Page 59 of How to Get Lucky
I stare at him, noodling on that. He’s right. Like Bodhi was right. “I needed that. Thanks, man.”
I smile and give Sam a big hug before I leave, knowing what I need to do next.
It’s time to take control of my life. Even if it means losing a lot along the way.
33
On the one hand, this is a death march.
On the other, I’m walking into my future.
That’s what I tell myself as I administer an epic pep talk on the drive to work. Sam, riding with me in the car, backs me up.
“You’ve got this,” he says as I turn onto the block that houses Edge. “You’ve so got this, bro.”
“Thanks, man. I appreciate all the help today. I couldn’t have figured this out without you.”
Sam shakes his head, having none of it. “Nope. It’s all you.”
At Edge, I park my car, cut the engine, and scan the lot.
My stomach leaps into my lungs when I spot Archer’s red Lexus here. That’s a good sign, but it’s also an omen that shit is about to get real.
It’s hard to leave a job you like, to say goodbye to a boss who’s been good to you. “I can do this,” I say as I head toward the club, Sam by my side.
“You can do it, just like I can do a hot AF dance to ‘You Shook Me All Night Long.’”
“True. You can definitely do that.”
“So if you need extra guts before you go into his office, just think about me shaking my hips to that rock anthem.”
“I probably won’t do that, but I do appreciate the offer,” I say dryly.
“Just trying to help a brother out.”
I open the door to the club, both nervous and resolute. I’m ready for my future.
For everything.
As Sam makes his way to the dressing rooms, I head around the corner to the manager’s office.
Archer’s voice drifts through the doorway, sounding like he’s finishing a phone call. My shoulders tense as he says, “Sounds great. Talk to you again soon.”
The tension spreads as reality kicks all the way in once I reach his office. I’m doing this. True, I’m stepping into my future, but it’s without a safety net.
I knock on the open door as Archer ends the call then flashes me a professional grin. “Hey, Teddy. How’s everything going?”
“Good,” I say, my pitch a little high. I draw a breath, trying to keep my voice even, but I don’t budge from the doorway. “Do you have a minute?”
His brow knits. “Sure. I was hoping to chat with you too.”
He wants to talk to me too? About what? My tongue feels heavy, my throat dry.
Archer waves me in. “Come in. You look like this is a take-a-seat conversation.”
I nod, relieved that he senses my awkwardness. “It is, sir.”
He blows out a long stream of air. “You’re breaking out the sir. Sounds more like it’s a shut-the-door conversation.”
“Yes, it is,” I say, turning around, doing just that, then grabbing a seat in the chair across from his desk. He waits, his expression patient.
Time for me to man up.
I draw a breath, letting it fuel me. “You said the other week that if I wanted to pursue other opportunities, you would just be grateful for a heads-up.”
He winces. His expression falters. “I did.” He leans back in his chair. “I had a feeling this was coming.”
I run my palms along my jeans. “I’d like to give you my two weeks’ notice. I didn’t think it would come so soon, but the thing is, I really want to run my own company,” I say, getting those words out finally, and once I do, I feel lighter, buoyant. “I want to do weddings. I want to do bar mitzvahs. I want to do celebrations. I want to be part of these great family rituals. Parties, birthdays, anniversaries—that’s what I really like doing.”
He nods a few times. “I can see that in you. That seems like your jam.”
“It is. The wedding I did last weekend reminded me of that. Honestly, even helping choreograph London’s routine reminded me how much I like putting music together for all sorts of opportunities. And I think I should devote all of my attention to that kind of work,” I say, taking a staggered breath after getting all those words out. All those true words that I should’ve said a few days ago. But it took me that time to figure out what I needed for my own happiness.
Archer picks up a pen, spinning it between his thumb and forefinger. “I’ll miss having you around here, but I appreciate you coming to me. I had a feeling that was what you wanted to talk about as soon as you showed up in my doorway.”
I swallow, digging down deep to say the next thing. “But there’s something else I need to chat with you about too.”
