THE BLIND DATE

I've been in Italy for one whole month and it's been really chill. So far my soul hasn't visited hell except from two weeks ago when I was asked to go on the second date for miss Cara. The man was well in his late twenties and wouldn't stop talking about star wars and Harry Potter. I get they are great movies but I've never seen them, I'm a slave I didn't grow up to all these things. I was only knowledged with Barbie because of miss Cara. Italy is very boring, all I do is sit in the house all day, cleaning and cooking. I also did that back in Florida but this feels different, so I decided to get another job, but since I'm not well educated the only jobs that are opened for me are cleaner jobs, I dropped out of school right after I finished grade nine because I was topping miss Cara in all our classes, we went to different schools ofcourse but her grades were way behind mine so I was asked to stop school, then I began home training and couldn't keep up since I was a maid in the Aguero mansion, I didn't own one minute of the day to myself.

"Miss Alexa Angelo you may come in", a lady dressed in all black called me in. I am meeting with an agent who can help me get a job.

~~**~~

"Where are you going to?", Cara asked me as I was set to leave the house.

"I told you I now have a job"

"You did? Why?"

"Because I'm bored here all day and you are never around, it's always from school to a party"

"You can't blame me, a girl got to live. So you are meaning to tell me I'm at home all day today?"

"Yes, but there's rice in the cooker, drinks in the fridge and left over mac in the fridge, you can heat it up in the microwave when you get hungry. I'll be home before nine"

"Ok 'mom'", she said the mom using air quote and we both laughed it off and with that I was off to my new job. I landed a job at a drycleaning store. I had to take two buses to get there.

So far so smooth it was going well, my only problem was that I don't know Italian so it was hard to communicate, not that I did much communication any way.

'ring ring'. The manager said something in Italian and everyone started checking their phones and murmuring. 'ring ring'. He spoke again but this time more severe, before it hit me that my phone was ringing. I walked as swiftly as I can to pick up the call, it was Cara.

"Yes?"

"What do you mean 'Yes?'. Any way, where's the mayonnaise, I need it for my chips?"

"It's in the upper cupboard next to where the cereals are kept"

"ok I've seen it. Wait, what about the ketchup?"

"it's in the fridge", she cut the call with that. As I left the store room where I was making the call, I realized everyone was staring at me. I fastened my pace and went back to my posting, folding the ironed shirts. 'ring ring' ~here we go again. "Hello?"

"When did you say you'll be home again"

"nine"

"Can't you close later than that"

"No I can't"

"What do you mean no? You work for me before you work for them. I am your first responsibility, your top priority. If I want you home you must be home that minute. Be home by five unless you are fired!".i couldn't even get to boot her words before she ended the call.

"Mr. Leonardo?", I said as I walked into my managers office

"Yes?"

"Please can leave a little earlier today?"

"Why? Family issues? Accident? Dates? Kids?", I wore a confused face as he optioned that. " I see it's none of the above with your facial expression. Then what is it? "

"well sir- "

"no", was all he used to interrupt me

"I haven't even said my reasons sir"

"reasons I see, plural", he said turning to the next page of whatever he was reading. "If the thing is important you can go-"

"Thank you sir", I said interrupting him with my lips wide enough for a horse to fit in

"ba ba ba you didn't let me finish", he said looking up to face me. " if it's so important you can go and not come back. If it's very important for you to leave early on your first day of work then I guess you don't need this job", he spoke and went back to reading. I didn't have anything to say and I left his office closing the door gently behind me. I found my way back into the storage room to call Cara, "come on pick up", after my fifth attempt of calling her she finally picks up

"What!", she yells

"my manager said if I leave early then I'm fired"

"and what's my business?"

"you asked me to come home early ma'am"

"yes. And if you are not home by four you are fired"

"You said five before"

"And I changed my mind"

"But I can't loose my job on the first day. Please miss Cara"

"Arrghhh my eardrums. Three or fired". And with that the call went off. I looked at my broken screen to check the time 2:16 pm. I walked out of the storage room after so much thinking. It's better to loose this job than the one at Aguero, they pay way better and I don't have to worry about bills. I mostly only use the bills on my drugs. I'm asthmatic and suffer from ulcer. I walked out of the laundry mart at exactly three O'clock with a strand of tears run down my left cheeks.

