Page 59 of Trick Play

“Since I only decided I’m not going home a few minutes ago, I haven’t really considered it.”

“We’ll come up with something fun.” She perked up. “Just think, by Christmas, we’ll be in our own apartment. It’s crazy how much can change in a few weeks.”

I waved my hand around. “We already have our own apartment.”

“No, we live in student housing. We’ll be in a city, on our own, with big girl jobs and everything.”

Fine, I wasn’t going to argue the details with her even though I really didn’t think there would be much of a difference. We’d just be going to work rather than classes.

“Have you heard back from any of your interviews?”

“A few. I have a third interview with one firm, and two second interviews.”

“Are you excited about any of them?”

She gave me a very condescending look. “Am I excited about getting an accounting job where I’ll likely end up in a forgotten basement balancing accounts that are ten years old?”

I cringed. It sounded like absolute torture, but she knew what faced her when she chose her major. She needed to stick it out for two or three years, then she’d have the name on her resume she needed to move up and move on.

“Well, do any of them have any fun perks?”

She laughed. “We work in two very different industries. No, there are no ping-pong tables or Friday lunches or scooters. No video games or psychedelic murals on the walls.”

“Not even a soda machine?” I teased.

She stuck her tongue out at me. “No. I’ll be lucky if there’s a fridge for me to use for my lunch.”

Every time she came home and described the office she interviewed in, all I could imagine were cement walls, gray carpet, no windows, and a bunch of robots in business casual walking to and from cubicles. It was depressing, and pretty much the opposite of everywhere I’d interviewed so far. She wasn’t exaggerating with all the games and toys, not that I cared about that.

I had three companies I was in the final stages of interviewing for, and my top concerns were health benefits, time off, and team culture. They could flash all the free treats and electronics they wanted at me, but if I found their management lacking or the environment ultra-competitive, I crossed it off my list.

She was looking for the best name to have on her resume.

Our futures were looking oh so bright.

Chapter 20

Ethan

Getting away from campus was exactly what I needed. Just one day to be anonymous. Another tourist here to take in the sights and admire the city’s beauty.

“Are you sure this is going to make it?” I teased Kennedy as her car made yet another groaning sound. We were twenty minutes from downtown, but I was seriously starting to have my doubts.

“She’s fine.” She patted the steering wheel as if that would help the engine continue to run.

“Do you two have some sort of agreement?”

She giggled. “Yes, she gets me through my first few paychecks, and I’ll send her out to pasture to live out her final days in the wild.”

“I’m proud of you,” I blurted, and she turned to give me a confused look. “I mean, I’m sure your parents offered to buy you something … more dependable.”

A tiny smile appeared on her lips. “Yes, they did. I told them I didn’t need one since I lived on campus, but Lauren and I got internships downtown after freshman year and we didn’t want to rely on buses, so we pooled what little we had to buy this.”

“It’s lasted three years?”

She nodded proudly. “Yes. I was saving up to buy my dream car—”

“A ’67 Mustang?” I couldn’t help but finish.