Window of Opportunity

Rory’s POV

Looking out the window had become a habit by now. There was not much to do these days, and the more waiting was involved the more the window became one’s salvation. It could be entertainment or punishment. It all depended on the day, on the feelings and emotions rushing, speeding through her soul. However boredom was a never leaving type of companion. Three weeks of the same routine. Wake up, gym, shower, work, get home by nine, shower, dine and sleep. A never ending cycle in which the window watching never seemed to be skipped.

“Your interview is airing tonight!”

Rory turned away from her window to find Sal walking towards the couch in the middle of the messy living room. With cat-like attention the girl watched her friend position herself in the middle of the gray recliner. Her long chestnut curls standing out against the paleness of the recliner.

“You want to miss it?” Sal asked her chin resting over her shoulder, “Come on Rory, it’s your first time in a talk show”

The girl rolled her eyes back towards the window. She stared at the raining night outside her apartment and sighed as she stood up, “You want popcorn?” Sal nodded enthusiastically and gestured to the remote which was closer to Rory. “You’re so lazy”

“It is closer to you” muttered Sal as Rory handed her the remote, “Thank you”

Seated on the couch, both girls were now sharing a blanket as they watched the show while eating butter microwave popcorn. As a result of their little “movie night” Sal fancied some chinese takeout so they ate the popcorn while they waited for the real food to arrive.

“It is so weird to see you in there and to have you right here” said Sal with a mouthful, “So weird”

“Can’t argue with that,” agreed Rory pulling the blanket over her shoulders, “The fact that many things were probably cut”

“Like what?”

Rory shrugged.

In all honesty, Aurora knew that being there had been a miracle. Sal being the greatest agent ever managed to contact the producers and with a little help of an experienced model, who Sal won’t say the name, got the host to invite Rory to the show. It was strange to be so out in the open, especially now that Rory’s career was just starting.

Discreetly, she turned to look at Sal, who was too busy inspecting the TV screen, and thinking How was I so lucky to find you?

They met in Rory’s first modeling interview. They had been together in line, and to help with the nerves Sal had started to chat with Rory. Turns out none of them were hired, so together they started looking at other modeling agencies.

“You are the one who should be up there,” whispered Rory looking at Sal.

Sal turned to look at her friend with a sad smile on her face, “With this face?” she gestured to the healed burn slithering from her cheek down to her neck, “Nah,” she swatted a fly and chuckled, “I get all the perks without actually doing the work”

The accident.

Aurora had been back home in Mexico when it happened. Sal had been in some cabins with her family when her little brother accidentally knocked a bottle of some sort of alcoholic beverage into the chimney causing a relatively big fire.

“You are still very hot,” added Rory

“Thanks, love” Sal shrugged, “Besides we both make good money…not that I need it”

“Here we go again,” rolling her eyes Rory chuckled, “Of course, Champagne heiress, whatever you say.” Their chat was halted as the doorbell rang announcing the arrival of their dinner, “I’ll get it”

The show was not long enough for them to finish eating, but it lasted enough. Sal had congratulated Rory on her posture in the uncomfortable looking sofa in which she had sat for almost an hour and added something about the need of more ice cream before changing channels. After a couple episodes of a series Sal took the trash out as Aurora washed the glasses they had used. They said their good nights and each one entered their room.

It was a week after the show aired that Rory and Sal had become somewhat highly requested by small but known brands across the city. And because the girls were overjoyed Sal managed to get good deals with enough brands.

“What exactly do they sell again?” asked Rory as she drove

“Dresses”

“Dresses?”

Sal looked up from her phone and tilted her head, “Floral dresses”

“Cool”

The job was simple enough. They had made it home before seven and were enjoying a nice cold glass of Rosë, Sal on the dinner table whilst on the web meanwhile Rory was reading a book in her favorite spot. The silence was non-existent as Halsey’s hits coming from the laptop filled the air.

“Hey!” called Sal from the dining room, “Did you know that Kim Kardashian is dating Pete Davidson?”

Looking up from her book Rory stared at her friend, “Well, she has never had good taste anyway”

Nodding Sal added, “It’s her sugar mommy era,” Aurora gave her friend a knowing look, “Yeah, I give them a month, tops.” The apartment phone rang and because Sal was closest to it she answered, “Hi?” she turned to face Rory at the other side of the room, “Yes, this is her,” she nodded once, twice, “Alright, thanks. I’ll pick them up later tomorrow.”

