Page 38 of Petals and Plot Twists
“Nah,” Dr. Conway says. “I don’t, and we both know it. I might have more experience, but you’ve got the brain power. Besides, they offered me the job already. My wife would leave me if I tried to move her out of Serendipity Springs, and my kids would help. But you’re young. And Charlotte’s a great city.”
Charlotte.
North Carolina, but right on the border with South Carolina. I’d probably be within just a few hours of the rest of my family.
“I don’t know what to say,” I say. “Moving…that’s…” My words trail off because what can I really say? I don’t particularly want to move. I like where I live. Where I work. I like being close to Sophie.
But I don’t know how to say no to an opportunity like this.
“Just think about it,” Dr. Conway says. “No reason to make a decision right now. HR will email over the official offer so you can take a look at the salary and benefits package. You’ve got a couple of weeks to think it over, but I expect they’ll want a firm yes or no by the end of the month.”
“Right. That makes sense. I’ll look for the email.”
“Good. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.”
“Wait, Dr. Conway. One more question.”
“Sure.”
“If I don’t take it, will there still be the possibility of the lead scientist position here?”
“Absolutely. And I’d love to have you. But it might mean you miss out on future opportunities. Corporate likes people who want to play the game.”
“Understandable,” I say. “I appreciate your honesty.”
“Congratulations, Peter. This is a big deal.”
He hangs up, and I drop my phone into my lap, letting the silence of the peaceful library wash over me.
I have no idea what to make of the job offer. I wasn’t expecting it. And if my family were staying in Massachusetts, I probably wouldn’t even consider it.
But now, maybe I should.
Leaving Sophie, though. Even just the thought is absolutely gutting.
Then again, if Sophie winds up finding someone through her dating experiment, moving might be exactly what I need. A fresh start just like Allison is getting. Somewhere I won’t have to be confronted with a daily reminder that Sophie didn’t choose me.
I pocket my phone and leave the library, walking the short distance down the hall to Sophie’s apartment. I open the door and find her standing in her kitchen, phone in hand.
She looks up, her expression wide-eyed like I startled her, and tucks her phone behind her back. “Hi,” she says.
“Hey. Are you okay?”
“Yeah. I’m good. Great.”
“Why do you seem like you’re hiding something?”
She pulls her phone out from behind her back and looks at it, like she’s angry it incriminated her. “Oh. I, um…” She swallows and tugs her bottom lip into her teeth. “It’s nothing. I was just…scheduling another date.” She says this with a measure of caution she wouldn’t have used yesterday or the day before.
She’s only using it now because of what happened at my house.
Because she’s letting me down gently.
A million emotions pass through me at once, but I have handled this kind of rejection before, and I will handle it again. “That’s great,” I manage to say. “Maybe this will be the one that finally works out.”
Chapter Thirteen
Sophie
