And somehow I come out on top

I got offered the job at my dad's company.

The guy who'd interviewed me called me four times while I was at work on Wednesday, and left two messages, telling me to call back on his cell phone, even if it wasn't until later that evening. Evidently he'd also called my parents' house (still my listed "home" phone number) and told my brother he wanted to make me an offer.

I felt horrible about calling him back, knowing that I was going to turn down whatever that offer was, in favor of continuing to work at Trader Joe's. But I did call when I got home, just after 8:00.

"Hi Steve, it's Elle-Même, returning your call. How are you?"

"Oh, hi Elle. Are you still available?"

"Noooooo..." It came out as a whine, so I elaborated. "And I may be making a huge mistake, but the more I thought about it, I just don't think I'm ready to get into tech writing until I spend a little more time trying to find a way to do the sort of writing I'm really interested in..."

"That was exactly the answer I wanted to hear. Your honesty and candidness" - why does no one use the word candor? - "are exactly why we liked you so much. I wouldn't want you to take a job you're not passionate about and then come to work every day feeling like you'd made the wrong choice."

"Thank you. And if I end up feeling like I've made the wrong choice the other way, I may give you a call back in a few months to see if you've still got anything available."

"Please do - call me anytime, Elle, because I'd pick you again."

"Thanks - oh, and please don't tell me how much you were going to offer me, because it would probably only make me feel worse about all this..."

"I won't. But it wouldn't have made you feel so much worse anyway."
.
I hung up, a little shook up, but feeling altogether good about myself. And later I would tell my dad about how his company is one of the few I'd encountered that actually had integrity, and my dad would email Steve to thank him for making me proud of him and Steve would email him back to compliment my honesty and intelligence even further and convey his belief that I'll find what I'm looking for very soon... And I, of course, would be CC'ed on the whole thing.