I didn't get to say so in Chapter 10, but thanks so much to everyone who reviewed, I really appreciate it :)
**********
Erika barely made it out the front door before she started crying. When she finally straightened up, she noticed that Chad, who had driven her to Brock's from the airport, was still waiting on her. She went down the walk and climbed back into his car. "Could you take me to Heidi and Steve's, please?"
"Of course. I take it he was still mad."
Erika sniffled and wiped at the tears still sneaking down her face. "That's putting it mildly. He is so pissed."
"And you have that interview this afternoon."
"I can be composed by then. I just can't believe he flipped like that."
"Erika, you know his temper. Give him some time to cool down." He pulled into the Adams' driveway and shut off the engine. "He'll come around."
"I can hope." She reached over and hugged him. "Thanks for everything Chad. I'll talk to you later." She got out and walked up the drive. Heidi must have been watching for her, because the door opened the second she stepped on the porch.
"Hi sweetie," she said, and engulfed Erika in a hug.
"Hi Heidi." They walked inside and sat down on the couch. "What did Brock tell you?"
"Just that you would be coming back here because he was really angry with you and didn't want to argue with you."
"Where's Mya?" she asked, just as Logan came in carrying her. Both of their eyes lit up when they saw her.
"Ewika!" Mya yelled and wriggled out of Logan's grasp. She ran up to Erika and right into her waiting arms.
"Hi Princess. I missed you so much."
"Where you go?"
"I had something I had to do, but I'm back now."
"You gonna leave again?"
"Nope." She let Mya down and hugged Logan. "How are ya?"
"I'm ok, how are you?"
She smiled and looked around. "Much better now."
**********
"So, Miss Angle, what qualities do you believe your writing can bring to our paper?" It was later that afternoon, and Erika was interviewing for a job with the Minneapolis Daily Tribune.
"Well Mr. O'Brien, I believe that my writing draws people in, it makes them feel like part of the story."
"Was that confidence or cockiness?"
Erika laughed. "Nervous confidence, I assure you. I think my writing is good because I enjoy doing it. I try to put myself in the reader's place, and use those thoughts to critique my pieces."
"A unique approach."
"Thank you sir, but I think it is a quite common one."
He nodded and glanced down at the papers in front of him. "These samples are excellent Erika. If I may call you that?" She nodded. "Your editor in Pittsburgh happens to be a good friend of mine, though I bet he didn't mention that to you."
"No, he didn't."
"Based on his recommendation, and the quality of your work, I feel as if I have no choice but to hire you before someone else steals you away."
Shock registered on Erika's face. "You mean I'm hired?"
Mr. O'Brien nodded. "We can use another sports reporter. You can start on Monday, if that's not too soon."
"Oh that's fine. Thank you so much Mr. O'Brien." She shook his hand and left the office in a happy daze. She got into Heidi's car and quickly drove back to tell them the good news. She ran into the house and found both Heidi and Steve in the living room. "I got the job!" Both stood and hugged her, and let her babble on. "It was a great interview. I cannot believe I got the job. I have so much nervous energy left. I think I'll go for a run, but I should probably change first." She ran upstairs, not hearing Heidi's warning. She burst into the room she was staying in, only to find that her luggage was gone. She looked in Mya's room and saw the little girl sleeping, but no trace of anything of hers. She slowly walked downstairs, confused. "Umm, where is my stuff?"
"Brock picked it up about an hour ago."
"What is his damn obsession woth moving my stuff?"
Heidi walked over and put her arms around Erika. "It's his way of asking you to come back."
"Don't you mean forcing me?"
"Well, that too."
Erika sighed and hugged Heidi before slipping her shoes back on. "Do you mind if I borrow your car again?"
"Not at all, Steve can bring me to pick it up later."
"Thanks. I'll see you guys then."
"OK." THey walked to the door, and just as Erika was about to close it behind her Heidi shot her arm out, stopping it. "Erika?"
"Yeah?"
"Brock left us a copy of your article."
A blush immediately surfaced on Erika's face. "And?"
"It was perfect."
**********
It was pouring rain by the time Erika got back to Brock's. She ran up the driveway as best she could in heels, and waited for Brock to answer the door. When he did, he could do nothng but stare, and it made Erika nervous.
"I realize I look like a drowned rat right now," she said. And she did- her hair was soaking wet, her make up had started to run, and of course she had to be wearing a white shirt. "But when Heidi said you wanted me to come back I just wanted to as fast as I could." He just kept staring, until it got annoying instead of nerve-wracking. "Are you either going to say something or at least let me in." He snapped out of whatever trance he was in and reached for her hand. He pulled her in, closed the door behind her, and finally did what he'd been wanting to for so long. He kissed her.
