"Hello hello? Can you hear me?"

The shockingly low-resolution sound of a deep male voice crackled painfully through Kaitlyn's headphones, sending her lunging for the volume controls on her laptop. After a few frantic taps, she collected herself enough to respond. "Yes! Sorry, had it up a bit too high. Can you hear me ok?"

"Sure can."

A video feed blinked into view on her screen. A tanned, older man with a salt-and-pepper beard smiled at her, his blue eyes crinkled at the corners. The upper portion of his colorful logo tee was just visible in the frame, its letters faded and worn.

"Well, guess we should get started, then." He shifted to sit up a bit straighter in his chair. "Nice to meet you, Kaitlyn. I'm Gordon, and I run a lot of the QA and DevProd stuff here at Fink. Well, that and a lot of other stuff, but that's beside the point."

Gordon chuckled at himself as Kaitlyn nodded politely. "Nice to meet you, Gordon. Thanks so much for giving me a chance. Especially given my situation…"

"Oh, don't thank me! I'd say you earned it." The man waved off her comment. "Sure, you don't have as much experience as some of us, but I know potential when I see it. And here, we're willing to invest in potential."

Kaitlyn's smile tightened a little bit at that. I mean, he's not wrong. He IS making an investment. I just don't think he really understands how it'll pay off, exactly…

The outlook made her a little more inclined to come back and revisit this place in future loops. It felt like it would be a pretty safe bet, at least. But that also would depend on what other offers she could get.

"...Besides," Gordon continued, "We're no strangers to remote work. It's one of the quirks of Fink."

"I can tell," Kaitlyn replied, looking over the man's shoulder at the semi-blurred living room in the background. "It's one of the reasons you stood out to me, too."

He grinned broadly. "It's worked out for us so far. So long as you're keeping up with the work and not slacking off too hard, we'll get along just fine. Now, I'd like to talk about what exactly we'll have you doing here…"

Kaitlyn listened intently as her future boss laid things out for her. He started at a high level, covering what exactly the company did and its goals before delving deeper into her role in things. Overall, it didn't feel too overwhelming. It all boiled down to a few intro projects to get her feet wet and see how she fared.

I'm guessing they'll figure out what kinda stuff to have me focus on based on how I handle these. Kind of like another interview problem, really. But one that's actually useful.

It felt a little surreal. In a way, this was the first real job she'd ever had. She was working at a real company, with meetings and deadlines and all of those things she'd always associated with "actual work." It somehow felt more real than even working at the restaurant.

The thought made her wince. The memory of quitting Chella's was still fresh in her mind. It had gone over little better than expected.

Scarra had clearly been displeased about the whole thing, though he'd avoided taking it out on her directly. Instead, he'd simply simmered in the kitchen, his pots and pans clattering about a little more ferociously than normal as her last few days flew by. Chella, for her part, had appeared pretty happy for her once she'd explained her opportunity at Fink. Still, the distinct tinge of disappointment behind the woman's eyes was hard to miss.

Even Philip seemed a little put out, though he seemed a bit more understanding about it. I get it. Me leaving means more work for him. But still, I'm a bit surprised that he wasn't more upset honestly.

"...So, that's the plan for now. Any questions?"

Kaitlyn shook her head, coming back to the present. "I don't think so. Oh! Actually, I did want to ask… where is everyone based out of? Are they all over, or…?"

"You'd think that, wouldn't you?" Gordon chuckled. "Yeah, we've got some from all over. But most of us are pretty close to where you are, honestly. Sometimes, we go out to lunch for an in-person meeting just for the heck of it. You're welcome to join if you want. You're part of the team now."

"I'll think about it. Thanks."

"Of course. Anything else?"

Eventually, she and Gordon signed off from the meeting, leaving Kaitlyn looking at a blank screen. She stretched for a moment as she reviewed everything they'd talked about. Between this job and the backseat classes had taken in her mind, it was starting to feel like she'd already graduated.

I mean, time-wise, I've been here long enough to graduate MANY times over. So maybe it's time that I experience what the post-graduation life is like, anyway. At least a little bit.

Nodding resolutely to herself, Kaitlyn leaned forward. There was no guarantee she'd actually finish the project that had been assigned to her by the end of the loop. But that didn't mean she wouldn't try. And besides, the more she got done now, the further ahead she'd start next loop.

The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Wiggling her fingers over the keyboard, she grinned. I'm excited. I can't wait to see how this goes.

***

A variety of bright TV screens hung all around the interior of Manny's Pizza, their speakers buzzing dully with the sounds of shouting announcers and cheering spectators. Vivid scenes of a green field and colorful uniforms flashed by as they broadcasted the latest football game live. Beneath it all, the sounds of a busy kitchen and the cashier taking orders formed a backdrop for the action.

As opposed to the usually sparse patronage of exhausted professors and disheveled graduate students, the restaurant was far more lively today. The game had drawn in a respectable crowd of students, including the bulk of the Hartland University Cross Country Team. The runners had already claimed the center of the room, having pushed together a group of the red metal tables in order to sit together. The savory scents of pizza and warm garlic bread wafted up tantalizingly from the outpost, spiraling out as though to escape the ravenous mouths that devoured them.

