Love in Greener Pastures

by Bretz, Amanda

  “And,” she continued, “as far as getting out of this town for good, Gabby, there’s no nice way to say this. You’re being stuck up. You sound like some snotty, big city bitch,” when Gabby looked at her mouth agape and cheeks flaming, Stacey held her hand up to finish her point.

  “You are a real writer, no matter who signs your paycheck. You’re making a difference in this community just in the short time you’ve been back. The articles you’ve written about the Anderson family are amazing, Gabby. And I know deep down, you’re going to realize you’d rather write a story about a family from your hometown that’s down on their luck and makes the front page, than write about some stupid art gallery or an expensive restaurant that gets buried at the back of a magazine.

  “Why would you want to write about people and places you know nothing about? And that you can’t do anything to help out? You can make a difference here, Gab. Plus I know you. You’d rather be a big fish in a small pond. I remember what it was like to work with you on the high school newspaper.” Stacey let out a long sigh and rubbed her tummy for emphasis. “We both vote against you taking this magazine job, me and the baby. So that’s two-to-one, you’re outnumbered,” she said.

  Gabby sat dazed momentarily with her hands braced on her knees, and as though she were shaking her friend’s words from her ears, she shook her head and stood to leave.

  “Thanks for the tough love, but I’m still interested in the job. How can I not take the chance, Stace? I know you don’t see it as a big opportunity, but I do. Like I said this is something I’ve wanted forever. But, damn, how am I going to tell my dad?” Or Jake, she added to herself.

  “Well, don’t stress about it yet, Gab. Not that I doubt your abilities, but you don’t know if you’ll get the job. It’s just an interview, right? We’ll cross that bridge when we get there,” she said as she gave her friend a sympathetic pat on the shoulder.

  “Yeah,” Gabby replied while releasing a long sigh. Why wasn’t she bouncing off the walls, this was big news. Had it been a bad idea to come to Stacey’s house? Feeling like she’d lost her high, Gabby edged toward the door. “Thanks for your opinion, Stace. I’m going to go,” she said as she reached for the doorknob.

  “Hey,” Stacey said softly. “I hope I didn’t burst your bubble. I just have this feeling, I don’t know. Maybe it’s just wishful thinking. It’s been nice having you back in town.”

  “Thanks, I know what you mean. It has seemed like we’ve never been apart after all these years. Thanks for the advice,” Gabby said as she wrapped her friend in a quick hug. She shut the door behind her and resolutely headed toward her father’s hunk of metal. Gabby started the truck and headed toward Jake’s house.

  As she drove down the winding country road, she was taken by the rolling green hills. Gabby hated to admit, even to herself, that her hometown had its charm. It was nothing like the Windy City of course, but it was okay for a brief stay.

  Gabby drove down the long driveway leading to Jake’s house, gravel flying in her wake, she gave the horn two quick bleeps announcing her arrival. Jake immerged from around the back of the house, where the large detached garage was located. He was shirtless, in frayed jeans. A happy Smudge followed close at his barefoot heels.

  “How did you know where to find me?”

  “Are you kidding? I remember where old man Harrison used to live. We used to teepee his house every year at Halloween,” she replied with a wry smile.

  “Oh, yeah. I keep forgetting you grew up here,” he wrapped her in a big bear hug and dropped a quick kiss on her forehead.

  “So, what are you up to, on your only day off?”

  “Well, not sleeping, as you can see,” he said with a wink.

  “I know, I couldn’t sleep either.”

  He took her hand and led her toward the back of the house, where his workshop was located. When they rounded the corner of the large structure, Gabby was amazed at what was obviously his latest project. She stole a glance at Jake’s profile. She had no idea he was so talented.

  “I’ve been working on and off on this for about a year now. I usually do my woodworking in the winter time, when it’s cold outside. But, for some reason, this piece seemed to be calling to me today,” he said as he ran his hand down the smooth mahogany pillar of a wooden structure that was as tall as he was and nearly three times as wide.

