Champagne Problems

Welcome To New York

A bullet in the shoulder and being left for dead in the street, all other problems look like a glass of champagne in comparison.

The freezing New York air stung her face as she walked through the busy streets full of people with busy lives. After living here for only two weeks, Ivy finally secured a private teaching position for a family. It was halfway across the city, but she didn't own a car and couldn't afford a ride the whole way. It was quite a distance, but walking was something she didn't mind doing.

    Walking gave her time to reflect. Stuck at twenty-four, all alone in the middle of New York city. Ivy could feel her phone vibrating in her coat pocket, but she just ignored it. Ignoring her phone calls was something she had recently gotten very good at, letting everything go to voicemail. The last month of her life had completely turned her upside down, leaving her alone in a place she didn't know anyone or anything.
   
Ivy brushed her dark brown hair out of her face and adjusted the bag on her shoulder before returning her freezing hands back to her coat pockets. Being from the south didn't prepare her for the frigid temperatures she would experience. .She made sure to memorize the route, just to time how long it took her to get there, being late was something she hated. While standing outside of the building, she sucked in a breath. Her hand made its way out of her coat pocket and she cleared her throat before pushing the button to ring the bell.
   
"Yes?" The voice replied almost immediately, scaring her slightly.
   
"I. . . am here to teach private lessons." She raised her voice slightly so she could be heard. Within seconds she heard the click from the door and made her way inside. After hitting the elevator button, Ivy stared at her toes and waited. Of course she was nervous, she didn't know the family, only that she would be teaching English, math, and history. Once the elevator was in motion, she spent a moment collecting her thoughts. Her life was starting now. New city, new job, new people. Within a few moments, the elevator stopped and Ivy took a deep breath. The doors opened and she looked for a moment taking in the sight before her.

"Right on time." A face was finally put to the name, and a clear voice. A smile spread across her face as she stared at the man, then at the girl standing beside him. Presumably her new student.
"Yes. Being on time is something I pride myself in, Mr. Marlowe." Stepping out of the elevator, and reaching out her hand towards his for a shake. A solid handshake was part of a lasting first impression. Ivy felt a twinge of guilt when she remembered her father telling her those words as she was getting ready to graduate. Quickly, the thought left her mind. Her life was changing quickly and her life was different. Focusing on people she could never trust again would not do her any good.

"Please, call me Desmond." The man in front of her said with a soft and welcoming tone. His voice was rich and deep with a clear accent, somewhere in England as far as she could tell. "And this is Thea." The man continued as he reached behind him to gesture for the girl hiding behind him to step forward.

      From what Ivy could tell, she seemed to be no more than ten. That was a generous estimate as well. She gave the bashful girl a small wave before focusing her attention back on her father. The other other serious job she had applied for, she nearly instantly got due to her familial connections. 

"Follow me, you haven't received the position yet, Miss Barnes."  As he spoke, he began walking back through the hallway. With that sentence, she felt the nerves begin coursing through her veins again. Sucking in a deep breath as she adjusted the bag on her shoulder and followed close behind. As she walked, she studied the bit of the apartment that she could see. Shelves full of books and small knick knacks, barely any photographs, and dark decor. The walls were a distressed concrete and she could tell this family came from money.

Money was something Ivy had taken for granted until she moved to New York. She had saved enough to keep her there for a while, to pay a few months rent in advance, but she desperately needed to find employment if she didn't want to have to go back home. Teaching was something she loved, something she excelled at, and this would be the perfect position for her. Continuing to follow the man in front of her, her attention focused back to him. Of course she needed to nail the interview, she had stayed up until dawn just a few days before just to write a perfect resume. Desmond reached out and opened the door, letting Ivy step through. Managing her nerves, she took a seat in front of a desk and studied the room. Papers skewed all over the desk in haphazardly order, and a shut laptop on the table behind him.

"So, I read here you're new to New York." Desmond's voice was clear and cut through the silence like a knife. "Let me be the first to welcome you to the city."

"Oh, thank you. It's a bit of a change." Ivy couldn't help but smile, a hit of sadness peeking through her eyes couldn't be stopped though. "Still getting used to everything, very different from my life before."

"I can see that," She watched as his eyes scanned the papers. He sat down without looking up and continued to study in silence for a few moments. Just as Ivy thought to break the tension, he looked up. "What makes someone move so far away?" She figured the question would come up, but in all of her preparation she still hadn't figured out a honest, but polite way of answering.

"I've always wanted to. I've never been the impulsive type either." She paused for a moment, trying to think of the words she would say next. "The world is just much different here. It's faster. I spent a year of teaching back home and..." a sigh escaped her lips before she finished, "as much as I loved it, it wasn't the place for me." While it wasn't a lie, it certainly didn't tell the full picture. That was something that wasn't appropriate for a job interview, or a first encounter.

"I see..." The man muttered to himself as he flipped through the pages again. "Seems like we're both hoping to find something here in the city, huh." He chuckled, but to Ivy it seemed like more of a joke to himself than one she would understand.

After a few more moments of tense silence, he cleared his throat and sorted the papers in his hands. "You understand that this doesn't just include teaching, correct?" As sharp as his words were, so was his state towards her. His brown eyes cut through her and she just nodded.

"Yes," No, she was taken aback by this but she couldn't let him know that. "Childcare as well." Honestly, that had just been a guess.

"Correct." He glanced back down at the papers. "You'll be paid weekly, just email me your information so I can get that set up." As confident as he seemed with her, she was incredibly confused.

"Oh, yes, thank you, Sir." She tried not to sound too unsure, but it seemed all too quick. He barely questioned her, how could he be so sure of her teaching or childcare abilities? Part of her thought that this could be a scam, but there's no way. Ivy had secured a job, she could keep her new life she was just starting to establish. A small wave of relief washed over her as she realized she could possibly have a future in the city, things were falling into place. Not even a five minute interview and she already had secured a job that would cover her bills.
Ivy stood up once Desmond did and reached her hand out to shake one more time. As they shook hands, she noticed a photograph on the desk. Father, daughter, and she assumed mother. Strangely, the woman in the photo looked nothing like Thea. She focused her attention back to the man in front of her and flashed him a smile.

"Sorry, lovely family you have." Of course she was going to compliment them, they were now her employers. She pulled her hand back and Desmond glanced down at the photo, a smile appearing on his face.

"Oh yeah, thank you. Ash's lovely, and Thea approves of her, so I suppose that is all that matters." He chuckled a bit, showing more emotion than he had the entire time. From his statement, Ivy assumed that the woman in the photo wasn't Thea's mother, and curiosity ate at her. "So I believe that's all. . . You can start tomorrow if you're ready to. Just take care of my daughter."

    "Of course, yes!" Ivy couldn't wipe the smile off her face, she was eager to begin. Only one child compared to the twenty-five she had taught back at her home. Desmond gestured for her to walk out, and she did. He followed close behind, a smile on his face as well. Ivy nodded in gesture to the girl, the girl smiling back and giving a timid wave.
   
"Welcome to New York." Thea spoke softly, immediately hiding behind her father's leg.
 
  "Oh," Ivy bent down slightly to address her, brushing her own brown hair back so it was out of her face. "Thank you so much for the warm welcome."