Page 98 of Book Club Confidential

Tessa: a little

Grant: What did they say?

Tessa: I’m overqualified for the positions remotely within my field and unqualified for everything else available right now

Tessa: Kinda wish they’d have said that before I got here

Grant: No problem. You don’t want to do anything else

She gripped her steering wheel and tried to shake it. Then let her arms drop to her sides. She started the car and hit the AC before responding.

Tessa: My bills won’t pay themselves

She’d built a career she loved, which should prove dedication to her field, tenacity, and grit. Instead, the interviewer advised that working at only one place since college was often seen as a problem, not a perk. Apparently, it raised questions. Why hadn’t she tried to move up or move on? Was she complacent? Unable to learn new things or adapt to new environments? Or worse, just lazy.

Grant: Breathe and smile

Tessa glared at her phone.

Tessa: Why would I smile right now?

Grant: For starters, you’re going to figure this out because you’re you

Grant: You brainstorm and find solutions for other businesses all the time

Grant: This is what you do and you do it well

Grant: The smiling part will just improve your mood

Tessa leaned forward, resting her forehead on the steering wheel, deciding how to respond. She sat tall a moment later.

Tessa: You’re right. I’m going to put up a website and offer freelancing services

Grant: See? Let me know if I can help spread the word

Grant: Wait. Were you joking? I can’t tell

She paused to consider the possibility. The sarcastic text was meant to mock his implication that she could solve her problem so easily after days of fret and worry. As if simply thinking about her predicament as if she was a client in need of sales would change everything.

But now that she’d put the words into existence, she wondered—

Tessa: I’ll have to let you know

Grant: Great! I’ll be waiting

She shifted into drive and eased into traffic.

A call rang through her speakers as she motored along, lost in the idea of taking her experience to the World Wide Web. She knew how to create, launch, and monitor successful online ads and use digital newsletter marketing and social media platforms for maximum campaign performance. What was stopping her from registering an LLC with the state and becoming her own boss?

Hallie’s name and number appeared on her dashboard screen, and Tessa accepted the call.

“Hello?” Excitement thrummed in her chest as she waited for the moment to tell Hallie about her new idea.

“Help,” Hallie whispered. “Come and save me. Bring Kate. I’m dropping a pin.”

“What?” Tessa pulled into a parking space at the curb and shifted into park. “Are you okay? What’s going on?”

A collection of female voices grew louder in the background.