Days later

JULIET

"It can't be!"

"If you believe it, believe it, baby!"

"Frieeeend"

I jump into my friend's arms to discover that she has come to Chicago to visit me. We're in a city that's much bigger than the Texan town we grew up in, but then she got into the University of Georgia and I went on with my life studying languages ​​online, planning to one day get a good formal education, even though every day I move a little further from that idea.

Rhonda hangs onto me and is about to throw herself to the ground in gushing joy at seeing me again.

She didn't even tell me she was was coming! Since we graduated from school two years ago, we have only maintained contact via telephone and social networks with the absurd idea that we could see each other again. Today I live far from the neighborhood where we grew up and I pay myself for the small apartment in which I am currently living, so the Christmases that she came to Chicago we could not see each other. In addition, my family is not fully functional. In fact, last Christmas I decided to go to a bar by myself, thinking that it would be a good idea, but I only found slimy people who were trying to flirt behind the back of a family that left them devastated.

It is not like in the movies, where people decide to spend their events alone in a super fun place where they meet the love of their life and then give them the keys to a car to go on a road trip.

Seeing her again gives me hope that all is not lost for my social life.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" I demand.

"Did you mean to fix yourself?" she asks me, looking at me fixedly.

"Of course not, who do you think you are!"

We both let out a laugh and she pulls away from me. Rhonda looks in all directions and I feel a little embarrassed, not nearly what she's used to. Her family has a much better situation and purchasing power than me, which is not entirely encouraging.

"I know it's not even close to what your fraternity and the luxury of a university with its own dining hall and rooms means."

"You're kidding? You have all this space to yourself!"

"Um, yes."

"It's a blessed palace, friend!"

I know she does it to make me feel good so I don't quite believe all her words for sure.

She points me to the kitchen-dining room-living room of the two rooms that I am currently renting thanks to the money from my online language classes.

"Did you buy that? You alone? A fridge, a TV, computer, air conditioning, table and chairs set!"

"Actually, the air conditioning came with the place."

"Woman, if you alone pay for this at twenty, it means that you will be an inveterate millionaire at thirty. You fill me with pride!"

She smooths her white hair back.

She always had hair that color, it looks beautiful on her and sometimes we tend to attract a lot of attention when we walk down the street.

Besides that she is beautiful wherever you look at her.

"I wish I could have so much space. There I have to share a room, kitchen, and the dining room is for all the students. The library is beautiful, but it is always crowded with people and you have to reserve a place. Here you have your privacy and plenty of space wherever you go. And best of all, you don't have to answer to anyone. My parents are constantly looking at my report card. I feel under threat twenty four seven that they will take away my chance to study if I lower my average.

Her parents were always super demanding. At first they didn't like me because they didn't like my life or my family or the place where I lived, but over time they learned to like me and understood my entrepreneurial life and that I was always very studious, especially when I chose to focus on my talent for languages.

What made us disagree with growing up was when I told them that I would not study at the University, it was not in my plans and it was not something that had ever been in my family's plans.

I just couldn't do it.

Although they did not agree with that, they appreciated from the beginning my desire for progress that, to a large extent, I would like to have the necessary filial support to not worry about so many things at the same time.

My work, my study, food, rent, my social life, as a couple, let's not even talk about going out. Currently working is my priority to reach something good, despite the fact that in the process of saving time and resources, my lunch and dinner every day is based on canned food and discount coupons for online delivery.

Rhonda slumps down on the couch and stares at me.

"This will be my bed while I'm here, darling?"

I blink, amazed.

"What?"

"It's not a water mattress and there are no feather pillows, but as long as you share a blanket with me, that's all I need. I promise to help with the dinner payments."

"Are you planning to stay here?"

She looks at me with an offended expression.

"Don't you want to give shelter to your best friend whom you haven't seen for almost two years? You hurt me, my friend with H."

That's an old saying we used to have.

When one of us was offended, we would say to each other "Hamiga with H because just like the H, she doesn't exist". A crude way of calling us fake friends as a joke.

I plopped down on the couch next to her.

"Do you know how long it's been since anyone said that to me?"

"Because you haven't made any new friends. I'm sure."

"You know me well."

"And we've been talking. If you told me that your life is crazy with parties and new contacts at this time, forget that I was going to believe you. I will spend these weeks in your apartment. Can I? I don't want my holidays to be boring with my parents again. I want fun and parties and get you out of the antisocial pit you live in.

"Asocial."

"Any way at all. By the way, is there something you haven't told me? Your laptop hasn't stopped announcing new messages since I've arrived."

I have so internalized the sound of the notifications from the language platform for which I work that I have not even realized that I should have turned the volume down or turned it off, but at five I enter a class.

"I have to cancel my next shift."

"Are you going to lose a hundred dollars because of me?"

"Actually, it's eight dollars an hour.

"Woman, stop giving yourself away. You are worth much more than that."

" It's necessary. At ten hours a day that's eighty dollars.

