Chapter 1; Lost

MAYA’s POV

If one more man snapped his fingers at me tonight, I am going to scream…quietly, of course, because rent would be due soon and I still needed this job.

I could feel the bass from the club speakers through my bones as I moved between tables, balancing a tray of drinks. My little toe was stinging in my sneakers with every step, and the smell of spilled beer clung to my clothes. This wasn’t exactly the glamorous life I had pictured for myself when I graduated, but here I was—twenty-four years old, serving drinks to sweaty strangers at midnight.

“Hey! Over here!”

A man with shoulder length blonde hair snapped at me from a corner booth, like I was a dog and he was calling for his pet.

I held back the first reply that popped in my head because that wouldn’t be good so I just plastered on my best fake smile, and hurried over. “What can I get you?”

He barely looked at me. “Two more of whatever this is,” he said, waving at his empty glass.

“Of course,” I said gently, because arguing would only make my night longer.

As I walked back toward the bar, my phone buzzed in the pocket of my apron. I wasn’t supposed to check it while working, but I was too curious. Maybe it was Sophia reminding me to eat, or Camila dropping one of her random voice notes full of unsolicited but loving advice. One thing I’m always grateful for was the sweet friends life has blessed me with.

But Nope.

It was another rejection email.

My shoulders slumped and my steps slowed.

“Dear Ms. Torres, thank you for your interest in joining our company. After careful review of your application, we have decided not to move forward at this time...”

I didn’t even finish reading. My chest felt like it had been punched. My thumb hovered over the screen for a moment before I shoved the phone back into my pocket and kept walking, blinking rapidly to keep the tears at bay.

Another rejection. Another “no.” Another reminder that I was stuck with these part-time jobs.

By the time I reached the bar, my smile had faded completely.

                        *              *              *               *

I managed to survive the next hour without breaking down in front of customers, but the moment I got a five-minute break, I ducked into the staff room and sank onto a chair. My feet were throbbing, my hair smelled like smoke, and I was losing the little patience I had.

I pulled out my phone and tapped Sophia’s name. She picked up on the second ring.

“Hey Soph.” I greeted.

“May? Are you okay? You sound like someone just stole your lunch.”

I let out a humorless laugh. “Try my future. I just got rejected. Again.” The tears were freely flowing now.

“Oh, May…” Sophia’s voice was as soft as a lullaby. She always sounded like she was speaking through a smile, calm and gentle. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine,” I said, though it wasn’t. “I should be used to it by now. I just—” I sighed and sniffed in. “I don’t know how much longer I can do this, Soph. I’m working two jobs and still barely keeping my head above water.”

“You’re not stuck forever,” she said softly. “You’re just passing through. This isn’t where your story ends.”

Her words squeezed something in my chest. Sophia always knew what to say to stop me from falling apart.

Wiping my eyes with my middle finger, I tried to smile even though she couldn’t see me. “Passing through, huh? Can I pass through to an island with a rich sugar daddy who doesn’t require actual sugar?”

She giggled softly. “You’d still complain about the sand being too hot.”

That made me laugh, properly this time, and for a moment I could almost forget where I was.

But then the memory of that email crept back, and my smile faded.

“You know what the worst part is?” I asked with my voice cracking. “I keep thinking about my old job. How hard I worked, how loyal I was. And then to watch my boss steal from the company and get away with it…”

Sophia was quiet, letting me talk, like she always did.

“I caught him once,” I whispered. “Sneaking money out of the account. And then when I found out he was using company funds to spoil his girlfriend with gifts, I couldn’t keep quiet. Next thing I know, I’m the one being accused of mismanaging files and asked to resign before things got messy.”

“That was wrong of them,” Sophia said in support.

“I know,” I murmured. “But it doesn’t stop me from thinking about it. About going over board just to please his girlfriend, even if obviously, it’s illegal. I can’t believe I am feeling jealous, how no one ever did those things for me. Not even Dan.”

There it was. The name I had been avoiding.

Dan Williams. My ex. The man who made me believe in love only to smash it to pieces. I used to think we were going to get married. I used to think he was the one. And then he—

I shook my head, suddenly angry at myself. “I hate that I still think about him.”

“It’s normal,” Sophia said. “He hurt you. You don’t just forget that overnight. But May… one day he’s going to be nothing more than a bad memory.”

I wanted to believe her. I really want to and I have to.

“Thanks, Soph,” I said quietly. “You always know how to keep me from falling apart.”

“That’s what best friends are for. Now, go survive your shift so we can eat pancakes tomorrow morning.”

I smiled at that. “Deal.”

                        *              *              *               *

When my shift finally ended, I grabbed my bag from the staff room, tossed my apron in the locker, fixed my hair and stepped outside into the quiet night.

I let out a tired sigh. God, it felt good to breathe.

The bass from the club was still thumping behind me, but out here it was quiet enough to hear my own thoughts—and honestly, that wasn’t always a good thing.

My feet hurt, my shoulders ached, but at least I was done for the night.

I pulled my jacket tighter around me and started walking toward the bus stop. 

My phone buzzed again.

I almost ignored it, thinking it was just Sophia, but when I saw Camila’s name.

Camila: May, I just found something. A good job, babe, and  it pays crazy good. Call me ASAP.

I stopped dead on the sidewalk, staring at the message, my tiredness forgotten for a moment.