And she kissed back.
**********
**********
Erika barely made it out the front door before she started crying. When she finally straightened up, she noticed that Chad, who had driven her to Brock's from the airport, was still waiting on her. She went down the walk and climbed back into his car. "Could you take me to Heidi and Steve's, please?"
"Of course. I take it he was still mad."
Erika sniffled and wiped at the tears still sneaking down her face. "That's putting it mildly. He is so pissed."
"And you have that interview this afternoon."
"I can be composed by then. I just can't believe he flipped like that."
"Erika, you know his temper. Give him some time to cool down." He pulled into the Adams' driveway and shut off the engine. "He'll come around."
"I can hope." She reached over and hugged him. "Thanks for everything Chad. I'll talk to you later." She got out and walked up the drive. Heidi must have been watching for her, because the door opened the second she stepped on the porch.
"Hi sweetie," she said, and engulfed Erika in a hug.
"Hi Heidi." They walked inside and sat down on the couch. "What did Brock tell you?"
"Just that you would be coming back here because he was really angry with you and didn't want to argue with you."
"Where's Mya?" she asked, just as Logan came in carrying her. Both of their eyes lit up when they saw her.
"Ewika!" Mya yelled and wriggled out of Logan's grasp. She ran up to Erika and right into her waiting arms.
"Hi Princess. I missed you so much."
"Where you go?"
"I had something I had to do, but I'm back now."
"You gonna leave again?"
"Nope." She let Mya down and hugged Logan. "How are ya?"
"I'm ok, how are you?"
She smiled and looked around. "Much better now."
**********
"So, Miss Angle, what qualities do you believe your writing can bring to our paper?" It was later that afternoon, and Erika was interviewing for a job with the Minneapolis Daily Tribune.
"Well Mr. O'Brien, I believe that my writing draws people in, it makes them feel like part of the story."
"Was that confidence or cockiness?"
Erika laughed. "Nervous confidence, I assure you. I think my writing is good because I enjoy doing it. I try to put myself in the reader's place, and use those thoughts to critique my pieces."
"A unique approach."
"Thank you sir, but I think it is a quite common one."
He nodded and glanced down at the papers in front of him. "These samples are excellent Erika. If I may call you that?" She nodded. "Your editor in Pittsburgh happens to be a good friend of mine, though I bet he didn't mention that to you."
"No, he didn't."
"Based on his recommendation, and the quality of your work, I feel as if I have no choice but to hire you before someone else steals you away."
Shock registered on Erika's face. "You mean I'm hired?"
Mr. O'Brien nodded. "We can use another sports reporter. You can start on Monday, if that's not too soon."
"Oh that's fine. Thank you so much Mr. O'Brien." She shook his hand and left the office in a happy daze. She got into Heidi's car and quickly drove back to tell them the good news. She ran into the house and found both Heidi and Steve in the living room. "I got the job!" Both stood and hugged her, and let her babble on. "It was a great interview. I cannot believe I got the job. I have so much nervous energy left. I think I'll go for a run, but I should probably change first." She ran upstairs, not hearing Heidi's warning. She burst into the room she was staying in, only to find that her luggage was gone. She looked in Mya's room and saw the little girl sleeping, but no trace of anything of hers. She slowly walked downstairs, confused. "Umm, where is my stuff?"
"Brock picked it up about an hour ago."
"What is his damn obsession woth moving my stuff?"
Heidi walked over and put her arms around Erika. "It's his way of asking you to come back."
"Don't you mean forcing me?"
"Well, that too."
Erika sighed and hugged Heidi before slipping her shoes back on. "Do you mind if I borrow your car again?"
"Not at all, Steve can bring me to pick it up later."
"Thanks. I'll see you guys then."
"OK." THey walked to the door, and just as Erika was about to close it behind her Heidi shot her arm out, stopping it. "Erika?"
"Yeah?"
"Brock left us a copy of your article."
A blush immediately surfaced on Erika's face. "And?"
"It was perfect."
**********
It was pouring rain by the time Erika got back to Brock's. She ran up the driveway as best she could in heels, and waited for Brock to answer the door. When he did, he could do nothng but stare, and it made Erika nervous.
"I realize I look like a drowned rat right now," she said. And she did- her hair was soaking wet, her make up had started to run, and of course she had to be wearing a white shirt. "But when Heidi said you wanted me to come back I just wanted to as fast as I could." He just kept staring, until it got annoying instead of nerve-wracking. "Are you either going to say something or at least let me in." He snapped out of whatever trance he was in and reached for her hand. He pulled her in, closed the door behind her, and finally did what he'd been wanting to for so long. He kissed her.
And she kissed back.
**********
