Page 103 of The Strike Zone

So far I was six for six each inning he’d run into the dugout, and my heart had done a little skippity-skip every time. I was undecided whether that was a good thing or not.

Alice moved the popcorn out of my reach. “I take it you’ve still not heard about the job?”

Oh, that was another reason I was eating my body weight in sugar. This goddamn job.

I shook my head, pulled out my phone, and passed it to her.

FROM: NEW YORK LIONS HR

SUBJECT: SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER ROLE

Dear Scout,

We’d like to inform you that you are through to the final round of interviews. Please send us your availability over the next two weeks.

Sincerely,

HR

“Another round of interviews?”

“Yup.”

“I thought they were done.”

“Me too.”

“What did Parker say?”

I shook my head. “It just came through this morning. I haven’t told him.”

It had been a week since I’d promised Parker we’d sign the form once I’d heard about the job. I’d been told I’d hear about it by today, and technically I did. I just didn’t hear what I thought I’d hear.

And since then my nerves had been very slowly fraying.

“So is this your second interview?”

I shook my head. “Myfirstinterview was my second interview. Because I work here, they didn’t need a chemistry session, which is what everyone else had. They already know they like me. This will be a third, I guess.”

Alice took my Slurpee and brought the straw to her lips. “Of course they like you…but three interviews…feels like a long process just to offer you the job.”

I tore my eyes away from the screen showing Boomer and Parker making their way down the gauntlet of boys in the dugout, and turned to her, puffing out a long exhale.

“I guess, but maybe they can’t decide. Maybe they like these other people better.”

“What about you? Have you decided if you even want it?”

“Nope.” I took a giant glug of Slurpee and shrugged. “It’s just the way they talk makes it sound like they’re going to give it to me, so why drag me through the wait and bring other people in? Either give it to me or don’t. It’s stressing me out, but maybe that’s the point. Maybe it’s good experience.”

“I hadn’t noticed,” Alice drawled sarcastically. “What are you going to do about the form?”

My belly did that thing again where it felt like it was turning inside out, which had me reaching for the popcorn again. Right now it was the only thing helping settle my stomach.

Theform.The goddamn form.

It was all I’d been thinking about because it was literally all anyone had beentalkingabout, thanks to the betting pool that someone on the comms team started. Ten dollar entry to pick which of the players would be the first to sign the HR form. The winning pot was already up to four hundred dollars, and Parker was in the lead by a 70 percent margin.

My eyes stayed trained on Lux getting into position.

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