Oxytocin (Medicinal Love Book One) FIRST DRAFT ONLY

Chapter 28

October 27, 2011 / 9:25 am

"How about retail?"

"What? Standing all day in my heels? Pass."

A letter "x" was put on a piece of paper. " Real estate?"

"Possibly...if it's an admin position."

"No. It looks like you'd be showing off houses."

"I'm not a realtor, so no."

The two women flopped back with groans against the soft pillows of Aija's couch. Since Briseis came to visit Aija at her condo in the morning the two had been chatting between breakfast and now they were discussing ways for the former medical office receptionist to get back to work. They had put suggestions down but none of them were what Aija wanted for herself. It was beginning to feel like there were no leads and Aija rubbed her forehead slow at the thought of being unemployed for a very long time. The discomfort in her growing headache contrasted with the comfortable feeling of her gray long-sleeved sleep shirt and pink sleep pants with gray butterflies. Her toes wiggled in her furry slippers.

"Would it really be so bad?" Briseis asked Aija as she reached for a raspberry muffin that Aija had baked earlier. Aija glanced up at Briseis in confusion; her hand mid-rub.

"What do you mean? Not having a job?" She asked as Briseis nodded making her curls bounce carelessly in her face. When Aija asked her to explain, Brie sat up while dusting her hands-free from crumbs. "I mean, you really have a millionaire for a boyfriend. Or did you forget that?"

Aija frowned slightly. "I will never forget that. Hell, I'm still in shock over it. But the fact that my man has millions of dollars doesn't change who I am as a woman. Dollar bills don't change my independence." She looked around her house- everything inside of it was stuff that she had gotten for herself and she was pretty proud of that. She was truly living her life the way she wanted and having a rich boyfriend taking care of her every whim just didn't sit right with her. Her eyes focused on a picture of a gazelle on an orange background; her favorite piece of art.

Briseis gave her new friend a smile. "Good point. I just thought that maybe things would be easier for you if Hikaru helped out money-wise." She said as reached for her cup of coffee as Aija shook her head slowly.

"Easier doesn't always mean better."

"You're right. So the question is...what do you want?"

Aija sighed out heavy as if just doing that would lift a bit of her burden. "I wish I knew the answer to that right now, Brie. Right now, things are just blank."

Briseis flashed a comforting bright smile and took Aija's hand. "Give it time. It will come to you before you know it." Aija squeezed Brie's hand in appreciation. Just like Shae, Brie was growing to be a favorite in her life. How nice would it be to be best friends with the wife of her lover's best friend? Maybe they would be wives together one day. The thought of being married to Hikaru filled her with such peace.

The soft slapping of Briseis' hands as she wiped away more crumbs off of them brought back Aija's attention. Aija watched her as she got up. "I have to head out, Aija. Takumi and I are going to go sightseeing before we have to head home." She said with a big smile.

"Hikaru going with you guys?"

"Nah...we'll let him work. Takumi has been here more often than I have of course, so I'm in good hands. See you a little later?"

Aija nodded, smiling as she followed Briseis to the door. "Sure! Maybe by then, I'll have a career in mind."

Briseis gave a peace sign as a goodbye gesture. "Good luck!"