Head Above Water Pt. 04

That was when Brian got down on one knee. The entire room gasped, along with Rita, who immediately burst into tears.

"Rit-Rita," Brian was trying to say. "I have loved you for..."

"A thousand years," she finished for him, tears streaming down her face. She looked around the Floor and explained, "It's our song."

I felt my throat close up, not because I found this whole thing particularly cute, but because I loved Rita, and I knew that this was one of the biggest moments of her life. She'd cried about this day for years, and there had been so many holidays that I'd driven over to her place just to hold her while she sobbed. I'd cursed Brian with her, had given her shot after shot of liquor, and had watched endless Rom-Coms with her even though I loathed them. I'd brought her more pints of Ben and Jerry's than I could count, and in all of those years, she had returned that love tenfold. Rita had been there for me through everything. She and Addie had... saved me. I'd been this lonely, bitter woman with a cold and broken heart, but Rita had shown me that love wasn't always about receiving it back. Sometimes, it was okay to love a person more than they loved you.

"Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife, Rita Maria Gomez?"

"I should say no," Rita said, covering her face with her hands.

Brian looked horrified.

"Took you long enough," she said. "Of course I'll fucking marry you!"

Brian fumbled with the ring, and finally, after nine years of love and heartache, slid it onto her finger. Rita jumped up and down, sobbing, and held out her hand, turning it side to side to have the light catch on the diamond. Brian got to his feet, took her into his arms, and she kissed him with the biggest smile on her face. The entire call center cheered, people yelling and screaming and whistling and clapping their hands. I joined, clapping my hands and giving Rita a double thumbs up when she searched the Floor for me.

"Thank you," she mouthed, knowing that I had been the person to make this possible.

Without thinking, I mouthed back, "I love you."

Rita's eyes widened, and they filled with tears all over again. She left Brian there and came running for me, sprinting across the Floor and threw her arms around me.

"I love you, too, Celine," Rita said, squeezing me tight. "I am so, so proud of you!"

"Rita, relax," I said, laughing. "It's your engagement day."

"It's also probably the first time you've ever told anyone out loud that you love them. I'm honored, Celine." She sniffled, her brown eyes brimming with tears.

"I mean, I technically didn't say anything out loud."

"Oh, for God's sake, Celine."

We burst into laughter.

—

The annual corporate retreat is about the stupidest shit I deal with each year. Every time it's somewhere new, maybe a tropical resort in the Bahamas or a wellness center in Northern California—didn't matter where we ended up, it was, plain and simple, stupid as fuck. I had to trade my business suits for casual or formal wear to mingle with the other executives and managers across the country. Every fucking year we have a little awards show, and every fucking year I'm expected to give a speech on how I've single-handedly been carrying the Western states' numbers. Then the awards are handed out, and I always ended up shaking the CEO's hand more times than comfortable for me, and trust me, once is too many. I'd grown accustomed to bringing a large tote with me to carry all of my awards. This year was no different.

"Congratulations, Ms. Gutierrez," said a deep, velvety sort of voice. I looked up and found a company VP staring down at me, his chocolate brown eyes glowing from the candle that sat as a centerpiece at my table. He was young, probably no more than ten years older than me, and had climbed up the ranks fast. I could have been him, but I hadn't gone to college like he had.

"Thank you," I said.

"Do you mind if I...?" He gestured to the empty chair beside me. The woman who'd been sitting beside me, an executive from the east, was off at the bar getting drunk. I tipped my head at the seat and he took it, fashioning a grin on his face that was almost unnerving. He was attractive, and something told me that he knew it. I imagined that Wes was with me, whispering naughty things in my ear to get me red in the face in front of a complete stranger, and snorted before I could stop myself.

"What's so funny?" the VP asked.

"Nothing, just thinking about someone," I said, clearing my throat.

"Someone special?"

I raised an eyebrow, and he raised his hands in defeat.

"Sorry, that was inappropriate," he said quickly. "None of my business. I'm not here to flirt with you. The real reason I came over here is that I've been seeing you kill it here for the last four years, and I'm not getting why you're still in the same position."

I flushed in surprise. "I'm, uh, a high school graduate."

He smiled, amused. "I'm assuming all of us in this room are."

"Yeah, well, that's all I'm a graduate of. No college."

The truth settled in his eyes, and I could see the moment where he realized he'd trespassed into my personal business again. My background was none of his business, and yet here he was, getting that information out of me. VP or not, he wasn't my fucking boss—not directly, anyway.

