“I guess it’s good to have that kind of conviction,” he said, slowly. He pushed his glasses up higher on his nose and smiled at me. “I bet you none of the other interns could say that. They’re all probably hot shot grads just looking for the best opportunity they can find.”
“There’s going to be some heated competition,” I agreed. “But, I want this job so bad.”
“You're going to do great,” he said knowingly.
“Thank you,” I said, feeling a weight lift off of my shoulders. For the first time since getting the news, I felt like I could be excited. I wasn't going to be forced to choose between my dream job and my dream guy. I could have both.
“I think we should celebrate,” Jacob said as we walked out from the diner, hand in hand.
“Ha, that’s funny. That’s what everyone’s been saying,” I said. “I guess I just feel like I don’t really have anything to celebrate quite yet. The hardest part is still ahead of me.”
“You’ve gotta appreciate the little things though,” he said. “They’re what turns into the big things. You wouldn’t be in position to compete for your dream job if you hadn’t first been accepted.”
“That’s true,” I agreed. “It is an honor just to be accepted.”
“So, come on.” We’d paused momentarily after leaving the diner but Jacob tugged my hand away from my car and in the direction of where he’d parked. “I’ll drive,” he said. “We can come back to get your car later.”
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“Back to my place,” he said. “To celebrate.”
Chapter 13
Six weeks later…
The sun had set a long time ago when I finally parked my car in front of my apartment. Wearily, I stepped out of the driver’s side door and made my way up the concrete steps that led to the building. My eyes were half closed, as if my body was already anticipating the sleep that it so badly needed.
As soon as I unlocked the door to my place, I noticed that the TV was on in the corner. It was the only light in the room, and it coated the walls with a flickering blue glow. On the couch nearby, was Lauren, my only roommate. She appeared to be sound asleep, with her hands folded underneath her head, using them as a pillow.
Quietly, I closed the front door and locked it before tiptoeing to my bedroom. My bed was tucked in the corner, beckoning me toward it and I didn’t hesitate to oblige. I slipped off my skirt suit and changed into some sweat pants and a loose-fitting t-shirt. Then I crawled under my covers, wrapping myself in a cocoon made out of my blankets.
I’ve been counting down the minutes today, waiting until I could crawl into this bed, I thought. I don’t think I’ve ever been this tired before.
What was supposed to have been a ten-hour workday at ZephTech had turned into fourteen. I would have said that I was exhausted, but that word just didn’t do any justice to the way I felt. I was drained, depleted and so tired that the bags under my eyes had their own bags.
The competition between the interns at ZephTech had made for the toughest six weeks of my life. It was much more intense than I could have imagined. The ten of us that were chosen for the internship had been given just six weeks to create an app that would impress the company. Whoever created the best one would win a full-time position at Zephtech. The owner and CEO of the company, Steve Lynchell, would be the final judge to decide which of the submitted programs was the best.
When I left home, I had thought for sure that it would be a piece of cake. I had a programming degree, loved being creative and considered myself to be an extremely hard worker. But I didn’t realize just how smart, aggressive and competitive the other qualifying interns would be. Before I came to Silicon Valley, I had thought of myself as an above average programmer. But after a competition like this, I learned that I was nobody special. I was going to have to work harder than ever just to have a fleeting chance of being noticed. Amazing software engineers were a dime a dozen in The Valley.
But none of that mattered now. I had given it my absolute best and the competition was officially out of my hands. The six weeks were up and I had finally submitted my final program. Mr. Lynchell would be reviewing all of the submissions first thing the next morning. Soon would be my moment of truth. I’d find out if the dating app I had created would be good enough to make me stand out among the other interns.
Not only had it been six weeks of non-stop grinding work, though. It had also been six weeks without seeing my family or Jacob. They were on my mind constantly. I missed them more than I ever thought I could.
I knew I should get up and at least brush my teeth and take my birth control pills, but I was so tired, I couldn't get the energy to do it. I felt bad that I'd gotten off my schedule with my birth control, but since Jacob wasn't here, it wasn't too big of an issue. I needed to get to the pharmacy since the last time I went was right before graduation.
My cell phone rang on my nightstand and I looked over, squinting my eyes against the bright light from the screen. As if he had read my mind, Jacob was calling for our nightly conversation. His call was the highlight of my day every day and was the thing I looked forward to most. I quickly reached over and answered it.
“Hey,” I said, barely stopping a yawn.
“Hey, gorgeous,” he said. I could hear the smile in his voice. “How are you doing?”
I rolled over onto my back and stared at the ceiling. I wasn’t too sure how to answer the question. The truth was that I was a hot mess. I felt more like a zombie than I did a human and what I really wanted right then was to cuddle up with Jacob and fall asleep.
“I’m okay, I guess,” I said, omitting much of how I really felt.
“You don’t sound like it,” he said. “Are you feeling okay?”
“Just tired,” I said. “It’s been a long week. Actually, it’s been a long six weeks, but this last one has been especially draining.”