“Your work. What do you do?”
“Me?” I cleared my throat, filling the time so I could come up with something that wasn't going to be too boring. “I work in the service industry, while I look for something in my field of study.”
“And that is?” Jennifer leaned in. Her hard features were unreadable, but the shift in her tone told me her interest was piqued.
“I went to college to be a research assistant.” I paused at the blank expressions around our large table, then added, “Basically, a professional book worm.”
“Send me your resume,” Jennifer remarked from a resumed air of superiority. She was back in control, and as if to punctuate just how important she was, her phone started going off. “I've recently let some people go. If you're willing to relocate, I may be able to offer you a position.”
Jennifer was definitely someone that was accustomed to being in charge of things and people. It was easy to see how she became a partner at a high-end law firm.
“Uh, yeah. Sure! That'd be great. Thanks!” My insides danced a bit. Was this an actual opportunity? I'd heard all about 'networking' but I'd never been a part of it!
Jennifer nodded with a satisfied smile as she excused herself from the table and answered the phone. Her fake cheerfulness filled the air as she walked off—slowly, like she wanted us to hear her talking with her important client.
Then I realized what had just happened. Because I was important to her new sister-in-law, she was trying to use me to show off. And with this job offer, she finally had.
But I didn't care that it was engineered to show off how generous and kind Jennifer was; I was going to take the opportunity at face value. A real job, and in New York? That was incredible!
The rest of the luncheon was a blur. I emailed Jennifer my resume before we all left the cafe. We said our goodbyes and Zenya offered to walk me back to the hotel to catch up.
“Can you believe it!” I jumped around excitedly when the rest of her friends left. “I might have a job working with you. Can you imagine? It'll almost be like old times. Ah!”
“Chili...” Zenya's tone immediately worried me.
“What's wrong?” I asked, visibly deflating. “Please tell me that wasn't a meaningless gesture.”
“No, of course not. When Jennifer decides on something, there is very little that can change her mind.” Zenya paused, straining for a smile. Unlike me, she was terrible at hiding her emotions. “It's just— Make sure you do your research and give it some real thought before you make any big decisions. It can be a really hard, unrewarding job.”
“Do you not want me to work with you?” My shoulders slid lower.
Z laughed and threw an arm over my shoulder, shaking me. “Of course I do! I'm only bringing it up because Jennifer is an extremely hard person to work for.”
“She's your boss, right?” I asked. “Isn't that how you met Clint?”
“Yeah. And she's fine with me for the most part. But I think that's only because I'm about to marry her brother.” Z pulled her thick, wool lapels together tightly to brace against the vicious wind that funneled through the skyscrapers. “She has a way of burning people out and I don't want to see that happen to you.”
“Nah.” I waved it off. This was the opportunity I'd been waiting for! This was my chance to leave my old life behind and become who I was always meant to be. There was no way I was going to make the wrong choice for the second time. “If I can run tables and a bar for sixteen hours a day, I can definitely sit at a desk for half that.”
Zenya frowned, glancing away, then abruptly switched gears. She smiled that infectious smile of hers. “Hey! Seen any good horror movies lately?”
I couldn't understand why she was so hesitant about me moving up here. Was she worried I might hurt her reputation? Was she ashamed of me because I wasn't as wealthy or cool as her new friends? I began to dissect the conversation inside the cafe through a new, darker lens.
Quit it! I buried my growing concerns for the now and tried to ride the joy I still felt at Jennifer's offer. “Only every time I get in my car.”
“You still have Carrie?” Zenya's broad smile split her face in half. “I have so many good memories in that car! Do you remember the road trips?”
“I remember you making me drive all the time.” I gave her a sour look that was mostly joking.
“It was your car!” she cried defensively. “Who was I to interrupt the bond between a girl and her car? Besides I was the navigator and the DJ. So you know, that's two jobs.”
“Don't forget designated sleeper.”
“See? Three jobs. All you had to do was drive.” Zenya switched over to her most regal voice, rolling her hand in front of her with a bow. “You're welcome.”
I laughed and she joined me. Eventually, after a recovering silence, I said, “I wish I just left with you.”
“And leave Marcos all alone to run that restaurant? That man can barely take care of himself.” Zenya smirked, pushing a wing of my hotel's revolving door for us. “You know he recently followed me on Instagram? Clint poked fun at me for it.”
I shook my head with a light smile, before it wilted. “You know what I meant.”
“You gotta stop living in the past, Chili Pepper.” Z stopped us in the middle of the massive sprawling lobby. I wasn't rushed this time, so I was able to absorb and appreciate the dark marble walls and elegant décor.
“I'll always hold that crazy time with you close to my heart. But, I'm really excited for the next stage of my life. A married woman.” Z spread her arms out wide and her face lit up. “Can you believe that?”
That was definitely something I was struggling with. Zenya was always so wild and free. It was hard to imagine her ever settling down, but then again, she never did anything halfway. I was always envious of her ability to throw herself into her passions regardless of the consequences. She was the kind of person that would shout declarations of love from the rooftops. And if she climbed mountains, she'd do it there, too.
“Clint is amazing. Does he have any brothers? I'm willing to settle for a second cousin.”
“Five cousins.” Z winked at me. “And I will personally introduce you to every one of them tomorrow.”
“Hold on a sec,” I said, grabbing my phone as it buzzed. “It's Mom. Probably wondering if I'm still alive after the long drive. I've been ignoring her calls lately; this might be a little while. You go ahead, bridezilla, I'll see you later tonight.”
“Take a nap! You've been doing the half-eyed face thing since you showed up. Rehearsal is at eight. You better not be late!” Zenya warned, shaking her fist menacingly, before switching to bubbly sweet. “And tell her the better daughter said hi!”
I gave her a thumbs up, then started talking to my mom.
Fortunately, it was a short twenty-minute call. Mom was overbearing, but she was generally harmless. She was just terrified I was somehow going to get mugged or murdered. She'd never been to New York, so her only frame of reference was Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
The whole time I was on the phone with her I was slowly walking to Veto's room. The key card got hotter and hotter in my hand. I was so tense about the idea of sharing a room with him, that it was a deliberate effort for me not to snap my card in half.