CHAPTER ONE
Damn it, I'm late!" Bianca grunted as she dashed out of bed. This was the fourth interview she was turning up late to since she'd arrived in Wyoming. She left Britain with hopes of being an archivist but now has to settle for any job to pay her rent–including a librarian assistant, dog walker, and that one time where she got paid to dress up as a dog at an eccentric billionaire's party. After months of searching and scanning through LinkedIn and job ads, Bianca finally caught a break when she saw an ad for a volunteer job at The National Museum of Wyoming.
After a quick shower, a breath mint, and a heavy chunk of bread and cheese, Bianca rushed out of her loft on the 7th floor. The elevator was broken again, so she had to use the stair—which served more as a cardio rather than a sign of how shitty the building was. She tried to look her utmost best for the interview. After spending hours ransacking her sparse wardrobe, Bianca finally managed to throw together a cute outfit. She wore her lucky green scarf, which matched her green top, and she paired it with her only pair of black boots and black pants that blended perfectly with her bob brunette hair and striking dark eyes.
The museum was 15 minutes away from her place, which meant she had to get on a bus and take a taxi, but the interview was in 10 minutes. She prayed to God -whom her mother had always believed in, but she was not yet taken in about a big man upstairs who granted wishes- and ran all the way to the bus stop. "Hey you, I brought you your favorite bread and extra slices of cheese to get your blood pumping," she said to her favorite bus driver, Armano. "More like clogged," he replied.
She took her seat close to the window right behind Armano. "You still got that Dog suit? I'd like to borrow it. Tomorrow's my anniversary, and my wife keeps saying I don't like doing anything exciting." Armano said
"I don't think that suit was made for a human with that extra dump in the trunk and the bonnet." Bianca pinched his arm as she spoke. "it's not for me. It's for my wife. I want her to see what gets me excited." He smiled sheepishly.
Are you hitting on me again, Armano? She smirked at him through the rearview mirror. "I wouldn't dream of it, Bianca. You've already broken my heart twice. I'll just stick to letting you clog my arteries," he smiled
Since she arrived at Barkley Street, Armano has been the only constant person in her life. From the moment Bianca landed in Wyoming, she knew this was the place meant for her. Despite getting her bags and purse stolen at the airport parking lot and having to sleep at the homeless shelter for the first few weeks of her arrival, she always knew Wyoming was the right place for her. Biance first heard of the American state at St Veronica boarding school, where he parents shipped her off to after she was caught smoking–if they'd have only asked her, they'd have realized she was actually burning a European sage she got from a sketch hippy driver who swore the incense would cleanse her room– Bianca had spent months reading about demon possessions and vampires and started having a weird feeling of someone watching her so she decided to cleanse her aura.
Arriving at her bus station, Bianca checked her time and saw she had only five minutes left. She hurled her ass all the way to the other side to take a cab and almost got hit by a Mercedes. Bianca considered acting like she'd been hit -for the easy paycheck- but thought otherwise and decided to bang on the bonnet. "Hey, you almost crushed my legs," she yelled. The driver popped one leg out, and from his shiny red bottom shoes, Bianca knew she was dealing with one of the rich upper-class. "I'm awfully sorry, dear. I must have missed the stop sign. Are you okay?"
At that moment, Bianca searched her brain for the perfect response. She began to regret not faking an injury, but the deed was already done. "I'm not sure I am 'cause now you've made me very late for my important appointment," she retorted. "Appointment?" he did a quick up and down scan, highly doubting she had a job, more less an important appointment. Bianca held her head high and demanded in her most authoritative British accent, "Just because I'm not dipped in your China-made American designer brands doesn't mean I ..". She began her rant. "Fine." He cut her off and rolled his eyes. "Where is this meeting happening so I can drop you off ?". She almost jumped up in glee but maintained composure. "Do you know Wyoming Museum?" she asked. "As it so happens, it's on my route. Come in; I'll drop you off," He responded and walked towards the passenger side to get the door for her.
Bianca had only been in a fancy car twice. The first time was getting picked up in a Lexus GX to go on holiday to her uncle's castle–he's rumored to be related to a duke, but honestly, she believes he's just a rich British guy who got his wealth from exploiting third world countries–.The second was when she went on a date with an actual duke, but things didn't turn out so well when she asked him what he did for fun, and he replied "Visiting homeless shelters to better appreciate my life." It might have been a joke, but Bianca got a funny feeling about him and didn't pick up his calls afterward.
This car was going to her number three. It felt nice, and the seat heater didn't hurt her bum one bit. The 'rich dude'--her nickname for him– kept glancing at his watch and speeding down the expressway. "I guess I'm not the only one late for something?" she smirked at him and looked out the window. He looked at her and laughed. "I also have somewhere to be. I'm picking up my son from the airport, but I want to get there before his flight arrives." Bianca took a closer look at him and realized he looked nothing like a father. He looked to be in his mid-30s to early 40s, roguishly handsome, physically fit, with dark hair in a slick-back cut, a chiseled jaw, and brown eyes. The stranger had the kind of face you could describe as handsome, except for his nose, which sat like a huge lump on his face. He wore a clean buttoned-up shirt with a dark blue blazer and blue jeans. Now that she'd taken a closer look at him, she figured she could picture him with a family.
