Mia
After Seven left, Mia spent some time getting settled. She unpacked her suitcase and made the bed. The refrigerator was empty, but she didn't feel like trekking to the supermarket on the bus, so she hit the nearest convenience store for the essentials - diet soda, coffee, peanut butter, bread, microwave popcorn, and toilet paper. Just those few items put a significant dent in her bank account, and she hoped that her first payday wouldn't be too far in the distant future. Once upstairs, she put everything away before settling in front of the computer. She started going through the files that Seven had shown her and was lost in thought when the notification chimed, announcing someone had entered the chatroom. She clicked to join.
Liam: Mia! How are you?
Mia: Good, thanks! Seven was here and got me all settled in.
Liam: Awesome! I could barely pay attention in class today because I was so excited thinking we might be able to hold fundraisers again.
Mia: I'll do my best! It might take me a little bit to get up to speed though.
Liam: I understand. Sorry if I was pressuring you. Just…excited!
Mia: I get it. So, Liam, Rita was your cousin?
Liam: Yes. She was an awesome person.
Mia: It sounds like it. Do you mind me asking what happened to her?
-Zayn entered chat-
Zayn: Hey! It's Mia and Liam.
Liam: Hi Zayn.
Mia: How was your meeting?
Zayn: Awesome! I told my agent about you and he was totally on board!
Liam: Wow! Mia's really going to work for you, too?
Mia: Um, Mia never said that.
Zayn: Not yet, but you will!
Mia: Someone's quite full of himself.
Liam: Zayn tends to get what he wants.
Zayn: Yes he does!
Mia: Well, I think Zayn shouldn't be so cocky. And also, he shouldn't talk about himself in the third person.
Liam: LOL.
Zayn: But is it arrogance if it's true?!
-707 entered chat-
707: I think…yes.
Zayn: Not you, too. What is this? 'Gang up on Zayn' day?
707: Is this guy bothering you, Mia?
Mia: Heya Seven. No worries. I can handle him.
Zayn: I'd like to see you try *wink, wink*
707: I think I just threw up in my mouth a little.
Liam: I'm gonna go make dinner.
Mia: You cook?
Liam: Well, not great, but I'm learning!
Mia: That's awesome! Will you cook for me some time, Liam?
Liam: I'd love to! Talk to you later, Mia! Bye!
-Liam left chat-
Zayn: Well, damn, look at the kid scoring points with the lady.
707: Maybe because he has some useful skills, besides looking pretty?
Zayn: You mean like playing on the computer all day?
707: Ouch. I think I just got owned.
Mia: Well, if you kids don't need me for this conversation…
Zayn: No, wait! I really do want to meet with you and talk about working together.
Mia: Okay.
Zayn: I have an audition tomorrow…maybe the next day?
707: Good luck tomorrow. Hope you get it.
Zayn: Thanks! I've been practicing all week. I'm nervous, but excited!
Mia: Just hmu. You know where to find me.
Zayn: Kk. I'm gonna go run through my audition one more time. Talk later.
-Zayn left chat-
707: Everything going okay over there so far?
Mia: Yeah. I just started sorting through Rita's files, but so far, so good.
707: Okay. Any questions, lmk.
-707 left chat-
As soon as Mia logged out of the computer, her phone vibrated.
L: Hi, Mia! It's Liam! Seven gave me your number. Hope you don't mind.
M: Not at all. And I'll save yours now, too.
L: Cool! I just wanted to say, I really would be happy to cook for you anytime! Tell me what you like and I'll figure out how to make it.
M: I'm not picky. Italian, Mexican, Chinese - I like it all!
L: Lasagna? With a salad and freshly baked rolls?
M: You're making me drool here, Liam!
L: LOL. Okay. We'll have dinner soon. And…if you want to know more about Rita, we can talk.
M: I understand if it's too hard to talk about her.
L: No, it's okay. She was a great person. I want you to know about her.
M: Okay. Well, go enjoy your dinner.
L: K! Bye!
Before Mia could set the phone down, another text arrived.
707: A foreign prince wants to buy you for his bride for 2 million dollars! Reply to this text with your bank account in the next 15 minutes or he will move on to the next person.
M: Hmm, I don't know. How cute is this prince?
707: It's possible that he looks like the ass end of a donkey. But that's not the point! By even replying to messages like this, scary hackers can get your personal information!
M: You mean, scarier than the one who's currently texting me? That IS frightening.
707: Ha ha. Okay, enough goofing off. Back to work.
Mia sat back with a grin on her face. She was just getting to know these guys, but she really liked them. Liam, the sweet, sensitive college boy. Seven, the smart, sarcastic tech wizard. Even Zayn, the cocky, charming artist. It all felt so surreal - like she'd stepped into some other woman's life; a woman who had a great job, a fancy apartment, and beautiful boys all vying for her attention.
That being said, it was hard to ignore that the previous occupant of this apartment had perished under what sounded like questionable circumstances. Or the fact that some suspicious hacker had led Mia here in the first place. She didn't have enough information to form any conclusions at this point, but it was enough to leave her uneasy. She couldn't afford to let her guard down just yet.
In her experience, if something seemed too good to be true, then it probably was.
Mia made a peanut butter sandwich and ate it while watching the sunset through her balcony window. The waning sunlight lit up Elliott Bay, making the water look like it was on fire. It was a beautiful sight, but for some reason, it also made her feel melancholic. She chalked it up to being alone in an unfamiliar place. Once her dinner was gone and dusk had fallen, Mia thought about sorting through the RFA files some more, but she was exhausted. It had been a long, weird day, and her brain needed a rest. Rather than trying to get her streaming apps set up on the TV, she found a video on her phone and laid down on the couch to watch it. The next thing she knew, the video had ended and her phone was face down on her stomach, jarring her awake with a notification.
