to New York for new waters, he tried to secure a transfer for me. His efforts impressed me, although I expected the answer he received. The New York office didn’t need yet another accountant, and I didn’t have the auditing experience they wanted despite my lengthy history with the company.
He honored my hiring contract’s clauses upon resignation, authorized for all my pay to be sent to my bank account on Friday, and wished me well. As he’d spent the hours trying to convince me to stay, he’d drawn up the paperwork for my termination to be effective first thing in the morning.
One day didn’t matter to many, but I appreciated the gesture.
With the clock ticking and potential employment on the horizon, I’d have to make arrangements if Garret did want me in for an interview sooner than later. I contacted him, informed him my boss had opted for immediate termination, and waited.
His reply came back within ten minutes, asking if I could be interviewed on Thursday late afternoon with a potential start on Friday, and he requested that I call him at my leisure.
Thursday would work. I’d pick up my new used car on Wednesday, after a short delay due to the paint taking its time to dry, and I would drive up in time to check into my hotel and arrive at his office in time for the interview on Thursday. The few days would make it easy to arrange for my apartment to be packed and put into storage until a moving company could haul it to New York.
Life would change, but change would help me more than anything else.
I had a lot to do and a little time to do it. It reminded me of planning my brother’s wedding, although things might have gone smoother if not for Amy. Thinking of the pair fueled my need to get the hell out of town.
Things would be different. I would make certain of it.
No longer would I be a scapegoat or a creature of convenience meant to make the lives of those around me easier. For once in my adult life, I’d be the burden, and I’d refuse to accept any shame for doing something for me. I wouldn’t. I lifted my chin, wrote a list of things I needed to do before Thursday, and got to work.
Change began with me.
I started with my vital records, packing up the important papers I’d need to make a transition happen. Once I had everything I needed in hand, I booked a week at a long-stay hotel in Manhattan to serve as my base of operations. The weekly rate would murder me, but I expected the monthly rent wouldn’t be a walk in the park, either. I wrote it off as a necessity, triple-checked how long I would need to get from the hotel to where I’d interview, and thanked my lucky stars I could walk between my temporary residence and my potential new workplace.
I rented a truck, braced for chaos, and called Ben.
“How’s the concussion?” he answered.
I really needed to start exclusively using my new phone and number. Actually, I’d keep my old phone number for a while and downgrade my plan. “It’s fine. The headache isn’t too bad. I need to ask for a favor.”
“What can I do for you?”
“I’m moving, and I need to put some stuff into storage. I won’t be able to get a moving company right away, so I need to get my apartment cleared out.”
“When?”
I loved that Ben could work with the crazy and unexpected without question. If more people were like Ben, I believed the world would be a much better place. “As soon as possible. I have a job interview on Thursday. Also, I am invoking the friendship clause in which my activities are not discussed with my cretin of a brother.”
“Uh oh. I sense a familial dispute in progress. All right. I have time. How much are we moving?”
“Everything. If it doesn’t fit into my car, it doesn’t go with me. I’m driving out early Thursday morning.”
“Driving where?”
“Somewhere not here.”
“I don’t know what your brother did this time, but I’m concerned, Hope.”
“My new car is silver with blue glitter. You can be as concerned as you want. It’s also a used Mercedes. It was in my budget, and I got a decent deal on it. It’s currently at the shop getting its new clothes.”
“Did you just say silver with blue glitter?”
“I did. And it’s that really metallic silver, not the pale gray