Janice eventually forced me out on the town for New Year’s Eve. We already had plans to attend a ball being held by the newspaper I wrote restaurant reviews for.
“I’m taking him out,” she announced to everyone in the house, pointing her finger at me when I moaned. “And you are gonna like it!” she added. My mother was zero help and just giggled as she walked away.
“Janice, I’m really not into it.”
“That’s because you’ve become a hermit, and enough is enough,” she proclaimed.
I didn’t have the energy to argue with her. Besides, I did want to get out again. I was sick of feeling sorry for myself.
“OK, but I’m driving myself. If I don’t feel like staying until the clock strikes twelve, then I want to be able to leave without ruining your night.”
Janice glared at me like she was going to argue but thought better of it. “OK, deal. Now, let’s go get ready. I can’t wait to show you off as the city’s newest, most eligible bachelor.”
I groaned as she pushed me up the stairs.
I was shocked at how much better I felt being out of the house. My heart still felt like it was split into several pieces, but the fact I wasn’t sitting in my parent’s house moping was a definite improvement.
The party was a hoot, and it made me happy to see my coworkers laughing and cutting up with one another.
Around nine, my boss, Elizabeth, introduced me to her college roommate, Kristine Diaz, who’d come in from Fort Lauderdale for a visit. She and I began talking, and when she heard what I did for a living, she laughed. “Elizabeth has sent me some of your work to read. You’re funny and respectful of the restaurants at the same time. Have you ever considered a move to South Florida?” she asked.
I looked at her blankly. “I haven’t really, no. I grew up in Texas, I’ve never considered moving anywhere else.”
Kristine was drunk but smiled at me and gave me her card. I looked down at it. Kristine Diaz. Assignment Editor, Fort Lauderdale Press. “If you change your mind, all you need to do is email me,” she said before she drifted away into the crowd.
I honestly didn’t think much about it, especially when 11:30 came and went, and I realized I was still at the party. I’d barely thought about Peter—OK, so that was probably a lie, but I hadn’t thought about him as much as I had the previous week. Midnight came, and Janice gave me a huge kiss right on the smacker, giggling when I made gagging noises.
“You are the worst straight man in the world, Martin Williams,” she said with a flourish.
“Um, I’m not a straight man, chica. You need to get your gaydar fixed again!”
This was an ongoing joke between us, and she pulled me into a warm hug. “I’m so glad you came. It feels good to see you back on your feet. Even if you are a little wobbly.”
I smiled at her and hugged her back. “You’re the best friend on the planet, even if you are evil.”
Janice chuckled. She knew she was a handful and made no apologies for it.
By the time January third came, I found myself more than a little intrigued by the idea of moving to a different town. Yeah, it was kind of like running away, but I knew that and was comfortable with it. I’d followed up Kristine’s suggestion and looked up the paper in Fort Lauderdale. It was large enough to have a department with more than one restaurant critic.
There was—for real—an ad in the paper seeking another critic full time. The salary was almost double what I made here in Austin. All that aside, the thought of a fresh start felt right, or as right as anything could at the moment.
I sent the assignment editor, Kristine Diaz, an email along with my resume telling her that if she was serious about the offer, I’d be interested in an interview.
She called me literally ten minutes after I pushed send.
“Martin. Hi, this is Kristine Diaz with the Lauderdale Press. Are you free now?” she asked as soon as I’d said hello.
I chuckled. “I can be, maybe in a couple of hours.”
“Oh, my plane leaves in three hours. Can you meet me at the airport?” she asked.
“Sure, say, in an hour?” I asked, surprised at the speed of it all.
“Perfect,” she replied. “I’ll text you where I’m at. I can get checked in, then I’ll meet you at one of the restaurants outside the security gate.”
I rushed to get ready and made it to Austin airport with just enough time to park and get to the restaurant. I detested being late, especially to an interview.
Kristine was waiting for me when I arrived.
“Hello, Mrs. Diaz,” I said, trying to sound professional.
She chuckled. “Oh, honey, I was drunk off my ass at the party when I last spoke to you. You can just call me Kristine.”
I nodded and smiled.
“I’ve looked over some of your work since the party, and it’s impressive. I especially like your critiques. They are the right blend of wit and professionalism. That’s important in our region.”
I nodded again. “Is the position only doing restaurant critiques?”
