Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 87609 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 438(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 292(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87609 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 438(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 292(@300wpm)
At least for a while.
Forget dating. I am focusing on my career for the foreseeable future. I turn thirty later this year, and there are things I want to achieve by then. A committed relationship was on the list...but oh well. Turns out you can’t schedule love. However, it’s not too late for the others: inching my way closer to managerial level, visiting the Bodleian Library in Oxford, England, eating my way through the pastry display case at my favorite bakery on La Brea, and learning how to keep a houseplant alive.
When I still couldn’t sleep, I had a stern talk with myself about Good Witch Willow. I am not superstitious, and I don’t believe in the paranormal. People cheat in relationships every day. The data relating to this is of course unreliable, but estimates suggest that up to 75 percent of people have cheated in some way at one time or another. My parents are the outliers, still being happily married after over thirty years and two children. Plenty of people come from single-parent homes and split families. All my friends have struck out relationship-wise at least once. I myself have been ghosted, disappointed, dumped, and duped. Without being bitter, I think it’s reasonable to acknowledge that finding the one is hard. If the one even exists. There is nothing spooky or mysterious going on in my life. Josh is just an asshole. End of story.
Despite the long night, when the request came from work to fill in for a sick colleague, I said yes. A distraction sounded great. I fortified myself with more painkillers, caffeine, and carefully applied makeup. Then I made my way back out into the world as a strong single woman.
“I had a little accident last night.” I hide my hands in my pockets and give my boss my best fake smile. “But I’m fine. Just fine.”
“If you say so,” she sniffs. “Can you stay a bit longer? Some items are about to be dropped off for a display. If you could handle that before leaving?”
“Not a problem, Patricia.”
“There was also another matter I wanted to quickly talk to you about.” She looks down the length of her nose at me. “I know you applied for Program Librarian last year and were disappointed when you didn’t get it. And of course, there was Acquisitions Supervisor before that.”
“Right.”
“Well, the position of Children’s Librarian will soon become available. Ming is moving to Chicago.”
“Really? That’s wonderful news. Not about losing Ming, of course. But Children’s Librarian...that would be perfect.”
Patricia’s answering smile is more of a grimace. Like positive emotions aren’t really her thing. But I don’t care. I could hug the woman right now. Though that would be wildly awkward for both of us.
Take that, Good Witch Willow. Talk about being validated. I didn’t expect to have further proof that her late-night sidewalk prophesies were rubbish until the lotto draw tonight. But this is great. My boss has given me a heads-up, and she’s supporting my bid for promotion, going directly against what Willow said. It’s honestly like a weight has been taken off my shoulders. You know when you’ve been worrying about something in the back of your mind while telling yourself it’s okay the entire time? This is exactly that.
“It would be ideal,” Patricia confirms. “You tend to have more patience with our younger patrons than some. But while you’re of course welcome to apply, just quietly between you and me, I have already spoken to Brian about him taking on the role.”
The smile of relief falls straight off my face. “You’ve already decided on Brian?”
“Not officially, of course. But I would hate for you to get your hopes up.”
It’s like time has slowed down. As if I can suddenly hear a clock ticking, counting down the hours left in my days. “Let me get this straight. You’ve already passed me over for the promotion before I even applied?”
The woman sucks on her teeth. A solid sign of irritation. “Lilah, you have to understand—”
“What, that you don’t appreciate me and I shouldn’t have stayed here as long as I have?” I say in a tone somewhere between stunned and surprised. “Shit. She was right about this too.”
“Of course, staying or leaving is your choice to make,” says Patricia in her most strident tone. “But I’ll remind you that getting any sort of job in the library system in this city is extremely competitive. There are plenty of people with their Master of Library Science who have been volunteering and applying for years for positions such as yours.”
The woman is speaking nothing but the truth. But she still lost me mid-rant.
How was Willow right about this too? It’s impossible and improbable and fucking ridiculous. What are the odds of Josh cheating on me and me being overlooked for a promotion all within such a short time span? There are coincidences and then there are clusterfucks. Which is what my life is suddenly turning out to be.