Breathing in the crisp spring air while gazing at the mountains in the distance might have been the most peaceful moment I’d ever experienced. I’d never given meditation a try, but this had to be what all the hype was about.

I sat in my camping chair that Oliver had brought for me and nestled into the fleece blanket I’d brought from my bedroom. The guys were cooking food on the charcoal grills, laughing at something Oliver had said.

The girls were gathered around the firepit. We were waiting until dark to actually start a bonfire. Lila was sharing a story about the last time she’d camped. She’d been convinced she saw a bear and had crept out of her tent in the morning armed with bear spray only to have nearly blinded her best friend, Charlie, who had left her tent to use the bathroom.

Lila was warm and friendly and I already loved being around her even though I’d just met her.

“Hey, Mattie? Would you mind getting the buns and the condiments out of the cooler?” Giles called.

“On it,” my sister shouted back before getting up and walking over to the car.

“This is so great,” Lila said, scootching her camping chair so that it was closer to mine. “We don’t get out this far into the mountains as much as I’d like.”

“It’s beautiful out here,” I murmured. “I grew up in Florida, and we don’t have views like these.”

“Is that where you live now or…” Lila asked.

“Well, I was in Atlanta until…” I let out a sigh, hating to admit that I was currently unemployed. “I got laid off recently. I hadn’t gotten to spend much time with my sister lately so I just up and left, and I’ve been here ever since. The whole thing was kind of spontaneous. So not typically what I would do, but I needed to get out of there.”

Lila winced. “I’m sorry to hear that. It’s hard losing a job.”

“Even harder finding one,” I joked.

Her eyes narrowed as if she were calculating something. “What did you say you do?”

“I am—well, was—in marketing. Used to be the Director of Marketing.”

Lila gasped. “Wait, really? This is, like, fate or something. Any chance you’d be interested in joining a women-owned start-up?”

I furrowed my brows. “What?”

She laughed. “Oh shoot, let me explain. I own a women’s meetup network with my best friend. It’s called ConnectHer. We’re popular in Denver and a few other markets, and we’re growing fast. We’re hoping to be completely national by the end of the year. We’re looking for a Chief Marketing Officer right now. Obviously, you’d have to interview with Charlie and me, but I have a good feeling about this. We’ve been struggling to find a good fit.”

“Wow,” I said. “That’s totally unexpected.”

“Now, the pay isn’t amazing, of course. We try to be as competitive as we can, but we’re still a start-up after all. But the benefits are great, and I promise it’s the most fun you’ll ever have at work. We have a Denver office but are totally open to remote employees.”