Risk & Reward

Sixteen

"I'M HOME!" Shi yells out as she pushes the door closed behind herself, slipping her shoes off and tucking them into the shelf.

"Shilo!" Ari is the first to find her, the young girl's arms flung around her stomach tightly before Shi can take even a step.

"Hi, baby sis! Where is everyone?"

"Out in the backyard. Dad and Aaron are grilling and it smells so good!"

"Well let's go find them all then." Shi laughs, slipping back into her sandals and heading through the house with her sister hanging off her arm.

"Shi!" Her name is called out again as they step out onto the patio.

"Long time no see, fancy pants." Joe grins at her from his seat at the dining table.

"I've been busy." She laughs, grabbing a seltzer from the cooler and sitting down with the group, happy to have so many of her family together for the night. It had been a while since Paul had invited his old roommates over for a barbecue. Aaron came with his son, Sam, Joe and Mandy and their twin daughters Kayla and Olivia were here. And Adam and Shayla had brought their three kids as well it appears by her quick counting of small heads out on the yard.

"What have you been up to, Shi?" Mandy asks, seated across from her.

"Um," she glances back over to the grill, she hadn't told Paul and Jess yet about the job knowing she'd see them in person tonight. "I got offered my dream job yesterday."

"You got it?" Jess turns sharply from the burger toppings she had been preparing at the small outdoor counter space.

"I did, and I accepted. I'm due in LA again on Friday to sign papers and get everything set up. After that it should mostly be remote work." She nods, feeling her heart swell at the pride she can see in all of their faces.

"What job is it?" Aaron asks, sitting down with them as Paul starts pulling patties off the grill.

"It's a staging agency in Hollywood, I get to design sets for movies, tv shows, and stage productions, and I get to do it while keeping WT Designs going here as well. I haven't actually started yet so I'm not sure what level I'll be working on at first, but I have the potential to grow and progress to a point of working on big budget films and such."

"That's amazing." Shayla gasps.

"I'm still pinching myself over getting the invite to even apply, let alone actually having got the job." Shi nods. "It's more than I ever let myself dream of."

"So what exactly will you be doing? Or what did they ask of you for the application process? I'm assuming you had to send in a portfolio." Adam asks.

"Ya, they gave me basically trial design plans and had me work up the set designs for them. One was a set for a timepiece where they wanted a nightclub from the 1920's that also could be disguised if it were raided for prohibition. And they had me design a functional sitcom apartment, and a teen bedroom, and such. It was really fun, but stressful, hoping that what I was putting together was what they were looking for."

"Wow, and you'll get to stay in Bakersfield and work remotely to do it all?"

"Mostly, I'll do some on set stuff to make sure everything is right, but a lot of it will be designing and then sending in those designs for the studio to produce." She nods.

"Why didn't you call me yesterday to tell me?" Paul leans over her to set the platter in the middle of the table, hugging his arm around her tightly as he pulls back.

"I wanted to tell you guys in person, and I knew I'd be here today." She laughs, standing to hug him properly because she knows he'll want it.

"So proud of you, fancy pants." He mumbles as he hugs her tightly.