Page 166 of The Love Haters

And what about the ‘Day in the Life’?

I finished that, too. And if you think you can see the love in the official video, just wait until you’re watching shots of Hutch walking by the water with George Bailey at sunset. And doing the jump-rope-boxer-skip shirtless. And swatting at his videographer with a towel when he should be washing the deck.

It’s a little time capsule, for sure—of theRue the Daybefore she was lost, of Hutch and me before we knew who we’d become to each other, of the joys of getting started.

When it was done, I posted it for three days to my YouTube channel set to public. This was so Sullivan could watch it, and show it to whomever she needed to, and make a decision about whether or not to give me the axe.

The plan was to toggle it to “private” as soon as Sullivan had made her decision, but then Hutch asked to see it.

I’d explained to him—clearly—that I barely had any subscribers, and hardly anyone would see it except Sullivan and her cronies. That once she’d made her decision, I’d delete it forever. But Cole had told Hutch all about the details of his original plan—that a viral video could make me too big to fire. At my current job and at future ones. And so guess who Hutch emailed the link to, while it was live?

Jennifer Aniston.

Turns out she sent him occasional updates on how her dog was doing. And they kept up, as Hutch put it,a friendly, occasional correspondence.

In a move that must have pained every self-effacing cell in his body, he sent it, and he asked if she’d be willing to share it. And so she posted a clip to her Instagram and encouraged her forty-five million followers to go watch it. Pretty sure her caption read,Go watch my Puppy Love jump rope shirtless!

And so they did.

Did it save my job?

Like you wouldn’t believe.

EXCEPT IT WASN’Tmy job for long.

In the wake of Sullivan’s trip to Key West, she changed her mind about downsizing me. Maybe it was because I took care of her when she was drunk. Or her sudden romance with Cole—and how falling in love can make you a lot less cranky.

Or maybe it was all Jennifer Aniston.

But not only did she not fire me. She offered me a promotion.

But I didn’t take it.

Instead, I went in another direction.

I moved to Key West.

Notfor a man, of course. God forbid.

For Rue.

Rue—who had decided to semi-retire in the wake of her diagnosis—had a job for me. She needed a manager for the Starlite, which included rent-free residence in the Starlite cottage of my choice, all the poolside dinners I could eat, and unlimited conga line opportunities.

What can I say?

I didn’t just take it. I grabbed it with both hands and then clutched it to my chest.

Why would I move back to my sad, gray apartment in Dallas when I could live in one of Rue’s fabulous, colorful cottages in the keys? Why would I live alone when I could live with The Gals? And, fine: Why would I live a thousand miles away from Hutch when I could live… a whole heck of a lot closer?

I sold all my gray furniture on Craigslist before I left.

But guess what I took with me?

Beanie’s Coast-Guard-orange throw pillows.

Maybe they were some kind of foreshadowing, and maybe they weren’t. But, either way, Beanie takes full credit.

AS DAY JOBSgo, working for Rue is as good as it gets. She thinks I havea good head for business, so she’s showing me the ropes of her real estate empire. When we’re not relaxing by the pool.

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