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“Lola, do you remember when I invited you all to Steven’s surprise birthday party a few weeks ago when he said he had something to discuss with me and I thought it was going to be a marriage proposal and he turned around and dumped me in front of everyone because he needs to ‘find himself’ and he’s not yet ready to ‘settle down’? And then he proceeded to move out on me, leaving me to figure out all the bills on my own, something I’ve never had to do? Any of this ring a bell?” I pause and take a deep breath. “Yeah, eventhatwas less humiliating than what I just did.” I palm my reddened face and shake my head again. “I can’t believe I flashed the man my lace undies.”
“It’s okay, boo. I’m sure there are more options in the want ads.” She pats my hand comfortingly.
“Oh. He still interviewed me.”
“So, you got the job?” Lola asks.
“Not yet. I passed the theory part of the interview. Tomorrow, he’ll see how I do when I meet his son.”
“You’re awesome with kids, Summer. I have no doubt you’ll get the job,” she reassures me.
The waitress interrupts us briefly. I take a sip of the cold brew and sigh pleasurably as the mix of chocolate and coffee coats my palate.
I shrug, “We’ll see. The kid could be a real challenge. And if my getting the job hinges on him liking me, it’s anyone’s guess whether or not we’ll hit it off.”
“Don’t write it off,” she says. “See how tomorrow goes. If you get the job, mission accomplished. And if you don’t, it wasn’t meant to be anyway. And we’ll just keep looking. Now, what are we having for lunch? I’m starving!”
“When aren’t you starving, Lola?” I giggle.
“Good question.” She smiles.
Lunch goes on with random conversation, and an hour later, we part ways.
I head to the grocery store to pick up a few items and then I head home. When I get there, I cannot help but feel my heart sink as I admire my handiwork in the small terrace garden I created this spring. I had done it with the intention of possibly giving Steven a place and space to make his intentions known. But the only intention my childhood sweetheart had made known was that he had enough of us and the fifteen-year-long relationship we’d had since middle school.
Holding my hand to my chest, I have to admit, it still hurts. But I am healing.
This job, any job for the rest of the summer for that matter, would be the perfect distraction from my now non-existent love life.
I put away the things I bought and get busy with going through even more of Steven’s stuff. I have them piled in a box by the door, adding to them each day while I wait for him to arrange to collect them. The morning after he walked out, taking a suitcase with clothing, I had the locks changed. As soon as the locksmith had left, I had locked myself away for the rest of the weekend, just crying. I was relieved it had happened on a weekend and I was sufficiently composed for school on Monday morning. I made a conscious effort to get over this hurdle on the road, to put the past behind me.
And now that I might have the prospect of a job for the summer, that will fill the gap while I figure out what I will do to supplement my income when school resumes at the end of August.
Then after that, I will be a new and improved version of Summer Madison.
