Page 66 of The End of Summer

“Slow. But not bad. I’m always looking. And I’ve got a few open applications, so that’s good. Also, I have a Zoom interview this Friday.”

“That’s good – what’s the position?” she asks.

“It’s an Market Research Analyst job at a marketing firm.” I leave out the part about it being located in New York.Cross that bridge if we come to it, I figure.No need to worry about it now.

“Cool,” shesays.

“What about you?” I ask. “Are you looking for a teaching job for the fall?”

“Yes, but only as a sub. I told you I still have a few grad credits left, right?”

“Uh huh,” I nod.

“So I need to make sure that my schedule’s pretty free for all of that. The good news is I only have one semester left. And I’ve done a projection for how much money I’ll have by the end of summer at the rate I’m going at Cosmo. It’s good. Like, I might not even need to work for a little while.”

“Mmm. You’re speaking my language. I love economic projections.”

Gretchen laughs. “Noted. If I ever want to get you all hot and bothered, I’ll start using words like ‘net proceeds’ and ‘commodities exchange.’” She claps her hands and doubles over. “I have no idea what a commodities exchange is, actually.”

“I would explain it to you, but you’d fall asleep,” I reply. “Really, though, I’m sure you’ll have no trouble getting a job as a teacher when you’re ready to apply. I feel like the market for teachers is pretty open on the Cape.”

She nods. “It’s not bad right now. It just makes more sense to finish up the credentials so I can start fresh at a school next September. If I can sub in the meantime, I’ll be able to make a name for myself in the field, and who knows? Maybe I’ll get hired at the school where I sub.”

“Sounds like a solid plan,” I tell her. “And you definitely want to stay on the Cape?” I wonderaloud.

“I do. My whole family is here. I love it here,” she says. “What about you?”

“I could go either way, to be honest. I love Cape Cod. I think it’s a really special place. But I think it would depend on a lot of different factors.”

“Like?”

“Like the money, for one thing. My housing situation, for another. Luis will be back at the end of August. Stuff like that.”

“That makes sense,” she agrees. A mosquito lands on her shin and she gives it a smack. “Do you have any other family on the Cape? Any siblings?”

“Nope. Just me.”

“Really? Me too. I wouldn’t have pegged you for an only child.”

“Funny. I was about to say the same thing. You seem like you could be the oldest in a tribe of many.” I smile, envisioning Gretchen chasing a brood of little ones around.

“I think my parents would’ve had more kids,” she says. “They had a tough time with me when I was a baby. My mom went through a lot.”

“Are you guys close?”

“Me and my mom? Yeah, definitely. My folks live in Eastport. I still see them every Sunday.”

“Right. For brunch," I recall. "Do they know about your current job?”

She shakes her head. “No way. My dad would lose his shit.”

“Protective?”

“Extremely. He’s a police chief. He’d kill me.”

I nod. “Yeah, I haven’t told my mom about it either.”

“It’s temporary,” she shrugs. “And it would only worry them.”

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