Page 74 of The End of Summer

“Oh, yeah?” he asks. “Where at?”

“It’s a firm in New York. Gildersleeve Marketing Group, it’s called.”

“What kind of job?”

“It’s a Market Research Analyst position.”

“Sorry, son. No idea what that means.”

“Basically, it’s just studying and compiling data to help companies understand trends in sales.”

“So, remote then?”

Good question.“I’m really not sure, actually.”

“Better find out. I know my Gretchie won’t be moving to New York City. She’d break her old man’s heart.”

“I’m sure it’s virtual. I mean, it’s basically sitting in front of a screen all day. Who cares if that happens in New York or on Cape Cod? The work is still the same.”

“Hey, Brady? Do you like crushed red pepper in your pasta salad or should I put it on the side?” Gretchen asks, popping her head out of the slider.

“In the salad’s fine, thanks.”

“Gretchie, did you know about this big fancy New York job your friend here’s got on tap?”

“Huh?” she asks.

Your friend? Don’t love the way that sounds.“You know, the firm I had the Zoom call with a few weeks ago?”

“Yes, that’s right,” she replies. “I didn’t realize they were in New York. Or that they contacted you again.”

Not the right time to go into this,I think. But I don’t want to end up handcuffed to a bench, so I just try to downplay it. “They just called – just now. Said they’d like a second interview.”

“Oh my gosh, Brady! That’s so exciting!” She steps onto the deck and throws her arms around me, then pulls away and plants a big kiss on my lips. Right in front of her father.

“New York is five hours away,” Mr. Andrews adds.

She pulls back. “Is that where the job will be?”

“The headquarters is in the city. I’m not 100% sure if the job itself is virtual or not.”

“Seems like a question one might ask on a first interview, but what do I know? I’m just a cop,” Mr. Andrews adds.

“Daddy,” Gretchen says. The inflection in her voice pleads with him to ease up on me. “When’s the interview?” she asks.

“Few weeks. We can talk about it later,” I add.

Sensing my discomfort, she attempts to change the subject. “That reminds me. I have my meeting with my advisor tomorrow.”

“When will you get your student teaching placement, honey?” Mr. Andrews asks.

“Hopefully at the meeting. I can’t wait to find out. I hope it’s close by.”

“You put in choices, right?” her dad asks.

“Yeah. They asked me for my top three. So I chose Eastport Elementary, Stony Brook Elementary in Brewster, and Orleans Elementary.”

“In that order?” I wonder.

---