AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“If you need somewhere to stay, my niece’s roommate just moved out of the townhouse she’s renting in Brooklyn. She’s looking for a replacement.” She hands me a yellow post-it note. “Her name’s Alyssa. I’m Susana. Tell her I gave you her number.” The phone rings and she rushes back to the desk. Before she picks up the receiver, she smiles and says, “Good luck.”
I try to smile back, but I think it was more of a grimace.
Outside, I stand on the sidewalk of the busy New York City street, pressed up against the cold, brick building, watching pedestrians rush past. Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath. Freedom was supposed to smell a lot sweeter. At the moment, my life smelled much like the street—a hint of landfill mixed with hotdogs. My stomach churns at the thought.
For the first time in my life, I’m on my own. Responsible for my own decisions, and with only five thousand dollars to my name, I don’t know how to reclaim my life. Fear presses heavy on my shoulders, but I quickly shake it off. I will not let these circumstances ruin the moment. It will be difficult to live on the limited funds I have until I find a job, but I’ll make it work. I must. There is no other choice.
Two weeks after the reading of the will, I’m still looking for work. Today’s job interview at a nearby café was another one I was underqualified for. From office administration jobs to flipping burgers, no one will give me a chance. If I don’t get a job soon, my money won’t last much longer. Finding a job is harder than I imagined.
I pull the elastic band from my ponytail and let my hair fall down my back. Rubbing my temples, I trudge to my bedroom. I had called the number on the post-it note the secretary at Derek’s law firm gave me. Thank God I did, or I’d be homeless by now. Walking into the tiny space, I kick off my heels and change into gray sweats.
My stomach rumbles, reminding me I haven’t eaten since the buttered toast I had for breakfast. It’s now five-thirty PM. In the fridge in the kitchenette there’s leftover mac and cheese.
Nuking the meal in the microwave, I take it into the living room and sit cross-legged on the scratchy, threadbare rug and place the bowl on the chipped timber coffee table. Opening the ancient laptop someone had packed into my luggage with the other things I’d moved into Derek’s house with, I wait for it to bootup. With sketchy wi-fi, it takes a few minutes.
I do another search for job listings. Every position I look at wants qualifications and experience. Something I’d have if it weren’t for Derek. The moment I married him ended any studies or career path I had planned. The wife of a wealthy businessman trying to make his way into politics was supposed to support and serve her husband. You’d think he was born in the 1950s. Well, he was twenty years older than me, that might explain his old-fashioned behavior.
Thinking of him makes the mouthful of pasta I swallow churn in my stomach, and I push the bowl aside.Get him out of your head. He doesn’t control your life anymore.
The jangle of keys at the door breaks me out of my depressive thoughts. A few seconds later, my roommate, Alyssa, walks in. “Hey, Harper.”
I will be forever grateful to Alyssa’s aunt for hooking me up with Alyssa. At twenty-three, six years younger than me, we’ve become fast friends. Alyssa has shown me more care and consideration in the two weeks I’ve known her than my high-society friends have in nine years. ‘Friends’ who dropped all communication after Derek’s funeral. And the friends I had before my marriage; Derek kept me away from. By now, they’ve all drifted away. I’d be too embarrassed about my life to reconnect anyway.
Dressed in baggy, black cargo pants and an oversized sweater, the clothing hides Alyssa’s slender dancer’s body. She drops her bag by the door and flops on the sofa. With her hair in a tight, high bun, I’m guessing she’s come back from dance class. For the last two years, Alyssa has been auditioning for a part on Broadway. She’s shown me videos of her dancing and singing. She’s amazing. It shocks me that she hasn’t landed a principal role yet.
“Mac and cheese again?” She points to the bowl. “You going to finish that?”
“It’s all yours.” I lost my appetite.
Alyssa takes the bowl and leans forward in the seat. She looks over my shoulder at the computer screen. “How did the admin interview go?”
I blow out a frustrated breath. “No one wants to hire someone with no qualifications or experience.” Resting my elbow on the table, I drop my chin on my fist. “I don’t know what I’m going to do.” Time and money are running out fast!
Around a mouthful of food, Alyssa mumbles, “Then we’ll give you some.”
“What do you mean?” I sit up straight and shuffle around to look at her.
“We’ll adjust your resume a little and give you the qualifications and experience you need.” Relaxing back into the sofa, Alyssa forks more food into her mouth.
“I can’t do that. It’s lying,” I say with disapproval.
She makes a scoffing sound. “Everyone fibs a little on their resume.”
“Yes, fibs. They don’t give themselves qualifications they don’t have.”
Alyssa points the fork at me. “Think of it like an actor. They’ll put ‘can ride horses’ on their resume, but they really can’t. They’ll learn on the job.”
I shake my head. “I can’t do that.”
“Sure you can. But I won’t do anything unless you want me to,” Alyssa says, placing the empty bowl on the coffee table.
“I also don’t have any references.”
She taps her chest. “Meet Alyssa Martinez, executive assistant.”
I giggle. “You’re an entertainer, not an executive assistant.”
Shrugging a shoulder, she grins. “I’m always assisting someone with something. I’m only throwing in the ‘executive’ part.”
