HEART FOR HIRE ✓

Forty Three

Maybe I am still as immature as my old self but you can't blame me for not answering Zion's texts in the past seventy two hours. I remember how he threatened that if I failed to answer his texts, he'd personally drive to me. But it's been seventy two hours and he's nowhere to be seen.
So, in order to keep myself busy, I got in contact with Juliana, got admission details to her design school and the funny bit, I'm actually considering it.

I've seen movies where the female lead disappears and the male lead has to look left and right, hire detectives and whatsoever to find the female lead. Wouldn't it be nice if Zion showed up to my apartment and found it empty? Wouldn't it hurt him if he doesn't see me anymore? Wouldn't it sting if I just suddenly stop giving him attention? Maybe we actually rushed into the relationship.

Now that I think about it, we may have rushed. Or he probably figured out that settling down for one woman isn't for him and he went back to his old ways!
That son of a - well, Marble is a nice woman, I can't possibly insult her.

"I'm sad," I lean on Jeanette's shoulder and check my phone again for a text. None. It's pathetic that I think he will text. At least I deserve to know why he doesn't want to be with me anymore, don't I? "Come on, cheer me up."

"Uh huh," she reaches for her backpack and picks a folded brown envelope. "Take a look at this."

"What is it?"

"Just open it."

I slowly unfold the envelope, at first not recognizing what's inside but when I do, I let out a loud gasp.
"Oh my God! You finally accepted to get sonogram photos of the baby!"

I'm overreacting of course, because from the photo, I can't recognize anything. The baby hasn't developed many features, may be the size of my fist but just knowing that it's there, alive and healthy in Jeanette's stomach makes me want to tear up.

But I don't. That's Jeanette's thing, she has the mood swings.

"Have you started thinking of names?" I look up at her with interest

"Kind of. If it's a girl, she'll be Alexis and a boy will be Riley. But I may change my mind, there is still time to get more ideas."

I frown. "So, you aren't naming your child after me?"

"And risk them contacting your foolishness? No, thanks," she laughs at me and takes the sonogram photo away from me. I glare at her and she raises her hands in surrender. "I'm joking. If it's a girl, she will definitely have Natalia as her middle name. I promise."

"What? Really? You don't have to-"

"Shut up," she deadpans. "So, what about you? Are you really serious about going to design school?"

I nod. "I really want to go. Design is my passion and I think I have what it takes to join."

"Are you sure it's not because you want to spite mystery man?"

"Okay, he isn't mystery man anymore. His name is Zion and he is an asshole," I scoff. "Secondly, seeing my classmate again made me remember how much I really loved design lessons. I won't know how it will turn out if I don't try. Thirdly, even if Zion and I were on speaking terms, I was planning on mentioning it to him. The world doesn't revolve around him."

"What about your job here?"

"I'll quit. The school isn't so far away from here but I want to focus on school more."

"Well," Jeanette takes a breath and looks at me. "I was thinking of quitting too."

"Jean!"

"I thought about what you said and I think I'm ready to do things on my own."

"What do you mean? What did I say?"

"My brother has a room he wants to rent out and I'd like to rent it and start my own bakery. And flower shop if people want to buy them."

I can't believe what I'm hearing.
"You are serious?"

"You are an idiot."

Later tonight, Jeanette comes to sleep at my apartment and we facetime Alex to tell him about our future decisions. It would feel weird if he came back and found out that both of us have quit and we hadn't told him yet.

"This place is so cool," he moves his laptop to show us the hotel where he and his roommate have been staying throughout their trip. "I've met so many video content creators. And they are all so nice and friendly. You guys have no idea how much I needed this."

"That's nice," Jeanette coos, "but Natalia and I have something we want to tell you."

"What? Did something happen?"

"No," I shake my head. "I actually got an offer to join design school."

"That's cool. You're going to take it, right?" he looks at me with a hopeful gaze.

"I think I'm gonna take it," I nod, "but I'll have to quit working at the theater."

"Oh," he initially says and then the words register in his head. His eyes widen and he repeats himself. "Oh!"

"Yeah," Jeanette interrupts, "and I'm thinking of quitting too."

Alex's eyes widen even more.
"You too? Why?"

"I'm gonna start a bakery."

"Wow, you guys," Alex sighs, "you all really wanna leave?"

"We thought we'd tell you before we all quit," Jeanette whispers.

There's a quiet pause and then suddenly, Alex blurts out, "I wanna quit too."

"Huh?" Jeanette and I say at the same time.

This is going in a totally different direction than I imagined it. I thought Alex would throw a tantrum and disconnect the facetime. Then he'd me mad at us and we'd apologize when he returns from his trip.

"Y'all are old, so, whatever. You won't understand," he says and first disappears from view. When he returns, he opens his phone and shows a string of emails. Too many unopened emails. "See these, they are emails from companies that want me to review their drinks and food for money."

"What?" my jaw literally drops. "How did that happen?"

"I'll explain when I return. And Natalia, remember the question you asked me a while ago?" I shake my head of course. I talk too much, how can I remember? "Anyway, I just want to tell you that I've finally decided to do YouTube as my full-time career."