She smiled. “Yes, this is a full-time restaurant critic position. It’s a lot of work, though, not like what you’ve done here in Austin. You’ll be given an area of the city. Your job will be to visit each restaurant and put a critique on our site for each one. It’s something new we’re doing this year. We want to combine the paper and our presence online and ensure we give Google and TripAdvisor a bit of local competition.”
“Sounds like my dream job,” I admitted. “When would you want me to start?”
She laughed again. “Are you that confident I’m going to offer you the job then?”
I smiled. “No, not confident, just hopeful.”
“Yes, I’d love to hire you, if you are willing to move to Florida. And I’d like you to start as soon as possible. How about February first?” she asked with a smile.
I thought for a moment before I returned eye contact. “I guess it’s lucky that I just got out of a very nasty breakup with my ex-fiancé. He dumped me Christmas Eve.” I deliberately emphasized the he part. We were still in the south, and I wanted to be out of the closet before I made a huge life change.
“Well, he,” she emphasized the word too. “Sounds like a total idiot. What man in his right mind would dump a catch like you?”
“An idiot for sure. Let’s go with that.”
She laughed, then glanced at her watch. “So, what’s it going to be? Wanna throw caution to the wind and come work for me?”
“Sure, it sounds like exactly what I need right now. But I’ll need a place to live.”
“Not a problem. We have a corporate rental that just became empty. The rent’s paid up until March. You can either take the lease yourself, or I can help you find someplace else. The best part is the apartment is just a couple blocks from the paper, so you’ll be close by while getting your bearings.”
Just then, they called for her plane. “Oh, crap! I still have to go through security. I’m so excited, Martin,” she said as she grabbed her carry-on bag and scurried toward security check-in. “I’ll ring you tomorrow to set up all the details, OK?” she asked, not waiting for an answer as she disappeared around the corner.
I waved at her retreating form. Had I actually just taken a job in Fort Lauderdale? What was my family going to say? What the heck was Janice going to say? Would Peter notice or even care?
No, scrap that last thought. It didn’t matter if he cared or not. I was setting myself up for a new and much-improved life. Peter was not going to be a part of that.
__________
When I gave my two weeks’ notice, my boss told me she was going to go commit violent acts against her friend for stealing me away from her. Then she admitted she sort of set it up.
“You’re wasting your talent here on such a small paper. We’ll miss you but I think it’s the right move for your professional development and on a personal note, I’m really proud of you for taking the opportunity.” At that I had to swallow
the lump in my throat, I was touched actually that she’d put me before the requirements of the paper.
My parents were beside themselves with concern. “You’re too vulnerable right now to make this kind of decision,” my mother moaned.
I hugged her. “Mom, I love you so much, but even you’ve said some of the best decisions we make are during life’s ups and downs.”
Rachel, my sister, acted like she was glad I was going to be out of her hair, but I could tell she was feeling bad about me leaving. All in all, everything about pulling up stakes was pretty easy, except for leaving my family and best friend, Janice.
Janice took me out on the town for a final hoorah, and we both got drunk and cried on each other’s shoulders. It was emotional healing at it’s best. “You’ll come visit me when you need sunshine and beachfront,” I kept telling her. She’d high five me everytime and say “Damn straight.”
When it was time to leave, I packed what few belongings I had, which wasn’t much since I’d left most of the stuff Peter and I had jointly owned back at the rental. It was a strange feeling looking around my family home for the last time, I had a both a heavy heart but also a sense of nervous excitement, knowing this was a big moment for me. A new start.
I went out to eat that morning at my favorite brunch restaurant, although I admit, I did make sure Peter wasn’t there before I went inside. Then I made my way to the airport, alone. I needed to do this by myself so I could say goodbye to my hometown of Austin. It was also a goodbye to all the pain I’d felt over the breakup with Peter.
As I leaned back in my seat, the plane prepared for takeoff, and I felt a sense of relief about moving on with my future. A goodbye to my old life and a hello to the new.
Titles by Blake Allwood:
Aiden Inspired
Suzie Empowered
Bobby Transformed
Romantic Renovations
Coming in 2020:
(Titles may change before publishing)
By Chance Series
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Love By Chance
Another Chance
Taking A Chance
Big Bend Series
Romantic Renovations Page 21
