Something In Between: Sequel to On The Edge of Tomorrow

Chapter 35

"Hello, hello," Sam called from the doorway, accenting his arrival with the slam of the front door behind him.

I lept up from the couch and charged him. "I got it," I announced before pouncing on him.

"You got it!" Sam blinked in surprise as he seamlessly caught me.

"I got it," I squealed.

"The marketing job at the IT company? The ESOP?"

"Yep, I got it!"

Sam matched my excitement by swinging me around in the entryway. "I knew it," he declared.

"I'm so excited! I start two weeks after graduation. I got it!"

"What did your dad say? Your mom? They must be so stoked!"

"I haven't told anyone yet. I wanted you to be the first, silly!"

"You've told no one?" Sam set me down and looked me over in surprise, as though I was joking.

"No! I had to tell you first. You've been helping me with every step. Of course, I waited to tell you!" I jabbed at his stomach in jest.

Sam's eyes glazed over with threatening tears.

"Sam! Who do you think I would tell before you?" He pulled me into another hug as I wrapped my arms around his neck.

"I just thought, you know, big life moments. I thought you'd call your friends and tell them."

"Oh, I will be calling. But you're number one! I got it, babe!"

"Yeah, you did, Lily. And they are so lucky to have you, just like me," he murmured into my neck before peppering me with kisses on my neck. "I'm so incredibly proud of you."

"I can't believe I have a job, like a real grown-up job with benefits, and a 401k, and it's an ESOP!" My mind whirled that I had actually gotten my first choice of roles.

"I never doubted you for a second." Sam smiled as he set me down. "So, what do you want to do? Call the folks? Call your friends? Let me take you out to dinner to celebrate?"

"Yes, except order in for food. I want to call all the people I know and then veg out watching old episodes of Murder She Wrote while eating shrimp vindaloo," I declared.

"Done! You start calling. I'll shower and order the food. But I'm taking you out this weekend to celebrate," he warned.

"Agreed." I smiled up at him.

"You got it." He smiled back down at me.

"I got it," I said again, in half disbelief.

Telling my mom was highly lackluster. She just could not grasp the idea of an ESOP. I gave up and asked to talk to my dad. My dad had, of course, read everything he could find on ESOPs.

"It's a smart move. If I were starting out again, I'd target the same type of company. IT is the future, and that means job security. Then you throw in this ESOP layer, and it's just too good to pass up." Then he made me cry with three simple words, "I'm proud of you."

"Thanks, Dad," I managed, trying to choke back tears.

"I bet Billy is about to bust. I wouldn't be surprised if he chartered a plane," he teased.

"He doesn't know yet. He's my next call! I wanted to tell Sam first because he helped me so much with my search," I explained.

"Yeah, of course, the search. Sam was helpful with the..." There was a pause before my dad finished with, "search."