"Do you work ten hours a day?"

"And more so because not all of them are continuous and not all users have the same time around the world. Let's not even count my study hours and taking classes or taking exams remotely."

"Stop torturing yourself! I study three hours a day and I take four courses and I'm not doing badly," she explains. The difference is that I have to pay the bills, but we are not here for those explanations now.

"Wait," I warn her.

I stand up and cancel the next shift. I close my laptop and go back to the chair with my friend, however a call comes insistently on my cell phone.

"I think they're claiming you," she warns.

"Let me also cancel here, I don't want a low grade later." I couldn't get down to explaining to her now the importance of opinions and little stars on the web, so I just walk away and she starts to look at the books that are on the cabinet under the TV.

Once I pick up and step aside, it strikes me that the feature is not Chicago.

The call comes from New York, apparently.

"Hello?" I say, confused.

"Miss Juliet Mindy?"

"Yes. Who speaks?"

"My name is Neville Samso. I made an appointment with you in a few minutes.

"Oh I'm sorry. I had to cancel because..."

"It's vitally important. It is Mr. Kerem Deniz who is trying to contact you."

Hmm, why does that name sound so familiar to me?

"Excuse me, who?" I ask.

"Don't you know him?"

I rack my brains until I find the face of that beautiful man who canceled my shift a few weeks ago.

His brother or friend Elijah seems to have contacted me and now this sort of employee does it because he has not contacted me himself.

"The man who wanted something with his son or language classes or something like that?" I ask, confused.

"Exactly. We want you to take care of little Ali Deniz."

"Excuse me, but I don't understand what you mean. I can't give an online class to a baby, it could be with the parents.

"You will need to take care of him in person, not online."

"What? Say...excuse me, I'm not a babysitter."

Rhonda hears me say that, I look angry. She stands up and asks me softly if everything is okay.

"Do you know who Kerem Deniz is?" says this Neville guy on the other end. I think his tone is beginning to bother me.

"And do you know who I am? The person who has the best rating within a platform for online classes, therefore my answer is no, I am not a babysitter nor do I have the time to give myself the luxury of an extra job."

"We know that you are the best punctuated in your work, that's why Mr. Deniz wantsyou. He needs you to teach Ali Turkish before they go back to live in Istanbul. And it has to be in person.

"I don't..."

"Ten thousand dollars will be your pay for sixty days of work.If they leave early, the money will come to you anyway."

"Ten thousand what?"

"With an extra ten thousand more if you can get the little one to say at least one word of Turkish before they go."

"What did you say? Would that be twenty thousand dollars for two months?"

My friend stands up, uneasy.

She already thinks they are scamming me.

I think so too.

But I put down the phone, cover the microphone and ask Rhonda to find out who the hell Kerem Deniz is. Her eyes widen when she sees the results and shows me.

A renowned businessman and investor in a high-tech firm.

"Are you still there?" the man asks me.

"Y...yes," I say confused. There is additional news. The man lost his wife in a plane crash weeks ago. "What did you say at the end?" I ask, still without coming out of my reverie.

"That tomorrow he leaves for Silicon Valley and you would have to accompany him. Your job involves providing twenty-four hour care for Ali and accompanying Mr. Deniz to his events and meetings. The man does not want to leave his son, but he needs someone to take care of him and teach him the language."

For god's sake.

That would imply canceling all my shifts and lowering my score to earn in two months what I would earn in a year and a half with luck. I would have time to recover my score.

"It's just that my current job could be obfuscated," I explain.

"Don't worry about it. Mr. Deniz is an investor in state-of-the-art technologies and could open new fields of employment for you. Honestly, Miss Mindy, don't miss this opportunity. We see a lot of potential in your abilities and look forward to seeing you grow even more. We will leave you well positioned once your services with us cease. It is part of the contract that we will offer you and you will be able to read it at ease if you wish."

"C...can I...answer you later?"

"An hour you have. No more."

"It's just that I..."

"Your plane leaves on a private flight at five in the morning to Silicon Valley from the city of Chicago. You will meet there directly with Mr. Deniz, father and son."

"How do I know it's not a scam or a kidnapping attempt?" You already know how it is in the online world.

"Because tonight you will have a five-minute video conference with Mr. Deniz where he will explain all your doubts about the contract and you will be able to verify in person that he is who he says he is.

I nod, petrified.

"I'm expecting your message at this number in no more than an hour, Miss Mindy," Neville Samsó tells me before hanging up.

Once I look straight ahead, Rhonda's eyes are locked on mine just as exasperated as I am.

In fact, I am stunned.

"Speak, woman! How's that for twenty thousand dollars in two months?! And that hottie Kerem Deniz?!"

I swallow thickly and the first words that come out of my mouth still surprise me:

"Friend, how long did you tell me that you planned to stay here? I think either I'll be kidnapped and sold to organ dealers or I'll get rich in two months. What do you think is the right option?"