett offered you the position of COO?”

I bite my lip and nod as I tap on the folders. “According to him, I’m the perfect fit for his plans with the company.”

My cheeks heat, remembering the intensity of his stare and the underlying intention I could have sworn were hiding behind the words he spoke.

It’s been an effort since I walked out of his office not to read further into that moment. To convince myself that Garrett doesn’t like me like that and an offer like this doesn’t come lightly.

Still, in the safe space of my best friend’s apartment, all my concerns are at the forefront of my mind.

“I don’t know what to do.” I sigh.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Lilly says in exasperation.

“If it were, I wouldn’t be sitting on your living room floor on a Saturday night,” I deadpan.

Lilly shakes her head, her free arm flying up in a ‘what the hell’ motion.

“Paige, you busted your ass off to get the job you have now and have worked every day since to prove you deserve it. I’ve heard the way Sam talks about you when it comes to work. To quote him, you’re a kick-ass boss lady. So why the heck wouldn’t you say ‘hell yes’ and become the badass COO that I know you can be?”

“I don’t know. Part of me feels like I don’t actually deserve this. Like he’s only offering it to me because of our friendship. I mean, yeah, he’s my boss. But outside of that, he’s one of my closest friends. He’s one of the main reasons I didn’t become a hermit after moving down here.”

Lilly raises a single eyebrow at me. “As if you could ever be a hermit.”

I shrug and absentmindedly spin my wine glass, watching the liquid swirl back and forth as I answer.

“It was kinda hard moving down here. I was completely on my own for the first time. I didn’t know anyone, so it was easy to just work all the time. For a couple months, all I did was go to the office, stay way later than everyone else, then go home. There were many nights with just me and my thoughts, and you know how well I do when left alone with those,” I half joke, trying to ease some of the tightness that feels like it’s suffocating me.

Lilly reaches out and takes my hand, squeezing it gently while I continue.

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