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“Hi, Dayi, nice to meet you.” I grasp her hand in mine, shaking it firmly. “Do you work the reception?”
“I’m the office manager. Our receptionist is out to lunch.” Her phone buzzes and she picks up the receiver, listens for a brief moment, and says, “Okay,” before hanging up. “Lily is ready for you. Straight down that hall.” She points to her left. “The last door on your right is her office. Enjoy the view.”
I stride down the hall, clutching my leather portfolio in my arm and adjusting my pockabook on my shoulder. The walls are painted a pale yellow and the doors are all trimmed in dark wood. Along the wall hang several vibrant framed pieces of art from the Brazilian artist Romero Britto. As I enter Lily’s office, I can see what Dayren meant; the expansive floor to ceiling windows span across the entire back wall and overlook Biscayne Bay. You can see part of the Miami skyline, the cruise ships docked, and the causeway stretching across the water crossing over to Miami Beach. Breathtaking!
“Hello, Soledad,” Lily says, as she circles her desk to greet me. “Mona has told me so much about you, I feel like I already know you.”
Lily has curves in all the right places and the deep pink dress she’s wearing hugs her figure to accentuate them. It falls just below her knees, paired perfectly with patent leather platform heels, and silver chandelier earrings hang from her ears. Her silky, smooth dark blonde hair falls over her shoulders and down her back.
I extend my hand to hers, and she pulls me to her, kissing me on the cheek. “Hello Ms. Bermudez, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” I say, a little taken aback by the greeting. Although I’m accustomed to the cheek-kiss when attending events with friends or family, I’ve never had someone do it in a formal setting. Maybe it’s because Mona sent me? Or is it a Miami thing?
“Please, call me Lily. My mother is Ms. Bermudez, and I still feel like a young woman,” she asserts, throwing her head back in laughter.
“Nice to meet you, Lily,” I say and stand next to the chair but don’t sit.
“You know, Mona told me you’d be a little serious. Don’t worry, that will change soon enough. Here in Miami, we’re more relaxed, laid-back. Please sit, I won’t bite.” She chuckles.
Lily offered me the job within minutes of being inside her office. Even so, we chatted about the work I did in Boston, Mona, and living in Miami. She was excited because she doesn’t have any Italian language translators and had to refer those jobs out to another firm. Now that I’ll be working with her, it’ll no longer be necessary.
“Is it okay if I start next week? I just arrived last night, and I don’t even have an apartment yet,” I tell her. “I plan on seeing some over the next day or two. Hopefully I’ll fall in love with one of them.”
“Of course. Also, here’s my mobile number,” she says, writing it down on a sticky note. “Call me if you don’t find a place, I can make a few calls for you and see what we can find.”
“Thank you, Lily. I appreciate it.”
“Mona spoke about you like you’re the daughter she never had. That speaks volumes because she doesn’t like anyone,” she states, chuckling as she says the words.
“So kind. I love Mona and am gonna miss her, a lot! We’ve worked together since I was in college, and I’ve learned so much from her.”
“Mona and I met in college many moons ago and despite the distance, we’ve remained close friends. I’m happy to have you join us here at Miami Language Solutions.”
Lily and I walk toward the front together and see Dayren as we approach the reception area. “Dayi, Soledad will be starting next week and will make a great addition to the family. She’s gonna fit right in.”
“Great, welcome,” says Dayi.
“Thank you. There’s much to be excited about. New job, new city. So many great things happening,” I exclaim, excited thinking about what’s ahead.
“Sol, can I call you that?” asks Dayi, her eyebrow slightly raised.
“Yes, of course.”
“Good,” she says. “Here’s my cell phone number—” she hands me a sticky note “—call me, we can meet up for dinner or drinks whenever.”
“I’d love that. My mother is here for the next week or so and then it’s a date!”
The realtor wasn’t able to get any appointments to view apartments for after my interview yesterday but scheduled three for today. We’ve already seen one and I wasn’t a fan. It was very small and in a high-rise building. I wasn’t sure how I felt about living in a high-rise but after going through the hassle of getting there, parking, and busy elevators, I’ve decided it’s not for me. The only positive of the high-rise apartment is the unit had a partial ocean view from the balcony, but the unit was on the twenty-second floor and the height kind of freaked me out.
This apartment we’re about to see is a small two-story art deco building with only four units, two on each floor. This is more my style since I would have a private entry and only three neighbors. The building has no parking, which is a negative but there is a pool and in-unit laundry. If I want to live in Miami Beach, apartments with parking are the most difficult thing to find so I may have to compromise. Hopefully, once I get a resident’s sticker for my car, parking won’t be awful.
We climb the stairs to the second floor, which are located inside the building but visible from the street through an arched entryway. The unit is located on the left side of the building overlooking the pool and patio area, offering some privacy. The door is dark wood, rounded, and has a textured glass panel with bars over it near the top. When the realtor swings open the door, it opens into a large open space, a living room, dining room, and kitchen with dark hardwood floors. Along the left wall there are two large windows looking out to the street and the several trees surrounding the building, providing much needed natural light yet also enough shade from the sun. The kitchen on the far end has a counter to separate the living space from the cooking area. Along the back wall there’s an electric stove, with the counter to the right and wrapping along the right wall, with a sink in the middle and dishwasher to the far right. A small window above the counter to the right of the stove brightens the kitchen making it appear bigger than it is. To the right of the entry is small hallway with a bathroom to the immediate left and two bedrooms just beyond. The washer and dryer are stacked inside a door within the bathroom and there is a tub where I plan on taking nice long baths. One of the bedrooms is large with a walk-in closet along the right wall. The picture window overlooks the patio and pool area. The second bedroom is smaller and perfect for me to use as an office and guest room.
“I’ll take it,” I tell the realtor. I love the layout, the space, the lighting, and the location. It has good vibes.
“You like it? You don’t want to see the last place?” the realtor inquires.
“No.” I shake my head. “I like this one. The second you opened the door I immediately loved how bright and open it feels. It’s perfect. The only negative is no parking, but I’ll deal with it. And the next apartment we’re scheduled to see has no in-unit laundry, this does. Let’s do it.”
“A mí también me gusta,” my mother adds, giving her approval of the apartment.
