The Job Opportunity
Lexa slid the key into the lock and turned it slowly. She felt the lock click open, pushing the old wooden door open quickly.
“Lexa, it’s so perfect. I can’t believe it’s ours.”
Lexa intertwined her fingers with Clarke’s and led her into the empty living room. Sunrays danced through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows casting beautiful swirls of light on the hardwood floor. The living room spilled into the open concept kitchen, and there was a master off to the right, with a small office and bathroom just next to it.
It wasn’t huge, in fact, it was small by most standards, but it was theirs. Although they had lived together since Clarke’s senior year of college, this condo was theirs. All theirs. Purchased with their combined savings, a wise investment for the future.
Clarke twirled in the middle of the room; her arms open wide, and her head thrown back in joy. “Dance with me, Woods.”
“There’s no music.”
Clarke smirked and quickly pulled out her phone. Within seconds, KC and the Sunshine band was reverberating off the bare apartment walls. Clarke shimmied, giving her best come hither finger curl, and Lexa honestly could never resist the pull of this woman, so why try to fight it now?
Lexa pulled Clarke close gripping her hips, practically grinding them together. Clarke’s breath caught in her throat, and Lexa reveled in the fact that even after all these years, she was still able to have this effect on the woman she loved. She smirked and just before the chorus started, she reached for Clarke’s hand, twirling her perfectly.
Their giggles filled the apartment with warmth as they spun and glided together, dancing ridiculously as they sang along. As the song drew to a close, Clarke pulled Lexa into a kiss. Lexa instinctively linked her arms around Clarke’s neck, keeping her close. She was so wrapped up in the embrace, that she barely registered the click of a camera.
She broke away, and Clarke beamed at her. She shoved the phone towards Lexa, excitedly exclaiming, “That one is so going on the wall!”
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And Lexa could admit it, the photo perfectly captured one of the happiest moments of her life, standing in her new home with her girlfriend of five years.
The moving boxes arrived shortly thereafter, and with the help of their loyal friends, their condo was livable within a day.
Their routines came easily after that. Lexa always woke first, grabbing a quick run before readying herself for the day. And she was sure to set the timer for Clarke’s morning coffee before making herself a cup of tea. Clarke, being the better and faster cook, always made dinner during the week, and Lexa treated her to slow cooked meals on the weekend.
It was during a lazy Sunday afternoon, about four months after moving in, that Lexa got a very unexpected phone call. She tensed under the blanket she was sharing with Clarke as she saw the caller ID, and Clarke looked at her inquisitively.
“Lexa Woods,” she greeted after answering the call. The next few minutes were spent listening to a woman describe the job of her dreams, and Lexa was left entirely flabbergasted. She hung up the call with a genuine thank you and placed the phone gingerly on the coffee table in front of her.
“Who was that?” Clarke asked wide-eyed.
“Do you remember a few weeks ago when I told you that Marcus down at the office recommended me for a job?” Lexa wrung her hands nervously in her lap, and when Clarke nodded, she continued. “That was them. They just offered me a job.”
“Lexa!” Clarke exclaimed. She threw herself up and on top of Lexa in a single bound, peppering kisses on every inch of bare skin she could find. “I’m so fucking proud of you!” Clarke continued to kiss her but soon stopped as she realized Lexa did not share her enthusiasm. “What’s wrong? Why aren’t you excited? You hate where you are right now, and you were practically beaming when you told me about this job opportunity. What changed? Are they not offering you enough money?”
Lexa sat up slowly, and Clarke removed herself from her lap. “No, that’s not it. They’re offering almost double than what I currently make.”
“So what’s wrong? What’s the problem?”
“Clarke, the job is the assistant trainer for the United States Women’s National Soccer Team.”
Lexa just sat there and waited for the penny to drop. It took Clarke about ten seconds of her face morphing from glee to confusion to realization to devastation and back to less enthusiastic happiness.
“That’s amazing, Lexa. This is such a wonderful opportunity for you. I really couldn’t be prouder.”
“It’s the kind of job I only dreamed about back when I started kinesiology.”
“I know baby, so why are you so sad?”
Lexa shifted uncomfortably on the couch. “You know why,” she stated firmly.
“We can handle it.”
Lexa shook her head slowly. “It’s not very fair to you. You’ll be here. You can’t take your work with you and travel the country and the world with me. Clarke, if I take this job, I’m going to be gone a lot. I’ll be traveling more than I’ll be at home.”
“Lexa,” Clarke grabbed her hands, stopping Lexa from wringing them further, and brought each to her lips for a gentle kiss. The gesture took enough time for Lexa’s mind to slow, for her emotions to quell a bit, and it just made her heart ache even further. Clarke always seemed to know what to do, what she needed, and today, right now, was no different.
“I’m not saying it won’t be hard. Fuck, I won’t lie. It’s going to be so damn lonely without you here. Five years of sleeping beside you have spoiled me rotten. But this is your dream. You can’t give it up just because we’ll miss each other. So unless you can come up with a far better excuse, you’re going to sleep on it and call them in the morning to accept.”
Lexa stared into the eyes of the woman she loved and let a sweet but melancholy smile pull her lips up. Clarke may have been saying exactly what she needed to hear, but Lexa could read her just as well as Clarke could read Lexa. Clarke was positively thrilled for her, that much was painfully obvious, but she also was devastated.
One thing Clarke said was true though. She needed to sleep on it. She needed to figure out what was more important to her right now.
Should she accept the job of her dreams and be separated from Clarke for months at a time? She knew what long distances could do to a relationship. She’d seen the consequences enough times to know.
Or should she decline the offer and stay with the woman of her dreams? Other opportunities would surely come. This was just the first of many.