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“I’m done with him,” I say. “I thought I'd be more hurt and upset than I am, but I guess that’s how I know I'm really over it.”
“Good. I'm happy to know you’re ready to move on with your life. You were too good for someone like him anyway.”
Being too good for someone is a hard pill to swallow. I wasn’t raised to look down on others and although I know what my dad means when he says I'm too good for Sean, it sounds kind of harsh. I shouldn’t even care what sounds harsh when it comes to him. After all he’s put me through, I should be more than willing to hurt him the same way he hurt me.
“I’m sure he’ll try to win me back,” I say. “Before I left, he asked if we could still be friends. Can you believe that?”
“That guy is a real piece of work,” my dad scoffs and chuckles at the same time. “What would make him think you wanted to be friends after all of this? That's just another way for him to keep his teeth stuck into you.”
He's exactly right. If I had agreed to remain friends with Sean, he’d only use that to keep a hold on me. We tried that the first few times we broke up and somehow someway, he always reeled me back in.
We get back to the house and it feels so surreal. I thought I would never move back to New York. Visit, sure. But moving back into my old bedroom, being in the same environment I thought I left behind for good, feels strange.
I have no issues with New York. It's just, I thought I was on to a different world. I love it here because it's where I grew up, but I grew to love SoCal even more. It's not as fast paced as it is here in Manhattan. Almost, but not quite.
While I unpack, I text back and forth with Melissa to let her know I made it safe and what my plans are for my new life. I'm not sure about where I'll find work, but I know I'll find something. There's always someone looking to hire their next big marketer.
That's one of the wonderful things about my job, someone is always looking for exposure. Whether it be someone with a small project, or some big-time corporation, they’re always looking for someone to do their leg work and get their names out there.
I take a few hours to unpack and get acquainted with home again before I head downstairs to hang out with my dad more. I know I'll find him in his office where he always is, I just hope he doesn’t immediately put me to work like I'm his assistant this time around.
“What’s on the roster for you now?” I ask as I'm making my way toward his desk to have a seat. “A new school? Church? Library? Someone’s always wanting you and your team to construct the next big phenomenon.”
“I’m happy to have a break from projects as large as that,” he chuckles. “Right now, we’re working on a few houses and converting some old storefronts into a shopping plaza. Speaking of projects, however, you remember my friend Marc?”
“Yeah. He owns that luxury car franchise everyone comes from overseas to buy from.”
“Yep.” Dad nods. “And guess what? He has an opening position for a marketing specialist. We talked about getting you in for an interview last night. Apparently, his son isn’t keeping up with his demands, so he needs someone fresh. I told him you'd be perfect for the job.”
Wow. I haven't even been back for a full day, and I already have an interview lined up. Talk about having friends in high places.
“Thanks, Dad.” I smile. “I’m not sure he’ll want to work with someone like me though. I haven't done much car marketing for a while now. Mostly hotel chains, restaurants, and stores.”
“Sure, he will,” Dad says. “You’re one of the best damn marketers out there. Anyone would be lucky to work with you. Besides, even if it doesn't work out, it’ll be another accomplishment to add to your resume.”
I didn’t plan to get right to work when I got here, but it might be good to keep myself busy. That way I don't start to think about Sean too much.
“You speak so highly of me,” I chuckle. “Sometimes I feel like I have all this pressure on my shoulders to be as successful as you are.”
“There’s no pressure, honey. I just want you to continue to do great.”
My dad has always been my number one fan. There were times where I wanted to drop out of school and take a different route or give up completely, and he’s always been in my corner telling me to keep going.
“I have a business meeting to get to shortly,” he says. “I’m going to head out in just a minute, but when I get back, we should get together and do something for old times' sake.”
“Business meeting on a Saturday?” I playfully side-eye. “Are you sure you aren’t going to catch up with some hot date?”
“Yeah right!” he laughs. “I haven’t had one of those since your mother.”
Before he leaves, he kisses my head and tells me how great of a job I've been doing. He also reminds me that I should probably give my mother a call whenever I feel up to it. Honestly, that won’t be any time soon. My focus is solely on getting acquainted with being in New York again.
Instead of staying in this afternoon, I decided to get out for some city air. The fresh smell of gas and hotdogs fills my nose the minute I nestle into Times Square. It feels different here now. When I left, I was twenty-one years old and barely had any experience in the world outside of partying.
I can’t imagine going to any of the parties I used to frequent five years ago. I mean, I'm only twenty-six now, but moving away from home has changed me. I feel like I'm a lot older than I am because of how long I've been able to manage being away from my dad.
The buildings don’t even look the same to me. I remember everything about Times Square, but with the experience, I get a different feel for them. Maybe I have a different appreciation for being home?
One thing I missed about being home is being able to get a decent hotdog. The food culture is so different in California, I practically changed my entire diet while being there. I mostly ate seafood and Mediterranean food, but in New York, I'll take two of the juiciest hotdogs you can whip up with all the toppings.
