Author's notes: Hey guys, sorry for taking so long to update. This is literally my only day off this week and I'm so exhausted. I've haven't had any time to write much either, just started chapter 10. Though I think I figured out the way I'm going to finish it..maybe. Stay tuned.
10 months later
"I can't believe we found such a nice apartment and this quick!" Stacie yells, running through their new 3 bedroom apartment.
The apartment building they had been previously been living in was being torn down. Beca and Stacie felt sad about moving, but the building was so old and was falling apart. They managed to find a new one pretty quickly, the only problem was it may be a bit more than they could afford.
"It's great Stacie, but we still need to eat. I don't have a proper job yet and you still have one year of college left." Beca stresses, dragging some heavy boxes through the door.
"Beca! We're going to be fine!" Stacie laughs, running back to her and throwing her arms around Beca, "You worry too much!"
"Excuse me, I worry the perfect amount." Beca grumbles, at her giant friend, "Besides, your mum and dad aren't going to help you forever, we need to make sure we can afford this place in a year when you graduate."
Stacie frowns, Beca was right. The only reason they could afford this place was because her mum and dad helped her out and jobs aren't guaranteed after graduation.
"Ok, how about this, we'll advertise for another roommate. We have a spare room and we could use the extra money." Stacie offers, understanding Beca's concern.
"I mean, I don't want anyone else living with us, but we'll have too." Beca sighs, knowing it was the only way they'll get by.
"Great! Maybe we could get a hunky guy with huge muscles…" Stacie imagines, dreamily.
"Stacie." Beca sighs, rolling her eyes.
"…Ooooh or maybe a super hot masseuse from one of those health colleges. She could be really pretty, with a great set of.."
"Stacie!" Beca scolds, at her vulgar daydream session, "Could you and your vagina go and daydream somewhere else please?"
"I'm not saying I'm going to sleep with our future roommate, but why can't I have some eye candy." Stacie pouts, "I work really hard, it'll be nice to come home and see a pretty body floating around the kitchen. Oh! We should get someone from the culinary school!"
Beca huffs as she grabs the boxes and moves them down to her new room. Leaving Stacie to babble about placing ads online to find a new roommate. Beca places her stuff down in her room, she opens the first box and pulls out the picture of her reckless woman. She smiles down at the picture, it was always comforting to her as well as inspiring. It was like the woman in the pictures was her friend. Beca often caught herself talking to the picture when she was stressed or stuck for ideas. It's not like she thought the picture was talking back to her, that would be weird. It was just Beca talking to herself and she would usually just direct it to the picture so she didn't feel like she was alone.
Beca walks to the wall directly across from the window and hangs the picture. She stand back to admire it in its beautiful frame, the way the sun shone on it made it sparkle a little. Beca sighs happily, wondering if she would ever get to meet this mysterious woman. Beca didn't even know if she was American, they were in Canada when she took it. She could be from any country as far as Beca knew. But maybe it was best if she didn't know, it may spoil the magic she feels from the picture.
"Well, it looks like you've settled into the room nicely." Stacie stands at the door.
"I haven't even unpacked yet." Beca frowns, confused.
"I wasn't talking to you." She smirks, pointing at the picture in the wall.
"You're an idiot." Beca sniggers, shaking her head.
"I think our resident redhead will give you some luck tomorrow at your interview." Stacie remarks, going up to the picture and straightening it.
"I hope so, I really need this job. Can you imagine if I could land even an entry level job at travel your world?" Beca's says, sounding nervous.
"You already nailed the first interview, and you're going to do great with this one too, Bec!" Stacie says, encouragingly.
Stacie could tell how nervous Beca was, but she knew she was going to get it. Beca had more talent in her pinky toe than anyone Beca went to school with.
"Thanks Stacie! What would I do with out you?" Beca smiles, knowing she wouldn't get far without Stacie, though Stacie thought the same of her.
"You would probably forget to eat." Stacie jokes.
Beca laughs, "Yeah, that's true!"
Stacie goes and lays on Beca's bed, "So I'm going to post an ad tonight for a new roommate. Do you have any preferences on what we should advertise for?"
"Not a murderer." Beca responds, seriously.
"That's a given, anything else?" Stacie asks, grinning at Beca.
