After two months of unemployment i still hadn't found a job. It was harder than i had thought when I chose to quit my old job. People didn't want a quitter.
I spend most of my time in the garden.
I had finally gotten over my romance with Casey. I found out that i wasn't actually in love with him. I just fancied him a lot.
I had found my Mom's old painting supply and had started painting. It eased me in a way not even gardening could do for me.
William Navarro was an interesting Character. He was the librarian and was very bookish. He seemed nice and we got to talk a lot.
When he had to leave for the day he said: "I like you Kylie. You're an open and warm person. I would love to see you again some time." He took out a little notebook and a pencil and scribbled something down. "Here's my number. Please don't hesitate to call me when ever you like."
As i walked home, without the book i had been looking for, i thought about my meeting with William. He was so handsome and witty. He had told a perfect joke and i had laughed my heart out.
As i arrived home Skylar had already gone to sleep. She worked her butt off at the office every day. She deserved her beauty sleep.
I went upstairs and continued on the painting i had started earlier that day. While painting i couldn't stop thinking about William. I thought it was too soon to call him though. Maybe tomorrow. I could invite him over for dinner, i thought.
Happy with the thought of having William over for dinner the next night, i went to sleep.
I fussed in the kitchen with the final touches for our dinner. We were having Pan Fried Tilapia. I really hoped William liked it.
"This tastes amazing!" He said after swallowing his first bite. "You're a great cook," he said sending me a warm smile.
"Thank you so much! I'm so glad you like it." I said, very happy with myself and my effort. I wasn't the greatest cook. Not like Elaina. She could turn a burnt chicken into a gourmet meal.
After dinner we sat in the living room watching television and talked just about anything that were on our minds.
"I just didn't like working with science. I thought i would. It was my dream for many years, but when i finally did it, it just didn't feel right. I would much rather be in my garden tending to my plants or spend my time painting." I felt stupid for saying it. Those were hobbies! Not something you worked with.
"But didn't you say your Mother worked as a painter?"
"Yeah?" Then i had an epiphany and suddenly said excited: "Yeah you're right! I should work as a painter! Why haven't i thought about that before! Thank you so much for clearing that up for me."
"Glad to be at your service," he said, bowing his head and gesturing with his hand. "I would like to work with food instead of being at the library. I mean, i love books and their meaning. But food is my greatest passion. It is all i really care about. and hearing about how brave you were to quit your job, i might just follow suit."
"You should do that. Follow your dreams. You deserve to be happy," I said with all the warmth i could muster.
"Thank you," He said smiling at me. "When i'm famous and have my own restaurant you can come eat for free."
As we talked I realized that i felt completely safe around him. I hadn't had this much joy walking with someone else for a long time. It was so easy being with him, like breathing. When he left, i realized that i already missed him. I had fallen hard for the cute librarian.
The building were tall and white and blue with red stripes down the sides. A large swing door was placed in the middle of the wall. I stood outside looking in through the windows. I couldn't see the door anywhere. Maybe they would know at the reception.
I walked inside and stood in line to talk with the receptionist, whom i thought looked quite cute in his red and black uniform.
When it was my turn he asked, with a thick British accent, what he could do for me.
I gestured for him to get closer, leaned in and whispered in his ear: "I'm looking for the secret club. I want to join."
He looked at me seriously. "Just a second."
He turned to his co-worker. "Can you cover for me? I have to do something very important." She nodded and he gestured for me to follow him.
We walked through the hotel's dining room which was very elegant with white tablecloths on the tables and beige curtains. The walls were covered with a pretty baby blue blue wallpaper.
We walked through a door, down some stairs to a basement, through another door and down another set of stairs and then we were standing in front of a massive red door with a golden door handle.
The receptionist turned around to face me. "Are you absolutely sure you want to proceed? When you have started your trial, and payed the 10.000 simoleons to join, there is no turning back."
I could feel the envelope in my pocket weigh heavy against my chest. "I'm sure. I'm ready." I said very serious.
"Very well," he said. He pulled out a key from his inner pocket. He put the key into the keyhole and turned it around.
I was surprised at how easy the door, which looked quite heavy, opened up. I thought it would creak and be very noisy, but it didn't make a sound. We walked through a dark hallway with doors on either side of us. At the end there were another door, but this was slimmer and not so big as the previous one.
"Just walk through here. They will be waiting for you." He didn't look at me anymore. In fact he was already on his way back through the hallway towards the massive door from where we had come.
I looked up at the door in front of me. This was it. It was what i had been waiting for. Ever since i had come to England i had been wanting something different. Something that didn't involve changing diapers and feeding noisy children.
I was ready.
I touched the cold door handle. It was smooth and cold.
When i opened the door i was met with even more darkness, though a couple lights were hanging from the walls, giving an eerie feeling that crept through my skin into my bones.
"Welcome," a voice was heard. That's when i first noticed a table in the back of the room. Five people were sitting behind the table, all in black robes. I approached them, fearful. Was this the right thing to do? It was definitely darker than i had thought it would be. Was i gonna wear one of those robes as well? It seemed kind of strange if i were, considering the profession.
"New one, please sit down." The man in the middle said, gesturing to the chairs the were stacked against the wall to my left. I took one and dragged it out into the middle of the room, in front of the high table.
"Name?" the man in the middle asked.
