Big Paycheck, Big Deadline, Huge Apartment?!

Deadlines were a stressful period of time, especially when things were falling behind schedule. People cancel, shipments are delayed, articles have to be rewritten, all small issues that can add up to one big problem if they keep piling up. Alex wished she had three or four hands to deal with the extra work being tossed onto her desk. Fortunately, since the company was so desperate, they were willing to pay for overtime, so at least Alex would be getting a fatter paycheck out of the ordeal.

Speaking of paychecks, Alex was soaring high with pride when she first received hers. It was a direct deposit, so she didn't get to have the pleasure of holding the product of her hard work in her hands, yet seeing the numbers go up on her bank account was enough to have her jumping with joy. As promised, she took Val out to dinner to thank her for being so patient with her during the first couple of weeks of her new job. While Val was quick to laugh and try to wave it off, Alex insisted. It wasn't about obligation, but rather the principal! Or so she told herself.

Surprisingly, Val had decided on a popular family restaurant for their destination. Alex had been expecting a bar full of beer, punk rock, and bikers, yet she wasn't going to complain. Then again, every place has its pros and cons. As she scanned over the menu, her heart sank with dread once she realized family restaurants might be overpriced for what they give you these days. This was proven even further when the food actually came out, ribs for Val and a seafood pasta dish for Alex. Both were very simple and fairly passable in the flavor department. To add insult to injury, they only gave Alex four pieces of shrimp. That should be a crime!

"Me and my mum used to come here," Val explained while scarfing down her ribs like a hungry wolf, spewing bits of meat and sauce all over the table. "She'd take me... when she got her check too."

"That must have been nice," Alex replied as she poked at the rubbery shrimp with her fork.

"Yeah... it was." Val paused to wipe her face with a napkin. One of many that would be lost in this great feast. "Think that was... oh god. Five years ago now? No wonder it felt like I haven't been in here forever."

Alex had heard from Val what happened to her mother shortly after moving in. Lung cancer, plain and simple. Alex was surprised how casually Val spoke about it as if she was talking about an incident that happened to a friend. She theorized being detached was Val's way of coping, and thus she respectfully chose not to question it.

"What was she like?" Alex asked.

Val crossed her arms and mulled over the question for a moment. "Hm... actually, she was a lot like you."

Alex's eyes widened, completely baffled. "Really?"

"Yep. She wore a lotta make-up, constantly made a fuss 'bout her body, and let folks walk all over her."

Alex huffed and averted her gaze, not really taking that as a compliment.

Val continued, "She had a good heart too. It would get her in a ton of trouble though. Like, don't even get me started on how many dogs she'd take in that she randomly found on the street." She let out a hardy laugh, yet underneath her tough attitude was something soft and possibly vulnerable. "She pissed me off sometimes, and as I got older we fought a lot more often. Probably the main difference between you two is pride. She had too much, and you don't got enough."

"How do you have too much pride, but still have people take advantage of you?"

"By not admittin' it was your own fault."

"Fair enough."

Alex couldn't argue with Val about her lack of confidence. While she was trying her hardest in her new life, it wasn't like you could shake off a lifetime of trauma in a day or two. It took time. A lot of time.

"What 'bout you and your mom?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Fine. Back to the ribs then."

She hadn't told Val about it yet, but Val hadn't brought it up since Alex stated outright that she didn't want to. It was clear that Val wanted to respect her wishes, and Alex appreciated that.

Yet there was no way she was treating her to that restaurant again. She nearly snapped when she saw the bill at the end of it. Who charges prices like this? They didn't even get drinks! This is a scam! A SCAAAM!!!

Snapping out of that terrible memory, she breathed out a huge sigh as she finished dropping off the last batch of clothes for the day at their designated location. It was at least an hour past her shift, meaning she could bill for overtime, right? As she was wondering about this, her phone suddenly went off. She didn't get calls very often, so even if she didn't recognize the number she instantly pulled it out of her skirt pocket to answer. Worst case scenario she could just hang up if it was a scammer or a wrong number.

However, the voice on the other line was the last person she would have ever expected.

"Hello, Alex. This is Edmund Hironori, the editor-in-chief. Nami gave me your phone number. Are you still at the office?"

Alex covered her mouth to stop herself from gasping, her heart nearly leaping up her throat due to the sudden shock. What was he doing calling her?! No, calm down. This is most likely about work. She had to be a professional. She took a second to clear her voice and compose herself to respond properly.

"Ah... yes, I'm still at the office," Alex said.

"Good," Mr. Hironori said. "I accidentally left a file in my office. With the upcoming deadline, I can't afford to wait until Monday to come get it."

Right, because of his kid. Alex refrained from saying that out loud since she wasn't supposed to know.

"Do you want me to fax it over to you?"

"I don't have a fax machine at home. I actually live down a few blocks from the company. Do you mind bringing it over? I'll pay for a taxi to take you home."

Her jaw almost dropped to the floor. How was she even supposed to react to a situation like this? Going into an attractive man's home, who mind you was also her boss?! Despite her stomach being empty and ready for dinner, it managed to gurgle uncomfortably at the conflicting thought.

