Cause life's not easy,
I'm not made out of steel,
don't forget that I'm human,
don't forget that I'm real.

I L L S H O W Y O U
-Justin Bieber

thursday | october 3 | 8:39 am

VICTORIA'S knuckles met the dark wood of the employee lounge. The journey back here was short lived, as the route was fairly short. The hallway was dimly lit, similar to the ambiance of the club at night. Paintings littered the walls to her left and certificates for the business hung to her right. There was a personal touch to it all, even though this area wasn't decorated like the rest of the club. Vic continued to stand still for another two minutes, waiting for someone to answer on the other side of the door.

Suddenly, the door creaked open slightly, revealing a sleepy eyed Kaliyah. She wasn't wearing her uniform and looked casual in her light washed jeans and green top. She wiped the bit of drool that collected on the side of her small lips and yawned quietly. Victoria resisted the urge to yawn alongside her.

"Oh, it's you. I remember from about two weeks ago, right? Is everything okay? Did something happen? Please come in," Kaliyah asked eagerly, pushing the door wider in order to let Victoria in.

"Yeah. I'm sorry for coming to you so unexpectedly. It's about my situation from before. I just-I really need some advice or someone to talk to and I don't feel comfortable telling my friends as of yet. I don't want to scare them with the fact that I lost my job and could lose the apartment if I don't make rent soon and could go to jail for something I didn't do or-"

Victoria stopped speaking when tears began to pool in her eyes. She'd been crying a lot lately, at least more than usual. Vic hated crying in front of others. She preferred to let her emotions out in her room with Cosmo laying beside her. Now that she didn't have the cat, it'll just be her alone. She missed him so much.

"Oh goodness! You poor child," Kaliyah breathed, and approached Victoria to give her a hug. At first, Vic wanted to push the strangers hug away but soon found comfort in her compassionate arms. She needed a shoulder to cry on and didn't want to resort to alcohol for once. Drinking never brought her any good, even though it made her feel more alive than usual.

"So, can you help me? I know I'm probably asking a lot right now but...I want to get the creep once and for all. I don't want to wait around anymore for him to get me or act like some damsel in distress. I need to find something on him to... I don't know...show that he's the real criminal," Victoria grumbled after pulling away from the hug. Kaliyah nearly squealed in excitement at the prospect of something new occurring in her life. She loved adventures and spontaneity while Vic hated it. Her smile told Vic everything it needed to.

"Let's get the bastard!"

Victoria spent the entire day researching and planning with Kaliyah. Occasionally, Jesse would pop into the employees lounge for a quick break. Victoria sat nervously each time, as she could feel his gaze on the side of her head. She didn't want to talk to him for a while.

She asked Kaliyah to change the subject whenever someone came into the room. It was a hard thing to talk about naturally, and she didn't want people to take pity on her for this.

"Okay, so Thomas Acaylae is a forty six year old man who lives in Flushing, New York. He lived with his son, Noah, in a small gated community. He was married three times, and is currently with his wife Fiona Acaylae who does not live with him. He has been the executive chef of 'Eat It Till You Weep It' for two years and was charged with assault and battery last February."

"We're like real detectives," Victoria laughed, surprised that they got that much information on her ex-boss in one day.

"Oh, I have more of course!" Kaliyah quipped, showing an entire word document about the guy. Information about his parents to his favorite movie was listed on the computer screen.

"How did you find all of this?" Victoria questioned, scooting closer to the screen in awe.

"He's an avid online dater. I found about ten dating sites with his 'about me' section outlining his life."

"You're a genius!" Both girls were giddy from their new found leverage.

"Alright. We have to find a way to break up this information. See what leads up to something important and see what leads us to dead ends," Victoria nodded her head in understanding. This was a lot of information to sort through, and she needed the stuff that would really put the nail in the coffin. She picked at her hangnail, ignoring the dull ache in her fingers while thinking about her next move.

"Alright, I can do this in my spare time. I have a lot of spare time now anyways, at least until I start working again. Maybe I'll finally tell one of my friends about the whole ordeal and they can help too."

"That sounds like a plan," Kaliyah hummed softly, and silence fell over them both. Victoria looked out the window that was next to her head, reflecting on this day. She had lost a lot in her short life, but tried to find a way to counter the problems with something positive. Although she has battle scars to prove that the journey was painful, she wanted to come out undefeated this time, with the help of her own perseverance. Vic carried this state of mind with her now, as she sat thinking about her boss and the accusations set against her.

