“I tried. It’s not working. How can I relax with this all up in the air?”

Daniel lifted her head from his lap and scooted down to the opposite end of the sofa. He claimed her right foot and started to knead the sole of it with his thumbs. Her eyes fell closed and she released a satisfied groan.

“Okay, run it by me again,” he said. “What are all the reasons you want to take the job?”

Her eyes still closed, she started ticking the list off with her fingers. “For starters, I would be a department head. It doesn’t even matter that it’s only a department of one for the time being. That kind of thing looks great on any résumé.”

He squeezed her foot. “You planning to start sending out résumés?”

“No, but I don’t take anything for granted. Something can happen tomorrow in the tech world and Trendsetters can tank. I learned a long time ago that the key to being in control of your own destiny is to always be prepared, no matter how safe things may feel now.”

“Smart woman.”

“Thank my dad for that.” She sat up, balancing on her elbows. “Another huge notch in the pro column is the fact that I get to create this department from the ground up. Trendsetters is basically giving me carte blanche to mold it into what I want it to be. It’s hard to turn down that kind of power.”

“I knew that had to be a part of it.” He chuckled. “Power is quite the seductress.”

“Can you blame me? I’m not in this job for my health; I’m in it to get ahead. But the best part about all of this is that running this Outreach Department will put me in a position to help other people get ahead too.”

“So it’s not just about you getting ahead.”

“It’s never just about me,” she said. “I always have to consider how I can help those coming up behind me.” She folded her arm over her eyes and released a regretful sigh. “That’s what makes this such a hard decision.”

“I’m not sure I follow,” Daniel said. “So far, everything you’ve laid out has been a pro. Are there any cons at all?”

She nodded. “A big one.” With another sigh, she said, “If I accept what Trendsetters is offering, I will have to put my whole heart in it. I’m looking at months of ridiculous hours at the office until Aparna is able to transition full-time into my current job.”

And just like that, Daniel recognized where this was leading.

“You would have to put your app on the back burner,” he said as understanding dawned.

His throat constricted at the resignation in her brief, dispirited nod.