Page 6 of Such a Tempting Omega

Chapter Six

Hirsch

I woke that morning panicked. None of the jobs I’d applied for had contacted me. No new leads. No follow-up emails. Nothing.

The morning light filtered through the windows. It should’ve made for a bright and sunny mood but instead, I groaned and kicked my legs a bit at my predicament.

I had to find a job and move.

Not yesterday but now.

Sure, I could wait things out and stay here for the rest of the time on the lease, but waking up to the aftermath of what was Kyle and me became more depressing by the day. The sparse walls that once held pictures of us. The empty half of the closet. The opposite side of the bed always cold.

It was time to take action. More than online applications and waiting.

Today was the day I took charge of my life again.

I flung the covers off my body and headed for the shower. After that and a couple of cups of coffee, I set out with a stack of resumes in hand—even though most of the page was blank.

Today, I would find a job. Period.

I didn’t skip a single place of business on my day’s journey. Convenience stores, gas stations, a yogurt shop, and even a bakery—I stopped at all of them and inquired about availability.

“Anything?” I asked one of the managers at the end of my journey. “I’ll stock or mop or clean the bathrooms. Please. In few months, I won’t have a place to live.”

“I’m sorry,” the man said as a woman approached his side and hugged him. “We can’t afford any employees right now. We are barely paying ourselves a salary as it is. We’re really sorry.”

I nodded. There was so much love between them. Anyone could see it. Everyone in this world was surviving something. Even them. Even me.

“Thank you. I appreciate it. I’ll stop by here instead of the other store from now on. Your prices are cheaper anyway.”

Leaving, I felt more and more defeated by the second. I didn’t have time for defeat. My time in the apartment dwindled.

Crossing the street, I started up the other side. Fast-food places weren’t my first choice, but beggars couldn’t be choosers. By the time I was done, I’d become a nuisance to the city. No place within walking distance of the apartment had been missed.

Not a one.

Even the dry-cleaning place that ruined my favorite shirt. I may or may not have acted like a bit of a Karen when that happened. Good thing it didn’t look like the owner remembered. Or if she did, she had the kindness not to say anything.

On the walk home, I mulled over the situation. Perhaps when I found a job and a cheaper place to live, I could get a roommate. Put an ad on social media or something like that. That would make any rent more palatable, but there was that fear that I would get a roommate who belonged on one of those true crime documentaries.

Even with a roommate, a minimum wage job would leave me eating beans and rice and not much else. I could sell some of the expensive things at a carport sale, but the money made from that would be temporary.

Man, I was in deep shit and there was no paddle. Hell, there wasn’t even a boat.

My feet were sore, but I knew I had more in me. I had to go to sleep that night knowing I’d done the best I could.

If I failed, it wouldn’t be because I didn’t put in the effort.

I walked even farther this time. I applied everywhere. Talked to managers and owners. Some of them suggested other places—knew people who were hiring. It was a start but no bites. I decided to go on the other side of the city and do the same thing.

I was only a few blocks from the club when a car pulled over to the curb.

I gasped when I saw who it was. The alpha from the club. That one I’d spilled my lemony drink all over.

What was he doing here?

Chapter Seven

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