🔹ice cubes🔹

Winter Rose

Unemployed. What many people did not want to be in this day and age, that's what Rosalia was.  

When in a stressful career some people start to regret their choices, she thought, but when faced with joblessness, they realize they actually prefer a career filled with stress. Rosalia was no different because with unemployment comes a vacant duration of time. In her case, being unoccupied meant her parents swooped in and cherished every hour of her day as they did when she was a child. They loved to baby her because she was their youngest child. They kept her mind off Mister Ego. 

Off her ex-boyfriend as well. 

Rosalia, who had to stay with her parents, for the time being, was not enthusiastic about feeling like an indoor house plant--watered with affection every day and placed in a comfortable pot of couch cushions. She couldn't survive on her own after she quit her job though. Not that she wasn't grateful for all they have given her, but she wasn't completely living in these circumstances, merely surviving. 

Nevertheless, it was unlikely she would have the right mindset to stay with the totally egocentric person that was her only other option. Besides having been demoted to his second fiddle at their place of employment--well, now, only his place of employment--why would anyone in their right mind even consider staying the whole winter season with her ex-boyfriend? 

She had thought about it for one single second after she arrived home--his home, she reminded herself-- shamefully aware she had doting parents who would give the moon and stars to have her in their bungalow again. But it had only been for that second. She knew she had to leave. 

Because she knew going back home had consequences such as explaining the whole ordeal to them, she waited until she was all packed and in her car to call them.

***

It all went stormy right before December began. The board meeting was at 10 am and everybody, except Jackie, was in a regular sluggish mood for a Monday. Most already had an idea about what was going to happen, a promotion or a demotion, maybe both if the odds were unfavorable. Rosalia was excited and had her favorite flowery blouse on, expecting a promotion.

Her coworkers tried to tell her not to get her hopes up--no woman had ever been promoted an inch further than her position at the advertising company. "He's sexist when it comes to women being confident and equipped to gain more power here." Cindy glared at the coffee maker as if that was their boss in question, although she wouldn't dare do that directly.

"He's always had an aura of superiority." Jackie popped up from out of nowhere, that creep, adding her two cents in. 

Rosalia ignored the comments even though they held the truth. She wanted to believe she was good enough to manage on her own, be in charge of something big. So when she walked into the meeting right after that little conversation and was met with the realization that Eugene had gotten the spot she deserved, her mood plummeted. It was as if a grey cloud had followed her into the room and starting to drizzle over her. The cloud began darkening, and the furious wind caught in her emotions. Shortly after the meeting came to an end she could only hear the hail storm that had struck her.

As she stood up and stiffly made her way out the door her boyfriend, Eugene, gave her a weak smile as if he was apologetic about receiving a promotion. She hauled her feet trying not to slip and fall. That would be most embarrassing in front of the nincompoop that was her boss. 

The storm had quieted down but the winds of fury prevailed as she thought of that idiot still in the room. 

"Miss Perez, I believe we should talk now that everyone is gone." Her boss stopped her at the doorway, "I think I owe you an explanation."