6. Getting hired

I wake up the next morning with a bad case of hangover. I'd forgotten how annoying hangovers were.

Luckily for me, the babysitter is still present and she helps prepare Lucas for school.

I don't get up until I hear a knock on the door. I groan. "Don't come in."

The person comes in anyway and I open my eyes slowly when I hear the light footsteps coming toward me. It's Lucas. "Hi, mommy."

I sigh internally, hoping he doesn't ask questions that I can't give the answer to. "Hi, baby."

"I picked out my outfit myself." He grins proudly. He's putting on a grey undershirt, grey shorts, and a blue striped flannel shirt, complemented with his blue converse. I chuckle. He does have an eye for good things.

"You did, didn't you?"

Lucas frowns at my lack of enthusiasm and peers down at me. "Are you sick?"

"Something like that. Don't worry, I'll be okay."

He looks at me like he doesn't believe me and leans down to place a kiss on my forehead. "Feel better."

I can't help but smile at the gesture. Even if everything in my life is going to shit, I know I have one good thing going for me.

I only sit up when Lucas leaves for school and try to recall what happened yesterday. I remember meeting a man that bought me drinks. I also remember telling him about Shawn and his mate. I wasn't in the right state of mind to drive so he put me in a taxi.

Fuck, I'll have to go back to the club to get my car.

I stand up to go take my bath when I see an odd piece of paper on my nightstand. Picking it up, I realize it's a card. A company card. I scrunch up my face in confusion. Why do I have a— oh! Gabriel gave me a card yesterday and instructed me to email them my resume.

You can imagine that I abandon the idea of refreshing up. Immediately, I pick up my laptop and go straight to my email.

Double H Tech.

It is such a strange name for a company. More so, I wonder what kind of job they'll have for me in a tech company, but I don't dwell on it. If he believed I could get a job there, it won't hurt to try.

Seeing that I've been writing a lot of application letters these last few weeks, I quickly whip one from my samples as my brain is not in the right condition to think properly and attach my resume before hitting send.

Only then do I make my way into the bathroom.

I waste a lot of time showering since I don't have much to do anyway. I won't be going out to search for more jobs and if Double H Tech doesn't respond, I'll have no choice but to contact my parents.

I grit my teeth at the thought, but I have to remind myself that I am doing it for my son's future and nothing else.

After showering, I dress up and leave my room to see that Hilda, Lucas' babysitter, has already cleaned the house. It's not part of her job description, but she does it whenever I'm sick or hungover which increases her payment.

She's a nice girl who finished high school last year but is taking a leap year to scrap some money together. Like me, she's also trying to get herself together.

When I enter the kitchen, there's breakfast of eggs and toast waiting for me and I mentally thank Hilda for it before scarfing down the food.

I sigh when I'm done. I've never been this idle. I don't know what to do with all this free time. I don't have any friends that I can call to hang out with since it's a Thursday and a working day nor do I have anything to do.

It also doesn't help that Hilda has done all the cleaning already. How did she manage to do all that and still get Lucas ready for school so early? Does she possess some superpower I don't know about?

Too bored for my own good, I pull up G****e on my phone and search for my parents.

My mother is a neurosurgeon and my father is a lawyer. Typical. Both of them wanted me to follow in their footsteps and left the choice up to me. My relationship with them cracked when I announced I was studying advertising and marketing. It suffered when I found out I was pregnant in freshman year and told them. It became non-existent when I decided I was keeping the baby.

I haven't talked to them since then and they haven't tried to reach out either, despite the fact that we are in the same state and city.

I wonder if they'll respond if I reach out to them. Will they accept me back now that Lucas' dad is out of the picture? Will they accept Lucas as well?

These thoughts plague my mind as I check the fridge to find it almost empty. Finally, something to do.

I rid my mind of my parents and put on shoes before leaving the apartment and locking it behind me.

As usual, I take the stairs, counting it as my workout. When I get down to the parking lot, I cursed out loud. I totally forgot about my car being in the club.