"I'm Flynn Hawthorne," he said, extending his hand to shake mine. I took it.

"I know who you are."

"Of course," he said with a grin.

"Don't flatter yourself. It's on your badge."

He looked down at the lanyard hanging from his neck, and sure enough, there was his name and company title. We both laughed, him a little embarrassed, and me a little heartily because I loved seeing other people in misery.

"I like you, Ms. Gutierrez. I've been observing you, and I think you could really be something. We're not using you to your full potential here, are we?"

I shrugged. "Who knows what my potential is?"

"Sky's the limit, Ms. Gutierrez."

"Celine, please," I corrected.

"Celine," Flynn said, flashing me another smile. I had a feeling that he was just showing off his perfectly straight white teeth.

"Are you aware of the company's tuition reimbursement program?"

I stilled, surprise etched all over my face. No, I hadn't fucking known, and I knew everything.

"It's new," he added quickly. "You could say we're in the beta phase. We haven't even taken any applications yet—but I think you should be the first."

"You'll pay for me to go to college?" I asked, dumbfounded. I mean, I had enough to pay for college five or six times over, but this was still huge. It guaranteed a job with the company.

"Yeah," he said. "We pay for your college and all expenses, and you lock in a minimum five-year non-compete with us. We both win."

"I-I don't have the time," I said, snapping out of it. "I'm swamped at work—not that I can't handle it. I just don't have the time to do anything else."

"Well, here's how it works, Celine: you take a leave of absence while you go to school. Once you're finished, we offer you a position that better suits your qualifications."

"I'm—I can't believe this." My heart was hammering in the center of my chest. This one meeting alone could change the course of my life. Everything would change. I could go to school and I could make my way up the company. I could end up exactly where I'd always dreamed, high up there where I knew I belonged.

"I've been looking for someone to mentor," Flynn said. "Had my eye on you for a while."

"Geez, you been stalking me?" I laughed nervously and felt extremely stupid.

"As a matter of fact, yes. I've been following everything you've been doing for this last year. I actually traveled here to recruit you."

"Recruit me for what exactly?"

"I need a right-hand man—uh, woman. I'm looking for someone cutthroat and sharp, someone intelligent that can adapt well to the toughest work environment. I think you fit that bill. I'd like to get you on my team, but first, let me send you to college."

"This is—it's a lot," I said. "There's a lot to think about."

"Sure," Flynn said, and then reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a business card. "Call me if you decide to accept my offer. Don't email me, it'll just go to my assistant and he's new, barely knows what he's doing."

"Call you, got it."

"Let me get you a drink," he said, picking up on my flushed cheeks and startled expression. "What's your poison?"

"Gin and tonic will do, I think."

"Gin and tonic. I'll be right back."

I immediately pulled my phone out of my pocket and dialed Wes's number. I watched Flynn fight his way across the venue. The music had started up, and people had begun dancing and clinging together in tight circles. Wes picked up on the fourth ring.

"Babe," he said, and I heard the squeak of a gurney being rolled across the hospital floor. After months of dating and calls, I was pretty aware of the sounds around him.

"Wes," I said breathily. "My company—the VP, he uh, he told me about a tuition reimbursement program. It's new. And, and he offered it to me, Wes. I can go to college. What do I do? Do I accept?"

"Slow down," Wes said, but I could hear the smile in his voice. He'd caught most of what I'd said. "A tuition reimbursement program? That's flipping amazing!"

"Flipping?"

"Small ears in the vicinity," Wes explained. That meant that there was a child with him, likely laying in that gurney.

"Wes, what do I do?"

"You accept, babe. This is the ticket. Take the free ride."

"I'd have to leave my position. Everything I worked for. It's like... what am I without my job?"

"You're Celine Gutierrez, and you are more than your job. You are more than what you think you are."

My eyes misted over. "You think I should go for it?"

"One hundred percent."

"Thanks, baby," I said. Wes made a kissing sound and I rolled my eyes. A small voice moaned, "Ewwww!"

"See? No one likes your lame phone kisses, Wes."

"I like them," said a voice in the background. "I think you guys are so cute!"

"Am I on speaker?" I asked, mortified.

"My hands are kind of tied up here, babe."

