Misfortunate Events

As I walked home, my mind raced with uneasy thoughts about the interview. The job offer is amazing, and the pay is more than I hoped. If I pass this trial period, the benefits will be extraordinary, and I will be at Havoc's beck and call. The last part doesn't sound like a benefit, but the idea still makes my legs turn to jello.

I can't seem to shake the unease about the interview. I can't deny that nothing about the interview was typical. The standard questions weren't asked, and nothing was probing or aimed at seeing if I fit the position. Yet, despite the shady business, the allure to accept was so strong that I didn't even second-guess it while I was there.

As I reflect on the interview, I shift my bag of treats in my arms. The load starts to feel heavy as I walk home.

"Watch out!" someone yells just before I get shoved. I stumble to the side as a guy on a skateboard zooms past me. My foot slips off the sidewalk and lands in a sludgy, smelly puddle, filling my cheap heel with whatever muck my dear city conjured on its streets.

I let out a frustrated sigh as I try to wipe the disgusting mixture off my shoe with a tissue from my bag. While I'm bent over, the bag from the market shifts, dumping the brand-new chardonnay bottle and container of crab cakes onto the pavement. The bottle bursts like a gold and green firework, splashing my precious wine all over the sidewalk and my pants. The container of crab cakes doesn't fare well, either. It pops open, launching every single cake into the nasty puddle.

I stand there, gawking at my bad luck with an empty paper bag in one arm and a tissue in the other hand. I can't help but sigh in frustration as I watch my dinner splatter across the pavement. As I bend down to pick up what's left of my meal, I can't help but wonder if this streak of misfortune is some sort of cosmic joke.

A honk captures my attention just as a car strikes the puddle perfectly. The sludge sprays up, resembling a greenish-brown tsunami wave showing down on me.

I stand there, frozen in disbelief, as the foul-smelling sludge drips down my face and clothes. The universe seems to be laughing at me, mocking my string of bad luck. I can't help but feel like I'm the butt of some cruel cosmic joke.

As I wipe the muck from my eyes, I look around at the bustling city street, filled with people going about their day. You got a well-paying job with kick-ass benefits today, I remind myself. Today is still a good day.

I finish gathering my dinner and toss the remnants into the damp bag before searching for a trash can to dispose of them. As I walk home, my right foot squishes with each step. People sidestep me as I pass them, not that I blame them. The smell radiating off me is making me gag. I can't imagine how bad I smell to them.

I keep my head high as I enter my apartment building and step onto the elevator with little Billy Parker and his mother.

"Mom, she stinks!" Billy buries his nose in his red jacket and glares up at me, taking personal offense to my violation of his olfactory.

"Shh," his mom tries to hush him, shifting him away from me while giving me a forced smile.

I know I smell. There's no point in pretending otherwise. I'm sure being crammed into this elevator isn't helping to dissipate the odor. Thankfully, we arrive at my floor just as poor Billy starts to gag.

I quickly step off and rush to my apartment, praying I don't run into any of my neighbors as I speed down the narrow hallway. Never has the number three-sixteen looked so welcoming as I dig my key out of my purse. As I reach into the depths of my purse, desperate to find my keys and escape the potential embarrassment of encountering someone else, my hand recoils in shock as it touches a sticky, viscous substance. A sickening realization washes over me as I fumble to pull out the object responsible for this disaster - a pen, its cap blown off and ink leaking uncontrollably. The once pristine interior of my cherished purse is now a battleground of smeared ink, ruined papers, and stained belongings.

"How?" I exhale, gazing at the blue smudges all over my fingers.

My eyes sting with frustrated tears. I stomp my foot in protest at how my day has taken an evil turn. My shoe squishes, making a flatulent sound just as the hot guy next door passes by me.

I quickly try to compose myself and give him a sheepish smile as he passes, doing my best to downplay the situation. But the embarrassment lingers, and I can feel my cheeks burning with shame. I wish I could disappear into thin air or at least have a do-over for this moment.

My only salvation lies in quickly unlocking the door and stumbling through.

"You're back!" Emily's voice flows down the hall before I hear her trot towards me. "How did it—" she freezes at the entrance of the hallway as soon as she sees me. "What the hell happened to you!" Her big brown eyes travel over me with her mouth hanging open in shock.

"Don't ask," I sigh, dropping my purse on the rug beside our shoe shelf before kicking off my shoes.

"Seriously, what happened? You look like you've been through a war zone," she says, her voice filled with concern. She crossed our small living room and stops when she gets within sniffing distance of me. Her head jerks back as she throws her hands over her mouth and nose. "God, you stink!"

"Thank you, Emily." I walk past her and head straight for the bathroom, knowing she'll follow me.

"Well." Her face scrunches in a silent apology. "You do."

I stop in front of the mirror, getting a good look at myself. It's worse than I expected. The sludge is drying into this sickly brown smear on my skin. Chunks of God know what clings to my hair. My makeup is ruining, and my hair is tousled, falling out of the professional updo I had it styled into. I look like a hot mess.

"Not to sound repetitive, but seriously, what the hell happened to you?" Emily mumbles into her elbow as she leans away from me.

"It's was just one of those afternoons where nothing goes right," I tell her.

I can see the concern in Emily's eyes as she studies me, trying to make sense of my disheveled appearance and frazzled demeanor. Her arm drops as the worry lines on her face deepen. "So does that mean you didn't get the job?"

