Serendipity Read Free

my agreement, because forming words is next to impossible. I brush back the blanket of blonde hair that lies heavily on my neck where sweat starts to form. I fan myself with my hand and blow out a couple of breaths.
    “Are you going to be okay, Phoebe?” Mr. Keiser asks with concerned eyes.
    I nod again and stand to leave when he calls to me. I glance over my shoulder and see his round, jolly face light up.
    “You’re going to knock their socks off. I have complete faith in you, Phoebe.” He’s always been a big supporter of mine. He’s the one that took a chance on the scared girl that was fresh out of high school, giving me a job that some people in their twenties would be envious of.
    I smile. “Thank you, sir. This is such a great opportunity.”
    He nods and I make my way back to my desk. I slump in my chair and stare at the blinking red light on my phone, alerting me to my messages. Picking up the phone, I’m prepared to listen to my messages but my mind races with thoughts of the move. I slam the receiver back down and walk back to Mr. Keiser’s office. I knock on the ajar door and peek in. “Yes, Phoebe?”
    I stick my head in and clear my throat. “You said I start in a just over a week?”
    “That’s correct,” he says, without looking up from his computer.
    “And the job is in Tennessee?” I bite my lip nervously.
    “Also correct.” He stops typing and rests back in his chair.
    “When is my last day here, sir? I need to train someone for my job.” I push the door open and wait for his response.
    “All of the logistics are handled. We have someone coming from the Detroit office to take over your job.” He crooks his finger in a ‘come here’ motion. “Have a seat, Phoebe. I didn’t get to finish what I wanted to say. I saw the look on your face and I wanted to give you a minute to let it all sink in before I continued.”
    Continued? What the hell?
    “Phoebe, today is your last day. You have plenty of vacation time banked so we thought we would let you use some of that so you have time to pack and move before you have to actually start working. If you’d like to continue working that’s fine too, but we need you down there as soon as possible. There are some boxes in the print room if you’d like to use those to gather your things but other than that, I need you to take next week to prepare for the move. There’s a hotel set up for you that has a kitchenette and everything you may need to feel at home. You’ll have a spending allowance for food, just like any company trip, and there will be a rental car waiting for you at the airport,” he says.
    My head is swirling from all of this news. What if Mom doesn’t want to come with me? What if I get down there and I decide that I made a big mistake in accepting this offer?
    It would be nice to have a little bit of a break. I never use my vacation time. There was never any real need to and I hated taking time away from work. There is so much to do. I don’t think I can make it there in a week and what about my apartment? I still have rent to pay and I can’t pay that off right now. There is no way I’m breaking the lease and paying all that extra money.
    As if reading my mind, Mr. Keiser speaks up. “As part of your benefits, we’ll pay off the remainder of the lease on your apartment. It’s only for another year and I thought that maybe your mom could stay there. If not, then we’ll pay any early termination fees and you can use your extra money to establish a permanent residence near Nashville.”
    I’ve always lived in the Chicago area and I thought that’s where I’d always stay, but if I want this then I guess I’m going to have to break away from the only home I’ve ever known and follow my dreams.
    I shake Mr. Keiser’s hand and thank him again for the opportunity. In a haze, I leave his office and head to the print room to gather boxes to pack up the last six years of my life.
    As the day progresses, the news spreads