"I don't know, someone who's clean." Beca didn't know what she wanted in a roommate, "Someone who doesn't touch my shit."
"Roommate must reframe from touching tiny hobbit's stuff, got it!" Stacie shots her a finger gun and wink.
"Maybe I should just replace you." Beca deadpans, looking at Stacie.
"You could try, but you'd never be able to get me out on your own. You're too small." Stacie gets up and ruffles her hair.
"I'm going to suffocate you in your sleep." Beca glares, slapping away her hand.
"Aww! You're so cute when you're murderous, I'm amazed you're still single." Stacie sasses, causing Beca to punch her in the arm before the two friends burst out laughing.
…
Beca rushes through the business district, heading towards her interview. She breaths deeply, steadying her nervous.
"I swear, I'm always nervous lately." Beca mutters, to herself.
The company she was interviewing for was one of the best travel website around. It was the top website for tourist's to go to when they were looking for more of an authentic trip, rather than a typical tourist trip. It was Beca chance to go to places that people wouldn't normally and show the world there were more to place than what you see on TV.
*ring ring*
"Hey Stace." Beca answers her phone.
"Are you almost there?" She asks, sounding like she was eating something.
"Yeah, I'm almost at the building. I'm super nervous." Beca stresses, "I've made it this far, I really want to get the job!"
"You're gonna be fine. Just hit them with some Mitchell charm and you'll win them over." Stacie jokes.
"You know full well I have zero Mitchell charm!" Beca grumbles, rolling her eyes, hearing Stacie laughing through the phone, "Why would you suggest that?"
"God, Bec! You're so easy to wind up. You're going to be fine." Stacie continues to laugh.
Beca huffs into the phone, she should be used to Stacie's antics by now. It was just that this interview was such a big deal and she didn't want to screw it up.
"Do you have class today?" She asks, trying to get her mind off her interview.
"Just a online lecture, but I wanted to call you because we already had a call for the spare room." Stacie says, excitedly.
"Already? You posted it last night at midnight. Are you sure they're not a murderer?" Beca asks, worried.
"Well, I'm meeting with them at 11, so if you come home to blood everywhere, you can assume that they were." Stacie says, taking another mouthful of whatever she was eating.
"I'm sorry, but it is too early in the morning for this level of sass and sarcasm. I'm gonna need you to tone it down please." Beca snaps, playfully.
Stacie laughs again "I'm sure she'll be fine, she's a couple years older than us. And she's a remedial therapist." Stacie explains.
"What is that?"
"It's a masseuse, but for actual injuries. So, she would actually be helping your body recover from an injury. At least I think that's what it is." Stacie says, not sounding all that sure.
"Well, I guess that wouldn't be so bad. As long as she isn't real touchy-feely." Beca shrugs, stopping suddenly.
Beca looks up at the tall grey building, it looks much like all the others. But this was the address she was looking for. She takes a deep breath.
"Well, I'm here." She sounds like she may throw up.
"Bec, listen, you're amazing. And yeah, right now you're a little fish in a massive ocean, but I know you have the talent to survive anything. You're going to get this job, you're going to be the best damn landscape..nature…travel..Damn! What type of photographer are you trying to be again?" Stacie loses her train of thought.
"Great pep talk, Stace! Don't let the applicant kill you." Beca says, before saying her goodbyes.
...
Beca taps her foot nervously, she felt more anxious than she did at the last interview. She can't wait for the day when she felt different feelings. She wipes her clammy hands on her pants, as she looks around. She was in a large conference room. It had a large wooden conference table and about 12 chairs. The room itself had a floor to ceiling window on one side, it was just a giant glass wall, giving an amazing view of New York. The door opens, a man in his early 30's walks in.
"Good morning, you must be Beca." He shakes her hand, "My name is Dean Walker."
"Hello, thank you for meeting with me." Beca says, shakily.
He sits down across from her and sets down a folder. He opens it and pulls out what Beca can see to be her resume and application.
"Ok, well Beca Mitchell, I have some good news and some bad news." He starts, "The bad news is, the position you applied for was filled yesterday."
Beca's stomach drops, disappointment fills her body, she didn't even have a shot.
