“No, that’s it. Thanks. See you later.”
With a nod, Amy turned to her computer.
And Kat scurried out the door. A résumé update just bumped to priority status.
Back in her own space, she flopped into her desk chair. She could do the update quickly. No worries there. She hoped it wouldn’t be an exercise in futility. It was possible the decision had already been made.
ChapterSixteen
It should’ve been a quick task. After all, Kat kept notes on the projects she’d worked on in the past four years. She had copies of all her stellar performance reviews. She had excellent references. And she could write. Hadn’t she just finished writing succinct, descriptive information plaques for the new exhibit?
All of that was true, but still, she kept getting stuck on the résumé update. Every time she came to a question related to goals and the future, her stomach knotted. She kept wondering where Nick fit into the picture. She rubbed her temples and read the question again.
Where do you see yourself professionally in the next five years?
How could she answer professionally without thinking personally as well?
Kat pushed back her chair and stepped into the kitchen to reheat her tea. With a deep breath, she grabbed a piece of chocolate before returning to the computer. Her phone buzzed against the table, and Nick’s picture came to life on the screen.
Her heart bounced, and she glanced at the time—and found she’d been staring at her computer longer than she realized.
“Hi there. What are you up to?”
“Just sitting here wishing you were sitting here.” Nick’s deep voice filled the air.
“Mmmm. That would be nice. How was your day?”
“Uneventful. Spent all day working on my scripts.”
Kat gave a soft laugh. “Those words are so cool.”
Nick grinned. “It’s interesting, for sure. What are you working on?”
“Updating my résumé. Cassie’s job was posted today, and I want to get my application in tomorrow. Amy said it wouldn’t stay on the website long. Not sure what that means.”
“Anything I can help with?”
Kat sucked in a deep breath. “I– No, the résumé is done. I just need to answer a few more questions on the application.” She decided to dip her toes into the muddy waters. “They want to know where I see myself in five years.” She sputtered something between a laugh and groan. “I’m not sure where I see myself in five months.”
“Ah, that’s not true. Tell them you want to find new and exciting ways of bringing the world of art to the public through innovative exhibits and interaction.”
“Wow. That’s pretty good. I might plagiarize you.”
“Go ahead.” He leaned forward. “But it’s not really true, is it? In five to ten years, you don’t even want to be working an eight-to-five job, right? Isn’t your goal to make a living from painting? I see you in a fabulous studio creating amazing masterpieces to be sold in the swankiest galleries all over the world.”
Kat nearly spit her tea. “That’s a sweet thought, but maybe a tad over the top.” That warmth in his eyes radiated through the screen and wrapped around her. It was nice to have another cheerleader on the fan squad. But somehow, hearing the words made them sound too grandiose to be real. Like a fairy tale. Were those realistic goals?
“You never know,” Nick said. “If anyone had asked me where I thought I’d be, there’s no way I would’ve said TV.”
Oh, for a crystal ball.
“The thing is…I keep getting tripped on what…” She dropped her voice to little more than a whisper. “What that would mean for us.” She couldn’t help squirming. But she had to be honest. Could she have a love life and a career? Did she have to sacrifice one for the other? She refused to believe she had to compromise on either score. “I mean, if I’m entrenched in New York City…”
Nick’s expression turned thoughtful. “Kat? I want to be clear about something.”
She caught her breath. “What’s that?”
“No matter where you are, I want that promotion for you. I want you to get all the raises and recognition and kudos you deserve.”
