208

re, n

n all day long. It was her only bank account, too. So, it was the on

er phone screen and

as praying every day and every night for some money to come in after t

fort... Being a struggling, working model and part-time make-up artist fro

ng from college, she had been trying her best to break into the make-up industry and in

close proximity day after day with an inappropriate, self-absorbed m

t (a.k.a. personal maid and office secretary). But she would rather find another path to traverse than have to interact

experience by now. It didn't get that serious, anyway. She didn't even tell anyone about it. Not even her parents or her

ed memories she would rather not dwell on at this point of her life. She was well into adulth

matter how often she tried convincing herself that it didn't matter now bec

her life free from the mentally traumatic shackles of that small, boring, gray-walled office she used t

erk's desk, she had promised herself to only look forward since that day and forget about the

esson after what happened, and she had a good reason to start

s. Aspire for so

use her life wasn't quite where she wanted to be at this point, and having been let go from a

rking out more, moving to a better neighborhood, doing

t was her meager earnings from doing part-time make up gigs

e right genes for that kind of modeling, is all. Jessi threw her phone onto the pillo

f the photos would be bought by her patrons online. Sadly, no on

r life now was that she was no longer living off her parents' working-class salaries and

. They preferred the small town life. But Jessi didn't. Ever since graduating from high school, she ha

and a blooming career that would enable her to reach her goals before

in the lottery

en raised in a religious family. Therefore, believing in plain luck in o

some

ek, next mont

r pay all of her bills without fearing she would run out of money for h

some slack and lead her straight in

she had to stay optimistic. Jessi got u

ying. No time for drama. She was running out of money and patie

hours l

es. This is Jessia

from the HR office. I came across your signed application letter e

Steinway. LA

eed worked. Jessi took in a deep breath and tried not to jump all over the bed, but her bloo

e she heard of it after taking up that 30-day cosmetology training course back when she was working

le her heartbeat escalated into a faster pace that almost made her stomach turn into knots. "And yes. Definitely. I'm very muc

nded like she was barely 18, but maybe her voice was just naturally high-pitched. "After checking with my imme

know if she had enough money for airfare but...whatever. She would borrow money from her p

into my ten o'clock. Since that's the only time my boss is f

ine and no longer pretending that being a freelance make-up artist slash part-time

new opportunity even brought her relief from all the anxiety she had been feeling lately. "I just have to book a flig

well as a quick online test for you to complete within the hour. If you need fu

l wait. T

talking to you today,