You have always been told that money can be the root of all evil.
But is it really?
Daniel Richardson has always been around wealth. Having been raised by rich strangers, living in a home where he was only spoken to when he was seen. Years later, th...
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Maria started a new temp job at a terrible company on Monday. The moment she entered, the employees started giving her the silent treatment. Wednesday came quickly, and she was eager to leave the building to meet Sara. Since Maria could remember, Wednesday nights had been their regular girls' night out. Since returning to San Diego, Sara had been her only true friend, and she liked it that way. They discovered what they needed in one another. Friendship without judgment.
Maria discovered as a child that the majority of people demanded perfection from those around them. She had numerous flaws, and if someone spotted one small one, they would take advantage of it. Meeting new individuals frequently triggered a whole host of issues she couldn't stand to deal with.
"These people are like vultures, so it's about time," Sara commented as she took her purse from the seat next to her. "Do you realize how difficult it was to maintain your seat?"
"I'm sorry, it's my job. It amazes me that anyone would choose to work for this organization."
"Maybe it explains why it's so difficult for them to find people."
"Probably."
"Wait, what even is your job?"
"Simply phone answering and standard office tasks. Although it's not complicated, the office manager sees a flaw in everything I do."
"How long are you there?"
"For about a week. I can request longer, but there's no way in hell I'm staying. I'd rather wait for another job than go back there next Monday."
When the bartender approached, Maria waved and gave him an order for drinks and snacks. She knew exactly what she wanted before even looking at the menu because this was one of their favorite restaurants. She valued familiar locations and familiar people equally. She clung to anything that provided solace after everything that had occurred over the previous year.
"Did he text you today?"
"He did, he has texted me every day since he left. Do you think that's stalkerish?"
"A stalker is someone who gives you unwelcome attention, in my opinion. Not a hot ass who made you fall in love with him at first sight"
"He is gorgeous. as in really hot. like the kind of guy who, simply by looking at him, makes me uneasy. When we first met, I couldn't stop talking, so I'm glad he only texts. I'm surprised I didn't spill all of my darkest secrets there at the coffee shop."
"Do you know where you guys are going Saturday?"
"Not a single clue, he said it's a surprise which makes me super nervous."
"You'll be fine."
"So you say."
"This guy allows you to eat dessert first, owns a dog, and helps teenagers. It is impossible to find a greater man."
"Right... so what's wrong with him?"
"There doesn't have to be something wrong with him you know."
"No one is that perfect."
"Oh no, your troubles with perfectionism are back. Do not expect him to be flawless because you do not want to be. He might be one of those persons who put their clothing next to the hamper rather than inside of it, or he might be one of those people who wears socks during sexual activity. Wait, what? I have it. The toilet paper roll is not replaced by him. But until you spend more time with him, you won't know what it is, and if it is anything like that, you might be able to forgive him for it because he's so attractive."
She would like to think that she would be able to look past things because of who he was as a person, not just because of his appearance, but Sara was correct in regards to the rest of it. If there was a chance that something could work out between them, only time would tell. She still required a date for the wedding, though. She brought up the subject to him, but he didn't really address it, and she didn't pursue the issue either. However, the wedding was soon approaching, and she would need to come up with a solution.
She didn't feel like she should go with them, but Matthew and Angela insisted. Since they first met, there had been tension between her and Jonah, but his fiancée wanted her to be involved. Nervous struggled to put into words how she felt about it all. They all originally met while on a weekend trip to New York City. Jonah's fiancée Cleo and Maria got along right away, and Jessica, her new niece, was amazing.
She recognized that Jonah was being polite yet reserved, but it worried her still. The wedding was going to be one of their first steps in the right direction, even if they still had a long way to go. To get through the whole event, she simply needed to get her act together, locate a date, a dress, and some confidence.
Maria was relieved to find herself in bed after having far too many drinks and spending longer than anticipated at the bar. In order to return and pick up her car on her way to work in the morning, she had to set her alarm at a later time than usual. It was necessary to take a taxi home, but it made the morning challenge. When her phone rang, she had just shut out the lights and started to drift asleep. She felt like she was about to scream. Her eyes stung from the bright screen, but when she saw it was Daniel, her heart began to beat quickly. She was simply sitting there as it rang at midnight because he never called; he only texted.
Maria awoke from her drowsiness and answered.
"Hello?"
"Hey, did I wake you?"
"No, not really."
"I can let you go back to sleep."
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