April 5th

*Cue music*

Christopher got a job! Yea!

He interviewed with a leasing company that required him to work 45 days out of town in different cities, and then be off for two weeks before leaving town again.

"So what do you think?" he asked.

I huffed. Being gone for 45 days at a time is a long time. I knew that if he took this job, I couldn't be in the relationship any longer. People can have entire relationships in 45 days.

"You don't want me to take it, do you?"

You know how in movies, especially romances, someone doesn't say what he or she is really feeling for some reason or another, so the couple doesn't get together and another hour of the movie goes by until the big revelation? Yeah, that's not me.

"For selfish reasons, I don't want you to be gone 45 days at a time and only be home for two weeks. That is not a relationship. But if you have to work and need the money, I understand," I qualified.

"It's just that if I take this job, I won't be able to keep looking for work," he said. "How in the world would I be able to interview if I am out of town for 45 days?"

"Well is this job enough for you to compensate you for not having another job? Something in your field? Would this be fulfilling enough to give that up?"

"No."

"Then I think you have your answer," I said.

So Christopher did not take the job. A week later I sent him a flurry of text messages about watching The Biggest Loser together at his apartment, to which I received no reply.

OMG, are you alive?! I finally sent.

Halfway into Biggest Loser on my own couch, my phone chimed.

Sorry, I was trying to nap because I have to meet with my recruiter at 7:30 tomorrow morning, he had sent.

I snorted, thinking he must really need his rest in that case.

Wednesday night I call Christopher while I was climbing into bed.

"How was the meeting with your recruiter this morning?" I asked.

He goes into this 10 minute explanation of all the tests he had to take at the headhunting company and the results on each test. He details how long the test were and how well he did on them.

"Uh huh," I mumbled while I was flipping through the Felicity DVD menu.

"And then I interviewed at a company and got a job," he finished.

"YOU WHAT?" I exclaimed. The boy likes playing with me, that's for sure.

"I start April 5th," he glibly said.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU CALL ME 10 HOURS AGO AND TELL ME THIS? OH MY GOD, I AM SO MAD AT YOU!" I shouted.

Christopher giggled.

It's a 9-to-5, Monday-to-Friday in the city suburbs as an insurance analyst. Not exactly his career path, but pretty close to it; it will look good on his resume. It doesn't pay his normal salary either, but it's a job that he can go to work and come home and still send out resumes and interview. More importantly, it ends his unemployment and provides him a regular schedule and a reason to get up every morning. It provides him with self-worth.

He and I are both counting down to April 5th. Four more work days. He's counting down to starting a new job and I am counting down for my week-long vacation to visit my sick grandmother.