"Hi, Celine!" I recognized the voice. It was one of his coworkers, another senior surgical resident, Macy. She was the one that liked knitting and canning and drinking too much wine and writing erotic literature. I liked her.

"Hi, Macy," I said, laughing. "I'm gonna go now."

"Good timing because we are just about to walk into the O.R. anyways," Macy said.

"Good luck," I said. "Give the kid a high-five for me."

I heard a small smacking sound. Someone had given the patient a high-five. I smiled, hanging up the phone. I saw Flynn walking back with two glasses, one with my gin and tonic, and the other that looked like what could have been a rum and coke.

"It's wild out there," Flynn said, taking the seat beside me again. "I almost got trampled by the managers from the east coast. They're..."

"Weird," I finished for him. We laughed, clinked glasses, and echoed a "Cheers!"

"So I don't think I'm gonna call," I said. Flynn's face literally fell. It surprised me, so I powered through. "Because I'm going to accept right here. I'm gonna go for it."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that."

"You got some grit, kid. I like that."

"Sky's the limit, right?" I said.

"Right," Flynn said, grinning. "I'll be in touch."

We talked for a little while, going over our personal lives, getting to know one another since we planned to eventually work closely together, and I decided that I did actually like Flynn. He was funny, charismatic, and very, very intelligent. I could see how he'd been able to climb up so quickly. He'd started as a sales agent to get his foot in the door, and then within five years, he'd made it to his position as VP. It was incredible, something I hadn't even been able to accomplish—yet. Not as fast, but I'd get there. If this VP took over the CEO's position, that left the VP seat empty... maybe, just maybe, if I did well and chased the high, I could take that seat. This didn't have to be a pipe dream. It could be real.

I stumbled to my hotel room that night, a little tipsy, and called Addie. She was half-awake when she answered, but she was happy to accept my call. I gushed about meeting Flynn and the opportunity he was offering. She screamed, which caused someone else to scream.

"Oh, sorry, Ryan," she said. "I'll call you in the morning, Celine. I just woke him and I think I need to make it up to him."

"Gross."

"Oh, go fuck yourself," Addie said, laughing. "Literally. Loosen up, babe. Celebrate."

And she hung up.

—

I came home lugging my suitcase behind me, exhausted from my flight. I turned the lock with my key, shouldered into the apartment, and squinted, looking around. The lights were on, and they were bright. Wes was in the kitchen, cooking up breakfast. He turned around, caught sight of me, and broke into a hopelessly beautiful smile. I closed the door behind me, left my luggage where it was, and ran over to him, throwing my arms around his neck. He picked me up, and I wrapped my legs around his hips, pressing my lips against his, my tongue immediately finding its way into his mouth. He groaned and deepened the kiss, carrying me over to the counter and settling me on it.

"Bacon," he murmured against my lips. "Burning."

I pulled back, trying not to stare at him too adoringly. It was almost disgusting how much I cared about this man. Disgusting.

Wes flipped the bacon, let it sizzle for another few minutes and then transferred it to a plate with a pile of toast. He fried up some eggs, and brought over a towering plateful of food. We shared it in between giggles and kisses, and I couldn't get enough of him. I just kept drinking in the sight of him, how fucking beautiful he was under the bright kitchen lighting, his ocean eyes deep and blue. I could get lost in them, but I wouldn't drown. He would never let me. Wes was my lifeline. He'd saved me, and he continued to save me every day.

"So, you'll be a hot college student soon," Wes said, grinning. "Maybe you'll go to one with a cheer squad. The idea of you in a cheerleading outfit..."

"Your fantasies disgust me."

"You know what, I think you like that I'm such a pervert."

I rolled my eyes. "Please, go on, Romeo," I said sarcastically. Wes took my face in his hands and kissed me. I expected it to be short but it wasn't. It was... fuck, it was something else. I whimpered as he nipped at my lower lip, and I could tell he was trying to turn me on. His hands roamed down over my backside, and he picked me up from the counter.

We never made it to the bedroom.

—

Wes's residency graduation was a week away.

I probably shouldn't be dreading it—I should be happy for my boyfriend; he'd worked hard at this, had worked crazy hours in his residency to save small lives, but still, I couldn't help being scared. The closer we came to his graduation, the closer we came to his fellowship, which he would find out about any day now. Would he go to Maryland? Would he stay here in Orange County? Or would he end up somewhere else entirely? I wasn't sure and it scared the fuck out of me.

