“Lindsay,” she says, shoving her phone into her large handbag before she loops the straps over the corner of her chair. “It’s so good to see you.”
“So good to see you too. How are you?”
“I’m good. Busy as ever. Still single.” She raises an eyebrow and laughs. Elaine is the epitome of workaholic. She’s lived her entire life in the news business and made it her priority. While part of me respects her work ethic and commitment to her career, part of me is sad for her. “I bet you’re wondering why I asked you to meet me?”
“I am,” I answer her curiously.
“You know Jack and I go way back. I was so disappointed to lose you to Phoenix, Lindsay, but I understood it. Trust me. I understood why you’d take that opportunity,” she says with an animated sigh. I nod and listen intently and let her continue. “Jack and I had lunch and he briefly mentioned you weren’t in Phoenix any longer. Of course, I pressed him for details, but he was very respectful and just said I needed to talk to you. Of course, everyone in this business talks. I made two phone calls and heard a few variations of what happened there.” She tilts her head at me. I clear my throat and lace my fingers together on the table in front of me nervously. “I don’t know exactly what happened there, Lindsay, and quite frankly, I don’t care. You are talented beyond belief and you have a gift for telling a story. You were a part of the WXZI family for years, and I’d love to have you back if you want to come back.”
“You’re offering me a job?” I mumble.
“Of course I am. We need you. Our ratings have tanked, and I blame it on you leaving.” She winks at me and I laugh at her.
“Elaine, I don’t know what to say.”
“Say you’ll come back.”
“I have to think more about it. Something I promised myself is that I wasn’t going to jump back into a career that consumed me. And I’m not going to lie, WXZI consumed me. There’s a lot that Jack probably hasn’t told you…”
“Whatever you want, Lindsay. We’ll make it work. Just tell me you’ll come back,” she interrupts me.
“I thought for sure I would be blacklisted from broadcast journalism,” I say with a laugh.
“Oh, I’m sure there’ll be questions about my sanity in hiring you after what went down in Phoenix, but you know me well enough to know I don’t give a rat’s ass what people think.” I love her feisty personality and her no-nonsense attitude. “Just take a few days and think about it.”
“I will.”
She stands up and pulls her purse off the back of her chair. “I’m really glad you’re home, Lindsay. We’ve all missed you.”
“It’s good to be home,” I admit. Elaine’s phone rings and, with a brisk wave, she disappears into the line of bodies waiting to order coffee while I remain seated, contemplating her offer. I smile and look around the Starbucks that is buzzing with people and positive energy. Good things happen here, I think to myself as I easily make a decision about the job offer. I grab a coffee to go as I run through the mental checklist of things I have to pack for my trip to Arizona and California.
I waited a day to call Elaine and accept the position, so long as they were willing to work with me on keeping reasonable hours and were flexible with some of the appointments I’d like to maintain with my therapist and nutritionist. She didn’t hesitate and we agreed that I’d start in two-weeks, which gives me time to get through Landon and Reagan’s wedding and find a place to live. I search online for apartments while I wait to board my flight to Phoenix and I’ve found a couple of places that are close to the beach, yet still convenient to downtown. I spend the entire flight reading another book from Samantha and making a list of things to do when I get back to Wilmington.
My nerves finally settle in when I land in Phoenix. I’m blasted by heat once again when I step off the plane and into the jetway. Does it ever cool down here? I walk through the massive airport and exit to find Mike and Javier waiting for me. Mike is holding a piece of cardboard that has “Christianson” written in bold black letters. I laugh out loud and run over to him, jumping into his hug.
“Look. At. You,” he says, squeezing me. Javier picks up my suitcase, which fell over when I jumped into Mike’s arms. “You look amazing.”
“I feel amazing,” I tell him as he sets me back onto my feet.
“Welcome back,” Javier says, giving me a quick hug.
“Thank you both for picking me up. I really appreciate it.” Mike scoffs at me.