DIANA
Carl and I walked hand in hand down the street, we were talking and laughing at different side attractions that the streets of New York had to offer, we gossiped about celebrities and talked about the kind of clothes or wares that were on display in various shops.
Carl was the only person that I talked to asides Olivia and ever since the first day I served his dinner at the restaurant we seemed to have a connection that was beyond words, two weeks later we were already dating and he was the one that I was hoping to lose my virginity to.
"You could wear that one to the movie theatre." Carl pointed at a short gown that was on display at one shakedown shop.
I looked at it and I was quite impressed by what I saw but there was one problem.
"I don't think I have enough money for it." I said as I checked my purse that only had like twenty dollars inside.
"Let's go in the shop and ask how much." he pulled me by my wrist before I could say anything, we entered the musty smelling shop and the shop-keeper greeted us with a wide grin.
"Hello, how may I help you?"
He was an old man with a balding head, his skin was wrinkled and his eyes were old with age.
"We came to purchase a gown that you have on display."
I went to the mannequin and I pointed at the gown and the old man smiled.
"You have an eye for good things my dear, that one is sixty dollars, sir."
My heart sank as he called such an amount, I didn't have up to half of that kind of money and I knew that Carl wouldn't have such an amount as well.
"No problem, you sure that you like it?" he asked me with his questioning eyes.
"I do but I think that it's too expensive." I said truthfully, the gown was blue and it was short and skimpy, it looked fancy and it was exactly the kind of outfit that I wished to wear for our date but unfortunately for me, I could not afford it.
"As long as you like it then it's not expensive." he dipped his hand into his wallet and he brought out 3 twenty dollar bills and handed it to the delighted old man, the old man undressed the mannequin and put the gown in a rumpled shopping bag, I stared at Carl with so much admiration.
"Thank you." I managed to say as we walked out of the shop, he gave me his widest grin and his braces came into view, I suddenly felt like kissing him.
"Don't even mention it, as your boyfriend it is my obligation to make sure that my woman looks good all the time." he said with a proud voice, I put my hand in his once again as we continued our journey to my residence which was in a trailer park.
We used to live in a big house that was in the heart of the city, with a garden and our own lawn, we used to be living a life filled with luxury but everything crash landed slowly, the bank took the house and cars after my mother's death, the only car that we had left was sold by my father just to fill up his money that he lost by gambling.
As we got close to the trailer park, I could hear some distinct features that made the place what it was a primitive ghetto filled with low life, I could hear the sound of a television with the volume on the highest decibel, I could hear a lady shouting at her kids at the top of her voice, I could hear the piercing cry of a baby, the smell was the worst part of everything.
"I guess, I will be expecting you tomorrow evening." I said to Carl so that he would halt before we got any closer to that smelling den filled with nosy people.
"Yeah, by what time should I come and pick you up?" he asked me with his chirpy voice that I loved, other than a few things that he lacked, he was still a nice guy.
"By seven, I will be out of work by six so I will need like an hour to get ready for my date with my nerdy cupid."
I touched his face and he began to blush which was funny because I thought boys couldn't blush.
"I can't wait, see you tomorrow, Dee, I love you." he said as he pulled me into a hug that I didn't expect, I hugged him back and enjoyed his sweet scent.
"I love you too and you know that."
We released each other and said our goodbyes one last time.
He hailed a taxi and after watching him leave, I turned around to enter the place, I hated the most and unfortunately the place I call home.
The trailer park was unkempt and quite forgotten by anyone who could have done something good with the infrastructure, some trailers were rusty and some were about to fall apart, I walked past some that oozed out a strong stench, while some were actually neat and well kept and one of those neat trailers was ours. I walked up the tiny steps and I knocked violently, I always do this to scare my dad because he would think that the police had come for him, the door opened and my twelve year old sister Lucia jumped into my arms in a flying hug, I ruffled her blonde hair and she purred exactly like a cat.
"Slow down, meow, you don't want to scratch my face off, or do you?"
We entered the trailer and I closed the door behind me.
I was surprised to see my dad in good spirits and I was even more surprised to see that dinner had been served.
"Good evening, dad." I said to him with curiosity written over my face, I never expected him to cook up something this expensive.
"Good evening, my sweet daughter."
He was a bit too cherry for my liking and I could smell a faint scent of gin coming from his direction whenever he spoke.
"How did all this?" I started my question but he didn't let me finish.
"Remember the funeral I took you to? Well, the spouse of the deceased is a good friend of mine and so was her husband, may his soul rest in peace."
I already knew what he went to do at the funeral so I just blurted it out.
"And so? you went there to ask her for money, now you are spending it on fancy things until we go broke again."
I could see the look of pain in his eyes but it didn't last long.
"Actually, no, I went there to help you apply for a job in her son's company and she said that she knows of your good record and she also asked me to send her a picture of your degree, she loved it all and now she has accepted you."
I zoned out on him as he spoke because it all felt like a dream to me.
"Why didn't you ask for my consent? What if I don't want this?"
"You are working very hard to make sure that our family survives and this is a golden opportunity for us to go back to the status that we once were, even if we don't go that high at least we will be out of this dump, this hole, you know that if your mother was still alive she would…"
"Don't you dare talk about mom!" I growled from my throat, Lucia held my hand and she looked up to me with tears in her green eyes.
She looked so much like my mother and that was the main reason that she refused to change her hair color even though I changed mine.
"Me and Daddy talked about this before you came and I supported him because I don't like seeing you stress on a job that gives half pay, it's not enough to cover my fees and you know that daddy doesn't have a job for now, please, sister, accept it for me."
I couldn't even talk because of a lump that formed in my throat.
I looked at my dad to see that he was sober as well.
"How much is the pay?" I asked him in a croaky voice, he brightened up a little bit.
"You are to be his personal assistant and the pay starts from seven thousand dollars monthly, and you will receive a weekly wage of fifteen hundred dollars. Here is the contract with all the details that you might need."
My jaw dropped as soon I heard the amount, I instantly felt stupid for arguing with my dad.
"Wh-when do I sta-start?"
I was stuttering as I spoke and my hands shook as I held the paper.
"That's the best part, you are starting tomorrow."
My heart sank as I heard that, I couldn't believe it.
"What?"