Jawbreaker

Thalia’s POV Sometimes I like to spend a week away from my daily life to get a refresher, or to wash away the stress of the weeks before. Empty my mind, and fill my stomach with a good cold brew and some cheesecake. There are few places that I haven’t been to, for the simple pleasures in life. Or rather, for my career. In fact, two years ago I spent an entire month vacationing on the Florida beachfront with my little sister, for an article about ‘celebrity beachfront babes!’ …Yes. I know what you’re thinking, and yes, I’m a Journalist for a tabloid magazine. As embarrassing as it can be sometimes, I did choose this path for myself. So I guess… I’ll just have to live with it. Being a ‘gossip’ journalist isn't exactly what I pictured I would do forever. Truthfully, I wanted to be a romance novelist, maybe even a mystery novelist. But…it just so happened that the town newspaper was looking for an apprentice after I graduated highschool. I was also, conveniently, desperate for money. During my freshman year of highschool, when my baby sister was only eight, my mom found our father sleeping with his secretary. When she confronted him and tried to talk things out calmly, he packed his belongings and went on to his new ‘family’. From that point forward my mom worked eight to six everyday as a dental assistant, only to come home exhausted and depressed. She would quietly cry as she made us dinner, attempting to hide her pain from our youthful eyes. I knew all too well. I swore I would never let another man hurt my mom that way. I also promised myself I would protect my younger sister's good memories of our Dad, as it would only cause more pain if she knew what really happened. So, after my father left us, I became the reliable one in the family. Picking up extra work wherever I could, hustling, keeping myself busy and distracted as I made money to support our family. Thus- what brought me to where I am headed at this very moment. My best friend of twelve years, and counting, called me with a last minute request almost immediately following her glamourous wedding. “Thalia!” Fiona squealed, bouncing up and down, as she tugged my neck into a well acquainted hug in the middle of her doorway. “Thank you so much for doing this for me. I really don’t know how I will repay you.” Her beautiful black curls bounced effortlessly, perfectly complimenting her tall, slim, dark figure as she smiled at me. “It’s really nothing, the magazine is slow right now. Besides! You are my best friend. I wouldn’t do this for anyone else.” I smile softly, looking slightly up at her. Fiona had always been a head taller than me, back in grade school, and even now. It's never been too hard to out-grow me anyway, since I'm literally five feet tall. Most of my looks, including my height, came from my mothers side of the family. A good chunk of the women I am related to are fairly petite, given that my mom is white and vietnamese. My only faroff trait is I got my fathers weight, so not only am I short.. but I am also fairly plump. “Okay, come on in before my neighbors start getting irritated with us!” She chuckles, as one of her neighbors, an elderly man, grumbles with a side-eye towards us on his way down the hallway. I tuck away some of my long, silky, black hair, and step inside Fiona’s apartment. She shuts the door behind me, and walks towards the kitchen entry on the left side of the hallway. “Can I get you a drink? Perhaps a mimosa?” She laughs, asking with a cheery tone and pulling a white wine from her fridge. She places the glass bottle down with a clink, and reaches for the jug of orange juice on the refrigerator door. “Sure, I will have one.” I giggle, walking towards her bar and taking a seat in one of her dark leather barstools. I sit, facing her, as she mixes two drinks into fluted glasses on the counter before me. “So… How are things going with Dean?” I wink at her, using a sing-songy voice, in a rough attempt to tease her. “You ask that like we didn’t only get married yesterday.” She laughs softly, rolling her eyes, and passing a mimosa to me over the raised counter separating us. I grab the cold drink, taking a gentle sip from the edge of the glass. “But we are doing great, so far. He went into the office today to make sure everything is set for our honeymoon, he doesn’t want anything out of order when we come back.” She sighs, also sipping on her mimosa and leaning on the opposite side of the counter from where I was seated. “Just CEO stuff, you know?” “You forget that I don’t know.” I laugh heartily. Fiona can be so situationally clueless, even at 28 she is still a bit of a bird-brain when it comes to relating to others. Though, sometimes I like that about her. That youthful cluelessness I have always admired her for. “I still can’t believe that you two are planning to take an entire three months off. What the heck! I wish my job would allow me that much time off.” I pout, sinking down into the chair a bit. Heck, I wish I could afford to take that much time off. Suddenly something small and soft brushes up against my leg, a gentle purr rings in my ears. I look down, meeting eyes with a sparkly-eyed millie, Fiona’s tiny calico kitten. “Oh! Hey there sweet girl!” I lift her up and place her on my lap, where