A Simple Kind of Life

Music [Madonna]

"My dad is looking for a new secretary."

Anastasia watched Mia nearly bump her head from under the computer desk, phone cable in hand as she crawled on the floor before climbing back onto the swivel chair beside her. Her ponytail bobbed, a faded red, and she pushed a white keyboard away from her on the desk, bringing her laptop closer instead.

As she shifted her chair from side to side, Anastasia slumped in the seat, her hair covering her shoulders, seeing the red marks on Mia's exposed knees from the abrasion of the carpet. Mia bit down on her lip as she plugged the cable into her laptop.

"What happened to his old one?" she asked. With a few clicks, she entered a password with swift typing and then was logging onto the internet. It was a long minute of strange electronic noises, buzzes, and whistling before Mia hunched forward and resumed frantically typing on her laptop.

"Beats me. I think she quit or something." Anastasia watched her, hugging her knee to her chest. Mia looked like a little computer wizard, her fingers moving at the speed of light as she wore shorts and an oversized tee shirt that advertised a dance company. She let a moment pass, waiting for Mia's reply, but it never came. So, she took in a deep breath.

"I told him you were interested."

Mia slowly turned her head towards her, her eyes narrowed. "You did what?"

Anastasia didn't know whether to let her guard down as it was hard to tell if Mia was pissed or only surprised. So, she rolled her shoulders and lifted the waist of her jeans. "I said you were interested in the job."

A stillness passed between them. Mia's eyes squinted, a twitch to her lip as she looked her up and down. When she straightened her back, her spine released an audible crack.

"And what did he say?" she asked suspiciously.

"He said, sure, whatever."

"Just like that?" Mia snapped back, resting her elbow on the desk. "He doesn't want my resume or even a fucking interview? Nothing?"

Their gazes darted back and forth between each other, and a blank look settled on Anastasia's expression. She felt her jeans fall below her hipbones and she tugged the loops to pull them up.

"He just wants you to call him to see when you can start. I think the other chick leaves in a couple of weeks." Her lips squirmed when she paused. "He remembers you. He thinks you have a lot of spunk. So, are you cool with that?"

Mia had a particular type of energy that was easily felt, her emotions and reactions so strong, but sometimes it was hard to tell them apart. She seemed like she was about to cry or scream, with thankfulness verging on the edge of rage. Mia gulped and it all was maintained, only nodding slowly as she looked away from her.

"Give me the number and I'll call on Monday." Her shoulders relaxed, and she glanced at Anastasia from the corner of her eye. "Thanks."

The door of the small office opened only a moment later, swinging aggressively that it took Anastasia by surprise, though Mia barely reacted to the motion.

"Are you serious? You're always hogging up the fucking internet."

Anastasia rotated her chair, seeing Aiden by the entrance, standing there tall and brooding, a scowl pasted to his face as he leaned against the frame. Multiple beautiful curves sculpted into his arms, and she could trace each individual indented line of his abdomen as the fabric pasted to his skin. His hair was messily spiked, a black wifebeater hugging his torso, and the white stripes on his sweatpants were a stark contrast to the darkness of his wardrobe.