Connection | 18+

Chapter One

OLIVIA:

   Seventeen minutes.

   That's all I have.

   My heart races as I glance at the clock on my dashboard, its cruel hands ticking away the precious seconds. Seventeen minutes left until my meeting with J.J. Mackenzie, and I’m still stuck in this godforsaken café.

   J.J. is the golden ticket in the publishing world—his approval can catapult an aspiring writer to the bestseller list.

   And here I am, bound to my shift, scrambling to escape this dead-end job at the café where I barely earn enough to make rent.

   How did I let this happen?

   I should be on my way, preparing what to say and what to not, not stuck behind the counter serving lattes. Out of all the days, today has to be the busiest day. I had already asked for a half-day leave but the cafe that I work in was short on staff so the boss refused to give me one.

   I know that it’s an opportunity that I’ll miss out if I am late to the meeting but I don’t even know if I’ll succeed and if he will approve it or not. Writing is my passion, for sure, but this part-time job at the cafe is the one giving me money, so technically, I had no choice but to say yes to the money.

   My boss calls out to me as I serve the last customer on the list. I turn around, wiping my palms on the apron before taking it off and putting it on the counter.

   “You can leave now. I’ll give you your cut tomorrow,” he informs me with a sweet smile and a pat on my shoulder. His face wrinkled because of too much smiling and being in an old dad group. “Thank you, once again.”

   “No problem, Jimmy.”

   I gave him a reassuring smile in return, went inside the changing room, and put on my jeans and tank top. Now, I’m regretting not dressing up. I thought that I’d have time to go home and change my clothes, not knowing that I’d be having bad luck today.

   After telling my goodbye to Jimmy and the staff, I make my way out of the cafe, hastily, getting into my car, mindful of the tremor in my steps.

   As I start my car and look around to check I have everything, I realize.

   “Are you fucking kidding me?”

   It wasn’t only the clothes I was going to my home for. I don’t have my fucking documents with me.

   Just my fucking luck.

   Not wasting any time, I called Dan, my brother, as my last hope, which he didn’t answer—obviously. Dialing his number once again, I honk at the car in front of me to move quickly.

   They clearly didn’t understand the concept of moving.

   I huff in frustration when he once again doesn’t answer.

   I swear to God if he is fucking some chick right now.

   Speeding up my car, I slide into voicemail and leave him a message, explaining my situation briefly, hoping that he’ll pick the damn phone up.
  
   After waiting for a few more minutes while turning my car to take some shortcuts, I tried two more times. Fortunately, he finally picks up. “What the fuck is wrong with you? If someone isn’t answering then there must be a fucking reason for it. What do you want now?”

   I clench my teeth in response and stop my car at the signal with a screech.

   “There must be a reason if someone is calling you this many times, no?”