The Flames That Heal

A New Job

            She sat in the uncomfortable chair waiting for her uncle to enter the room. He was the only person she had left in the world since the incident a few months back involving an old friend of his. She’d met the man before but she never liked him. He was a jerk, the type of man she spent most of her time belittling until their ego was gone or just about nonexistent. There was nothing she loved more than that little game and he was the perfect person. The last she saw him was at a dinner he had hosted. He was with a woman, very blonde and beautiful, but he had begun to flirt with me. He reminded me of a guy I had met in high school. Wanting nothing to do with her uncle’s friend, she left the event early. She wanted nothing to do with a man like that.

            As she waited for her now late uncle, Ross moved to sit behind his desk. Pressing the spacebar, the computer screen lit up showing that she needed a password to enter. Being the computer whiz she was, Ross quickly got into the desktop. Bored, she surfed some of her favorite shopping sites before checking her email and routing to YOUTUBE. Fifteen minutes into a music video, her uncle entered the room. He sighed when he saw her on his computer.

            “What have I told you about using the computer Rosslyen?”

            “It’s not my toy. It is not to be used to surf the internet, or whatever else I use it for. It’s your work computer and you are tired of constantly changing the password and all that sorts.”

            “If you know this then why are you on my computer?”

            “Because I don’t care. It’s not like I was surfing porn sites. Besides, I haven’t opened up the security systems so everything is safe.”

            “That’s not the point young lady. The point is that you are invading my privacy and if you don’t know, all activities are monitored. I’ve been called to my boss’ office three times because of suspicious activity on the computer.”

            “I thought you were the boss?”

            “Everyone has someone they have to answer to.”

            “Fine, then tell your boss to call me next time he wants to see you.”

            “That would cause more trouble for me Ross. Can you go sit on the couch please?”     

            Ross sighed and moved the grey loveseat by his desk. Folding her arms, she waited for her uncle to speak.

            “Right, so I called you to ask if you wanted to make some fast cash.”

            “A job? Come on Uncle Henry, I can get a job by myself.”

            “I know that but I was asked to get someone I trust and I trust you more than anyone else.”

            She smiled knowing that he meant every word. “What kind of job?”

            “An associate of mine needs someone to help him around his lab. Work the computers and such.”

            “How much is the pay?”

            “Fifteen an hour for three months.”

            “How long are the work days?”

            “Nine to seven. If you calculate it, without taxes you’re making-”

            “One fifty a day, twenty one hundred every two weeks, forty two a month, twelve thousand six hundred by the end. If I’m correct,” Ross said, looking at her uncle to say so.

            “I’m not good with math. So I’ll just say yes.”

            “Thanks for the help.”

            “Will you do it?”

            “Well, the money’s good, not that I really need it.”

            “You didn’t answer the question.”

            “What’s the address?”

Henry wrote it down on a slip of paper, quickly jotting down the name of her new employer. Taking the paper, Ross kissed him on the cheek and told him she’d see him at home.

            When Rosslyen reached her house, she ran up to her room and out to the balcony. With her uncle having a vast amount of money, they lived in the heart of Manhattan, the penthouse suite of their building. She loved the place, especially the view she had of the city. She loved New York, from the skyscrapers to the hobos. She wouldn’t trade any of it for the world.

            As she stared out at the cloud covered sky, she saw fire race across the sky. Ross rolled her eyes, knowing it was that moron from the Fantastic Four. She didn’t know their real names but from what she heard on the news, she liked the other three more. The torch guy was just another womanizing jackass.

            The wind began to pick up as storm clouds rolled in. Tying her hair up, Ross went into the desk beside the sliding door and took out a sketch pad. I was hoping to do a portrait of my parents but I soon found myself drawing the guy from my high school, the jerk. Her thoughts drifted to him. He was attractive, with dirty blonde hair and gorgeous blue eyes, and funny but the fact that he’d slept with most of the girls in the junior and senior class put Ross off. Now she was no virgin herself but she very selective in her sexual conquests.

            Rosslyen sighed and returned the book to its designated spot. Entering her room, she stripped down and went to shower. When she had finished, she threw on yoga pants and a plain fitted orange shirt. She then grabbed her cell phone and called down to her favorite Chinese restaurant. She ordered her favorite dish, Lo Mein, for herself and chicken and broccoli for her uncle. When the food arrived, she dug in, finishing more than half of her noodles. Returning to her room, she went to brush her teeth and got into bed with Wuthering Heights in her hand. Soon she had fallen asleep with dreams of Heathcliff and Catherine.