𝐹𝑟𝑒𝑒 𝑋𝑜𝑛𝑒

𝑋𝑋𝑋𝑉𝐼𝐼

By the next morning, I woke up early, and the first thing I did when I opened my eyes was grab my phone. I was hoping to see Janet's name on the screen, maybe a missed message or a call. But there was nothing. I sat there for a moment, a little disappointed, hoping the phone would ring. And it did, just not the call I was hoping for. Steven.

"Hey, Steven," I answered, a little sore that it wasn't Janet. I sat up in bed, my mood shifting to frustration.

"Good morning, Mariah. How are you feeling this morning?" He sounded so chipper, so upbeat.

"Honestly, I still feel tired. I could use another hour or two of sleep," I laughed a little, trying to shake off the irritation.

"You can sleep in after I tell you the good news."

That immediately caught my attention. I kicked my feet off the edge of the bed, a random surge of energy and excitement rushing through me.

"What is it?" I asked, sitting up straighter now.

"Victoria's Secret needs a new model, and they're interested in you."

"Oh my god," I gasped, my heart pounding so loudly in my chest it felt like it was about to jump out. "No way!" Before I even realized what I was doing, I jumped up completely off the bed, bouncing up and down and letting out a shriek of celebration.

It felt surreal, like I was dreaming. Victoria's Secret? The iconic brand? And they wanted me? It was too much to process, but all I could feel was pure joy and adrenaline.

"Yes! Steven, thank you, thank you so much!" I sang over the phone, my voice filled with so much joy it almost felt like I was floating.

He laughed on the other end. "Don't thank me, it's all of your hard work. The runway, plus Markus put in a good word for you. You know this business is all about connections, and you just have a way of making the right connections with the right people."

"I do, I guess." I bit my lip, a smile tugging at my face as I thought about my connection with Janet. It felt like the right time to share this news with her, to celebrate together. I was so happy and excited that I wanted to call her right then and there, to tell her the good news, to share this moment with her.

I could already picture her reaction, her warm smile, the way her eyes would light up. She always knew how to make my moments feel even bigger, and right now, I needed her to share this joy with me.

"You need to celebrate tonight, you and Emily should get two bottles of wine and—"

"Steven," I said softly, hoping he'd catch the hint. But I guess I spoke too softly because he kept going.

"I know Emily will be excited when you share the news," he continued, oblivious to the shift in my tone.

"—Steven," I cut him off this time, speaking a little more sternly. "Emily and I are no longer together," I said, my voice softer than I intended.

"Oh, okay then—"

Just as I was about to respond, my phone vibrated with a call from her. I smiled, glancing at the screen. "Steven, can I call you later?"

"Yeah, Mariah, sure," he said, a little thrown off, but I didn't care. I hung up immediately, eager to hear her voice.

"Finally, girl! What was you doing that took you so long to answer my call?" Janet's voice came through the phone, warm and flirtatious, teasing me.

I giggled, feeling my heart race. "Guess."

"Mmmhhm, I hope you were thinking of me, because I was thinking of you," she said softly, her words almost a whisper.