Flirting with the HR Girl

Chapter 29

 "Jennifer?" Austin's voice interrupted her troubled thoughts. Standing next to her, he appeared as sad as she felt. He sat down across from her. "Is it okay if I sit here?"

"As long as we're not dating," Jennifer said without much humor

"About that." He started looking more confident. "No one needs to know we're dating anyway. There's nothing wrong with us being friends. Who is to say we're anything more than friends? Can't friends go to dinner and see a movie?"

"Is that what we were going to do?" Jennifer found herself wishing for the life that could have been. "What movie would we have seen?"

"It was between the latest sci-fi thriller or romantic comedy? Your choice," he said with a smile. "So, you have to decide next weekend."

"Austin, there can't be a next weekend," she said. Studying her pretzel, she began to pluck the salt off one by one. Like flicking the dreams of her romantic life away from her boring department store life.

"Jennifer, we seriously barely even know each other," Austin said. "We really are just friends. It's not that big of a deal."

"It is to me," she said debating on how much to tell him. He was right. They really hardly knew each other and were not much more than friends, almost kissing aside. Was she willing to throw her whole career away for what might end up blowing up in her face again? "I've been down this road. I don't want to go down it again. Because of something like this, I'm stuck here."

"I didn't realize that you were stuck here," he said sounding almost hurt.

Jennifer felt bad. She knew that Austin liked to sell and that he didn't seem to mind working retail. It was one of the reasons she tried to keep her feelings on retail to herself. It wasn't the people that made it awful; it was the policies like the one currently ruining their lives. That and one-day-only sales that lasted two days.

"I was in college when I made a decision to ignore a policy and it bit me in the ass big time." He needed the whole story to know that she didn't look down on him for working retail. "I was on a softball scholarship. I was caught one night in my boyfriend's dorm room and, even though he was on a baseball scholarship, I was the only one that lost my scholarship along with everything else. I had to drop out of school because I couldn't get my parents to cosign on my student loan. They don't believe college is worth the debt."

"I'm so sorry," Austin said reaching across the table to take her hand but when she glanced around, he pulled back. "That really sucks"

"Yeah, and the worst of it was that Eric didn't even care," she said her ex's name bitterly, hoping Austin wouldn't judge her for it. "He just moved on. He was fine. He had a slap on the wrist and only missed one game. He went on to play triple-A ball and has now got a great job in advertising in Chicago. And here I am, still at Peterson's not even a manager, and about to make the same mistake."

"You're not about to make the same mistake. I won't let you."

Jennifer was touched by his chivalry but knew that he could only make it harder on her. She knew that in the end, she would secretly keep seeing him. Because she couldn't give up on a chance at love again. She wanted to be an HR manager and wanted that tuition reimbursement, but she was also so lonely. She hadn't felt the feelings Austin awakened in her in years, if not ever. She wanted the lives her friends were building on Instagram. Even if it was through Peterson's or a different store.

"I can't break the policy, Austin, because I'm trying to become an HR manager. There is a tuition reimbursement program for managers, and I would be able to go back to school to become a teacher like I've always wanted." She hadn't told anyone other than Eric about her dream of being a teacher. Most of the people in her life knew her as shy and could not picture her as a teacher. But she had loved volunteering with the kids at the elementary school when on the softball team in high school. She got a taste of that feeling doing her training at Peterson's and hoped to continue with her teaching degree.

"That's awesome," Austin said smiling at her. "I had no idea they had a tuition reimbursement program. I would love to go back to school to finish my marketing degree."

"You went to school, too?" She had been making this only about her.

"Yeah, but my parents were fighting over money in the divorce, and no one wanted to cosign on my student loan either, so I ended up working at Peterson's instead," he said with a shrug. "It's worked out; turns out I love to sell."

"Then marketing would be perfect for you," she said realizing that there was so much she still didn't know about this guy who had suddenly turned her life so upside down.

"Yes, and we'll make sure we both get them," he said tearing off a piece of the pretzel that still had salt on it and stuffing it into his mouth. "Now about that date on Thursday,"

"Austin," she began but she felt a flush come into her face. She was right. She wasn't going to be able to say no.

"I'll pick you up at six, and this time nothing will stand in my way." It was a declarative statement as he stood up, took a sip of her Slurpee, and disappeared back into the store.