Episode two
850 Words
Belly and Jessie went for the interview, got the job, and were told to resume the following Monday. Kayla was thrilled when she heard the good news. That weekend, they went shopping for work clothes, excited that they were finally employed.
On Monday morning, the subway was packed. Jessie stood with her hands folded around the strap, eyes unfocused as bodies pressed in from all sides. Beside her, Belly was busy adjusting her shirt and reapplying her lip gloss. Jessie felt nothing,no discomfort, no curiosity…just a vague awareness of being surrounded.
At work, Jessica did exactly what was expected of her. She answered emails politely. She smiled when spoken to. She laughed softly at jokes she didn’t quite understand. When her coworkers talked about dating..about weekends tangled in bedsheets or arguments that ended in apologies…she listened without interrupting.
She always listened.
“Men are all the same,” someone said one afternoon, leaning back in their chair. “They only care about one thing.”
“If they don’t touch you, they don’t love you,” another voice added. “Simple as that.”
Laughter followed.
Jessica kept her eyes on her screen, fingers hovering over the keyboard. She wondered, distantly, what it would feel like to miss someone’s touch….not in theory, not in the abstract way people discussed it, but in the hollow, aching way they described it. She had never really known that feeling.
Belly, on the other hand, had never learned how to be quiet.
She burst into places the way wind rushed through open windows…unapologetic, loud, and impossible to ignore. When she entered a room, she brought noise with her: heels clicking, laughter spilling, opinions ready to be shared whether anyone asked or not.
Minutes after they had settled at their desks, the phone rang on Belly’s desk. She picked it up, listened briefly, then stood.
“They want us at HR,” she said, walking over to Jessica’s desk. “Both of us.”
“Us?” Jessica looked up. “Why?”
“HR asked to see us,” Belly repeated.
As they walked down the hall, Jessica sighed. “What mess did you get us into now? We just resumed, bitch.”
“Me? Get into trouble?” Belly scoffed. “I’m not that bad.”
“Then he must’ve found out,” Jessica said.
“Found out what?”
“That you’re a crazy b***h,” Jessica replied.
They burst out laughing.
“But seriously,” Jessica added, “why are they calling both of us?”
“You already forgot why we’re here?” Belly said sarcastically. “Because you were too busy admiring a desk taller than you.”
They laughed again, then Belly suddenly paused.
“Wait….why is your face swollen?” she asked. “Did you even sleep? Or did you enjoy a steamy night with Kelvin because you finally got a job?” She exaggerated a blushing face.
“Yes, I hardly slept,” Jessica replied dryly.
“Is it that bad?” Belly teased.
“Not really.” Jessica replied.
“Well, take it easy,” Belly said. “There are plenty of hot, fresh ones out there. Don’t let one man age you too fast.”
“Please, let me be. It’s my body…or are you tired of it?” Jessica shot back.
“How can anyone get tired of sweet cucumbers?” Belly replied.
“You’re a nutcase,” Jessica said, laughing as they stepped out of the elevator and walked toward the HR office.
They greeted the HR manager as he placed two podcast scripts on the table. The title read: Our s*x Life.
“You two went to the same college, right?” he asked.
“Yes, sir,” they answered in unison.
“Judging by that,” he said with a smile, “you must be good friends. That’s important for the sake of this show.”
He continued, “The podcast is about the secret s*x lives of women. You should talk freely…like sisters or close friends.”
“I get nervous in front of cameras,” Jessica admitted.
“That won’t be a problem,” he replied. “It’s recorded, not filmed.”
“The project will run for two months,” he added. “After that, you’ll receive one month of paid leave.”
“One month of paid leave?” Belly’s eyes widened.
“If this doesn’t work for you,” he said calmly, “there are others willing to take the job.”
Jessica stood up immediately. “We’ll do our best.”
“We can do it,” Belly added. “We will.”
“When can you start?” he asked.
Jessica hesitated. “Um…”
“Tomorrow,” Belly said quickly. “If everything’s ready, we can start tomorrow.”
Jessica shot her a sharp look.
“Are you okay with that, Jessica?” he asked.
“Y–yes,” she replied. “I am.”
“Good,” he said. “You can return to work. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
- Writer
