I was halfway through my sandwich when my phone buzzed. My heart leaped, hoping it was Mickey, but I saw the name of someone I used to work with: Braxton. Unexpected. I hadn’t thought about him much since he’d left the company early this year for some startup making big promises. Half the time, startups never got off the ground, but I’d heard this one was doing pretty well.
I answered the call and put the phone to my ear. “Brax, hey. How have you been?”
“Good. I’m good. Great, actually. I heard it’s not going so well for you though.”
He’d always been direct, but I winced nonetheless. “It’s not so bad.” I didn’t have a permanent job or my own place, but I was getting time with my family I hadn’t had since high school, I was rebuilding a friendship with my childhood best friend, and…Mickey.
“Didn’t you get fired?”
“Laid off.” I kept the defensiveness from my voice. “How’s it going at the startup?”
“It’s great, man. That’s actually why I’m calling. Have you found a new job yet?”
“No. I’m back in Vermont and helping at the family diner while I figure out my next move.” I glanced at Sage, but they were busy wiping down tables.
“Perfect. We’re hiring for a couple of positions to help with an upcoming launch. Just send me a résumé, and I can take it from there. They’re trusting me to build a team, and I want you on it.”
“Wow. Thanks, Brax. I appreciate that.” I waited for the wave of relief to crash over me at a legit job prospect. It was what I’dbeen waiting for, right? So why did I feel nauseous? “Can you tell me about the job?”
“It’s an IT company, and we’re expanding quickly in the financial securities space.”
As he talked about the projects and where the company was headed, my mind wandered. Not a great sign.
I could do the job in my sleep, but it sounded like sleep would be hard to come by. I knew people who’d worked at startups. They’d said it had sometimes been exhilarating, but for the most part, exhausting. As I got older, the idea of pulling an all-nighter to nail a pitch wasn’t as appealing as a night of darts with friends at The Striped Maple and betting a round of beers on the rules of the night.
An image of a naked Mickey starfishing on his bed, smiling and sated, filled my mind. Despite the sharp turn our date had taken, we’d been able to salvage it and have a great evening together. I wanted more nights like that, and if I moved back to Boston to work for a startup, that would be basically impossible. Reading between the lines of the job, even a long-distance relationship would be out of the question with the demands of the work.
“There’s unlimited vacation time and stock options. No retirement, but the salary’s solid.”
Unlimited vacation time was code for “you won’t actually have the time to use any vacation.”
“Awesome. I’ll give it some thought and let you know.”
“Don’t take too much time, bro. We want the team ready to go in the new year. It’s a great chance to get on the ground floor of this company. I’m telling you, we’re going places.”
“Sounds like it.” I mustered enthusiasm. “I really appreciate you thinking of me.”
“Sure. I better run. Got a meeting in a few. Don’t worry, we’ll get you out of Vermont and back to the city.”
After hanging up, I pushed the plate away. My favorite sandwich no longer held appeal.
Sage stood next to the bench across from me with a rag draped over their shoulder. “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but?—”
“You totally meant to eavesdrop.”
“Butit’s a small restaurant and it’s basically empty. Was that about a job?” Their encouraging tone hit like a punch to the gut.
They tried so hard to support me, but all it did was make me feel shittier.
I picked at the sandwich crust. “Yeah, with a startup in Boston.”
“Good pay? Benefits?”
“Pay seems good, unlimited vacation, but no retirement. Not sure about healthcare.”
Sage’s eyebrows jumped to their hairline. “Unlimited vacation? Sign me up.”
“My sweet, summer child. That doesn’t mean you can actually take unlimited vacation. Companies do that when they have a culture of pressuring people not to take time off. If people earn a specific amount, they’re much more likely to take it.”
