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;That's pretty much it," Rod said with a grin. "What do you think?"
"I don't know yet what to think." Any decision I made in this room, surrounded by strange people and with that red rose on the tray in front of me, was bound to be a bad one. "Can I get back to you?"
"Take all the time you need," the boss said kindly. "I'm sure this has been a lot for you to take in and understand in such a short time. Believe me, I understand."
"I'll get back to you on Monday, after I've had the weekend to consider."
"You have my contact information on my business card," Rod said. "We can set up another meeting to talk specifics. But we'd like to get a firm statement of interest from you before we get into issues like salary and benefits. You'll still be free to turn us down if we can't come to an agreement there, but we'd like to be sure you're joining us because you find the prospect interesting rather than because of the amount of money we'll be throwing your way."
I liked the way the idea of throwing money at me sounded, but I still wanted to think about this. Part of me still wasn't sure I was awake yet. The real job interview that happened when I woke up would involve stuff like filling out long applications that managed to reduce everything on my resume to boring inadequacy.
I thanked the room in general for taking the time to meet with me, then Rod escorted me out and down the stairs. "I'm sorry if that was overwhelming for you. We haven't yet found an easy way to say 'Oh, by the way, magic's real. Do you want a job?'"
"I can imagine," I said. And I could. I couldn't think of a way they could have explained it to me without causing a little bit of a freak-out.
We reached the front door and Rod shook my hand. "Thank you again for coming in and hearing us out. I do hope you choose to join us. We need you, and I think you'd enjoy working here."
The doors swung open and I stepped back into the bustle of lower Manhattan, feeling like I'd moved forward centuries in time. "Hey sweetheart, I take it things went well for you," a voice near me said.
I looked around for a bum who might be on the sidewalk nearby, watching comings and goings, but I didn't see another living being. There was a sharp whistle and the voice said, "Hey, up here." I craned my neck to see the gargoyle perched on the awning over the door. If I wasn't mistaken, it was the same gargoyle I sometimes saw at Grace Church, the one whose occasional presence disturbed me so.
"Let me guess, you're real, too, but most people don't see you at all," I said.
"Got it in one," he said, and this time I saw his grotesque mouth move, so I knew he was the one talking to me. "Sam's the name, building security's my game. This here's the day job. I sometimes fill in at other spots around town."
"Well, nice to meet you, Sam," I said, feeling like Alice must have when she found herself in a conversation with a white rabbit and a deck of playing cards.
"I coulda told 'em long before pretty boy spotted you that you were special. In fact, it was looking at me that got you noticed by him. He was gonna stop and say hello to me, but you were doing a big double take as you passed by. So, anyway, doll, what's it gonna be? You joinin' us?"
"I don't know yet. I have to think about it." Then I realized that I was standing on the sidewalk having a conversation with a gargoyle. "Uh, Sam, what do people see when I'm standing here talking to you?"
"Don't worry, babe, since I'm interactin' with you, you're safe inside my 'don't notice me' field. Unless, of course, someone like you happens along."
"That's good to know," I said, nodding. "Well, Sam, it was nice meeting you. I suppose I'll see you around town, even if I don't take the job."
"Oh, you'll take it, all right. I can tell."
I wished I was that certain, but I wasn't sure that someone who had conversations with stone gargoyles should be allowed to make potentially life-altering decisions.
I knew this would get a lot easier if I'd just wake up. Otherwise, I was sure I'd be late for my job interview. Unfortunately, I showed no signs of waking. On those nights when I dreamed worst-case scenarios and bizarre twists on the next day's big events, I usually woke every half hour to look at the clock and make sure I wasn't oversleeping, but if I was still asleep, I was resting better than usual.
That meant this must be real. For a change, I wished I could walk home. I needed the thinking time. And, to be perfectly honest, I wanted the chance to look at New York with the knowledge I'd just gained. I wanted another look at all the weird stuff that had been bothering me all along. I didn't have to worry about the Grace Church sometime-gargoyle anymore, now that I'd met him, but I was sure there were other things I'd tried to excuse in my head that should now make perfect sense.
But there was no way I was walking home in my good shoes. If I didn't ruin them, I'd ruin my feet. I caught the M103 bus on Park Row. It would cost just as much as the subway, but it offered some of the same mental transition benefits as walking. I got off the bus at Fourteenth Street and headed home. Glancing at my watch as I entered the building, I was surprised to find that it was just past noon. I'd felt like I was in that conference room all day, but it had been little more than an hour.
It felt weird being at home alone during the day, but I was too restless to sit around the apartment. I changed into jeans, tennis shoes, and a sweatshirt, then went downstairs and headed over to Union Square. The market in the heart of the city made me homesick at times, but it also felt like a reassuring piece of home. I could talk to the farmers who sold their produce there and actually sound like I knew what I was talking about. This, I knew, was real, and the only magic involved was the miracle that
turned sun, water, seed, and soil into fruits and vegetables. I'd never been there on a weekday before, and I noticed that the market was smaller than usual, without any of the vendors I knew. I picked up a few things I could turn into dinner that night, some apples for a pie, and a small bunch of flowers to brighten up the apartment.
Today the market had made me homesick. I'd consulted my family on every major decision I'd made in my life, but this was one decision I had to make by myself. My parents had been opposed to me going to New York, trying first guilt and then scare tactics to change my mind. But even if I hadn't ultimately gone along with their advice, I had consulted them. I couldn't begin to imagine what they'd say if I told them I'd been offered a job at Magic, Inc.
Then again, they'd never had a conversation with a gargoyle, so what advice could they offer?
I went home, opened the windows, put some music on, and sat down at the kitchen table to peel apples while I thought about everything that had happened this week. It was easier to think about magic while doing something so mundane.
My parents were far enough away that I could get away with just telling them I'd changed jobs, but what about my roommates? They'd expect to be in on the decision. They'd helped me find my current job, and they were constantly on the lookout for something better for me. I'd mentioned Rod's e-mails to them. They were going to think I was stark raving insane.
Or would they? I might have been tempted to tell them about all the magic stuff if Rod hadn't already warned me that it had to be a secret. They were pretty open-minded. They might actually believe it. Or else they'd ship me back home for medical help. I wished I could find a way to get their input on the decision, though.