~~**~~

"I'm home", I said walking through the front door and headed straight for my room, showered and changed into my night dress. Walked into the kitchen and made myself a toast. 'That's so awesome Gab', I heard Cara's voice from the stairs and her annoying 'trying to impress' laugh follow.

"See you next time I guess. I'm so sorry I had to leave early my brother can be a handful". 'That's definitely a male voice', I thought to myself and whala he revealed himself

"Oh you are home?".... "Alexa?".... "Lex?".... "hello earth to Alexa Angelo"

I snapped out of my gaze when I realized Cara's face was only a few inches from mine that I could see the pimple on her nose that she tried to hide under the foundation

"Alexa?", Cara shook me after saying my name

"Oh oh Yes I'm back. You said I should be home by three"

"What were you thinking about?"

"Nothing", I said faster that flash

"oh ok. Anyhow I'm out tonight gonna see you tomorrow. I'm spending the night at Abigail's". Abigail is the new friend Cara made that she can't stop yapping about. She's a second year student at Cara school, her parents are very rich and she has her own bag, shoe and hat industry. And she's married with two kids. Gave birth to her first child in her junior year of high school and the second child, second year of her A-Levels studies; so apparently she's British, born and raised in Leicester. The kids have two different fathers and she didn't marry any of their father.

I guess no job and I'm back to being home all day and dying of boredom. I might as well learn crotchet or baking. I heard the front door shut hard that the glass windows could break.

"Arrghhh I hate what father is doing". 'that's definitely Cara's voice', Alexa thought to herself. "All this dumb blind dates, I'm still young and got like forever to live. I don't get the importance of marriage, it's not as if he and mother are happily married, they would have gotten a divorce a long time ago if not for some reasons I'm yet to still understand. Take a look at Diego and Polito they are divorced and not even six years into marriage yet, atleast Polito"; those are her elder brothers. Cara went into the kitchen to pour herself an instant coffee, scrolling through her phone she began to state his qualities; Tall, Italian, black hair….

' no no no… it can't be Drake'

"Who's Drake?"

"What?"

" You mentioned Drake, who is that?"

"Oh he is nobody"

"So father is refusing to send me his photo. He said that if I'm curious I should go to the date"

"You can check online right like Insta… your father always puts you up with rich and influential guys", that's Abigail

"Yeah, that's right. Let's see what we have here", she scrolls some more. "Ok we have… he is a gamer, disgusting. The Chief Executive Officer of a gaming company, so a CEO now that's nice. Graduated from New York University and got his masters at Havard. So apparently he's a nerd. So in full version he's a rich nerd. I'm not interested."

"Wait before you include on that… check this out", Abigail said handling her phone to Cara

"I'll be in my room if you need me", I said before leaving them. 'hi', I sent a message to Drake… I have been thinking about him for a while now.

'hi', he texted back bringing me out of my thoughts. 'how are you?'

' I'm doing good. You?'

'missing you here', blush crept up my cheeks

'Don't you have some girlfriend you are meant to be saying that to instead'

'Nope. I'm all single and ready to mingle ;⁠)', I blushed harder…. What's this boy doing? Suddenly the most annoying thought hit me. 'he can't possibly like you or want to have anything to do with you. You are a slave and he's a rich. If this was the feudal government, you can't even be seen talking to him' and with that I left his chat on read. Tucking myself into my blanket I scrolled through TikTok watching DIY videos on home décors.

"Alexa someone's at the door"

"Can't you get it?"

" What did you say?"

" Nothing", I stood up and walked straight to the door like a zombie.

"Hi", said the stranger at the door. I didn't even bother looking when I opened it figured it would be one of Cara's friends. But the voice sounded familiar but at the same time distant. "Alexa". Oh God NO