Page 43 of Trial Run

“You’re not mad at me?” she asked, hefting up a bucket and taking care not to slosh water on her sneakers. She ventured a glance at her boss.

“Not mad. Just surprised. You’re overqualified for this job. Why don’t you try to finish your degree?”

“Actually, I might. I mean, I’m looking into it. I only have a year’s worth of classes left. Well, a year if I went back full time, which I can’t. Maybe I could start with one class next year. Or the year after.”

“Smart girl like you, you’d breeze through that.”

Nell’s mouth snapped shut. She’d always thought Amy considered her an idiot.

They walked back to the van together and loaded the bouquets inside.

“It’s a matter of finding the time,” Nell said. “It’s all a big maybe right now.”

“Well, don’t sit on it too long, if it’s what you want.”

They finished loading the van in two more trips. Nell crawled out of the van and Amy slammed the door shut. She put her hands on her hips, facing Nell.

“My friend owns a plant nursery in the suburbs. He’s looking to hire a couple of managers.” She raised a hand to shield her eyes from the sun, squinting at Nell. “I’d tell you to apply, if you had that degree.”

“Oh. Well, I’ll think about it. For the future.” Nell tried not to let disappointment color her voice. Of course a job like that required a degree.

“Or you could apply now, and tell them you’ll finish your degree out while you’re working there.”

Nell stared at her. “They wouldn’t hire me.”

“Maybe not. I don’t know who else applied so far. Not too many people with horticulture degrees.” She shrugged. “Up to you. Just thought I’d mention it. I’d give you a recommendation.”

Amy turned and went back into the store. Nell stood in the parking lot for a few minutes, holding the keys, but not getting into the driver’s seat of the van.

She shook her head and got herself moving. No use getting her hopes up for something that wouldn’t happen. Things like that never worked out for her.

“Agnes, it would be a really cool job, though, wouldn’t it?” she asked, addressing the chrysanthemum plant riding shotgun in the passenger seat.

She swore the plant nodded at her, or maybe it had just bobbed in the breeze from the open window.

* * *

At 5:00, she was back in her own car, with an over-excited seven year-old bouncing in place in his booster seat.

“How far is it now?” He kicked his feet against the back of thepassenger seat.

“About ten more minutes.”

“Was he excited when you told him?”

“I’m sure he’s very curious to see them.”

They’d stopped at the gem shop after she’d picked him up from school, and two of Marco’s rocks had crystals inside. He’d demanded they go show them to Ben right away, and Nell had given in and texted him.

“You d-didn’t tell him what they look like though, right? That’s a surprise.”

“No, I didn’t tell him.”

“Good. Ben said the surprise is the fun part.”

She smiled at him in the rearview mirror. “I bet I know what we’re doing again this weekend.”

“Yeah, we have to go out and look for more. We should ask Ben to come, too. We’d find so many.”

---