“What was it?” asked Rory walking up to Sal

“They sent us some tickets” replied Sal rolling up her sleeves

“For what, Sal?”

“Dunno. I didn’t really understand the guy. He had a very thick accent,” Sal answered, “But not to worry I’ll pick them up tomorrow when you are at the shoot”

The shoot was hard and tiring, but Rory would not let that show, at least not until she was home. Right then she needed a smile on her face and her makeup intact. The photoshoot was on the beach. The sun was prickling Rory’s skin as she laid over a pink and white striped towel. Even without a mirror she knew that new freckles were starting to stain her face.

“You are doing great, Aurora. Just a couple more shots,” called the owner, and Rory had to restrain herself from glaring at the man.

When the shoot was over Rory waited for Sal to finish talking with the owner so they could finally leave. The blonde turned to the sky, it was dawn. She had probably been under the sun for twelve hours. Which made her dread a shower. Since Rory was little, everytime after a long day in the sun and after a shower, she always turned out sunburned. So the plan was easy, simple; shower and mummify herself in aloe vera.

“Let’s go,” said Sal ringling her keys in Rory’s eyes

“Please” muttered Rory following her friend.

Once home and after Rory’s master plan had been executed. The blonde was leaning against the kitchen counter with an apple on her hand, “Sal did you go pick up the tickets?”

“Yeah, I got’em” her reply came, “They are on the table”

“What were they for?” Rory walked up to the table and stared down at the envelope.

“Some race, I believe. But honestly I don’t think it is important.”

“A race? What kind of race?” With one hand Rory lifted the envelope where the tickets had been stored. She scanned the back which was white, what a surprise, before turning it over. With a gasp, the girl almost choked with the piece of apple in her mouth. The apple fell from her grasp as Aurora took the envelope with both hands. She shook the envelope and as she suspected, inside of it was something more than tickets.

“Oh my God,” she whispered and tore the top of the envelope open, the Formula 1 logo falling lightly over the carpeted floor of the apartment, “No, no, no!” Rory’s hand dove in and pulled out two badges and a pin, carefully she placed them over the table and dove back for the tickets. “This..Oh..what? How?” she stared at everything scattered over the table.

Her mind recalled the interview. The host had asked about hobbies, and Rory’s reply was watching the F1 races on the weekends. The topic was probably ten minutes long, as she explained how an old friend had gotten her to watch it when they were in high school, but she would have never dreamed of being invited to an actual race. They were, like, super mega expensive!

Sal appeared in pajamas with her hair wet and dripping, “I told you nothing important,” she said heading to the opened pantry

“Not important?” yelped Rory, “Sal, they are F1 tickets! They are.. Oh my God! They are F1 tickets!”

With an oreo in her mouth Sal stared at Rory with a concerned look, “Okay?”

“We are definitely going,” shrieked Rory taking a ticket in her hand and looking at the date, “Oh wow,”

“What?”

“It is in two weeks”

“Two weeks?”

“Yeah.” Rory turned to Sal, “You can’t come”

Shaking her head Sal said, “No, I can’t. It’s the fair” the brunette placed a hand over Rory’s shoulder, “Why don’t you invite someone else, I bet everyone would love to go to one of these things” Sal went back to Germany every year during that exact date because of a fair that her family organized in their home town and there was no way Sal was missing it.

Rory was seated in the middle of her bed scrolling through her contacts. This was harder than what she thought it would be. Some of the people in her contact list were not relevant in her life anymore. So while she was awake Aurora decided to go through some news. It wasn’t until she was in the Global news section that a story really caught her eye. “Millionaire businessman, Mauro Flores Sr, dies at 59” the phone fell from her hands. All of a sudden Aurora felt the need to do something. Not sure what, but something. She had known Mr. Flores since she was little, he was friends with her mother, he had helped her get her first modeling job. A whole week and Aurora had not been aware of the man’s death.

“Mauro” she mouthed and took her phone, searched for his contact and dialed him, it was late where she was so it was probably early back home.

“Hello? Rory?”

“Mauro, hi” she said, now what?, “I..I just heard about..about your dad. How are you doing?”

