Arya’s POV
“Arya?… Arya!”
“Yes boss?” I jumped back into reality. “Need an extra shift? C'mon kid, pack up. It's late.”
I let out a tired sigh as I changed out of my work clothes and headed straight to my car. All I could think about was a relaxing, hot shower and my fluffy pillows.
My thoughts were interrupted by my vibrating cellphone. It was an unknown number.
“Hello?”
“Miss White?” the lady at the end of the line spoke.
“Yes, this is her,” I replied while starting my engine.
“Good evening, it's Sarah from Greenhouse.” Shit. What day is it? “I wanted to remind you of your grandmother's payment. You're two days late and that needs to be sorted before her next session.”
Shit. Shit. Shit. I almost forgot about that.
“I'm so sorry, I'll get that to you by tomorrow.” I said apologetically as I hung up the phone.
My life was a mess. How could I forget the payment for my grandmother's dialysis treatment was due already?
I let out a huge sigh for the thousandth time today as I headed straight to Julia's apartment. I could use a bit of her sunshine right now, my pillows could wait.
“Jules baby, mama's home!” I called out as I plopped myself onto my best friend's couch, helping myself to some leftover chips I found.
“Right on time! C'mon girl, get dressed. We're going out.” Julia said, opening her wardrobe and pulling out random clothes.
“No, no, no, no,” I whined. “I'm not up for it. I'm really tired.” I said, hugging a pillow to myself, hoping she was going to be convinced.
“You know I'm not taking no for an answer,” Julia answered with a stern look. “You've worked your ass off all week, we both have, and we deserve a little something to take that edge off. Now get up.”
Julia was the sister I never had. We had known each other since we were little and we had similar lives.
My mom left when I was a kid, shortly after my dad died. Though I still had my grandma, Julia was an orphan and had no one. She had lost her parents in a car crash.
We were both struggling to survive and had each other to fall back on in our different times of grief.
I remember it like it was yesterday. The day my father died and my mother became a whole new person. She had dropped me with my grandma one day, promising to come back to get me. I never saw her again.
My grandma is all I've ever known. The only family I had left. And I loved her so much, even after she was diagnosed with kidney failure and I had to work my ass off everyday to be able to pay the medical bills which I could barely afford.
“This or this?” Jules asked, holding up two very sexy dresses.
“I'll go with the black one.” I replied, taking it from her and walking to the bathroom to take a shower.
“Now that's the spirit!” She said excitedly as we both laughed.
After taking a shower, I got dressed as Jules did my hair and makeup. I stared at myself in awe. She had curled my hair beautifully and beat my face to perfection.
I stood and walked to the floor length mirror, taking in my reflection. The dress clung to my body in all the right places.
“You, my girl, are gonna get some tonight.” Julia teased, slapping my ass as she walked over to put on her heels.
It was a fifteen minute walk from Julia's apartment. We got to the club and I headed straight for the bar, pulling Julia behind me.
“Six shots of tequila please!” I yelled to the bartender over the loud music.
We gulped down three shots each as we moved to the dance floor, letting the alcohol take control over our bodies.
I wished for more days like this. Days that I could be loud and free, without a care in the world. But I couldn't afford to. I didn't have the luxury to be care-free and to do whatever I wanted.
I had to work ten times harder than everybody else, just to survive. Sometimes, I wondered if things would have been different if my mother never left.
I wished I could see her again. Not because I miss her. She was dead to me. I wanted to tell her how much she failed in her responsibilities as a mother. Leaving at such a crucial time, a couple weeks after my dad's death.
I wondered if she had started a little family of her own wherever she was. While I was here, doing everything I could while grandma was slowly dying.
“Ari!” I was pulled out of my train of thoughts.
“That guy seems to be checking you out!” Jules yelled into my ears, pointing over to someone at the corner of the room.
I let my eyes wander in the direction she was pointing. Then I saw him.
Time seemed to stop for a moment. I was met with a pair of eyes staring back at me. They weren't warm, yet I couldn't look away.
He was dressed in a suit that hugged his broad shoulders. His jet black hair framed his face, slightly messy, but still managed to look perfect.
“Who wears a suit to a club?” I turned to Julia only to see her making out with some guy. I let out a sigh as I turned back to the mystery guy.
He sat at the bar, twirling a cup in his hand. A couple silver rings adorned his fingers. He brought the cup to his lips slowly as he took a sip, never breaking eye contact.
His gaze held mine firmly and his lips curled into a faint smirk, as if daring me to look away first. Maybe it was just the alcohol but my body reacted before my mind could and I found myself walking towards the direction of his gaze.
His eyes glistened with interest as I stopped beside him, close enough to feel the warmth radiating from him.
My breath hitched as his eyes flicked to my lips before they moved back to my eyes. It was slow and intentional.
“Drink?” He asked, his voice rich and smooth. He turned to talk to the bartender as I caught sight of the faint tattoo behind his ear.
“Careful,” he said. I gave him a confused look. “You're staring.”
“No I'm not.” I denied, collecting my drink.
“You were.” He replied.
“You started it.” I shot back, bringing the cup to my lips.
I watched as his Adam's apple bobbed up and down, his gaze following my lips as I took a sip. I let out a satisfied smirk.
“Did I?” He asked, turning to face me fully. I suppose that was a rhetorical question but I found myself nodding anyway. “Then I guess I should finish it.”
I dropped my cup after emptying the content as he slid his card forward to the bartender, our fingers brushing in the process.
He didn't ask if I wanted to leave with him. He just simply tilted his head and said, “Come with me.”
