9 1.8 The CEO

True to her mental word, Sonja didn't get out of bed until 2:00 pm, a marvelous feat if you ask her. Although she was still exhausted, presumably from oversleeping, Sonja still got out of bed as to not worry her mother. With a rat's nest for hair and highly disheveled pajamas, one could tell that she was not used to sleeping in this environment, but she still persisted.

Walking to the bathroom to do her daily routine, Sonja saw firsthand how horrible she looked. Not paying it any attention, she finished showering and brushing her teeth, just in time to hear her mother call out for her to come eat. With a rumbling stomach at the scent of her mother's cooking, Sonja hurriedly finished changing and, while brushing her hair, rushed into the dining area, where her mother had long-finished preparing lunch, which included soup, roasted meat, a fresh salad just made when Mother Moreno heard Sonja moving around, potatoes, and finally, dessert, which was made with the strawberries that were in the fridge. Mother Moreno must have a second sense that tells her when Sonja woke up because most of these things were still warm.

Sitting down at the table, Sonja could not believe that Mother Moreno had the time to make all of this, but threw that thought into the back of her mind. Sonja was drooling at the sight of all that delicious food but held herself back.

"Bless us, O Lord, and these, Thy gifts, which we are about to receive from Thy bounty. Through Christ, our Lord. Amen." Speaking in English to say grace, Mother Moreno held Sonja's hands and said grace. Since Father Moreno was off to an interview, it was only Sonja and Mother Moreno in the apartment.

After Mother Moreno said grace, they both started to eat the hearty meal with much gusto, especially Sonja, who had only eaten strawberries and a couple of peanuts since last night. As she ate, Sonja cursed Sebastian for the sole fact that she didn't eat anything, more like she couldn't, due to the fact that he was talking to her and using up all her break time, completely ignoring the fact that it was her original goal to waste Sebastian's time.

As they were eating, Mother Moreno said "Sonja, when are you getting a job? Please don't tell me you're going to be a bartender again! It was fine in Croatia since I knew the owners of the bar you worked at, but not here! You must be more careful!"

Smiling to herself, Sonja understood her mother's worries. Father Moreno was just recently going to interviews and would have to wait for a while for a paycheck, so the family's financial situation wasn't that great so far. Moving to a place like Los Angeles would provide great opportunities, but the cost of living was extraordinarily high.

"Don't worry Mom, I'm already looking at job opportunities." This was a complete lie, but it wouldn't hurt to reassure her mother. Looking relieved, Mother Moreno then lectured Sonja about being safer around the city and coming home on time, with Sonja just nodding along, so to hopefully end this lecture as soon as possible.

After lunch was over and the dishes were done being clenaed, Sonja rushed into her room and opened her almost-state-of-the-art laptop, a splurge the original soul had a few months ago and hadn't regretted since. Making a resume was harder than it looked, especially for the new soul inside Sonja who never actually experienced what the original soul experienced. Adding a little hype wouldn't hurt anyone, so Sonja placed more focus on some minuscule character traits, such as good-listener, "expert" negotiator, and well-organized, unintentionally putting the skills that an assistant would need in her resume, but if she knew, she wouldn't care as being an assistant to someone would actually be easier for her to complete her missions than a normal office worker.

Sending the resume to many companies, she first sent it to Sebastian's company in an attempt to try and thwart the female lead, should she appear there. However, when she sent it in, she was not aware of the chaos it would cause her in the near future...

Finishing up her tasks, Sonja stretched out on her bed, mentally exhausted. Who could've thought that finding positive and basic facts about yourself so difficult? No matter, it's all over now. In a few days, she'll hopefully get a response and finish off one of the wishes.

Deciding to have a night on the town, Sonja got ready, although it took a few hours. A girl wants to look good, and since Sonja was a slightly vain person, coupled with the facts that her mother got her so many outfits and it was the first time in a while that she went out, it wasn't surprising that the end product was stunning.

After reassuring her mother that no, she's not going to hook up with strangers, no, she's not going to do drugs, and yes, she'll drink responsibly, Mother Moreno finally relented and let Sonja go. After thanking her mother profusely and promising to be home no later than 12:00 am, Sonja left the apartment and went downtown.

The city wasn't like what Sonja had expected. Right away, she noticed the different types of shops, the places you don't want to go to at night, and the sheer diversity of people around her. The noises assaulted her ears and the smell of all the bakeries around permeated her nostrils. Drivers seemed like they were 15-year-olds preparing for a driving assessment which they would completely fail, and pedestrians shouting into their phones, even though it was 6:00 pm.

One word was needed to describe this scenario: chaos.

But love it Sonja did.

Exploring different food stores and trying many unique desserts was the highlight of her day, but Sonja reeled herself back from splurging too much before there was stable income. Still, she couldn't resist trying out new ice cream flavors or drinks like Thai tea with something called boba.

Before long, Sonja wandered into a more upscale part of LA, if you will, and immediately knew she was not going to do much there. Thinking this, she stopped and was about to turn around, but then thought to herself that just a quick look around wouldn't hurt. Plus, there were other people who are just passing by for convenience as well. Convinced that she had nothing to fear, Sonja kept walking, not noticing the stares she got from the more wealthy passerby. Sonja, as stated before, was a very gorgeous individual in a mature way, so it shouldn't be surprising that she got quite the number of looks from men.

Feeling those slimy and disgusting stares directed towards her, Sonja walked briskly to the nearest intersection, where she would then consult a map to the nearest restaurant to eat, far from this area of Los Angeles. However, before she could make it another hundred feet, a familiar voice stopped her.

"Long time no see, beautiful."