Kaitlyn chewed another piece of her own pepperoni pizza gratefully. Dang. I practically forgot this place existed. It's crazy how much better this stuff is than the dining hall pizza.

She'd still loaded down the slice with a fair number of additional seasonings, of course, as was standard for her nowadays. Still, those served to elevate the cheesy goodness of the pizza rather than just make it edible.

Maybe I should come here more often. I mean, now that I'm making real money and all that…

Now that she'd been working at Fink for a couple of weeks, she'd quickly come to realize that money would be the least of her concerns. The first paycheck alone had been enough for her to completely overhaul her kitchen setup with practically everything on her wishlist. There were still other things she could buy, of course, but she'd hit diminishing returns really quickly.

If I start working here earlier in the loop, I'm gonna have more money than I know what to do with. Seriously. I might have to eat out more if I don't want it to go to waste.

A cry of anguish from across the table drew her attention. Cedric slumped forward in distress even as another portion of the team celebrated with loud cheers. Across the screens, images of the Sherrifs' latest fumble replayed over and over as though to pour salt in the guy's wound.

"Damn, Cedric," Alex chuckled from across the way. "You sure your team's any good? They seem kinda…"

His head snapped up. "They're not just good—they're the best! Their lineup is incredible, they just gotta settle in and find their rhythm…"

"Seems like they've been trying to do that for about a decade now!" Another guy jeered.

Cedric glared, a retort already on his lips. They went back and forth, him spouting an endless wall of promises and defenses for his favorite football team even as the rest of the table dogpiled on them. Kaitlyn watched the exchange with no small amount of amusement.

"Goodness. Well, at least he's loyal."

Kaitlyn grinned over at a smiling Rachel. "He really is, isn't he? Though I can't say he's the most observant…"

"Oh, I'd say he's observant," the girl nodded toward Cedric as he gestured emphatically. "He just ignores what he sees. At least, that's the only way I can imagine someone being this far in denial."

One of the other cross country girls leaned in close. "Hey, at least he's optimistic. If he can still believe they have a chance after this long, then he has to be."

They all giggled, enjoying the spectacle far more than the actual football game itself. Now that she'd allowed herself to really become a part of the team, Kaitlyn felt far more at home at these events. She still found herself bonding with Rachel more closely than anyone else, of course. That was only to be expected. But nowadays, she had other friends, too.

"Oh, yeah!" Rachel straightened. "Are we still on for the night market next Saturday?"

Kaitlyn nodded. "Of course! Paula, Irene, you coming?"

"Yup!"

"I think so. I've got a paper due that Monday, but honestly? I could probably use the break…"

Kaitlyn raised a questioning eyebrow back at Rachel. "What about Cedric? Did you invite him yet?"

Her friend gave her a searching look. "Of course. He said yes. Why do you ask?"

"I'm just trying to get a head count! Why do you sound so suspicious?"

Rachel's eyes narrowed, and Kaitlyn barely kept a small smile from creeping onto her face. Despite managing to get the pair together once, it apparently hadn't made them any more likely to become a couple in future loops. She was doing her best to remedy that.

Interestingly, it wasn't that easy. Since she'd ended up hanging out with Rachel specifically so much, her associations ended up changing up quite a bit. The group of her, Rachel, Cedric, and Alex wasn't nearly as ironclad as it had been before, mostly due to her dodging those hangouts in particular.

Yeah, getting them together is way harder when I don't have an in with Cedric… I've laid some groundwork, but who knows if it'll be enough. Hopefully I can set them up at the night market, at least. It IS pretty darn romantic.

Irene spoke up from the end of the table. "I don't know if I should load up on food or take it easy. I mean, I could use some extra fuel for Nationals, but does it really matter if it's a whole week before…?"

Kaitlyn broke eye contact with Rachel. "Right! You and Rach are both competing, right? Are you ready?"

Irenel let out a long sigh. "Probably not. I just feel like I hit a wall ever since the last meet. I barely qualified as is, and now…"

Rachel set her hand on Irene's shoulder. "You'll be fine. Maybe you just need some solid rest before the race. And more pizza."

"Yeah, hopefully." Irene glanced around. "Speaking of breaks, is everyone going to that party after the race? The whole team's invited."

A chorus of agreement rose from around them as Kaitlyn hummed thoughtfully. "Honestly, I'm not sure yet. I haven't decided."

She knew exactly what they were talking about, of course. How could she forget Vinny's house party? It was a pretty major event in the loop. And she had to admit, it was pretty fun, even if she decided not to drink. But she had put the question off for a while, especially with how busy she'd been.

"You should come, sweetie!" Rachel shook her shoulder gently, seeing her hesitation. "You don't have to drink or anything. But it'll be a wonderful way to wind down after the race."

Irene nodded in agreement. "I've still got an extra spot in my car if you need it. Just say the word."

After a moment of thought, Kaitlyn allowed herself a slow nod. …It'll be ok. I mean, I do usually enjoy it, right? And there's enough people there that I can get lost in the crowd if I need to. I'll just make sure to take it easy.

"...Sure. Why not?"