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“I invited him to the party tonight. What’s one more body here, right? Anyway, I think he’s got it bad for Daphne, and I want to see if I can work a little magic to get the two of them alone together.”
He nodded, absently. “Whatever you want.”
I put down the eggplant I’d been peeling. It had come from the patch Gus had tended and looked delicious.
But it was now or never. Chris would be here tonight and I didn’t want him going behind my back to talk to my husband.
“Speaking of Chris…”Oh, God, how do I say this in any way Gus would understand?“I promised him I’d talk to you about something.”
Gus winced, reaching for another strip of dough.
“There’s a job. In Knoxville. He thinks I should apply for it.”
He was quiet for a moment. “Hethinks?”
“I… yes. I don’t really want it. I mean, I did. A long time ago. It’s what I’ve been working for…” I shrugged. “Pretty much my whole life. It’s ironic, really. That it happened so soon after marrying you.”
“This the job you and Chris were talking about the morning after he stayed over?”
“You knew?”
“I overheard a little. Since you never brought it up, I thought it wasn’t a big deal.”
“It’s not.” I dropped my knife and came over to him. He stiffened when I hooked my finger into the belt loop of his pants. “I don’t even want it.”
“This doesn’t have anything to do with the fact that Chris lives in Knoxville, does it?”
“I told you that’s over. Don’t be like this, Gus.”
“What’s the job?”
“Um… Director of the FAC. The Forensic Anthropology Center. The Body Farm—”
“I know what the FAC is, Decca. Fuck. That’s a big fucking deal.”
“Okay.”
“I just didn’t know you’d ever consider taking a job there. That’s three hours away.”
“I’m not considering it. I just promised Chris I’d tell you I’m not considering it.”
“Of course you promised him.”
“Gus, please. I don’t want this job. I did want it. At least I thought I did. Five, ten years ago. Before I grew up. Before Granny got sick. Before all my friends settled out here… Before I married you. I love my life here. I don’t want it to change. Not for any job.”
“But this isn’t just any job. This isthejob. Isn’t it?”
“Theformer job, yes. Past tense. Look, Gus,“ I said, pulling his hands in mine. “I can’t help what I wanted in the past. I can’t help that it looks like a great opportunity. But it’s wrong for me now.”
“If you hadn’t married me, would you take it?”
I hadn’t thought of that. I honestly didn’t know.
Gus wasn’t the only thing keeping me here in Middle Tennessee. Mylifewas keeping me here. A life I hadn’t thought existed until Gus showed it to me. So maybe I would have taken it. But it would have been the wrong choice.
I paused too long and Gus went back to the cheese straws, standing a little straighter now, a little farther away from me.
“I think you should try out for it. Interview… Fuck, whatever. Take the job, Decca.”