"Oh.." She says, trying not to sound too disappointed.
"Yes, I was quite furious yesterday. It was filled without my knowledge, even though they knew I was interviewing another candidate this morning." Dean says, sounding like he was still kind of mad about it.
"So, how come you didn't cancel my interview?" Beca asks, wondering why she even came in.
"Well, that's the good news, I wanted to interview you for a different position. One that hasn't even come available to anyone else yet." He smiles, his eyes seem to sparkle at the prospect of this new position.
"I… really?" Beca asks, extremely stunned, suddenly her stomach seemed to be back where it should be.
"Yes, I would. So listen, they were very impressed with you at your first interview. Which is why you've come to me. I've gone over your portfolio and your applications. Your pictures are great, really great, but they could be even better if you had more time hone your skills." He starts to explains, "You have a great eye for details and knowing which part of you pictures should be your main focus."
Beca listens silently, desperate to hear what this other position could be.
"I also noticed you have taken several writing courses while attending New York Institute of Photography. Why was that?" He asks, the question taking her by surprise.
"Oh, well… There was a time where I thought it was getting too much for me, I took some courses in writing to sort of put my mind somewhere else for a little while." She tries to explain without saying her professor was a giant dick that needed to be castrated.
"Did it help?" He asks, interestedly.
"Yeah, it did actually. I was able to refocus once I had a different creative outlet. Some of the assignments I was given at NYIP were so specific that I felt like I wasn't being creative anymore. It helped me get back on track." She answers, still wondering why he was asking.
Dean nods, looking back down at her resume.
"Who's class did you take at NYIP?" He asks without looking up.
"I took Professor Lock's class, Professor Andrew's and Professor.."
"Dickens?" He interrupts, looking up at her with a little smirk.
"Yeah." Beca answers, not knowing if this was going to lead somewhere bad.
"I thought so, I took the liberty of giving him a call before our interview today. To get his opinion of you." He continues to smirk.
'Oh no! This can't be good! Why is he smirking? WHY IS HE SMIRKING?' Beca begins to panic.
Dean sees the panic in Beca's face and decides not to delay, "He said, Beca Mitchell is one of the most difficult, egoistic simpletons I've ever had the misfortune to teach. And she has a big mouth. Good luck if you want to hire someone like her."
Beca's mouth drops open, extremely offended.
"Charming man, isn't he." He shakes his head, "Although, it was the best reference we've ever receive from him for any applicant he's ever taught."
"Seriously?" Beca says, breathlessly, if that was the best one, what has he said about everyone else.
"Yeah and now I understand why you needed another creative outlet. That guy's an arsehole!" He says, passionately.
Beca laughs, "How do you know Professor Dickens?"
"I took his class too. Boy, I really wanted to run that arrogant piece of shit over with a bus!" Dean steams at the mere memory of Professor Dickens.
"I think you and I would get along very well, Dean." Beca says, seriously causing the man to start laughing.
"Honestly Beca, I'm not even sure we would have enough time in a month to go through all the bullshit he put me through and then get to all the shit he put you through." Dean shakes his head, laughing, "He did say you were the only one who passed his class last year, do you have the pictures from that final assignment?"
Beca dives into her bag and pulls out folder carrying some more of her work. She flicks through until she comes upon her pictures from her 'Paint the city red' assignment.
"The subject was colour. I was inspired by the colour red, so I went with that." Beca explains, handing the pictures to him.
He studies the pictures for about ten minutes, making Beca sweat more than she ever had in her life. He looks up suddenly, stopping on one that she took in the flower markets.
"Tell me about this picture." He asks, pointing to it.
Beca smiles, the picture was of an older Asian woman, she's laughing and standing behind a stand of red gerbera's.
"That is Mrs Chang, she has worked at that flower stall for 30 years. She told me that gerbera's were her favourite because there were so many colours. They reminded her of the rainbow she saw on the day she came to America." Beca says, remembering that day fondly.
Dean looks impressed, "Why is she laughing?"
Beca blushes and laughs uncomfortably, "I asked her why would someone give red gerbera's and she told me they meant to be fully immersed in love. So, she said I should give them to someone I was stalking. She thought she was funny."
Dean starts laughing, "Are you stalking someone, Beca?"