Not wasting any more time, I flag down a taxi that takes me straight to the club I visited last night. After getting my car, I drive to the supermarket and begin my shopping.

Grocery shopping doesn't last long because I get the same things every time and they're easy to find. I check the time on my phone to see that it's past twelve. I start going home, knowing Lucas will be back in an hour and I'm yet to make lunch.

I'm in the middle of lunch making when I hear my phone ping. I wipe my hand on my apron and pick up my phone, my eyes bulging when I see it's an email. Precisely, a reply to the email I sent in the morning.

I hold my breath.

'From: [e-mail]

To: ariajen15@g***l.com

Date: March 15, 2022, 12:54 pm

Re: Application for the post of an advertiser.

Dear,

Thank you for sending in your application. I have looked through your resume and confirmed its genuineness.

I am delighted to inform you that you have been hired to work as an advertiser in the advertising and marketing department.

You may come in on Monday to finalize your employment contract.

Sincerely,

Managerial department.'

My mouth falls open. I got the job? How? They didn't even request an interview! Is Gabriel psychic? Did he know that this would happen?

I close my eyes and reopen them and read through the email again. It's still the same message. I've been hired. I can't believe this.

I pick up my phone and call Heather. She doesn't answer at first and I'm sure it's because of the no phone police at Landon and co, but I call again.

"Is something wrong?" She asks when she picks up.

"No, nothing is wrong. Everything is right." I tell her. "Guess what, Heather!"

"You finally got laid?"

"What? No." I laugh. She's always telling me I need to get laid because I haven't had sex since Lucas' father. She has tried a lot of times to set me up with someone, but I end up canceling before the day even reaches because I know I'll end up wasting their time. I don't have the time to date. I only have time for Lucas and work. "I got a job!"

"Oh my God, Aria. That's wonderful!" She exclaims, excitement seeping from her voice.

It is wonderful and I have Gabriel to thank for that. I don't know how I'll see him again. Hell, I don't know if I'll see him again. He really was a God sent. "I know."

"What are you working as?"

She knows how hard it is in getting a job in my field so her question doesn't surprise me. "An advertiser, of course."

"Wow. I thought it'd be harder because you got fired and employers don't take well to that. Where are you working? Is it popular?"

Her question makes me pause. I don't even know if it's a big company or a small one because I know nothing about the company. I just know that they are a tech company and they need an advertiser. I don't care much though. As long as I have a stable source of income. "Double H Tech." I recite what I saw on the card. There's silence on the other end. "Heather?" She doesn't answer and I have to check if the call is still on. It is. "Heather?"

"Holy shit, Aria. Holy fucking shit."

"What?" I ask, almost panicking.

"Double H what?"

"Double H Tech," I repeat, becoming confused at her reaction.

"How the hell did you score an interview there?"

I blink in surprise. "I didn't go for an interview…"

"Then…"

"I just sent an application letter." There was silence again but for a longer period this time. "Heather! You're beginning to scare me."

"No, you're scaring me." She retorts. "I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that you got employed there and now to hear that you only sent an application? How?"

Why was she making a big deal about it? Were they that big? "Well, someone gave me their card and told me to email them, so I did."

"Who?"

"Some man I met at the club yesterday."

"You went to the club yesterday?" Heather screeched, making me pull the phone away from my ear a bit. "And you didn't think to invite me?"

I sigh. "I only went to drink my problems away."

"So? What difference does it make?"

"I didn't think you'd be up for it. You still have to work in the morning by the way."

"Aria." Heather sighs and I know I'm in for a lecture. "You know I'll always be there for you, right? I don't want you to ever think you don't have anyone. I'm here. Always. If you need someone to talk to, ring me. If you need someone to accompany you to a club, fucking ring me. You know this, don't you?"

"I do."

"Good." The tone of her voice tells me she's rolling her eyes at me and I don't blame her. "Now, tell me all about this club and the man you met."