she spreads herself out comfortably. Her purring continues as she pushes my hand to scratch her head. “I missed you little Millie.” I smiled, finishing the mimosa in a shot so I could play with the adorable kitten. I step down from my seat, placing millie on the carpet and crouching next to her. I reach for a small basket under a side table in Fiona’s living area, pulling out a little mouse-on-a-string toy. “Get it Millie!” I giggle, dangling the mini mouse around in front of her. She growls, amused, purring softly as she chases the small toy with delight in her eyes. “Where's Emmett and Rose?” I tilt my head at Fiona, continuing to tease the kitten as I question her. “Probably hiding somewhere. TCH, I’m still pissed that Emmett managed to get my little Rosie preggers.” She scoffs and rolls her eyes, again, moving to the couch and watching as Millie rolls around on the floor, patting at the mouse. “Haha! Well, he is a young and handsome little devil. How could she resist?” I laugh, teasing my friend about her cats. A few weeks ago she found Emmett in a ditch by the gas station, she didn’t have the heart to leave him there, so she brought him home. She had planned to foster him and find him a forever home, but then a few weeks later, Rose wound up pregnant. Fiona truly had a huge heart for animals. “I hope it isn’t too much to ask you to stay here with them while I’m gone?” She looks at me with pleading eyes, “I really don’t want Rose to deliver the kittens alone, besides I have a way you can make some extra cash if you stay at my apartment!” She insists, clapping her hands together excitedly and scooting to the edge of the soft, white leather couch she sat on. “Extra cash? You know I won’t let you pay me for this. Seriously, I won’t take it.” I sighed and crossed my arms, I made a swift scoot from the floor onto the couch next to her, Millie scampering off to the bedroom with a small ‘mew’. “No, no. It's more of an actual job… well side hustle. He pays well though!” She waves her hand at me nonchalantly, toddling her head around in the same energetic manner she always has. Wait… what did she mean ‘he’? “He?” I raised my eyebrow at her, curious as to who this ‘he’ was. “I swear you better not be trying to set me up on another strange ‘blind date’ Fiona.” I quote with my fingers, feeling annoyed at the thought of the last ‘blind date’ Fiona sent me on. My hope in finding love has spiraled downward faster than a rollercoaster at an amusement park. For the past two years, Fiona has tried to set me up with multiple blind dates. Most failed, in fact, the last two crashed and burned epically. Not only was the first of the last two flaming gay, but he even openly asked me to be his cover because I was the perfect ‘happily fat’ girl his parents imagined him being with. I’ve never been so insulted by being used in my entire life, besides, I only weigh a hundred and eighty four pounds! I am NOT fat! I might be a bit plump, but there are plenty of men who have enjoyed that about me… if you know what I mean. As for the second guy, he was Dean’s old college friend. He didn’t seem too interested in having a meaningful conversation at all when we met up, in fact- it seemed he was likely only there for the s*x. He spent all of dinner ragging on his previous date for not f*****g him, after he payed ‘so much’ for thier outing. Let’s just say, I paid and disappeared through the bathroom window. Now every time I cross paths with him at one of Dean and Fiona’s ‘events’ I dodge him at all costs. “Yeah! The owner of the penthouse in our building is looking for a maid/gofer. I spoke with his secretary about you, and she asked if you could start as soon as possible!” Fiona explained, obviously ecstatic that she could land me this opportunity. “Though, she did also say that they hadn’t had anyone else apply because everyone is usually scared of him.” “What? Why would they be scared of him?” I question, confused and suddenly plagued by anxiety. “Some say he’s Just extremely intimidating… but others say he isn’t even real!” She busts out laughing, making me feel even more confused. *What the hell was she talking about?* “There are a few people who say the owner of the Penthouse here is actually the younger brother of Alexander Quinn.” She looks at me grimly, though she doesn’t notice she has enticed me beyond my normal excitement. “Alexander Quinn? Isn’t that the billionaire who hung himself in times square a few years ago?” My jaw drops, my eyes go wide, while a risky idea comes to mind. ‘This is the perfect article opportunity! I could get a personal interview with the infamous Quinn family and publish it! My boss would pay me a buttload!’ I think to myself, tingling with excitement and much anticipation. “Yes. The sole owner of Bizcorp, so you better take this Job! Working near him at all is a luxury!” She squeals, obviously in a daydream or daze of some sort. Drool basically drizzled from her bottom lip. I stand slowly, with my arms crossed and a finger on my chin, contemplating how in the world I will pull it off smoothly. “I’ll do it.” I answer her softly, determined to get an article out of this side job. Maybe double my newly found side income. Hopefully they don’t make me sign a privacy clause upon hire.