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“I’m gonna watch some TV. You get to work on your editing stuff.”
I smile, and take a look at the document. If I could get by with just my freelance clients, I would be the happiest woman in the world. My father isn’t happy about my decision, but the plan hasn’t been to be a firefighter my whole life. I have been clear since the beginning. Once my freelancing takes off, then I will be doing that full time. Honestly, it’s not like I’m doing bad right now. I make around $1200 a month doing editing, but to do it as a career, I would need to double that. The problem is - I have had clients reach out to me and ask my qualifications and when they find out I don’t have my degree, they go with someone else. So once I graduate, my business should double, if not triple.
An average eighty thousand word book is around nine-hundred dollars and I can do two of those a month while working at the department, but when I quit, I can take on more projects and not have to worry about the overnight schedule. It makes me exhausted all the time no matter how much sleep I get.
The deadline for this one is in two weeks, and I’m about a quarter of the way done. As I go through and line edit, it makes me happy when I see all the suggestions and comments I’ve made. This is something I love, and soon I will be doing this full time. A grin takes over.
Freelancing isn’t something new to me. I’ve been doing it for about five years now, and my client base is not huge, but repeat clients are my bread and butter. Sometimes, I have to turn them away because I don’t have the time to give it my full attention. My reputation is more important than making money. If I can’t give the client my absolute best, then they should go with someone else. Period. Anything more than two manuscripts a month is just too much, especially with taking on school, too.
In five months, I won’t have to worry about being here, and I can wake up whenever I want to, and go to sleep whenever. I’ll be able to make my own schedule, and that opens up the possibility to take on five to ten clients a month. Think about the possibilities. If I have five clients, that’s $4500 a month if it is eighty thousand words. My dream is important to me, and I’ve always wanted to work for myself.
Now is the time to focus on what’s best for me, and that’s working toward my dream. Freelance is the place to be, and soon enough I won’t have to answer to anyone but my clients. I can take on much or as little work as I want.
My phone vibrates and I pick it up.
Noah: The house is quiet with you here. My pillow still smells like you.
Angela looks at me, knowing no one ever texts me this late. Unfortunately, she knows me well, and I don’t have many friends.
“Who is that?” she asks, turning around in her chair.
“Just that Adam guy.”
Me: Believe me, I’d rather be there than here. I’m working on client stuff now. Maybe it’ll be a quiet night for me.
I get a couple more pages edited, before my phone vibrates again.
Noah: You don’t have long until you don’t have to work until six in the morning anymore. I have to say I’m a little stoked about that. We can actually spend every night together.
Wow, he’s already talking about spending nights together, and our future. Most men run at the sight of commitment and Noah is just going for it. No regrets.
Me: Well, you won’t have to hide me away in a tower either. Come the end of the semester, I’m taking a vacation. It’s been years since I have left Texas. Miss cabins.
About seven years ago, I rented a cabin in Arkansas, and stayed for a week. There is something about being in nature that is so peaceful and relaxing. Every morning, I would enjoy my coffee on the patio overlooking the woods, and listening to the sounds of birds chirping.
Noah. A cabin it is. That sounds perfect.
Knowing me, I’ll sit here and text him instead of working, so I turn my phone off and give my full attention to the client. I can’t start slacking now, not when I’m so close to finally doing this as a career.
16
NOAH
As I walk on the campus, in the quad are students talking amongst each other and looking at flyers being passed out by a patron. Most are about eighteen or nineteen-years-old and they have no clue about the real world yet. The best thing about being a professor is that my class is typically taken by seniors. I am known for being a hard teacher and that means they save it for the last semester. Being such, they should have some real world experience by then, but that’s not always the case. Like assignments, for instance. When I say it’s due on a certain date that doesn’t mean it’s due the day after, or the week after. Other professors might cut them some slack, but not me. Sure it’s their last semester or their last year, but frankly, they should know better by now. They’ve had four years to learn how college works and how assignments work, and after three and a half years, if they don’t understand, I don’t feel sorry for them one bit.
I push through the English hall doors and saunter into my office, opening the door, turning on the light and setting my laptop bag down on the desk. Leslie should be here any minute. I turn my laptop on and let it book up while I grab a bottle of water out of my mini fridge.
“So, what do you need me to do today, professor?” she asks, leaning up against my door, wearing a short enough red summer dress and sandals.
Is she trying to tease me? Her legs are perfect, and the dress hits just above mid-thigh. My mind starts to wander. There is barely anyone in this building yet, since my class is the first one of the day and rarely do students get here this early before class.
I stand up from my desk, and whisk myself over to her, just close enough. “I was wondering why you never texted me back last night. Did you fall asleep?”
“Oh, I turned my phone off. Those clients have deadlines and I would’ve stayed up all night talking to you.”
“All you have to do is tell me to shut up. I went to sleep shortly after, anyway.”
Does she think I don't understand how important her freelance work is? Everyone wants to work for themselves. Isn’t that the American dream? If that’s what she wants to do, then I fully support her endeavors. She should have every right to fulfill her dream.