  “It’s beautiful, Jake,” Gabby breathed. She followed his lead and ran her hand along the column, admiring the smooth cool feel of the wood.

  “What is it?”

  “Well, with about another twenty hours of labor, it’s going to be a clothing armoire.”

  “It’s gorgeous. Are you going to sell it, or does it already belong to someone?” Gabby asked as she peered into the shelf on the piece of furniture and breathed in the fresh timber scent.

  “I haven’t decided yet. You really like it, huh?”

  “Of course! I’m just amazed that someone could make something like this.”

  “It’s just a matter of having the right tools and the right wood. I learned wood-working from my grandpa, it’s really a lost art.

  No one builds things by hand anymore and honestly, I don’t do it for money,” he said with a snort.

  “What do you mean? I’d pay a lot for this piece, if I had the money, that is. It’s solid wood and it’s a one-of-a-kind. I’m sure you won’t have any trouble selling it.”

  “I haven’t had much luck with other things I’ve made. Come inside and I’ll show them to you,” he said as wrapped his arm around her waist. They walked through the covered path that led between the house and the garage. Jake opened the screened door and led them through his enclosed back porch and into the kitchen

  “Exhibit A,” he said as he gestured to a large solid oak china hutch that was sitting empty in his eat-in kitchen. “That was one of the first things I made when I moved to Clear Lake. I’ve given up on selling it. I don’t know what I’ll do with it. Maybe I’ll gift it to some newlyweds, one of these days,” he said flippantly.

  “Jake, this is so spectacular. I mean the detailing alone,” she said as she fingered the intricate grapevine inlay on the face of the cabinet.

  “So, why do you think you’ve been unable to sell your woodwork? I don’t get it. It’s amazing, why wouldn’t someone want to buy it?”

  “I don’t know, I guess most people look at the price tag and figure they can get a mass-produced piece of furniture cheaper, so why spend three times as much on something I made? That’s kind of a soap box issue for me, sorry if I’m touchy. It just seems like we live in such a throw-away society anymore.”

  Gabby nodded even though she knew she fit more into the description of the type of people that irked him, rather than the type of person who shared his viewpoint on the issue.

  “About last night…” he trailed off and bent his head to scratch the back of his neck. Gabby’s eyes trailed down to his stomach and noticed how his abs tightened from that motion. He slowly brought his head up to her gaze and clasped both her hands in his. For a moment he simply stared into her hazel eyes.

  Gabby held her breath, thinking Jake might be trying to get rid of her. Although she didn’t see him as the type to dump someone the minute he’d gotten what he wanted out of them. She remembered a crude term her college roommate had for guys like that. Is he a Mr. Nail and Bail?, she thought cynically. Surely not, why would he have bothered to invite her over to his house this morning, when he could’ve just ignored her, she rationalized.

  “I just wanted to let you know I…had a good time,” he said with a smile that was half shy, half playful.

  “I did too,” she said with a laugh. “Is there anything else?” Gabby prodded.

  “I’m glad you came by,” he said as he wrapped his arms around her.

  “Me too. I uh, have some sort of exciting news I want to share.”

  “You’re pregnant?”

  “Jake!” Gabby slapped his bare chest. “No. That’s definitely no
t it. I got a call back about a job I interviewed for about a month ago. They want me to come in for a second interview. I have to call them back tomorrow and schedule it.”

  “A job in Chicago, right?” Jake asked in a flat voice.

  “Well, yes. It’s with a magazine. It’s a really big deal, Jake.”

  “Yeah, I know it is. Do you know when you’d start? If you get the job, I mean.”

  “I have no clue, I feel a little guilty since I just got here to take care of my dad. But, how can I pass up this opportunity? I mean I didn’t go to college to work at the Lake Breeze for the rest of my life,” she said disdainfully.

  Jake abruptly removed his arms from around her, took a step back and leaned against the white-tiled kitchen counter. He folded his arms across his bare midsection.