"No! I'm not that weird." She laughs, scratching her head.
"I'm sure you're not. But that is a great story, and that's what I'm looking for. Which brings me to the job offer." Dean says, with a smile.
Beca's ears prick up at the words job offer.
"It says here that you've lived in New York City your whole life, so you would say you know the city pretty well, yes?" He asks, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah, I'd say so." Beca nods, wanting to know where he was going.
"Well, seeing as our great website is based in New York City, the company has decided to launch an active blog. But it just can't be done by anyone, we want it done be a real New Yorker. Someone who knows the in's and out's of the city. Knows where all the good places are and where to see amazing things and not just the Seinfeld and sex and the city versions." Dean explains, "Your work is great, but I think given the chance to spread your creative wings, you would be able to add even more life and soul into them. So, I want to offer you the position to be our New York blogger."
It wasn't what she was expecting, but it could lead her somewhere great. Beca blinks rapidly, trying to process the information.
"You'll have full access of what you can take pictures of and what sights you pick. We'll just give a base subject every week. Like restaurants, bars or markets. Stuff like that." He finishes, "It would be a year contract and then we would review you and see if you want to continue it or move on somewhere else. So, what do you say? Interested?"
Beca was beyond interested, but something bugged her.
"I.. Why me?" She frowns, struggling to understand why they would pick her with little experience to run something new in the company.
Dean smiles, "Because you remind me of me when I was your age. I knew it the moment I got off the phone to Dickens. You were tough and wanted to succeed. Why else would you tell Dickens that someone's going to hit him one day?" He laughs.
"Oh god! He told you that?" Beca asks, embarrassed, "He hinted that someone already had."
"Yeah, who do you think that was?" Dean smirks, "But let's save that story for another day." As he watches Beca's eyes widen in delight.
"Someone took a chance on me after Dickens gave me the worst reference anyone could get, and look where I am now. And I have a feeling you're going to do amazing things, and I want to help you get there. So, what do you say?" He holds out his hand.
…
Stacie dances around the new apartment unpacking boxes, making it feel like home. She couldn't wait for Beca to get home, she always had a great eye for detail. If she fails as a photographer, she could be a decorator. Stacie always told her that, which usually resulted in a fabulous cushion to the face. Whenever they visited the markets, Beca could always find a great piece to put in their apartment. Little splashes of colour and sparkle, it really livened up the place. So, Stacie decides to leave all of that stuff for Beca and she would unpack all the kitchen stuff, at least they could start cooking tonight. There was only so much Chinese take away one could eat. Stacie was the cook in their duo, Beca couldn't cook to save herself. If is wasn't for Stacie, she was sure Beca would have died years ago from starvation.
Stacie looks at her phone, 10.45am. Fifteen minutes till the applicant gets here. Stacie was excited, this person was the only one that didn't seem like a creep or someone who was going to rob them. Stacie wonders what she'll be like and if she'll fit in with her and Beca. Stacie was a little sad that it wouldn't be just her and Beca anymore, though this would be a good way to meet new people. With her studying so much, it was getting harder and harder to get out and meet people these days. And her science friends, while extremely nice and perfectly lovely, were a just not Stacie's cup of tea when it came to dating. Maybe this new chick could lead her to her next fling or her next relationship. Stacie sniggers at the thought, she hadn't had a relationship in ages. They always ended up smashing her heart to pieces, so she just doesn't do them anymore.
"Oh god! We really need food!" Stacie grimaces at their empty fridge.
She gets down to her last box, pulling out their plates and starts packing them away. Vowing that she would buy this apartment one day when she's a big time scientist because she never wanted to move again.
*knock knock*
"Ooh, that'll be her." Stacie's gasps, excitedly, "Coming!"
Stacie runs and checks herself in the mirror, quickly washing her sweaty face. She rushes back to the door. She takes a deep breath and plasters on her biggest and best smile. She opens the door to find a woman on the other side. Stacie gasps loudly, causing the woman to frown and step back in surprise. Stacie couldn't help it, whoever Stacie was expecting it certainly wasn't this woman. Because Stacie had seen this woman before, her fair skin and her fiery red hair were all too familiar.
'Beca is going to friggen die!'
