36:26 A Chase Encounter

Chapter 13

Chapter 13
A WEEK LATER

Jayda settles on the blanket she spread on the floor of her one room apartment. She has been trying to get a job since she moved in five days ago knowing fully well that she only has enough to live for just a couple of months in the city coupled with Lucy's needs. Lucy had suggested they sell off Grandma's house but Jayda wouldn't hear it. She only went back to Minnesota to pack a few essentials like her laptop, couple of blankets and pillow, the rest she will buy in bits and then sell off after four years.

She'd been on almost all job seeking platforms looking for any opening whatsoever but the ones she had seen so far require at least a bachelor's degree which she doesn't have. The only thing she learnt and did for a living back in Ely is baking. The skill earned her a job spot in one of the popular confectionaries in the town where she was able to care for herself and Lucy for a long while.

Although she's a bit hopeful because it's only been a few days in the city but nonetheless, she can't help but feel this upsetting feeling in the pit of her stomach.  She can't afford to go back to Minnesota and leave Lucy again all by herself fearing something might actually happen this time, if she goes back.

She'd told Lucy that she's living fine and comfortable whereas it's the complete opposite. There's nothing in the one room apartment yet. No bed or tv, just an empty wall and wooden floor.

She clicks on the browser homepage and types a different search word.

"Job opening without a degree in New York" Jayda says aloud.

She scrolls down the return page, scaning through every headline.
One particular site recommend her registering and then wait to be contacted if found fit for a job but who would hire a thirty six years old without a degree? That thought worries her. She had thought it would be easy to get a job in the city, that every thing will magically fall into place for her sake making her very unprepared for the rough start.

Lucky for her, her side of the storey building has a balcony. She decides to take a break from her job hunting spree to take in the night view of the city from the balcony instead.  Truth be told, the city has the most nicest views she's ever seen. The bright colourful lights always seem new to her everytime she looks at it. It would have been so much better if she has enough money.  She heaves a deep sigh as she brings out her phone to take a picture of the view. ChaseApp which is directly under the camera icon catches her eyes and she quirks up a smile when she remembers Lucy's threat.  She clicks on the app out of curiosity and the need to be distracted totally forgetting she initially wanted to take a picture. She sees a couple of hot guys-not men- on the swipe page and then notice that the message icon has a red dot. She clicks on it to find lots of messages lined up in her DM.

"What?"

She goes through a couple of messages feeling too uncomfortable to answer. They are all practically strangers. She cringed at the thought of how despicable someone might actually be in real life while putting up a different personality on the app.

She thinks people who invent dating apps need to be checked into a psychiatric clinic and mentally evaluated because how can someone just wake up one day and decides to make strangers fall in love?

sdavis: I would do anything to live in your heart.

A message pops up from the app and the content makes her skin crawl. Is this supposed to be a pick up line?

Her fingers hovered on her keyboard for a while. She contemplated replying the douche.

Jayda Cruz: What's that supposed to mean?

Sdavis: Your bio 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

It took her a few seconds to understand he was merely replying to her bio. Lucy!