Chapter 7 Job Hunting

EMERALD

In the morning, mother wakes me up with a glass of milk.

"You need this," she says with a smile, right before she detects the trouble in my face. She wouldn't be mother if she wasn't good at that. I hardly have any success at hiding things from her.

"I'm your mother. I detect your troubles from a mile away," she would say.

I quickly defend myself before she gets the chance to ask.

"Job hunting isn't going well. And I miss Theo," I shrug. At least I'm not lying. I just want to divert her attention.

She sighs loudly. "We all miss him. It sickens me that the police aren't doing their job. My son was mugged, and the culprits are probably walking free while he fights for his life," she snaps.

I try hard to mask my expression because I think it would be best if she remains with that analogy.

"How are you handling your heartbreak?" Her change of topic is almost shocking.

"I have bigger fish to fry than think about a lying scumbag."

Trying to divert the topic as far away from Theo as I can, I smile and ask, "Do you think I'll ever get what you and dad have?"

She smiles back.

"Life doesn't always pan out as we want it to, Emerald. True love isn't easy to find these days. But you're a precious jewel. Our precious jewel. And you deserve so much better." She cups my cheeks. "I'm sure your prince charming will come. Look at your father and I. How we found each other during our rough times. How we saved each other. All of that was unplanned."

I've heard that story a million times.

My father, too, likes to remind us of how they met. He always claimed mother saved him from destroying his life, and there began a beautiful love story. I was the highlight of their love. Their precious jewel as they have always said.

"Don't think too much about Gabriel. He doesn't deserve a single space in your head," she insists.

"He's supposed to be your past." The smile that follows makes me aware of her next words. "I'll keep saying this." She takes my hand. "Past is past, present is a gift, and the future is bright."

Why am I finding it hard to agree today? I know it sounds much less, but six months of my life have been wasted. I still have Lindsey's threat in my head. They could be mere threats, or she could execute them for real.

"Will you come to the shop later?" Inquires mother.

"In the afternoon. I'm meeting Alicia first. She'd promised to help me apply for some jobs online," I inform her.

___________________________

I'm headed out to meet Alicia for lunch. She'd agreed to buy, well... I'm jobless.

I open the door to the sight of Gabriel standing right there, with his arms crossed in front of his chest.

Urgh

"I've been calling you," he says.

I lock the door before I turn to walk past him.

"And I've been ignoring you."

He grabs my wrist.

"Let go of me, or I'll scream bloody murder. You have no right to touch me!" My pupils widen as I snap.

"Emerald, we need to talk. Let's fix this. I don't want to lose you, baby," he pleads, but I know better than to fall for those empty words.

A painful laugh escapes my lips. "What's there to fix? You fucking lied to me. I lost my job because of you," I remind him.

"I can always get you another one," he offers.

"I don't need your help," I retort.

"Really, where will you get another job without credentials, Emerald? I can get you a better job, get you to a more comfortable apartment."

"Funny how you only think of that when we're done. Why would you care?" I ask.

"Because I love you." He reaches out for my hand, and I avoid it like the plague. Before, those words were soothing to the ear. Now that I've opened my eyes, I can't fall for his manipulating schemes again.

"You know, I was talking to my mum, and I kept asking myself, did I really love you, or was I just fascinated by the fact that I've always wanted what my parents have? Maybe I went for the bare minimum, hoping it would lead somewhere."

He scoffs. "You don't mean that."

"Stay away from me and tell your dramatic, brainless girlfriend to stay away from me too," I warn as I walk away, ignoring his calls of my name.

The next time I put a smile on my face is when I sit at the restaurant with Alicia.

"You dodged me yesterday," she complains.

Before I get the chance to defend myself, she adds, "Just like you dodged a one-night stand with-"

"The guy from the club? That's where this is headed, right?"

Of course, the next thing I'm going to hear is the proverbial saying, the best way to get over a man is to get under another one.

For a moment, the thought of it is not repulsive, especially since my brain starts to conjure up a hot image of him, but then I remember the type of asshole he was. Anyway, we'll never meet again. He was just a stranger...a hot stranger with a bad choice of words.

"Was he really an asshole?" Alicia asks.

"Are you an idiot?"

"All he did was state what he'd witnessed. You didn't even explain-"

"I'm the asshole, then. Got it." I nod listlessly. "Why are you defending him, anyway? Who is he?" I probe. She'd told me I would find out for myself, but I've not been interested.

Okay, that's a lie. Just that I've been busy with my troubling issues. Part of me is curious.

However, her response is a groan, followed by complaints about how old-fashioned I am, with a boring life, and then she returns her attention to her laptop.

"Anyway, let's talk about important things. I have been looking into this agency." She carefully slides the laptop over to my side.

"A housekeeping agency?" I narrow my eyes at the screen.

"I know... it sounds strange, but it's legit and worth it. The best part is that you get to work for billionaires. Pays well and has good reviews," explains Alicia.

"There are five vacancies," I state, after scrutinizing.

"That's the point. Try your luck and pray that you don't encounter an asshole of a boss."

For goodness' sake.

I could keep on complaining, but then I remember how much I need the money. It's worth the shot.

After lunch with Alicia, I head to the florist, just as I had promised mother.

She had asked me to take her space because she needed to see Theo.

I want to tell her that at least I applied somewhere, and I'm hoping for a positive response.

I even googled the salaries. Call me delusional, but since I hit the apply button, I've been having imaginations about getting paid, planning for the money I haven't received, let alone getting the job itself. I don't care about counting your chicks before they hatch and all that stuff.

My fantasy is interrupted when I get to the entrance of the shop. I notice two familiar faces I had hoped not to see again. My mum and dad are at the counter laughing at a joke they must have told them. What is the meaning of this? A mixture of anger and fear courses through me.

My mum notices me and calls me over.

"Emerald, you're here." She says.

Both men look at me with smiles I know very well to be fake.

"I want you to help me with these two customers. They are the funniest. It's been a long time since I laughed this much, right, honey?" She asks father, who is quick to agree.

I would have appreciated the fact that they made my parents laugh amidst the troubles in our lives, but there's nothing funny about Jake and Spencer.

What are they doing here?