They soon arrived at the museum, and she hopped out of the car. "Thanks for the ride," she said, looking at him through the wound-down window. "I didn't catch your name?" he asked. "Why? so you can go about hitting girls with the same name??" He laughed, and she glanced at his pearly white dentition. His handsomeness was starting to rub off on her. She could see herself going for someone like him, but the kid and possibly wife would be a hard factor to ignore. "Fair enough," He said as he started the ignition. "Once again I'm sorry about the minor accident. I hope I bump into you sometime, and by bump, I mean with my body," He said apologetically. She raised an eyebrow at this, and he blushed a bit. "That didn't sound right," He chuckled nervously, "It's ok," She replied, "But I really need to go for my interrr- I mean appointment. Bye," she replied as she raced off to the lobby.
Why'd she just spend the last precious few minutes chatting with a total stranger? She really needs to get her priorities right. Bianca stepped into the lobby and looked around. The museum was on the floor level of a skyrise, and it looked like a busy day in the building. She said hello to the receptionist at the lobby– an old guard with a friendly smile– and told him she was there for the volunteer job. He showed her to the door, which she jogged towards. Bianca stepped into the room, and at that moment, she realized she'd give her last kidney to work here. The Museum was the most beautiful thing she'd ever laid her eyes on. The entrance had a waiting area with two old couples and a kid sitting on a wooden bench, which looked like it belonged in the museum artifacts. On her right were the most beautiful paintings and sculptures she'd ever seen. Most seemed a bit abstract, but others held pictures of beautiful garden sceneries, mermaids swimming in the ocean, and other majestic drawings. On her left were fossils from the Stone Age, from pterodactyls to bones of the "early men," and right down the middle was the main attraction, the skeleton of the famous T-rex dinosaur.
Bianca only had a few minutes to soak it all in before heading down the hall. She soon located a map on the museum wall and searched for the administrative office. Upon finding it, Bianca picked up the pace to the office. Still, she couldn't stop her eyes from wandering around, looking at artifacts from different cultures, like the Royal beads from Edo culture in Africa and some artifacts from New Zealand. Still, Bianca's favorite and the main reason she decided to move to Wyoming was for the Egyptian antiques and tombstones. But no time for that yet. She had to make her way to the interview and get the job, or else she'd find her dream crashing down before they even began.
She located the office and took deep breaths before knocking. "Come in" a voice replied from within. She stepped in and saw a timid-looking grandma behind a desk almost as ancient as the lady resting on it. "Hello, my name is Bianca, and I'm here to apply for the volunteer job. I'm so sorry for my lateness, but I got into an accident and almost couldn't make it," She half lied. "You're 10 minutes late, but I'm sure I can pardon you since almost everything here is also late," She chuckled. "Get it?" The old lady asked before shrugging. "A little museum humor. Don't worry, you'll get used to it soon. Take a seat and tell me why I should hire you for this job?".
Bianca handed over her resume as she spoke, "Well, aside from the fact that I'll be working for free, I've also heard great things about you, and I have a lot to learn from you and also contribute. Plus, I'm an excellent coffee intern". The 'grandma' looked through her CV. " It says here you've worked at the National British Museum, very impressive. So why'd you leave and fly all the way down here?" She asked. Bianca moved forward in her seat. " If I'm being honest, I've always felt I was meant to be here. I've read up on your museum, and there's a lot I can learn from here. It's not just about gathering cultural artifacts for you guys, but it is also about learning more about the culture. Plus, you guys have an amazing catalog of Egyptian artifacts; that's pretty much my area of specialty." The old lady stared at her intently before pushing back her chair and walking towards the door. "You have one week to prove yourself, and you won't be working for free as you've said. You'll be getting a minimum wage stipend and if you really impress me, I might find a permanent position for you here. All the other applicants walked in here like they were doing us a favor, but you're the first real applicant to actually show interest. Welcome onboard, and you can call me Susan." with this she stepped out of the room and Bianca followed close behind.
She was beyond thrilled at getting the position. Not only would she be getting the job of her dreams, but she'd also be earning money from it. Well, she can finally say goodbye to her dog suit and playing dress up for crazy billionaires. Susan took her on a brief tour round the museum. Although Bianca had interned at other museums, including the British National Museum, there was just something enthralling about this particular one. She felt a sense of wholeness and connection to it. Not just the museum but the state as whole which was weird for Bianca given she'd been never left England all her life.
After the tour, Susan introduced her to a couple of staff members: Dan, the archivist, Jenny, the tour guide, Abel, the cartographer, and a host of other names she couldn't remember and would have to reintroduce herself to again. "The museum closes by 5 pm, but you're allowed to still be on the premises till 8pm. Make sure you clock out before you go, since you're still on probation, you don't get a key yet and will have to leave by 5 pm like every other regular visitor." Susan walked back to her office.
"Oh, that's fine. When would you like me to start?" Bianca said, looking at her watch. She had a dog-walking client booked for 1 pm, and she had 45 minutes to get there. It seemed like she was going to be late for pretty much everything today.
"You can start tomorrow. Clock in by 7 am. Gosh your english accent would have been a hit with tourists. Are you sure you don't want a tour guide position?" Biance smiled nervously. Contrary to popular belief, she was actually a pretty shy person. Yes she would occasionally flirt with strangers and strike up conversations with a bus driver but public speaking was a whole different ball game for her. "No but thanks for the offer, I'm more of a behind-the-scenes gal. Anyways if that's all, I'll be leaving now," She said as she shook Susan's hand and left. She said goodbye to the receptionist and walked out of the building feeling like a butterfly emerging out of a cacoon.