Page 16 of Catch Me
Mya holds up her hand. “Stop it. Do not start that mess again.” She glares at me. “You have two,” she holds up two fingers for emphasis, “degrees.”
I do have a bachelor’s and an MBA with a concentration in finance thanks to the intense five-year program I enrolled in at my university. However, my undergraduate degree in mathematics and my MBA weren’t degrees I wanted for myself.
“Don’t even go there,” Mya warns. “If you start getting all self-deprecating on me, I swear I will knock you into the middle of next week.”
Her words make me laugh. She hates it when I get down on myself. Her and Ari both.
I hold up my hands in surrender. “Yes, but the truth is, as far as my bosses are concerned, I’m unproven in this field, so I need to show them what I’m made of.”
She pushes out a breath. “I get it.”
With that, she pulls me into a hug I didn’t know I needed.
The doorbell rings, making Mya growl.
“That damn man is always on time.”
I snicker at her annoyance. “I’ll get it. You finish getting ready.”
I head to the door to buzz Jason in. A few minutes later, he knocks on the door.
“Ivy,” he greets with a warm smile.
“I assume the flowers aren’t for me?” I joke as I point at the bouquet of lilacs in his arms.
“They better be for me,” Mya says as she comes up from behind.
Jason’s eyes light up as soon as he sees her.
These two. They’ve been together since Mya’s first year of law school and sometimes it still surprises me how after going on six years of being together, they still look at one another like they were the only ones in the room.
Despite my parents being married for almost thirty-five years, I never knew this type of love existed.
Hell, I’m almost sure that it only exists for Mya and Jason.
“I’ll put these in water,” I tell Mya. “You go ahead.”
“Thanks, sweetie.” Never one to shy away from affection, she squeezes me and then takes Jason’s hand.
“Have fun.” I wave Mya off, knowing I likely won’t see her for the next few days. She does spend a lot of time over Jason’s. Which is a reminder that I need to do everything I can to save money so that I can find my own place eventually.
I won’t be the reason Mya hangs onto this apartment when she doesn’t have to.
That thought gets me in gear, and I grab my laptop from my bedroom and head to the little corner work desk in the spacious living room.
Mya and I take turns using this space as our office when needed. Most evenings, I utilize the area to work for my part-time job as a stylist for an online clothing delivery company.
The job entails curating outfits and looks for average people who want to spruce up their wardrobes or just need help finding the best looks for their body types.
I click on one of the new profiles that’s been uploaded and read over the person’s preferences and body measurements.
I’m given enough information from the application they completed to pick out a couple of outfits that they can mix and match to wear on the job, on a casual night out, or even on a date.
Smiling at the outfits and pieces I’ve chosen, I upload the selections and know that on the other end, in a warehouse,these items will be placed in the curated box and shipped to the customer.
I hope they like it.
A noise startles me, and at first I think it’s Ms. Shelby, who’s managed to curl up in my lap while I’ve been working. But it’s actually my stomach. A reminder that I’ve forgotten to eat again.
