Page 2 of Orlando
“Is it?Because I don’t find it fun.”
Seymour pressed his lips together, clearly trying not to laugh.Orlando rolled his eyes.He didn’t really care that Seymour was teasing him—in fact, he enjoyed it.It had made Seymour forget that he was waiting for a serious answer.
Unfortunately, that didn’t last long.
“Seriously, what’s up with you?I thought you’d be happy to finally be out of the facility,” Seymour said.
Orlando took a sip of coffee just to waste a few more seconds.He didn’t want Seymour to worry about him, but Seymour would anyway, no matter if he was honest or not.They were friends.“It’s just odd.”
Seymour stared for a moment before waving his hand.“You’re going to have to be more specific.”
“I just had an objective for so long, you know?I was training, and I knew what would happen when I finished the program, but then I changed my mind, and now, I don’t know where to start.I don’t want to work for the council, but I don’t know what else I could do.I had to move out of the place that I called home for so long, and all my friends have their own lives.I don’t have anything.”
“You have your apartment, which is one thing you don’t have to worry about.We might all be busy with our personal lives, but it doesn’t mean you don’t have us, too.”
“I know.I’m just feeling whiny.”Because even though Orlando’s friends were busy with their mates and their jobs, they were still there for him.Seymour was currently sitting in front of him, sipping coffee and staring at him as if trying to read his mind.Life hadn’t ended when the council assassins’ project did.Orlando just had to give himself time to find a new direction.
He had no idea where to start.
“Okay, so you have your apartment.What else?”Seymour asked.
“What else, what?”
“Why are you so worried?”
“Well, I have to find a job.”
“I don’t think it’s going to be as hard as you think.I mean, it definitely depends on what kind of job you have in mind, but you could start with something generic since you don’t know what you want.Have you tried applying here at the coffee shop?”
“I haven’t applied anywhere.”
Seymour nodded.“That’s fine.The council will pay you for a few more months, so you don’t have to rush into it.”
Orlando had lucked out.The council had projected that not all the trainees would pass the final tests and that not all of those who passed would want to make it their lives, so in the contract, they’d agreed to continue paying anyone who stepped away from the program for a few more months to give them time to regroup and come up with something.That didn’t mean Orlando could slack, though.That money wouldn’t come in indefinitely.
He groaned.“I have no idea what I want to do.”
“Then you need to find out.Why don’t you start doing something new?You’ve been so focused on the program and training that you haven’t had the time to do anything personal.I know it’s weird to have so much free time, but it’s something to think about.You still have the security of the council paying you for a few more months.You can explore different things and decide what would make a good job for you.”
What Seymour was saying made sense, but it still gave Orlando pause.It was hard to let go of the control he’d had to have over himself while he trained and wrapped his mind around the fact that he had a different life now—a life where he was free to do what he wanted.
“I can see you panicking,” Seymour said gently.“Okay, I’ll tell you what I know about you.You like horrible TV shows.”
“They’re not horrible, just unrealistic.”
Seymour rolled his eyes but ignored Orlando’s words.“You love plants.You like to paint, even though you barely do it.Maybe you could take some art lessons?Just do something you enjoy.”
Orlando nodded.He tried thinking about what he would enjoy, but he wasn’t sure.How sad was that?
* * * *
LIAM TUCKED HIS PHONEbetween his shoulder and his ear.“No, I’m fine.You don’t have to go feed Parsley.”
“Are you sure?”Liam’s mother asked.“Because I know how busy you are between your job and the community garden.I can help.”
Liam didn’t remember how many times he’d told his mother he didn’t need her to help.It was sweet that she worried about him and her furry grandson—as she called Parsley—but even though Liam’s life was busy, he still had enough time to feed himself and his cat.“Parsley gets enough food.I’m afraid that if you feed him, he’ll get so big that I’ll have to roll him around.”
“I would never do that to him.I’m just afraid he’ll get lonely.You’re never home.”
