Winter was Camila's favorite time of the year. She enjoyed seeing the holiday decorations start to appear all over the city, and waiting for the first snowfall of the year. It was the only time of year when Camila felt hopeful, as though change – the good kind of change – was right around the corner, if only she was patient enough to wait for it. It was a time of giving, of caring, of wiping the slate clean and starting over.
Winter, however, also meant that the bulk of Camila's art would sit in a corner of her bedroom, taking up room and going nowhere. Though her father's faithful checks paid for the majority of Camila's bills and expenses, she still appreciated the extra cash that came from doing something on her own. It was for that reason that she'd spent the afternoon circling job openings in the newspaper.
Her morning had been spent in front of her easel, trying her hand at something artistic for the first time in weeks. The end result had been better than she'd expected. Good enough, in fact, to join the pile of paintings waiting to be sold. But in the end, that's not where she put it. In the end, she put it to the side, thinking that perhaps someday it might make a good gift for Laura.
She'd found it a strange thought at first, painting something and thinking of Laura when she was finished, but she decided to go with it. Who was she to question inspiration?
She stared down at the newspaper and the many red circles she'd placed upon the page. The other nice thing about the holidays was the surplus of job openings.
"How's the job hunt going?" Dinah asked, suddenly stepping into view.
"Retail by the pound," Camila said.
"Ooh, joy." Dinah poured coffee into a mug and leaned against the counter as she sipped.
Camila glanced at the time on the microwave and arched an eyebrow. "Did you just wake up?"
"Indeed."
"It's three."
Dinah nodded as if it was perfect normal. "I was on the phone until late."
"Oh?"
"Kasey called."
"Kasey..."
"The porn star."
Camila laughed. "He has a name now?"
"He's actually really deep. I wasn't expecting that. You know he's just doing the porn stuff to put himself through med school?"
"What happens when one of his patients finds a video of him?"
Dinah smiled. "He refuses to tape his face. See? He's thought ahead. He's a smart boy. He also does escort services on the side. I would totally do that if I was a guy. Get paid hundreds of dollars an hour to accompany an old rich lady to the opera or something. Men are so lucky."
"Maybe I should get a job doing something like that," Camila said thoughtfully. "I'm sure there's some old rich men who'd like a young woman by their side in public."
"Sure. And it's not like you couldn't outrun them if they tried to get frisky."
Camila nodded as if seriously contemplating the option. "Well, that solves my job problem."
"Great. So, listen, I have awesome news." Dinah pushed several newspapers to the side and sat down at the table.
Camila perked up. "Oh? I could do with awesome news. Lay it on me."
"Well, it turns out that Kasey's sister has a friend whose brother is seriously a V.I.P. in the theater world, and the brother is also sort of friends with Kasey's sister so he tells her stuff, and then she tells Kasey stuff."
