HEART FOR HIRE ✓

Three

One of the unpopular opinions is that the night before your day off is one hundred times better than the day off itself.
For starters, you get to do all crazy stuff until late and sleep in. For my case, I decide to watch a classic British sitcom - keeping up appearances -  till late, eating some popcorn I brought with me from work and many cups of caffeine.

The morning later, which is actually my day off, I wake up to my phone vibrating with an incoming call. Rubbing my eyes, I sit up and start contemplating on whether to answer the call or ignore it and go back to sleep.
Just seconds later, the phone starts vibrating again and I have no option but to pick it up.

"Naty!" a familiar cheerful voice greets me, so loudly that I end up throwing my phone down from the loudness. "You don't call us anymore! I miss you so much."

I roll my eyes at the statement, miss me my non-existent ass!

"First of all, I called you two weeks ago, Naomie," I deadpan. "Secondly, did mum and dad put you up to this?"

"Fine, you got me - ouch!"

I laugh from the noises in the background, probably from dad throwing a pillow at Naomie for snitching on them. My family is chaotic like that but I would travel to the moon and back for them.

"I miss you guys too, how are you doing?"

"Dad won teacher of the year award and a famous chef came to review mum's restaurant," Naomie fills me in.

She is eight but one of the most intelligent people I know. By the time I was her age, I probably couldn't tell time right. That probably explains why I didn't get enough credits to join university after high school.

Surprisingly, my family didn't bother me about it. Instead, they decided to support my dream of opening a clothing store with my own brand despite my dad being a teacher who believes so much in education. In the future, I can join an institution and get a design certificate.

They offered to give me money to start off but I had done enough. Not only did I waste their money they invested in my education but I also didn't fulfill their expectations.
More so, if they keep handing me gold on a plate, when will I learn how to mine my own?

So, I left my hometown. Away from judgemental eyes and words, from people who know me and started newly.
Hence how I ended up at the movie theater with my beloved workmates I will never trade for anything.

"That's so impressive," I smile at my parents' success, "did you hold a party without me?"

"No, that's why I called," Naomie giggles. "Mum and dad want you to come back home during Easter holiday to celebrate with us. Will you come, please?"

"I don't know, Naomie," I frown. I would really love to go because I miss them. I haven't seen them in two years. "But I promise to try my best, okay?"

"Promise?"

"Yes," I prolong the S to emphasize it, "but make sure you behave, alright? Otherwise, I won't bring you the present I promised you."

"Tickets to Disney land?"

I laugh and we continue chatting, well aware that the phone is in loudspeaker and my parents are hearing every word. At the end of the call, my mum dramatically lets out sobs, dad starts speaking angry gibberish words and Naomie is just Naomie,  probably looking at them like they are lunatics. Which they are, no argument.

I spend the rest of the day cleaning my room, doing laundry and stocking my fridge with frozen pizza for the next weeks or so.
Why frozen pizza, you ask. Because I can't cook to save my life. I haven't figured out how to boil an egg, make instant noddles and I'd burn water if I didn't own a percolator.

The next day, Jeanette pulls me into the break room as soon as I arrive.
"Guess what!"

What she doesn't know is that even with clues, I never know what to guess. Or how to guess. I'm clueless like that.
"River Nile dried up?" is the first statement that comes to my head.

"No, you idiot," she flicks my forehead, "mystery man was here yesterday."

"Who is mystery man?"

Jeanette looks me up and down and jeers at me out loud.
"I really want to slap you so hard right now. I mean your Valentine's man was here yesterday."

One minute. Another minute. Then another. Finally her words register in my brain and my eyes widen.
"Holy crap! What was he doing here? Did he say anything? Did he want me to refund his money because I will not and I have already saved it up-"

"Shut up," Jeanette puts her hand over my mouth. "Sometimes, I ask myself if you have verbal diarrhea. Will you let me finish?"

"Fine."

She takes a seat opposite mine and drinks from her water bottle.
"Well, he asked for you, and don't be quick to interrupt me. Let me finish."

I nod as a goahead and she continues.

"He said to let you know that he wants to have a discussion with you when you come back to work," she explains slowly and quietly for me to understand. "He said that it's very serious and he looked serious too. But Natalia, why didn't you tell us?"

"Tell you what?"

"That man is hot! Even though he was in a t-shirt, his muscles were almost bursting it open," she fans herself from imaginary heat. "You mean you sat with such a man in a dark theater and you didn't do anything?"

"Jean!" I signal for her to be quiet. "You have a boyfriend. What on earth are you saying?"

"I have a boyfriend but I'm not blind," she shrugs. "If he wants to be your sugar daddy, please don't hesitate. He is daddy material."

"I'm done with this conversation," I stand up to move while covering my face in embarrassment but Alex comes running into the room.

"You guys, boss would like to see us in her office!"

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