Soccer Women Ch. 14
"
Carol! I got it! I go the job!
" Jen was talking very fast. She was also trying very hard not to be loud, with limited success.
"Well of course you did. They'd have been crazy to hire anyone else." Carol tried very hard to sound like she meant it, even though they both knew there was one big hole in Jen's resume. She was going to be running the legal education department at the Community College where she had worked for these last six years. Jen did not have the educational background that was associated with the job and when it had first been posted, she had not applied. But she had been such a good worker over the last six years that when the outgoing head of the department was promoted, she sought Jen out and convinced her to apply.
The Board of Trustees did in fact have some reservations about hiring Jen because of this lack of an educational background. But they knew how smart and hard-working she was. So, whatever she didn't know, she could learn. And they also knew that the energy she would bring to the position outweighed whatever potential shortfall was in her resume. Or not in her resume, as it were.
Jen was trying to be quiet since there was someone else in the department who had applied for the same position. While she had only been in the department two years, she did have the educational background that Jen did not. Jen certainly did not want her celebration to cause any hard feelings.
This was a better idea than Jen realized at the time. While the Board of Trustees had not offered the head job to this other candidate, they did offer her Jen's now to be vacant position. It was mostly a lateral move, but it was an office, not a cubicle and there was a small increase in salary. The two women ended up being a great team and the legal department gained an excellent reputation. Plus, working with Jen for a few years gave her something to emulate. Three years later, when another department head opening came up, the Board of Trustees immediately made her the acting head of department and she was eventually given the position permanently.
But that day, she said she would need the weekend to think about it and she walked past Jen's door on her way out of the office. So, it was a good thing that Jen was trying to keep her voice down on the phone.
Carol asked, "Jen are you in a work suit?"
"Yes, why."
"Because I want to take you out to dinner tonight to celebrate."
"I'm the one who got the big promotion, shouldn't I be taking you out."
"Not tonight. But now that you're going to be making all this money, if I'm going to be a kept woman, I need to know if I can still get all dressed up and look sexy for you."
"Carol, you'd look sexy in a burlap sack."
"You know what? Today was a squats day for my workout so my legs and ass do look pretty decent. I probably would look good in a burlap sack." They both laughed.
"Well since I am now this hot shot College department head, I need my woman to be dressed in something better than a burlap sack. So go get ready and I'll be home at 5:30 and we can go out to dinner to celebrate."
"Congratulations again Jen. I love you."
"Thanks, Baby. I love you too. See you home."
Carol focused on Jen's last word, "home."
For the last week and a half, Carol had spent every night in Jen's home. Most of her clothes were there. She did laundry and food shopping since she was there most days and Jen was not. Carol had even had her mail forwarded here. But she still wasn't sure that she felt that this was her "home."
In fact, "home" was still and hour away. It was the place she had lived in for 28 years. Paul, Abigail and her (six months pregnant with Brianna) had bought that house because their apartment was not big enough for two kids. So many memories, most of them good.
Carol still went back on days when she had work to do. She did accounting work as a side hustle. Mostly it was taxes for people who had just enough complexity that a computer program was not enough, but not enough money to go to a big accounting firm. This was a little bit of a busy time for her because people who had filed for an extension in April now had to finish up their returns. Plus, if anyone was paying quarterly taxes those were coming due. So she had to meet some people at her little office on the side of the house. She picked up the mail that was still delivered to "Resident" or "Occupant." She also had to meet up with and pay the young boy who was cutting the lawn for the summer. But when that was done, she would get in her car and drive up "to Jen's house." She still did not think of it as her own.
There was also the fact that Jen had lived for several years with Susan McPherson in Jen's house. And while that fact never seemed to bother Carol when she was there with Jen, even when they were in the same bed that Jen and Susan had shared, it was during these long drives back and forth when she had time to think about it that this fact would rise to the surface of her brain. And she wasn't happy about that either.
Today though, she had not left Jen's house after Jen went to work. So, she was there when Jen called with her amazing news. Carol was a serial planner. So, she had plans and different contingencies for this news. She actually had them for three distinct possibilities, but the other two were now moot. With Jen getting this job, they were going to stay close to the Community College. She could still do most of the accounting work via e-mail and Zoom. If she absolutely had to meet with someone, she could do it at a public place, like a library or a diner down by her house. Some clients would not want to do this, but Jen and her did not need the money Carol was making. This was more about Carol having something to do.
The only question still unanswered in Carol's planning was where would they live? And this was the quandary that now vexed Carol. But not tonight. Tonight was just about celebrating Jen's promotion. They could talk about it tomorrow.
Carol went to the closet in Melanie's old room. The closet in the main bedroom was a little cramped and so Carol had things she did not wear much in here, while the clothes she wore more regularly were in Jen's bedroom closet. She had a particular dress in mind. She just had to hope she had brought it with her. Fortunately, she found the white dress she wanted. The last time she had worn it was on a December night in Chicago. That night, she was a little cold in the dress as it was sleeveless. Tonight, she was going to be a little warm since the dress had a high neck and the material was a bit thick. But it was the sexiest dress she had.
When Jen came through the door after work, she saw Carol standing there in her sexy dress. "Wow! Maybe we should skip dinner?"
"No way, Missy. I know what you're thinking. I spent a lot of time to look good enough to be the arm candy for the new Head of the Legal Studies Department. So, you need to wine and dine me first. Then you can have dessert back here."
Jen walked up and put her arms around Carol. They leaned into each other and shared a brief but passionate kiss. As Jen pulled back, she looked at Carol's dress and said, "I think seeing you in that dress in Chicago was the last straw for Susan. She knew she could never compete with you."
"Sorry, Jen. I wasn't trying to bring up bad memories. Do you want me to change?"
