New beliefs

The breeze of autumn tousled my hair as I sat on the roof of my car, gazing the beautiful orange sun that set before me. I took in the view as I sipped my hot chocolate and ate my fries. The sound of birds hastily returning to their nests, the smell of the evening air and the greasy cheese fries always calmed my nerves. I was so immersed into the silence that I didn't even hear the screeching tires of the Lexus that pulled up behind me.

'I called your office. They said you left hours ago. What the hell have you been doing for so long?' a woman shouted as she angrily got out of the car. 'You could've at least called, you know. Do you have any idea how long I've been looking for you?'

'Relax, Mel!' I calmly replied. 'I'm fine. I just needed to clear my head.'

Mel saw the look on my face and quietly settled down beside me. We sat in silence for a few minutes before she spoke again. 'Why didn't you call me?' she asked.

I smiled, 'Because I knew how you would react'

Mel let out a frustrating grunt. 'You're my best friend. It's natural for me to worry about you.'

I just kept smiling. Mel was my rock. She was the one person I knew I could rely on, no matter what. I liked that she worried about me. But sometimes, she worried too much. My overprotective best friend would panic if I twisted an ankle or got a paper cut. And I knew she would panic if I told her I lost my job. I loved Mel but she could be a little annoying sometimes.

I explained everything to her about how I got fired and about the fact that I was relieved. She took it pretty well. Her eyes showed concern, but her face was calm. She was trying her best not to panic for my sake.

'I knew you had wanted to quit for a long time, but I thought you were too scared. What happened to that?' she said, her voice filled with some confusion and a little mockery.

I looked at her, my eyebrows raised into a thoughtful expression. 'I don't know' I said, 'I just know that I have three months to figure out my next move. I had sent out a few applications just a few days ago. Let's see how that works out.'

***

The sound of shuffling feet and people shouting in the air near the pool table made me smile. I liked the way they could drown all their troubles into a pool stick and multi-colored balls. But today, I wasn't here due to dread. I was happy. I had received a letter the same morning saying I was in for an interview at Night.co communications, which was by far one of the best international communications companies in Brooklyn. Although I didn't remember sending in an application there, I couldn't miss out on this great opportunity.

As I sat there thinking about what I would wear for the interview, a deep male voice interrupted my thoughts.

'You look lost in thought' said the guy sitting next to me.

I turned to look at him. He had pale skin, brown hair and the most beautiful pair of ocean blue eyes I had ever seen. His brown locks ruffled the back of his neck as he stretched. Stray strands covered his thin, long eyebrows. His lips were plush pink, pressed into a very pretty smile.

I realized I was staring at him when he cleared his throat and tilted his head. I blushed and quickly looked away. My reaction made him snicker.

'I'm David.' He said as he offered me his hand for a handshake.

I didn't leave him hanging. 'Olivia' I replied.

I turned and put my hands on the bar counter. 'I got a job offer from a pretty great company, and I'm thinking about what I am going to wear for the interview.'

He pressed his palm against the counter and gestured for the bartender to come over. 'Well in that case, let me buy you a drink. To celebrate.'

I smiled at him. 'I don't drink.', I said.

He looked at me as if I had punched him in the face. Then he narrowed his eyes and asked again, 'Are you sure?'

'Pretty sure.' I said, narrowing mine.

He looked surprised with my answer, but he didn't ask again. Instead, he waved the bartender away and got off the barstool. He offered me his hand and pointed towards the pool table. I took his hand with a little hesitation and let him lead me. The table was almost empty as it was still light out and most people went to the bar after nine.

David was pretty good at pool. He was a natural. I, on the other hand, was terrible. I kept dropping the stick and bouncing the balls off the table. After a while, I gave up and sat back down on the bar stool. David sat next to me after a few more turns.

'You give up that easy?' He asked.

'I'm not good at pool and I'm not a huge fan either.' I replied.

'I can see you're nervous about the interview tomorrow.' He said as he took off his coat.

I was. I was very nervous. I didn't know why I got the offer anyway. I had never sent out an application to the company. What if I didn't get the job? What if the owners found out about my past?

As if he'd read my mind, David put a hand on my shoulder and said, 'I believe life always gives you a fresh start.'

I grinned as I politely took his hand off my shoulder. 'I believe there's no such thing as a fresh start.', I said.

He just smiled. 'Then maybe its time you had new beliefs.'