The phone rang only a thousand times. Valarie ran out of the bathroom and hurriedly wrapped herself in her towel. The water dripping from her skin pooled around her feet.
"Gosh it's seven in the morning. What could possibly be so important?" she grumbled.
"Hello?" she spoke aggressively into the phone.
"Hello good morning. May I speak to Ms. Valarie Lauryn please?"
"This is she" Valarie responded.
"Oh great! This is Mrs. Lane Austin from RBC bank. We've noticed that some of your checks bounced. Also, you have not yet paid off your loan and some utility bills have not yet been cleared. We'll need you to come in as soon as possible to rectify this."
Valarie furrowed her brows.
"Wait that's not my account. Well I know my name is on it but my aunt was really sick and she couldn't come in at the time to make the account so she asked me to just make it on my name for her. All the responsibility is on her not me."
"Well I'm sorry ma'am but the account is on your name therefore you are going to have to come in to clear this up."
Valarie ran her hands through her hair and sighed.
"Fine, I'll come in" she said then hung up.
"You've got to be kidding me" she muttered. She dialed in her aunt's number and called.
"Valarie!" her aunt greeted.
"Hi aunty."
"How are you? What brought you to call this early?"
"I'm okay...Well just a little worried. The bank called this morning and said that your cheques bounced and you didn't pay your loan and bills. How could that be true? Didn't you tell me that you cleared all your debts when you were paid your resignation money? How can they say that it's not cleared?"
Silence filled the air. There was no response. Valarie waited a few more moments.
"Are you there?" she called.
"Um yes, I'm here" she responded softly.
"The loan, bills, money? Why did the bank call?"
"That's not my problem. It's your account."
"What? I just made the account for you because you couldn't but it's not my account. You are the one that took the loan and it was your responsibility to pay it back. What did you do with all your money?"
"As I pleased" she responded.
"It's not my account, it's yours so the problem is between you and the bank, not me!" She hung up the phone.
"Hello? Hello?"
Valarie checked her phone to see that the call had ended. She furrowed her brows and called again. This time there was no answer.
"You have got to be freaking kidding me! She didn't just-"she paced the floor in frustration.
"What the hell am I going to do? How dare she? There better be some misunderstanding here because I am not in a position to pay back any loan or pay anymore bills! I need to sort this shit out."
Valarie called and asked her boss permission to pay the bank a visit before work. It was no less than a nightmare. She walked unsteadily out of the bank like she would fall any minute. The conclusion? She had three months to pay the bank back thirty thousand dollars. Thirty thousand dollars! How on earth was she going to do that? With the job she had, it would probably take her a year to clear it off.
Her fists clenched to a point that her bones cracked. Blood boiled under skin each time her aunt did not answer the phone. She did a cruel thing. Her intentions were now coming to light. She coaxed Valarie into making the account for this very reason. Do the dirty work and leave it in her hands to clean it. Frustration coursed through her blood.
There were only three options. 1. Her aunt do what's right and take responsibilities for her actions and clear the debts herself. 2. Valarie try to make ends meet and pay the debts she didn't create. 3. Nobody pays and she gets evicted. The bank steals all from her. She had no idea how this was going to end.
Valarie stormed into the office and laid her things on the table. She marched unceasingly across the floor. Nikolai narrowed his eyes on her in confusion.
"Is everything okay?" he asked.
"I need to rob a bank" she responded, coming to a halt.
"Why? What is the matter?" he questioned.
"Oh I'm in a hole alright. A deep dark hole that leads to the underworld. Remember that account I made on my name for my aunt when she was sick? Well she hasn't been paying her debts and now the bank is after me. She's not even answering my calls anymore so I'm stuck with the bills. If I don't pay, I get evicted."
"What? That's bad" Nikolai's expression shifted into concern.
"So what are you going to do?" he asked.
"I have no idea. Maybe get another job or two jobs."
She paused and thought for a moment. "Wait, do you still have that job opening? The one with the much more boring work but higher pay?"
"Ahh no. Someone filled in there just last week. I will have to check in to see where there are more vacancies."
"Yes please look into it! I will do anything. I just really need another job or a higher paying one. I can handle both, trust me. Just please try to fit me in somewhere else too."
The door creaked open and Jasmine walked in. She laid some files down on the desk so that Nikolai could review them. While he browsed through the documents, Jasmine turned to Valarie.
"You.are.amazing!" she pronounced each word distinctly.
Valarie smiled "How so?"
Jasmine lifted up her left hand and flashed the sparkling ring on her ring finger.
"Oh my god he proposed?" Valarie questioned.
"Yes! I just did what you said and I don't know. It was as if cupid had struck him with his arrow. He finally came around to marry me.
You are the best!" she exclaimed.
"Congratulations!" Valarie hugged her.
Nikolai kept an ear tuned in. He mulled over the essence of the conversation.
"Have you ever considered match-making as a business?"
"No, haha" Valarie blushed.
