Page 26 of One Drink

My shoulders sagged. I wanted to argue and tell him he was wrong, but he wasn’t. It had been so long since he agreed to help me with the magazine, I’d forgotten it was supposed to be temporary. And he’d done a great job training others to be just as good as him.

“We’re not making any decisions tonight.” He kissed my forehead. “But at some point, I do need to step down and follow my own career aspirations.”

“You still want to write that book?” his dad asked with a hopeful smile.

“I do.” Jake’s face lit up, and my gut wrenched. I’d been so focused on my career, I’d completely forgotten about his. Before he agreed to work at the magazine, writing novels was all he talked about. “I actually started writing again this week, for me that is.”

“Good for you.” His dad’s smile grew, and he reached over and patted Jake’s arm. “You’re a talented storyteller and you’ve put it off for too long in my opinion. I was so proud of all the writing contests you won when you were younger.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

“Before I forget,” his dad continued, “I wanted to talk about a trip to California to help with an event for aspiring writers.”

And with that, the conversation shifted away from the tangling of our professional and personal relationships. I was glad for the change, but there was still so much to discuss. I’d been selfish these past few years, only thinking about my own career. I’d worked tirelessly to prove myself to the industry and my dad that I had what it took to succeed. Along the way, I’d forgotten Jake had his own aspirations beyond helping me succeed.

If Jake and I were going to make it, our relationship could not be one-sided any longer.