Yawning, Mia squinted at her phone. The chat room was open. She thought about ignoring it, but she was actually feeling fairly refreshed from her nap. Besides, she was curious about who had joined.
It turned out to be Zayn.
Mia: Hey Zayn. Done rehearsing?
Zayn: Hiya Mia. Yeah, all done. I think I actually might have worked out too hard. Got kind of a raging headache, at the moment.
Mia: Aw, that sucks. Sorry to hear that.
Zayn: Thanks. Can you kiss it better?
Mia: Sure. Muah!
Zayn: Wow, I feel better already!
-Liam entered chat-
Liam: Don't tell me you've fallen for Zayn so soon, Mia! He gets all the girls and the rest of us get nobody.
Zayn: Dude, stop saying that. You don't know what you're talking about.
Liam: What do you mean? You have tons of female fans!
Zayn: Fans are different. I don't date my fans.
Liam: Well, I've never even had a real girlfriend.
Zayn: You're young. What's the rush?
-Julie entered chat-
Julie: You have a big audition coming up. This is not the time to be concerned about relationships, anyway. You should be focused on your career.
Zayn: Yeah, whatever. I'm gonna go. Catch ya later, Mia.
Mia: Okay.
-Zayn left chat-
Liam: What's up with him?
Mia: He's not feeling great.
Julie: He needs to take better care of himself. He can't afford to become ill right now.
Mia's phone buzzed with an incoming text. It was Zayn.
Mia: Listen guys, I gotta run, too. Have a good night, okay?
Liam: Good night!
Julie: Have a good evening.
Mia exited the chat and opened the text.
Z: Sorry I bailed like that. Those guys were just irritating me.
M: It's okay. Maybe you should go take some medicine and lie down for a bit?
Z: Yeah, I will. I just…I wanted to explain to you, I'm not some playboy like Liam makes me out to be.
Z: All I've done for the past five years is work my ass off for my career. It hasn't left any time for a personal life, and frankly, it really sucks sometimes.
M: I get that. If it makes you feel any better, I haven't been in a relationship in a really long time, either.
M: And I don't have the excuse that I've been trying to become famous or anything.
Z: LOL. Well, I know I haven't seen you yet, but that makes no sense to me.
Z: You seem really sweet and funny.
M: Ah, I think I'm blushing. Is it okay if I ask - what is your audition for?
Z: Um, I want to tell you, but…I can't give specifics until it's final.
Z: But I have to fly to LA tomorrow. It's an audition for a TV show.
Z: Like, a reality TV show. It would be a HUGE break for me.
M: Wow, Zayn, that's amazing! I'll be cheering you on, but I know you'll be awesome!
Z: That makes me feel so good just knowing that you're rooting for me.
Z: Would it be okay if I maybe text you before the audition for good luck?
M: Of course! Text away!
Z: Awesome! Thanks for talking to me, Mia.
M: Anytime. Now go get some rest. Big day tomorrow! You've got this!
Z: Hell Yeah! Talk to you tomorrow. xoxo
Mia stood and stretched, now fully awake. She found herself feeling a bit worried for Zayn. This audition was obviously important to him, but he was pushing himself awfully hard. She was also concerned about what would happen if he didn't get the part on the show. The other guys teased him about his vanity, and it wasn't undeserved, but Mia could already see how hard he worked to achieve his dream. She couldn't help but admire that about him.
Moving into the bedroom, Mia changed into her pajamas and brushed her teeth before lying down on the bed. It was still early, and she was pretty wide awake after her nap, but she didn't feel like working, so she planned to just watch a movie in bed. Maybe she would even manage to stay awake for this one. She was browsing through the choices when her phone buzzed with another message.
J: Hello, this is Jonathan Harris. Is this Mia?
M: Hi Jonathan. Yes, it's me.
J: Oh, good. Seven gave me your number. I hope that's okay?
M: Yes, that's fine. What can I do for you?
J: I was just checking to make sure you are settling in alright and see if there is anything that you need.
M: That's nice of you. I'm doing okay, thanks.
J: Oh. You're welcome. Well, if you need anything, you can contact my assistant, Ms. King.
M: There's just one thing. It's kind of embarrassing, but…can you tell me when I could expect my first paycheck?
M: I'm a bit low on funds at the moment.
J: No need to be ashamed. We all need money to survive.
J: I'll have Lukas transfer money into your account tomorrow. Just consider it an advance on your salary.
M: Wow! Thank you so much! I really appreciate that. By Lukas you mean…Seven?
J: Yes. That's his given name.
Lukas? Did Seven seem like a 'Lukas'? Mia wasn't certain. While she was pondering this new tidbit of information, Jonathan texted again.
J: If there's nothing else?
M: Oh, no! Nothing else. Thanks again for checking in and for the advance on my pay.
J: Certainly. Have a nice evening.
M: You too!
Mia leaned back into the pillows with a relieved sigh. That was a huge weight off of her shoulders. Jonathan seemed like a very serious and formal guy, but so far, he had also been very considerate and helpful. She appreciated his pragmatic approach to getting things done. Izzy was always telling her that the suit-and-tie guys were wild in bed. Something about having to be so restrained in their everyday lives. Mia had taken her friend's word for it, having never really been attracted to that type, but she couldn't help but wonder if Jonathan fell into that category.
Mia shook off her thoughts. She needed to stop her fantasizing. She was here to do a job, and she couldn't afford to fuck it up by getting personally involved with any of these guys, no matter how funny, cute or possibly sexually adventurous they were. Besides, she had her own baggage when it came to relationships. Best for everyone involved to just keep things purely professional.