"No, I've got it." I sigh and roll my neck, trying to ease my tense muscles. "Let me take a shower and toss my clothes, then I'll sort out the details of what happened."

Emily nods and steps back from the doorway, leaving me to clean up. I crawl into the shower and let the warm water cascade over me. I take a deep breath and try to clear my mind, reminding myself that despite the rough journey home, I still had a significant win today. The steam fills the room, enveloping me in a sense of calm.

The soothing lavender scent of my soap helps my mind drift back to Havoc. His black three-piece tailored suit hugged his fit body in all the right places. His ass especially looked good as he walked toward the filing cabinet in his office. I shiver, thinking about his pouty lips and how his dark eyes stared through me.

I can still feel the heat of his gaze on me, making my heart race and my cheeks flush. The memory of his touch sends a shiver down my spine. I close my eyes and let myself get lost in the fantasy of Havoc, allowing the lavender scent to transport me back to that moment in his office. The thought of him consumes me, filling me with desire and longing.

A faint sound of a deep chuckle pulls me back to reality. I gasp, draw back the shower curtain, and scan the foggy bathroom. It's empty, of course, but I can't shake the feeling that I'm not alone. The steam from the hot water swirls around me, creating an eerie atmosphere.

I finish my shower quickly, brushing aside the unsettling feeling of being watched. Once I step out of the bathtub, I wrap myself in a towel and collect the dirty clothes scattered on the floor. Knowing they can't be saved, I toss them into the trash.

As I reach for the knob on the medicine cabinet, the whole thing jerks and crashes down on the countertop, shattering the mirror.

I freeze, staring at the broken pieces of glass reflecting my shocked expression back at me. The bathroom door burst open, slamming into my side. I stumble back, the force of the door knocking me off balance. Pain shoots through my side as I grunt out, "Fuck."

Emily's large brown eyes widen as she takes in the scene around her. "What the hell happened?"

"The thing threw itself off the wall!" I shriek, holding my side.

Emily hurries over to me, concern written all over her face. "Are you okay? Let me see," she says, gently pulling my hand away and pushing the towel aside to examine the damage.

I wince as she touches the tender spot where the door hit me. "It's not too bad; just a bruise, I think," I mutter through clenched teeth.

As Emily steadies me, I'm grateful for her quick reaction and caring nature. Despite the chaos of the moment, her presence brings a sense of calm and reassurance. "Go get dressed, and I'll clean this up," she tells me.

"Be careful of the glass," she tacks on as I step around her and head for my room.

As I quickly change into fresh clothes, I hear her tidying up the mess in the background. Once I'm changed, I help her clean up the rest of the mess. We both collapse onto our sofa with a glass of cheap box wine and leftover pad Thai from yesterday. It's not the boujee dinner I planned, but it's still good.

"So?" Emily picks up her chopsticks and turns toward me, ready to hear how the interview went.

"So, I got the job."

"That's amazing!" she exclaims, giving me a tight hug. I can feel her genuine happiness radiating off of her.

I can't help but smile back at her enthusiasm. "Yeah, I couldn't believe it either. He offered me the position on the spot," I say, still in disbelief. "And the pay is good. Real good. Plus, health insurance once I pass a trial period that includes dental and vision."

She pulls back from the hug, her eyes wide with excitement. "Marry me."

I chuckle at her sudden proposal, feeling a rush of warmth in my chest at her playful response. "I think we should probably go on a few more dates before we jump to that," I tease, unable to wipe the grin off my face. Plus, I'm straight; I don't think it will work between us."

"Me too, but I want your benefits," she replies boldly.

I raise an eyebrow at her. "Is that all I am to you? Just good insurance and a paycheck?"

Emily's expression turns serious as she nods. "Yes."

I snort and shake my head. "I'll think about it."

"Okay, so." she shifts closer, making the material of the sofa groan. "What the hell happened after that? Because you looked like you got hit with a garbage truck when you walked through the door."

"Everything was great until I got about halfway home," I tell her, then go through each step of the trail of miss unfortunate events that played out one by one.

Emily listens intently, her eyes widening with each new detail of my disastrous day. She shakes her head in disbelief, offering words of sympathy and comfort.

After finishing my tale of woe, she squeezes my hand. "That is one hell of a day," she says softly.

I nod in agreement, smiling through it all. "It was, but it makes landing the assistant job today even sweeter and—" I lean my head on her shoulder, "it makes coming home to you so comforting."

Emily smiles back at me, her eyes shining with pride and love. "I'm so happy for you," she says, pulling me into a tight hug. "You deserve this opportunity, and I'm really glad to be here to support you through it all."

I feel a wave of gratitude wash over me as I hold her close, feeling the warmth of her embrace. Today really was a good day.

🖤🌹🖤🌹

WC this chapter: 2182

Total: 5899

Chapter 3! Hopefully you enjoyed this chapter.  I wanted to do a little character building on Nadine.  

I'm looking forward to the next chapter. I'll be Nadine's first day of work and boy is she going to have an interesting first day. 

At the bottom, I add track lists if this book had a soundtrack. At the end I'll put them together and maybe even add a link to my spotify playlist if you'd like to listen to it.  

Till next time, 

M.E.R.