"You're stronger than you'll ever know, Victoria."

She snapped out of her gaze, turning her head towards Kaliyah, who was looking down on the floor.

"I wish I felt that way," Victoria answered, mumbling the words so quietly that Kaliyah almost never heard them.

"I know it may seem like you're life is completely messed right up now and it kind of is, no offense, but you could use this as an opportunity to better yourself and others too. No man should threaten you like that. Nor a woman. You're never alone."

"Thanks Kaliyah. I really appreciate everything you've done." Victoria expressed, giving her a rare true smile. She checked the gray clock on the wall, shocked to see that it was getting extremely late in the afternoon. She grabbed her purse from next to her, ready to leave.

"Alrighty. It's getting a bit late and I can hear the music outside. I'm going to head out now. Here's my email... just send the document to me. Can we...I don't know- maybe do this again someday?"

Kaliyah immediately picked up a Thai food menu from off the table next to her. She scribbled something onto the paper before stretching out her hand.

"Here's my number and the days I work my shifts. Contact me if you ever want to talk again. But, I really think you should tell your friends soon. They only want the best for you."

Victoria left with those parting words. It was a bittersweet moment. She met a kind person but under gloomy circumstances. She hailed a cab outside of the club, and headed on home. A few words resonated with her the most as she stared out into the dark New York sky inside the musty taxi.

"You're stronger than you'll ever know, Victoria."

Friday morning rolled around and it was time for Victoria's interview at Heated Snowflakes. She was ready to make money and buy herself some cheesecake. She was craving the dessert like no other. This job was the start of something new and not the career she desired. Vic was doing this because she needed to deal with her responsibilities. It was not something she hoped would be long term, but the chance of getting another assistant chef position in the city was slim. This may end up being her only job for a while and she might as well make the best of it. This notion made her extremely anxious and wary about what's to come.

She woke up early and phoned Amelia. Victoria wanted to tell her best friend about all the new things in her life, excluding the event from before with her ex boss. I'll tell her in due time, Victoria thought.

They spoke on the phone for half an hour before parting ways. Victoria was determined to get to this interview on time and with perfect hair.

She leisurely walked into the bathroom, with two hours to spare. After a ten minute shower where she brushed her teeth and washed her face, Victoria picked out a basic white button down shirt with black slacks. Perfect interview attire.

After leaving her hair alone to be in it's naturally wavy state, Victoria threw on some perfume. She didn't bother putting on makeup, in case the interview went horribly wrong and she cried her eyes out afterwards because of her bad luck. Raccoon eyes at twelve in the afternoon was not a beauty trend she wanted to follow.

She exited her apartment moments later, grabbing an apple before locking the door shut behind her. It was surprisingly a warm day in the beginning of October and Vic didn't need to rush, so she decided to walk to the cafe instead. She wanted to enjoy the good weather while it lasted.

It was a quick walk before she found herself in front of the quaint coffee shop. It was extremely pleasing to the eye, as shades of robust red and brown filled the walls. A partition separated the outside balcony from the dining area inside. People were on their computers or couples were cozied up in the corners.

It was beautiful.

Victoria walked towards the empty line, locking eyes with a barista behind the counter. He was pretty, in a model way. His full lips broke into a cheerful smile once Victoria approached the counter.

"Welcome to Heated Snowflakes! May I take your order?"

Victoria twisted her arms to the front of her, fiddling with her fingers, "Hi, I'm here for an interview. I spoke with someone named Issac yesterday."

"Yay, you're looking at him! If I'm correct, you're Victoria Samuels, right?"

Victoria nodded her head and couldn't help but tilt her lips up into a half smile, "Yes indeed. Are you the person I'm doing the interview with?"

"The one and only!" He clapped his hands excitedly.

Issac called on another worker to manage the register, as he took Victoria into a separate room. It was his office, decorated with bright yellows and baby blues. It was quite lovely and bright in here, similar to the outside of the cafe.

"Okay, so Victoria. Tell me about yourself."

Oh boy, he started off strong.

•••••

Hi!
I hope you enjoyed reading!

not edited