Three glasses of wine clinked together. 

"Okay, quit your dawding and tell us what happened," Rix said, collapsing back onto Mira's couch. "Give us deets."

"You already know the end of the story," Mira laughed.

"Irrelevant," Catalina said, curling up on the small armchair. "How did everything go down?"

"I'm not sure what I expected-" Mira started.

"-except for an earful," Catalina said with a cackle. 

"Well, yeah, after that review," Rix laughed. 

"Anyway," Mira said, "I met Jayde. She's the owner of the place. She's different from what I expected. Eyebrow ring, neck tattoos. She seems cool."

"Oh yeah, I online stalked her," Catalina said, springing up from the chair and bringing her phone to Mira on the couch. "Look at this," she pointed her phone to Mira. Mira took the phone and Rix scooted up alongside her to look.

Catalina had found Jayde's instagram profile. Jayde owned several restaurants, actually, and she enjoyed getting tattoo'ed. There were photos of her smiling, showing off new ink or at the door of a new restaurant she was opening. The neck tattoo was relatively new. 

"Gives girl-boss energy," Rix said. 

"But, like, a badass form of girl-boss," Catalina said, sipping her wine. "I kind of want to be her."

"That would require you to be badass," Rix said dryly. Catalina pulled her tongue at him. 

"So why haven't you signed the contract yet?" Catalina asked Mira.

"Girl, let me show you," Mira pulled the contract towards her from the table and lifted it. She raised her eyebrows. "Look at all of these stipulations," she fanned through the pages. 

"What is in all of this?" Rix grabbed a paper.

"It's all sorts of rules I have to adhere to," Mira said. "I have to be trained by people they choose and I have to adhere to certain styles of photography and writing. It's a lot."

"Says here you have to sign a non-disclosure?" Rix asked. "Like what are they going to do to you that you can't talk about?"

"Its about protecting their brand, apparently," she said, sipping some wine. "They are really popular and they don't want other people spreading the word on their methods of success."

"Hope you're right about all that. NDA seems a bit much," Rix flicked his wrist and the papers fanned across the couch.

"Hey!" Mira laughed, "I need those!"

"Do you? These people seem extra." He filled their two glasses, and placed the wine bottle down pointedly without filling Catalina's glance. He shot her a tight, false smile. She rolled her eyes. 

"As much as I hate agreeing with Rix," Catalina sneered, "I think this is a bit much. What's with all the paperwork?"

"I hear you guys but," Mira sighed, "a fixed salary. I'll get money in the bank every month for at least a year. I just have to put up with that grumpy chef and dusting off my marketing skills - "

"Grumpy chef?" Rix sits up straighter. "This Kiss Kiss chef? You met him? That guy is the sexiest chef I have ever laid my eyes on."

"Ugh, please," Mira snorted, "he thinks he's all that but he's just a jerk and it's irritating."

"What's got your pantyhose in a knot?" Rix chuckled. 

"He gave her a look at Kiss Kiss the other night," Catalina said. 

Rix rolls his eyes. "I read the review," he drawled. "I'm just saying I'd be happy if he looked at me in any way he pleases. I'm so jealous I might hate you," he sighed and sipped his wine.

"He's not all that good looking," Mira grumbled again.

"Yes he is," Catalina said softly, taking the last sip of her wine and refilling the glass.

"What makes you think it was a bad look?" Rix asked. "Maybe he was checking you out."

"I didn't know we were going to go there so I didn't dress for the occasion," Mira grumbled, covering her face. "And he looked at me like... like I was such a loser. I was so embarrassed."

"It wasn't that bad," Catalina said, "You looked pretty. You always look pretty."

Mira rolled her eyes. "You were too busy eyeing out the doorman to see how he looked at me. How are things with him by the way?"

"I don't know," Catalina smirked, sipping her wine. "He got clingy so I got out." She scoffs.

"Uh, boring," Rix said, "can we please talk about the hot chef? Work with him! Maybe he'll let you lick his spatula," he winked, giggling. 

"Gross," Mira said, throwing a pillow at him. "He barely said two words today in the meeting," Mira said. "Didn't greet me. Told the boss I'm not the right brand." She rolled her eyes and took a gulp of wine. "Like I'm too prude-ish for the badboy chef's restaurant."

"So prove him wrong," Rix said.

"Yeah," Catalina chimed in. "Plus who gives two hoots what he thinks? You'll have a job with a salary coming in every month. You can pay off your car and help your mom with her morgage, like you've wanted to for months. Who gives a hoot what that knob thinks."

"Everybody else seemed great, right? You'll be working with them too. Forget about him. See it as a job." Rix gathered the papers he had flung. "Plus this will look great on your CV."

Mira sighed. "You're both right. I'll just ignore him."

"Yeah, ignore that ass!" 

"It shouldn't even matter if you're prude-ish," Catalina said. "You're there to work marketing, not be an underwear model."

Mira chuckled softly. "But you don't think I'm actually prude-ish, do you?"

"What? No," Catalina chuckled nervously and sipped her wine. "No."

"You're a bit more conservative," Rix mentioned casually.

"What?" Mira's eyes widened. "What does that mean?"

Catalina shot Rix a look that said stop.

"It's not a bad thing," he said, raising his hands. "You're just cautious. It's a good thing!"

"Oh hell you think I'm a prude," Mira buried her face into a pillow. 

"I do not think you're a prude!" He said, rubbing her shoulder. "Plus why are we even having this conversation? What someone else that you don't even know thinks shouldn't matter to you."

Mira sighed. "You're right. It's just a job. I really do want a salary every month. Working casually is hard." She shuffled through her hand bag and found a pen, bringing it to the bottom line of the stipulations. She signed and smiled. "I'm going to be employed."

"Yes!" Catalina and Rix clinked their wine glasses against hers. "Congratulations."

Mira hiccuped as she took a sip. "I should move these papers away from the wine."