~13

I wake up to the sound of  laughing and decide it's probably best I get up for the day. I remove the blanket, and the cold hits my bare skin. My face burns as I remember what happened yesterday. I slip on a pair of his sweats and his t-shirt that rests on a chair in the corner. I flatten my hair and make my way into the hallway, where his laughter echoes down the walls. I stop outside his studio office and put my ear against the door, listening to him speak.

    "Wow, that was hilarious. Thank you, guys, for making fun of me every day, I really appreciate it. Anyhow, thank you guys for watching this SIOR video, I'll see you all tomorrow, bye!" I hear him click the button to shut it off, and I make my way into the kitchen. I get myself a glass of juice and sip it as he walks in. "Well, good morning!" I smile and peck his cheek. "Someone seems extra chipper today." He pulls me into a sweet kiss and just smiles. "Well, I have a bit of a plan for today, and I really hope it goes well."

    I give him an unsure look, and he lets my hand go. "Well, it's for later this evening so please, relax, make yourself at home. I am going to get a few videos recorded and get everything situated." He kisses me once more before walking into his office again. I make my way into his room and pull my phone out. 'Better do this now before I piss them off even more.' I dial up my work place, and the boss answers rather rudely. "Hey, Y/n! When are you coming in? You've missed the last week of work. What's going on? Are you okay?"

    I sigh and decide it's better to rip this band-aid off for good. "Look, I really enjoyed my time here and all the people I worked with, but I have to quit. I know, I'm sorry, but I want to become something more. I want to do more and give more to those who need it. I will no longer be returning to work as of today." I hear silence on the other end. "Hello?" After a moment, I hear a click and look at the screen to see that my boss hung up and left. 'Oh boy, I made em mad.' I sit my phone aside and think. 'Should I really do this? Should I quit to do something I've always wanted to do?'

    I hear Joel laugh and faintly hear him respond with something sarcastic, I'd assume. I smile, and my mind is already made up: I'm going to start a channel. I find a picture of me looking up at the sky and decide that'll be my picture. All I need now is a banner for my channel. I decided to make it an eighties type wallpaper and then sit and ponder what the first video should be. I scroll through my phone and find a video I made a while back, and it's only a few minutes long. It has me singing a few covers, and I think that's the best introduction video I can do.

    After a minute of adding some filters and making it look and sound decent, I make a small description saying hello and how I can't wait to see where this journey takes me. I hit upload, and after a few minutes, it's up! The whole world can now see me and hear my voice. I open my chat with Joel and send him a link. After a minute, I hear the door open and see him grinning from ear-to-ear. "You're serious, right? Do you want to do this full-time?" I smile and nod, and he comes over and lifts me up, spinning me around. "This is going to be amazing! I can help you find the right equipment, and I know a great bunch of editors who would love to help you!"

    I giggle and pull him into a sweet kiss, and we both can't stop smiling. He takes me to his office and shows me how to set up different work accounts on social media to up my brand and everything. He teaches me the ways of angles and recording sound properly. After everything, I tell him he can help me record tomorrow and get everything ready for full-time. He agrees and goes to finish his video. We then sit on the couch and watch some television until it's about dinner time. He tells me to go get dressed and wear something nice. I've been with this man for a week or so, and he has already been so kind and sweet and has taken me to the best places. I don't deserve him in the slightest.

    I come out wearing a silver little dress. It's not too flashy but nice for a dinner date. He comes out in a white button-down and a black tie, black pants to go with them. "Whoa..." We both laugh and blush. I kiss his cheek, and he wraps his arm around my waist. "Ready to go, gorgeous?" I blush even harder and nod. "Ready to go, handsome."

    We hop into his car and take off down the road. Once we arrive, my jaw hits the floor. We are sitting outside of the Otium. It's a very fancy dinner spot, and my heart can't contain its beat. Joel helps me out and shuts my door. "Joel, you really don't have to do this, I'm content with simple things." He kisses my cheek and grins. "Yeah, well, tonight is a special night." I look at him, and he just smiles and holds me close as we walk in and find our seats.

    We sit down, and the waiter comes over to get our drink orders. We get a small glass of red wine and also order our food, finding something that sounds decent. Joel gets the Potato Gnocchi, and I order the Otium Potatoes. We get our wine and slowly sip it as we talk about YouTube and await our food. Once it arrives, we dig in, and as we finish our last bites, I notice Joel eyeing me. I finish chewing and look up once my mouth is empty. "Is something wrong?"

    Joel sits his empty glass down and reaches across to hold my hands. "Y/n, I need to tell you something. I know we haven't been together long or even known each other very long either, but I have to tell you that I love you." My face burns, and I stare at him speechless. I can't believe I'm hearing these words come out of his mouth. "Are you serious? Please tell me you aren't joking." He shakes his head and  continues to stare at me, waiting for an answer. "Joel, I love you too."

    He sighs in relief and leans over the table to kiss me. I lean in as well and kiss him in return. I am so happy right now, I can't even believe it! We split the check after I told him I was paying this time, and we head to his house. I can't believe how lucky I am to be alive right now.

'Life is pretty much perfect...'