“That’s nice. Uh…I am doing” he chuckled, “It’s weird”

Rory nodded she had forgotten how his voice sounded, “I bet,” she sighed, “I wish I was there, you know I would hug you. I am horrible at these things through phone” the blonde wanted to smack her forehead.

“You are doing pretty well,” Mauro assured her.

“Thanks. Well just so you know, I am here whatever you need. Just a couple hours away.”

“Thank you Aurora, really. It means a lot.” Mauro said, “Good night”

“Good night Mauro,” but before he could hang up Rory spoke again, “Hey Mauro!”

“Yes?”

“I don’t think it is a good idea or maybe it is, I don’t know, but I..uh..I have tickets for a F1 race, I don’t know, uh..if you would like to come with me?”

“Seriously? You have F1 tickets?” Mauro asked. Rory could see the smile tugging at Mauro’s lips, “And you are inviting me?”

“It is your fault that I started watching them in the first place, so yeah, I am inviting you”

“No, you started liking Marcos Salazar a lot earlier”

“Okay fine. But I watched my first race with you,” she argued putting the call on speaker, “By the way the race is in two weeks.”

“No, wait…what?” he said, dragging the o, “You have tickets for the Monaco Grand Prix?”

“Is it in Monaco?” Aurora gasped with horror. How on earth was she getting a hotel in Monaco on such a short notice? A plane was easier, Rory’s mom worked in American Airlines, but a hotel in Monaco? She might be a model, but she was no Bella Hadid or Kendall Jenner. “Oh my God”

“You didn’t know?”

“I though…I-,” from the other side of the line, laughter was clearly audible, “Don’t laugh! How are we booking our hotel? They are all probably booked!” Rory had not been following this year’s season, she had been so busy with her job.

“Hey, Rory, relax. I can get us a hotel,” Mauro commented trying to calm the girl down before she started hyperventilating.

“Okay…I can get us the plane tickets”

“With a discount right?”

“Yes. I just hope you are up for an airport adventure, Mauro,” Rory gave a heads up remembering all the times she spent in the airport growing up, getting lost, missing and losing planes.

When she was fifteen, Aurora’s mom had gotten a job at American Airlines. It wasn’t a glamorous job, the pay wasn’t exactly huge but the benefits were astronomical, as it meant paying a very little amount of money for a flight and beyond that every other flight within the United States was free at least until Rory turned twenty-five. It was a relief when Rory started modeling, it really helped get her where she needed to be maybe a day earlier just in case of not being able to board the plane.

“So shall we meet in Dallas, then?” said the guy.

“Sounds like a plan,” Aurora said and took her phone back towards her ear, “I’ll be in touch all next week”

“Alright. Goodnight Aurora.”

“Night, Mauro” the girl hung up and stared at her phone’s screen with a smile on her lips.

“Look at you” smiled Sal leaning against the door frame, “Flirting and inviting a guy to Monaco”

Rory hid her phone under her thigh as she turned to her friend, “Shut up, Sal”

“Mauro?” Sal mused climbing into bed beside her friend, “That name rings a bell. Why?” Rory shrugged, “Oh, he is one of your high school friends, isn’t he?”

“Yeah” Rory unlocked her phone and searched for a picture of her friend group, “Here, the one on my left,” she handed the phone to Sal who looked intently at it, “We rarely talked back then. I mean we were friends because we had friends in common, you know? He is two years older than me, two years.”

“Tots” she mused zooming into Mauro’s face, “He’s cute. Has a devilish smile, not devilishly handsome but a devil-ish smile, you get me?”

In the picture Mauro was wearing a pair of Adidas pants and the highschool’s hoodie. He was tall back then, maybe a head taller, but the difference was obvious, he looked like a teenager as Rory appeared to be a middle schooler. How did they share the same friend group? Well, Aurora’s friend, Kaya, was the girlfriend of one of Mauro’s friends. It was a miracle that Kaya and Reese lasted until now. Maybe Rory should give her a call, catch up with all of her old friends. Maybe she would.

“Is he single?”

“I think so. Why?” the blonde took her phone back as Sal shrugged, and dropped back over her pillows, “I can’t believe I am going to Monaco and you are not coming!” frustration was added over the excitement of it all, “At least you’ll be close by in Germany.”