"Kylie Bloom."
"And what is your business here?"
"I wish to join your organization. I want to be a pleaser."
The men looked at each other. I had thought it would be women that were controlling it all, and not men in black robes sitting in dark empty rooms.
"Very well," the man said. "Do you have the money?"
"I do," I quickly found the envelope and got up from the chair to give it to the man.
He took out the money, as i sat back down, and counted them.
"It seems to be the right amount. If you go to the far end of the room, there is a door. Enter the door and further instructions will wait inside the next room."
I thanked him and did as he said. I walked through the door, constantly on edge by the obvious looks the men sent me. I could feel it on my neck, my hairs stood up. When i opened the next door i was very surprised. I was met with a light room. It it weren't under ground i would have thought sunlight shone inside through the windows. But the windows i saw were merely pictures hung on the wall to give a sense of the outside.
The light came from ceiling lights which obviously had daylight bulbs.
"Hi!" a shrill voice met my ears. A red haired woman approached me, edging around one of the many rows of clothing, which made it impossible for me to see the end of the room.
"Hi," I said shy.
She looked me up and down and gave me an approving look. "You will do just fine!"
"Ehm.. thanks?" I couldn't quite get over the fact that other people were going to be judging my exterior soon. What if they didn't like what they got? I could be fired, or maybe worse. I didn't want to think about what might be worse than that.
"My name is Violet. I'm the head dresser around here. Oh i see the robe guys scared you, huh? Don't worry about them. You won't have anything more to do with them. They are the ones that pay you your salary, you won't be talking to them or anything. It's me you will be dealing with from now on. I get you clients and you please them. Then you will be payed and those money you give to me. And at the end of the month you get payed yourself. Do you understand? Oh i'm so thrilled i have a new student!"
She didn't wait for me to answer and just kept talking and talking about what it all was about and how the other students kept messing up, keeping the money for themselves, and therefor had been kicked out. I was not going to make the same mistakes and the other and former students. I was going to do it by the book! I would be the best damn pleaser there is!
"Now i need to know some basic things. Have you ever done it before?"
"Yes."
"Are you currently in a relationship?"
I thought about William. I'd like to think that we were in a relationship, but we hadn't kissed nor had sex. So were we in a relationship? Or were we just friends? I couldn't keep waiting for him to make a move.
"No," I answered feeling a little sad.
She kept on asking various questions. Once we were done, she pulled me towards a dressing room big enough to fit two people. "Now, i want you to get undressed and i'll measure you. We need to find appropriate clothing for you to wear when at work."
I wish she would come in with me. I felt way too self-conscious.
"Very well," she said after measuring me.
She left and came back with some black leather pants and a red and black corset and a pair of high brown boots. I quickly got dressed while she watched me, which made me uncomfortable. I didn't thin it would be, but the clothes were actually very comfortable to wear.
She walked around me, checking every inch of my body.
"Very well. It seems to fit you perfectly! What do you think of it?"
"It looks good and i like having it on me," I answered, smiling at her.
"You're ready," She said.
"You said i wouldn't be having anything more to do with those men in black robes." I said a bit shy.
"You won't," she said, puzzled at my question.
"Then how do i get back upstairs?"
"Oh," she chuckled. "We have another set of stairs through a door in the back of this room. You can use those. It will take you to the back of the hotel. The other entrance is just for the new ones that is seeking to join us. Just like yourself, in fact. But from now on you will use this other entrance. When you arrive here you are to use a password for the door to open." She scribbled four numbers on a piece of paper.
"Read it. Memorize it, and throw it away. Nobody else is to come in here."
"Okay," I said finally confident in myself.
As i went to work, i couldn't shake the feeling that it should have been William doing these things to me. He should have been the one to touch me here and there. He should be the one to kiss my lips. He should be the one to tell me how good i looks.
And i wish he was there to tell me good night. Nobody was going to do that now. This was for life. I would never have kids and i would never carry on the legacy that my Mother had put on my shoulders. I felt terrible.
I woke up, bathed in sweat and out of breath.
As i stood in the shower ten minutes later i couldn't decide if it had been a bad or good dream. It hadn't been a nightmare, but it had definitely made me realize something. I wanted William. I wanted him to be my boyfriend and to be the father of my children. I wanted to marry him. Not now, but at some point. I was ready to be in a relationship with him. We had been dating for three months now and we still hadn't kissed nor made love. I needed him. What was holding him back? I had to find out.
The day after we had had our conversation about careers, he had quit his job at the library to work at the restaurant. I had gotten a job as a painter. I was now to paint every day to improve my work performance.
That night i invited William over for dinner. The three of us ate in the living room in front of the tv.
He liked them, and complimented my garden.
When we stood on the terrace again i asked him: "William don't you like me?"
He looked puzzled at me. "Of course i do."
"Then why haven't you kissed me yet?" I looked shyly at him.
"It's not like i don't want to. I was just waiting for you to give me a sign that you wanted me to. You see, every time i meet someone new, i make a move too fast and they get scared away. That's why i have never been in a long-term relationship before. But i think it is time now." He leaned forwards and placed his lips on mine. It was magical.
He placed a finger on my chin and moved my head up so our eyes met. "Ask me again," he said sweetly.
"Would you like to move in with me?" I muttered.
"I would love to," he answered. We kissed and that night we also made love.
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