Janie, Wes's seventeen-year-old sister, picked up on my mood when I went shopping with her and her mom, Elena. We'd made a day of it, hitting the Citadel Outlets to buy our summer clothes. It was going to be hot this summer, and Janie wanted strappy designer sandals and spaghetti-strap camisoles that her mother absolutely refused to buy her. We settled on one-inch strap tank tops, and to sweeten the deal, Elena let her pick them from places like Calvin Klein and Banana Republic, two of Janie's favorite stores. We stopped by Fossil where I bought Wes a new watch, and Janie, with her allowance, bought her brother a new wallet, presents for his graduation. Elena picked him up a suit from Armani and planned to have it tailored immediately. Wes wasn't going like being pinned and pricked, but he had to wear a nice suit for his graduation.

"When are you gonna marry my brother?" Janie asked as we walked out of Starbucks with some Frappuccinos. Elena was sipping her iced latte, while Janie and I had gone for the sweet stuff. Before I'd met Wes, I'd had no sweet tooth, but now I craved sugar like it was a drug, second only to caffeine. To have them both together... now that was a luxury.

"He hasn't asked me," I said, which was the truth—he hadn't.

"That dumbass," Janie muttered.

"Janet," Elena said sharply.

"I'm sorry but he is! Like, Celine is such a freaking catch, Mom! Hell, I'd marry her," Janie said passionately. She turned to me, grinning. "Will you, Celine Sofía Gutierrez, marry me?"

"I'm no pedophile."

"I'm almost eighteen! Marry me then?"

"I'll think about it."

Elena looked amused but wary. I was clearly up to the challenge of dealing with her rowdy daughter, but at what cost? Janie was corrupting me, and she could see it happening right before her eyes.

"What will you do if he gets the Johns Hopkins fellowship?" Janie asked, suddenly sounding serious.

I shrugged. "FaceTime, I guess."

"You won't dump him?"

I tried not to look pained. It hurt. Of course I wouldn't dump Wes.

"Janet," Elena said with an even sharper tone than before. "Apologize to Celine. That was rude."

"I'm sorry," Janie said immediately. "I wasn't saying that you'd leave him or anything. I'm just like, you think you could, like, make it work?"

"Like, I think, like, maybe, like, we'll be fine," I said, laughing at her annoyed expression.

"You're a good girlfriend," Janie said, and she reached out and took my hand. I squeezed her hand rather than pull away. I'd learned from Wes that contact was human, that we had to learn to accept it and share it.

"Thanks, kid."

"I'm not a—"

"Yes, you are," Elena and I said together.

"You two are horrible people," Janie said, groaning. Elena and I did a fist bump, making Janie roll her eyes.

"Don't do that, Janie," Elena said. "Your eyes will get stuck like that one day."

"Mom, seriously, that does not happen."

"You never know."

"Celine, back me up over here."

I raised my hands and backed away. No way was I getting in the middle of those two.

We went and had lunch at Roll It, a sushi and teriyaki restaurant. Janie and I shared a few sushi rolls, some deep-fried with cream cheese, which are the best ones. Elena had a teriyaki chicken bowl. We chatted about the graduation, planned out another dinner with Wes (we'd already had five or six), and brainstormed what movie would be best for family movie night. Janie wanted to watch Avatar, the one with the blue alien people, and Elena thought Titanic would be a good nostalgic fit. I suggested the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, which had Janie whispering, "Awesome," and Elena looking worried. Ha, don't ask the crazy girlfriend for suggestions if you don't want crazy answers.

On the drive back to Orange County, Elena in the front passenger seat of my Tesla and Janie dozing off in the back, I wondered how I'd gotten here; a year ago I was a bitch on the call center Floor, and today, I was having family outings. It was almost too much for me. I switched over to autonomous driving on the freeway and blinked back the tears. Elena seemed to sense that something was off. She patted my arm.

"There's something I've been meaning to ask you..."

I turned to her, a tear falling down my cheek. I brushed it away hastily. "Yes?"

"I was wondering, Celine, if you wouldn't mind calling me Mom?"

I burst into tears.

—

The day before Wes's graduation, I got sick, and I mean sick. I threw up at work and had to lay down on the floor, my heart beating fast. I was nauseous and my skin was burning. It had come out of nowhere, and immediately I knew that the universe was fucking me over, that it didn't want me to go to Wes's graduation. I tried to take deep gulps of air, but I still felt sick to my stomach.