  “Of course you didn’t. That would be crazy. Why would you want to waste talent like yours at a minuscule rag like the Lake Breeze?”

  “Come on, Jake. I busted my ass in college to make something of myself. This is the opportunity I’ve been waiting for. You know where I can go from here if I stay at the paper? Editor. That’s it. In Chicago, the sky’s the limit. How can you not understand that?”

  “I don’t know, Gabby. I think you’re doing a hell of a good job working for the paper. Did you know that because of your write up on the Anderson family there’s now more people in the community helping them out? I talked to Mike Anderson just the other day. He said his family is doing much better, just in the past few days since your two articles came out. His youngest has stopped having nightmares, and he credits it to a teddy bear that someone donated to him. After they read your article, Gabby.”

  Discouraged that she was hearing the same speech from Jake that she received from Stacey, Gabby began shutting down. She didn’t want or need to hear this. Writing one article for her hometown paper and having a lot of people read it wasn’t exactly her idea of success. Why couldn’t anyone else see that? Gabby said nothing to Jake in response, she simply gave him a stony stare.

  “You know what? If you can’t see that your writing is important here, if you can’t see that people read your work and it actually inspires them to do something in their community and make a difference in someone else’s life, then you should go to Chicago.”

  “Nice speech, Jake,” she said as she folded her arms across her chest. “If you’re done preaching at me, would you mind if I ask what you really mean? You want me to leave? You want me to go to Chicago? What about last night?”

  Jake turned his head away to stare at the clock on the wall. Gabby watched the muscles in his jaw clench and unclench in rapid succession.

  “I think you know what last night meant. To both of us,” he said in a low voice. “I think you should go. I think you should go chase after your dreams, Gabby. You don’t belong here in Clear Lake. I’m sure your dad will be fine. And the newspaper will find some way to keep printing when you’re not there to write for it. Oh, and I’ll always have my memories of last night to remember you by. Go run to Chicago and your big magazine. Go look for a life in greener pastures.”

  Gabby was stunned. He was mocking her. He just didn’t get it. No one in Clear Lake did. Gabby knew she was being optimistic to think she’d get words of encouragement from either Stacey or Jake. Not that she needed anyone’s reassurance. Or, she thought defiantly, their permission.

  “Thanks for the advice, Jake. That’s just what I’ll do. Maybe I’ll see ya around,” Gabby fairly shouted as she stepped out his kitchen door, slamming it as she went.

  Jake watched helplessly as she stormed out and was left with the sound of the slamming door reverberating in the empty kitchen.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Gabby dropped her backpack and small suitcase on her bedroom floor with a thud. She flung her body onto her bed and let out a despondent sigh. Her decision had been made. Or rather her circumstances had made the decision for her.

  She wouldn’t get the job. She couldn’t take the job. She rolled over onto her side and pulled her knees up to her chest as she remembered the details of her interview.

  ***

  Gabby stepped onto the elevator and smoothed down her pencil skirt with her left hand as she depressed the button for the fifteenth floor with her right. Even though she figured it was probably not necessary, she had several of the articles she’d written for the Lake Breeze and her resume in a portfolio underneath her arm. The elevator declared its arrival on her selected floor with a shrill ding. Gabby stepped off it and walked up to the large marble desk and announced her name and appointment to the receptionist.

  She took in her surroundings while she waited on Claire, the assistant editor, to come and take her into the interview. Beyond the receptionist’s desk and partial wall behind it, Gabby saw several people at desks either talking on the phone or typing furiously on their computers. Her reverie was broken when the petite, red-headed editor rounded the corner.

  “Hi, Gabby. Great to see you again,” Claire said as she thrust her right hand out.

  “Hello, Claire. Great to be back,” Gabby replied with a smile and a handshake.

  Claire led her down a hallway into the senior editor’s office. When Gabby was introduced to the imposing bald man, she resisted the urge to curtsy in his presence.

