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She was still laughing when she picked up the phone. “Let me at least send this call to voicemail because it seems like this person's going to hang on forever.”
Brian's heart was overflowing and everything in his life was going right. Then he saw Jessica's eyes pop open.
“I've got to take this, it's Pilar.”
He put Jessica back on the ground and then bent his head letting out a deep sigh. “Okay, I'll wait.”
“Hello?” Jessica said into the phone.
“Oh, hi Pilar!” Jessica said as she extricated herself from Brian's embrace. Brian couldn't hear the other end, but he kept seeing Jessica nod her head. Just what was she agreeing to?
“Oh yes, the opening is still going to happen. We've rebranded the place and now it's called After Hours. We look forward to seeing you.” Brian saw Jessica look skyward and take a deep breath. Again, he wished he was on the other side of that phone.
“No, you don't have to bring a thing, we look forward to just having the pleasure of your company. I'll see you then.”
When Jessica clicked the off button, her shoulders relaxed, and she actually leaned back on Brian.
“That was Pilar just confirming that she's coming,” Jessica said, resigned.
“You’re still doing that so it will make a splash with the board meeting?”
“I don’t know. It’s all so complicated now.” Jessica began to pace. “I mean, what was the possibility that I fall in love with the guy going for the same job? Besides, to be honest, I didn’t really think Pilar would come.”
“I don’t think it matters what Pilar does. I think it matters what you do and what you want,” Brian said in a clipped tone.
“You’re angry with me?” Jessica looked surprised.
“I’m just thinking we’ve been putting this work into After Hours. Even before the invite from Ms. Prince, that was the reason you were doing the renovation. To prove yourself to be able to leave and go back victorious to the company.”
“Don’t you think that was a little much?” she said with a smirk. “I mean really, victorious? What am I, some warrior goddess?”
When she walked to him, Brian took a step back.
“Isn’t this about proving them wrong, though? To be able to show them that you were the right person all along right under their noses?” Brian threw it out.
When he saw Jessica take a step back, he thought she retreated because he had hit on the truth.
“What was it? You didn’t know if the invite would do it alone, so you made sure we finished After Hours and then you’d be able to point to one of two things in the end?”
“I never thought about it. I just knew I had to finish it because I said I would.”
“Really? So did you finally tell Ms. Cruz that you’re not coming to the meeting?”
Jessica said nothing but put her hands across her chest.
“I guess you didn’t then,” he continued in a ragged voice. “You’re declaring your love and at the same time reaching for a career that doesn’t include a relationship. Maybe I shouldn’t say that. Let me ask you. If you got this job would there be an us? I know if I got this job there could still be an us.”
“I -I don’t know Brian. I mean I would need time to get up to speed and then when I was there I would be able to think about a relationship.”
“So, getting this job is pushing off the relationship?” Brian asked.
“Brian, I’m not interested in the job.”
Jessica took a step toward him and reached out her hand.
“Brian, I wasn’t going to go to the meeting. The board meeting is a bit much and I was going to cancel it. Let’s talk calmly about this, Brian.”
“Talk calmly? The time to talk calmly has already passed. I think now we need to be looking at what a person does and not what they say.”