"Can you do it?" Mr. Hironori asked, and Alex realized she never gave a response. She panicked and blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"Um... yes! Just text me all the details."

Well, there was no going back now. Finding the file was simple enough. His address was easy to figure out on her GPS too, being practically a straight path from work. She noticed this led to the luxury apartments over in the opposite direction from where she would normally walk home. Because of this, she hadn't gotten much of a chance to explore that area. It was certainly more refined than other areas of the city, lined up with luxurious stores with luxurious products for luxurious people. All the gold, jewels, and expensive watches glittered through the glass windows, and Alex had to stop herself from staring multiple times. Even the food looked luxurious, with a bakery full of beautifully decorated cakes and Michelin star restaurants packed with people who could afford to book months in advance. Maybe she'll be a customer in there someday.

Finally, after trekking through this sparkling, metal jungle, she reached her destination. The apartment was several floors up, tucked away in a corner at the end of the hall. Alex stared down at the doorbell and swallowed nervously, gathering up all of her courage to press it. The bell rang loudly throughout, as one would expect, and less than a minute later the door opened. Mr. Hironori was on the other side, having taken off the coat and tie of his suit, and a few strands of hair fell just above his eyebrows. Alex was starstruck, admiring how handsome he was even when dressed down. In fact, dressing down somehow added to his appeal. She doubted the other ladies at work got to see him this relaxed.

"Do you have the file?" Mr. Hironori asked, getting straight to the point.

"Yes!" Alex replied faster than her mind could actually process in its current daze, then handed the file in question over to him. "Here!"

He nonchalantly took the file from the opposite end. "Thank you. I'll call the taxi for you now. Would you like to wait inside, or would you prefer to wait out here?"

"Yes, inside please!" Wow, no hesitation at all. She immediately realized her desperation was showing. "Erm... I mean I'd be more comfortable waiting inside. If you don't mind."

Unfazed by this, Mr. Hironori simply stepped aside to let her in. When walking in, it was clear Mr. Hironori had a taste for a modern, minimalist style. While there was everything you would expect in an apartment, that was all there was to it. The kitchen on the left was fully decked out with hardwood flooring and a marble island to separate it from the rest of the place, and the living room in the middle had the white couch, black coffee table, and widescreen television that needed to really be called that. Past the living room on the right was a hall that likely led to the bedroom and bathroom, and even from the entrance, Alex could tell that didn't have much.

The apartment was mostly white, except for the short, blue carpeting, and the other splashes of black and blue that decorated it were mainly from the random art pieces on the wall. The splatters that could even be called art were clearly there to fill up space. On the bright side, it was very spacious, the living room itself bigger than Alex's living room and kitchen combined. Behind the couches were large, wall-sized windows that gave a scenic view of the city, and Alex was tempted to stay as long as possible to see how it was at night.

While Alex was in the middle of admiring the apartment by the window, Mr. Hironori approached her from the side.

"They'll be here in a few minutes," he stated plainly. "I apologize for taking up so much of your time. You can count this as part of your overtime."

Alex turned to face him and raised her hands to wave them. "No, it's fine! I don't mind. It was close anyway."

"It was still a mistake on my part. There is no excuse for my carelessness." He proceeded to bow to emphasize his sincerity. "I truly am sorry."

Now she felt bad for him, which only caused her to flail about even more. "No, really! I get it. I make mistakes all the time! And it was easy to solve, right? So let's put it in the past and focus on moving forward."

He stood up straight and shifted his gaze over to the window. "Yes, you're right. I shouldn't waste any more of your time. You should go."

While Alex was sad to hear this, she knew what he meant. "Alright. If you need anything else, you can call or text me anytime. Good night, Mr. Hironori."

"Good night, Alex."

After leaving the apartment, Alex found the taxi hadn't shown up yet, so she had no choice but to stand by the curbside to wait. The awkwardness of hanging around was soon broken by the sound of a child sobbing close by, and she glanced over towards where the sound came from, somewhat concerned. Fortunately, the blonde woman beside the little boy had kneeled to comfort him, patting his shoulder and talking him through it.

"It's okay. We just have to wait until tomorrow. You can do that, right?"

"But mom..."

"I know it's hard, but we can get through this together. You know..."

Alex couldn't hear everything they were saying, but she could tell from the woman's kind, gentle voice that she was a good mother. Whatever she had said seemed to work, since the boy wiped his tears and calmed down not long after. In fact, by the time the taxi arrived, the mother and son were holding hands and walking away with big smiles on their faces. It was a cute sight to see, yet it also made Alex feel lonely. When she cried as a kid, her mama would yell at her to quit making a fuss and stop already because 'big boys don't cry'. What did a 'big boy' mean anyway? Didn't everyone have a right to cry sometimes? It never seemed fair. The loneliness inside her heart unlocked more unpleasant thoughts and feelings bitterly clutching at her chest, all threatening to build up and explode to the surface.

This time, if she wasn't going to cry, it was because she didn't want to ruin her makeup and make it weird for the taxi driver. Then when she got home, she could cry all she wanted until she felt better, and no one could tell her otherwise. Because that's what adults do.