  “Hello, I’m Marshall Falcon. You must be,” he paused to steal a glance at her resume, “Gabby.”

  Although she was crushed to realize Marshall didn’t know who she was, she tried to hide her disappointment and keep a chipper demeanor.

  “Yes, sir. It’s a pleasure to meet you and to be back here at Chicago Style. I love your office décor, by the way.” Gabby tried to cross her legs gracefully and appear not too eager in front of him or Claire, but felt she was failing miserably. She was trying too hard and she knew it showed.

  Ignoring her compliment on his office design, he looked her straight in the eye with a condescending stare. “Let’s get right down to it, shall we?”

  Marshall paused to pick up her resume and skim over its contents.

  “Now Gabby, I want to tell you a little bit about the position we have open. To start out we’d have you contributing one story a month. I know it doesn’t sound like much writing, but this is a wonderful opportunity for a recent graduate, such as yourself. When you’re not writing and researching stories, you’ll be proofreading, copyediting and updating the events calendar on our website. Are you familiar with the Happenings section of our website, Gabby?”

  She was met with such an intense inquisitive stare that she felt the only response she could give would have to be a lie.

  “Oh, yes. Yes, I am.”

  “Good. You see, it’s important that we have a writer in that position, because we need someone with a firm grasp of spelling and grammar and also a writer’s flair for words to create snappy descriptions of social happenings around the city. Do you have any questions?”

  Either he had asked a rhetorical question or he didn’t care if she had questions of her own, because before she had a chance to respond, Marshall trudged forward.

  “Well that’s the position in a nutshell. We have a few more candidates to interview and we’ll be making our final decision tomorrow. We’d like to fill the position immediately. Will that be a problem for you?”

  “Uh, no. It shouldn’t be.” She cursed herself for both her lying and sounding so unsure but she wanted to make sure she got a response in to this question. “No, it won’t be a problem,”

  “Good, I’m glad that’s settled,” he said as he shuffled through some papers on his desk. “That’s all I have Claire,” he told her with a slight inclining of his head toward his office door.

  Apparently she was being dismissed. Was the interview over, had she blown it?

  “Gabby, we’ll continue the interview in one of the conference rooms,” Claire announced.

  “It was a pleasure meeting you, Mr. Falcon. Thank you so much for the interview,” Gabby said as she took his hand in a firm shake. />
  “This way to the conference room, Gabby,” Claire said.

  It wasn’t until the two of them were seated in the large room, with the door closed, did Claire speak again.

  “So do you have any questions about the job? I know you didn’t get a whole lot of information in there,” she said.

  “Do you have a timeframe in mind? I know Mr. Falcon said immediately. If selected I would like to give two weeks’ notice at my job.”

  “Oh, of course, that’s expected,” she paused and smiled warmly at Gabby. “He comes off as a bit gruff, but he’s a brilliant editor. He’s very respected in this field. I won’t lie to you, he expects a lot from his staff. Marshall doesn’t want one hundred percent from his employees.”

  Gabby looked puzzled and Claire continued.

  “He wants two hundred percent. In fact, he demands it. I’m not trying to scare you out of taking the position, I tell this to all our perspective employees. It’s my policy to lay it all out on the table. It’s one of the best ways for you to decide if you’ll be a good fit here.”

  Gabby audibly swallowed and merely nodded her head in agreement with what Claire was saying. She was at a loss for words. What did one say after basically being warned, in a not so subtle way, that your potential boss was a slave-driver? She reminded herself of how much she wanted this job, this way of life, living in the city and out of Clear Lake for good. She did want this, didn’t she? Of course she did.

  “I understand what you’re saying, Claire. I’m up for it. I work best under pressure and I demand a lot from myself as well. Thank you for giving it to me straight, though.”

  “Anytime,” she said with a chuckle. “Do you have any other questions?”

  “No, you’ve covered everything.”

  “Let me see you out,” Claire said as she rose to her feet.