Convalescence

III.

Lili's POV

The work week continued on as per usual; the same routine of getting dressed, making some money, sleeping, and repeat.

The only thing that was propelling Lili forwards and actually giving her motivation to leave the house was the phenomenal spring weather Los Angeles was experiencing.

It was unseasonably warm for the end of March; the sun was shining brightly every day, the sky was almost always cloudless, and Lili often left the house in the mornings with a t-shirt rather than a sweater.

If it hadn't been for the extraordinary spring weather, Lili might not have been able to get through the days as easily as she had been.

She could say she loved her job until she was blue in the face, and it would be true, but it really wasn't easy, mentally or physically.

Between the long hours in the hot sun, dealing with hundreds of customers on a daily basis, and having one or two days off every month or so, Lili was really starting to feel burnt out.

It was getting to the point where she contemplated quitting every morning. And that was absolutely unheard of for her.  

But then she remembered exactly why she didn't do that.

Money was her biggest motivator for just getting out of bed in the mornings and forcing herself to drive to the club and plaster a fake smile on her face.

It obviously helped tremendously to have a friend like Jordyn by her side, because having someone facing the same obstacles as you really did make it easier to push through. But Lili had really been struggling to get by lately.

It was yet another warm, sunny work day, and Lili had to force herself out the door with some pretty harsh words of 'encouragement'.

Sometimes, it took a bit of tough love for her to get going. She wasn't exactly mean to herself, but she found that soft encouragement usually wasn't enough. The words really needed to make an impact if they wanted to work in any way.

Lili proceeded with the same routine she'd had for the past few years: she got in her car and started the engine, put on some upbeat music, and pulled out of the driveway.

Every now and then she stopped at a coffee shop and bought herself iced coffee and a chocolate croissant; even the smallest things could boost her spirits, and in this case, it helped immensely.

As she popped the last bite of pastry into her mouth, she turned into the parking lot, scanning the full spaces in search of Jordyn's car.

She pulled into an empty spot, brows furrowed, and put her car in park. Before she even killed the engine, Lili picked up her phone from the passenger seat and opened her chat with Jordyn.

L: What time are you working today?

She leaned her head back on the headrest and closed her eyes as she awaited Jordyn's response, allowing herself to enjoy the quiet. Even if it only lasted for a minute.

The loud text tone of Jordyn's reply made her jump and pulled her back to reality just moments after.

J: I'm covering dining tonight for Cal, I'll be in at 4:40. Forgot to tell you, sorry. Zara is there tho :)

Lili sighed and locked her phone, throwing it into her purse and hauling the strap over her shoulder.

She got out of the car and slammed the door, locking the vehicle behind her. Immediately she paused for a moment in the sunshine, letting it warm her skin once more.

Tilting her head up to the sky, she breathed the hot air in, pores selfishly drinking in the sun rays.

I'll be fine, she thought to herself, I can do this. After taking more time than probably necessary, she headed to the employee locker room.