"Well you should really consider it" Jasmine suggested.
"These documents are fine" Nikolai cut the chatter.
"You can proceed to forward it thank you." Jasmine gave Valarie a pat on the back then left.
Nikolai propped his chin up with one hand and fixed his eyes on her. She raised an eyebrow and tilted her head slightly to the right.
"What is it?" she questioned.
"Do you really want that next job?" Nikolai questioned.
"Want? I think NEED a next job is better to say" she responded.
"Well...I have a proposition that might just fit into your line of skills. I was over hearing the conversation. So you are a match-maker?"
Valarie covered her eyes with her hands and blushed.
"I don't know why people always say that. I'm not like some professional or anything."
"I will give you a raise if you agree to do something."
Valarie's eyes lit up "What is it?"
He waited a few moments before responding.
"Find a match for my son."
"What?" she stood in shock.
"My son needs to settle down and he needs a woman to help him to so since you have the skill, find a match for him."
Thoughts of him plagued her mind. He did two things at the same time; cause butterflies to tickle her stomach and her blood to boil beneath skin. Her lips quirked up slightly in disgust.
"No way. There is no way I'm signing in on this one."
"Oh come one. I'll double your pay" Nikolai offered.
Valarie's eyes widened. It was a good offer but her subconscious forced her to decline. There was no way she was going to play cupid with his son.
"I'm sorry Mr. Osbourne but I'm afraid I won't be able to do that."
"Why not?" he inquired. Valarie sighed. "Your son and I won't exactly get along, you know? There is no way that I can work on him with this one."
"Ah please Ms. Lauryn. It's my only option and you need the job right?"
She really did indeed need it.
"I really don't think I can-"
"I will triple your pay" Nikolai really caught her attention this time.
"What?" she was confused.
"If you find a woman for my son and try to make him fall in love just enough to get married, I will triple your pay. That way my son finally commits and you get to pay off the bank in no time."
She caressed her inner lip with her tongue and pondered. It was indeed a great offer. I mean how hard can it be to find a chick that fits his level?
"Okay deal" Valarie agreed. Nikolai smiled.
"Good. One thing though. Don't let anyone find out about this. It's just between me and you. Just try your best to convince him."
"Okay my lips are sealed" Valarie promised.
Speak of the devil and he shall arrive. Dimitri walked in and eyed the two.
"Am I interrupting something?" he asked.
"Oh no, we were just talking simple business stuff. Remember you asked for an assistant? Well I got you one" Nikolai spoke.
"Ahh good. Where is she?" Dimitri questioned.
"Standing right next to you" Nikolai pointed out.
"What?" Valarie's eyes widened.
"Valarie is your assistant" he confirmed.
Dimitri scowled.
"What? No way. Dad I asked for hot, carefree chick not...not her! There is no way that I'm working with her."
"It's already decided. Valarie is your assistant and that's all there is to it."
Valarie eyed him and tried to give him a silent signal to change his mind. She had no idea that this was going to be part of the deal. Working with him? No way!
Nikolai smiled and ignored her silent plea. What better chance would she have to convince him than to work around him every day? Dimitri rolled his hands into balls and bit down on his lip. This definitely wasn't what he had in mind. He could not find himself to work with her but from the look in his father's eyes, there was no way that he was going to get out of this.
"You guys start working from now. Why don't you head over and get started eh?"
Valarie's lips were still parted in shock. Was this really happening? She hated fashion and most people that worked in there. How was she going to fit in? What comparison was she to those models? Or class to even dwell among the designers?
She walked reluctantly behind Dimitri as he exited. He looked at her not even once. His hands remained clenched and his body was tensed. He definitely did not seem happy.
Valarie walked through the tinted glass doors. The environs was contrasting to that of Nikolai's office. The warm tones there were now icy. White marbled floor, black chairs, grey tables, ice blue walls and fairly harsh white lights. She felt exposed. A feeling she did not fancy. There was no comfort and the brightness of the room hurt her eyes immensely.
"Ugh" she covered her eyes and scowled.
Her eyes still hadn't adjusted to the change. Dimitri observed her.
"What?" he spat more than questioned.
"It's too bright in here" Valarie complained.
"Get over it" was his only response.
Valarie slowly opened her eyes and eyed him.
"There is much work to do. Fetch me a coffee and shred these papers while you're at it" his voice was glazed with acid.
One of her eyebrows quirked up and she tilted her head slightly to the side.
"Excuse me? I'm not a dog. Wanna try rephrasing?" she folded her arms.
His eyes rose to meet hers. The grey looked way more intense under the new lighting.
"No, you excuse me. In case you haven't noticed, I am your boss now. Either you do as I say and keep your little job or you don't do as I say and I fire your little ass. Now which is it going to be?"
Valarie gritted her teeth and grabbed the scrap papers up from the table. She glared at him with angry eyes before turning to walk off.
"I thought so. Good girl" Dimitri sounded and her blood turned to lava before she even walked out the door.