The Road To Price Read online

  *****

  I wake up a few hours later to a dark room. My hand starts to roam around my bed looking for my phone to check the time. The only clock in my apartment is the clock on the stove so I rely on my phone, a lot.

  I find my flip phone and open it to check the time. My phone is so outdated, but I have no need for a smart phone. I never check my email, never go on the Internet, and I’m not on any social networking sites.

  It's 7:30 at night. I've gotten a little over two hours of sleep. I also see that I have a missed call and voice message from the temp agency.

  That's odd. Jessica never leaves me a message because she knows I'll never check it. I usually just call her back when I can.

  I hit the button to call my voice mail and wait to hear the message.

  “Hey, Mia, it’s Jessica and I’m calling a little after six. Call me as soon as you get this. I'm leaving the office, but you can call my cell phone. I have a job opportunity for you and you would start immediately. I think you'd be the perfect fit for this job. Give me a call as soon as you get this. Talk to you soon!”

  A job opportunity? I’m already working three different jobs through the agency. On top of the diner and cleaning, I also do filing work at a real estate company. I know Jessica understands my desire to stay busy, but adding a fourth job to the mix may be my breaking point.

  I decide to call her back right away. I want to give her the opportunity to give this position to someone else as quickly as possible. I dial her number and she answers on the second ring.

  “Hello?”

  “Hi, Jessica, it’s Mia Dechino. I just got your message.”

  “Mia! Thank you so much for calling me back. I am just so excited about this job opportunity for you. Unfortunately, Mr. Price wants the interview done first thing in the morning so I had to get a hold of you right away.”

  “Slow down, Jessica. I'm just calling you back to let you know I can’t possibly add a fourth job onto my schedule. While I love to keep busy, I think three jobs is my max.”

  I don’t want to tell her that when she called I was sleeping. I'm exhausted from working these three jobs, but I like that I'm too tired to do anything but sleep.

  “Mia, I think there's a misunderstanding. Please, hear me out. This is a full time, live-in position. If you take this position you will no longer work at your other jobs. Now I know what you're thinking and stop right there to let me explain.”

  She pauses for a second to see if I’m going to argue with her, but I decide to stay quiet and hear her out.

  She continues, “This is a live-in housekeeping position for one of the wealthiest men in Miami. It is physical work, Mia, and there will always be something for you to do. You could work from sun up until midnight if you want to. Plus, you'll live in the employee quarters so you can leave that crappy place you call an apartment.”

  Jessica continues to talk, but I have temporarily zoned her out. I’m focusing on the live-in part. This could be exactly what I’m looking for. My family has no idea where I am. If they find out I’m in Miami, they would come looking for me. It would be easy for them to eventually hunt down what apartment complex I'm living in. If I’m living on private property… the private property of an extremely wealthy man who probably has the best security around, it would be nearly impossible for anyone to find me.

  I could work with this. I've been cleaning office buildings for the last four months. It can’t be that hard to clean a house. Actually, I’m sure it’s a mansion rather than a house, but I'm capable of doing that. I wonder if I will be the only housekeeper?

  “Mia? Mia, are you still there?”

  Shit….

  “Yes, Jessica, I’m still here. What time is the interview?”

  “It's at the Price estate at 8am sharp. I can give you the address and directions right now. You’ll need to dress to impress, Mia.”

  I have to work in the morning. I’m cleaning some offices down on Ocean Avenue. I start around 3am and usually won’t finish until around 8am.

  “I wish I could be there, but I can’t make it at that time. You’re going to have to get someone else for the interview,” I say reluctantly.

  “Now, stop right there,” Jessica states. “I already got someone to fill in for you in the morning. I'm going to do everything I can to get you this position. You may not understand now, but I know this job is perfect for you. I also called the diner to let them know you won’t be coming in tomorrow. If Mr. Price likes you he might need a few other things from you. I needed to free up your entire day.”

  “Oh.” It's all I can say. Jessica is very thorough with her job.

  I start to nervously bounce my leg up and down on the bed. The jobs I've landed through the agency so far have not required me to interview for them. This will be my first interview in a while.

  “Yes, oh…” Jessica says. “No excuses, Mia. Be there at 8am sharp and call me right after you're done.”

  “Okay.”

  “Now get a pen and paper and write this down.”

  I stay on the phone with Jessica for another two minutes before ending the call. I get the address and directions. The Price estate is about fifteen minutes from here. I don’t want to risk hitting any traffic in the morning so I need to leave early enough to give me extra time to get there.

  I walk into the kitchen to make myself something to eat. My cabinets and refrigerator have very little to choose from so I grab one of my lean frozen dinners and stick it in the microwave.

  As I’m waiting for my dinner to cook, my towel starts to slip from my head.

  Oh, shit!

  I completely forgot about my hair. It probably looks like a bird’s nest right now. I will need to rewash my hair before the interview so that I at least look presentable.

  The microwave beeps and I pull out my meal, bringing it over to the bed and waiting a few minutes for it to cool off. I'm starving, so when I finally start eating it only takes a few minutes to finish.

  I go back into the bathroom to rewash my hair. Once it is washed and blow-dried, I pick out my outfit for the interview. This is a rather easy task because I only have two nice outfits to choose from.

  My eyes start to feel heavy. It's only nine at night, but I can’t stay up any longer. I check to make sure the front door is locked and then put my phone on the charger next to my bed. My hand reaches to turn off the light and then I lay my head on my pillow… and fall asleep instantly.