Page 40 of Fierce-Matt

“I don’t know if I have what it takes, but I’m stuck. And being stuck really sucks. If real estate was more reliable or I wasn’t living on my own, I’d stay, but that isn’t the case. I applied for the job at Fierce. I didn’t think I’d get it, but I saw Ben when I was leaving. He recognized me and asked what I was doing there.”

“He would have put a good word in for you,” he said.

She knew Ben got her the job. There was no doubt.

She even thanked him multiple times. One day he joked he felt he owed it to her for Matt being such a dick to her as a kid.

At least the oldest Kelly sibling saw what was going on.

She worked even harder to not let Ben down.

“He did. I really appreciated it. Justin has told me if I wanted to be full time he’d make it happen.”

“Why don’t you?” he asked.

“Because it’d be one more short-term career in my portfolio. I don’t want to keep doing that. I’m afraid that I’d settle for now because the tips would be good. It’d feel like the easy way out even though it’s not a simple job. But it’s a fun one.”

“So you want a job that is fun,” he said. “Do you like dealing with people?”

“I do,” she said. “Most times they aren’t jerks, but it depends on the situation.”

“What other likes do you have? Fashion? Hair? Fixing things?”

“Are you trying to give me career advice?” she asked. The last thing she needed in her life was someone telling her what to do.

He put his hands up. “I wouldn’t dream of it. I’m trying to act more like a sounding board. You know, if you like styling your hair and trying new things, and like people and getting tips, making your own hours, how about a stylist? Or if you like laying tiles or painting, why not look for construction jobs that specialize in that?”

“Like you’d date someone that worked in construction?”

He looked offended. “I’m not sure how many times I have to tell you I don’t care what the person does. I’m not the one doing the job. It’s more important to me they see the good in someone and can appreciate those traits than a career they may or may not love.”

Which told her he must have suffered more burns than he admitted.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I meant nothing by it.”

“You’ve got me pegged one way.”

“It’s hard not to when I’ve only known you that way.”

“And I’m trying to show you another way,” he said. “There are a lot of careers out there helping people. Lots in the medical field with some training. Trade fields like hair and nails, spa, massages.”

“I have thought of that,” she said.

“Of what?”

“Massage therapy,” she said. “I looked into it. It’s a six-month course full-time, twelve months part-time. If I could swing another shift at Fierce, I could handle that for six months. But then you’ve got to have a bunch of hours of practice before you can get licensed. I’d be working for free for another six months easily.”

She ran the numbers in her head and she’d be giving out over twenty-five free massages a week for six months before she could get her license.

So it’d be a year of doing that and working at Fierce. If she could make ends meet.

Then she told herself it went back to seeing the money earned rather than the enjoyment in a career. It was no different from where she was.

“I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you that nothing in life that is worth it is easy.”

“No,” she said. “I’m working it out in my head. If I can put enough money away to cushion me, I’d be fine. It’s not as if I’ve got much of a life. But then I remind myself I might do everything to get there and a year later still be feeling the way I am now.”

“I picture you as the type of person who will figure it out.”