The Meeting

                                    

                                          









BEEP BEEP BEE-
I smack my hand down onto the alarm clock, knocking it off my nightstand and hearing it break, I groan. I know today is not the day to even try to get 5 minutes because I have to look my best. The meeting isn't till 12:30 pm and it 7AM but i've gotta straighten my hair today and that takes....really long. If I let my mother do it, she'll burn my flipping scalp off and I can't have that you know? Pain and an throbbing scalp is so not the vibe I can give today. I roll out of bed, groaning again. I look in the body mirror in my room. My hairs a crazy hot mess on my head, tangled and all that. I sigh softly looking at my ..."ratty" hair as my mother would say. I walk into the bathroom and get into the shower. For a while I allow the water to burn my skin before washing up and washing my hair. Then, I let it burn some more. The sizzle feeling good. I turn the water off and step out. My skin a deep red from the hot water. I dry off before staring at my body in the mirror, turning around to twerk before walking out. 
The search through my closet begins. I decide to do casual. I put on a knee-lengths black skirt and a white button up blouse, tucking it into the skirt. My next decision is to wear some read glasses to bring it together but....I toss that idea. I'll seem too basic or desperate. Next thing up...the hair. I sit in the bathroom for about..an hour brushing out the kinks and stuff before putting a show on my phone and beginning the straightening process. Around 3 hours later I finish up, puttin to cute clips of either side to keep it out my face. I slide on some shiny black heels to top off this "hire me" look and sigh. I walk downstairs the fresh smell of bacon hitting my nose.
"Hi Papa, mommy." I say, greeting both my parents with a smile. My mother half way returning it and my father smiling and kissing my head. "Hi my daughter." He says happily. He totally approves of the look. "You've grown my daughter. I've prayed of you getting this job." He adds, smiling wider. My mother on the other hand....."Anastasia, I still feel you should let me and Papa find you a husband and then live as a housewife. It is easier and quicker to do. Jobs aren't forever. Listening to mommy sometimes. But at least you've put yourself together. Maybe Valissi will marry you. He's very well off." She says, nitpicking at my life again. She just doesn't understand that I would rather work than slave away in a house all day. My mother literally admitted to me that she leaves the house for only two-three hours every two days. it's actually embarrassing. 
My phone dings with a text from Mavis but if I answer it now, Mommy will think i'm being rude and not listening to her. I silence my phone and make a plate of breakfast. "Ana, your papa is so proud of you for who you are becoming. I believe you do not need to be a housewife. But do marry, I want to be a grandfather. Preferably a nice russian man, such as Valissi. He is 30. Only a little older than you no?" My father says to me, his voice calm and gentle with it. Hiskind  voice often puts my mother to shame. She's always angry sounding and mean. Most people are a little befuddled when she forgets to switch voices before speaking in public which she'll say its her throat or something. It's funny but if I admitted that out loud I'd never hear the end of it. My uncle once visited and said she sounded like a man in Russian to me but she understood and got pissed, kicking him out immediately. I miss him. He died like three days after and she wouldn't let us go to his funeral in Russia so we...snuck there. Me and Papa. I love papa. I hug him tightly. I feel slight tear form and some in his eyes too as I look up at him. "I love you, papa, I gotta go okay?  I'll be home before dinner" I say, I feel like I should reassure him I'm not leaving again. He nods smiling despite the tear falling down his face. I turn and I leave.
When I get inside my car I have a complete mental breakdown as I'm reminding how much I hurt my father. I didn't mean to, I didn't mean to hurt my father the way that I did. I was his only child. His babygirl and despite how hard he tried to shield me from the reality that's their marriage, I punished him instead of just my mother. She ruined my life and for that I should be mad at her, not him. I know I hate her, but why did I make it as though I hated him. I know that hug made my mother envious because that's who she is. She's someone who wants me to love and listen to her despite how rudely she treats me but since I don't she take it out on me and my father because of her own actions ruining how I see her. I cry a little more just wondering how perfect my life could be if she had never cheated...or maybe if they just got married and never had me. To be fair the time I came around was not ideal for them. You can see that as their only in their early 40s. I did in fact ruin their lives rather my father wants to say how much he loves me now or how much he knew I was a blessing. Even if he's blind to the fact himself, I ruined his life. And I'm sorry for that.
I cry for about half an hour before I get it together and blast some Sexy Redd. I made myself look a mess so goodluck with Mr. Mikhailov and that first impression. Maybe if I spend 30 minutes everytime I see him, crying, he'll think I just look like that. Maybe. But that's a little depressing. I guess. I laugh at the though of doing that. One day I neighbor would see me and probably come and ask if I was okay or call maybe even 911 for a wellness check. That's so funny. That's really silly. I step on the gas since I'm already late but I'm at a manageable hardly over the speed limit pace. I'm going 70 mph. See? Not fast at all.  But I'm being very very careful and my phone in the seat for complete focus. Of course though, no day goes my way.  I'm singing my favorite song ever in the world. I look away for one second...and crash into the back of a black hellcat. I put my head in my hands. This is gonna be bad. They're rich. I hear a car door shut but I keep my head down until I hear a knock on my window, which is when I lift my head, smiling nervously and roll the window down.
"You hit my car. I just bought that you idiot! Were you even looking??!!" I hear an angry deep male voice say. He's for certain angry. I can't even speak. I'm so scared and my hands are gripping the steering wheel harder than ever. "Well girl? You gonna pay for it or give me the money?" He suggests in, again, a very angry tone. I sigh softly, tears already brimming so I don't look at him. "I-i um...don't have any money on me right now. I just got fired and had to move back in with my parents b-but...I'm sorry...I was on my way to a very important interview." He glares at me,taking off his sunglasses. "You think your pathetic little sorry is gonna fix my car?" He yells. I feel a tear roll down my cheek as I shake my head in response. "Maybe...just let me um...can I have your number? I have this interview with a guy named Valissi Mikhailov and if I get that job maybe I could pay you back..." I whimper out, trying not to just let all the tears out. I can't even look at him in the face...but he's silent now. I know he's staring at me and it feels judgy. "Go ahead" He says before walking back to his car and driving off...which I just do the same.


I'm sitting at the cafe...waiting for Alexsei to show up. He's late. Weird for a business man. I see a man walk in and he walks up and sits in front of me. "Mrs. Williams?" A deep raspy voice questions. Which in return I just nod. His voice sounds like the guy from earlier but...that's too high of a coincidence. Right? I'm a little nervous now. "Yes, thats me. Please, call me Anastasia- or maybe Ana. Ana's fine too." I say before abruptly shutting up. If my mouth stays open, I'll ramble on and on and ruin my chances here. He chuckles slightly and sits back in his seat. "Okay well if we aren't doing last names here...then call me Valissi. I've also been called Val but...I prefer my full name. Nicknames don't make me feel anything really so I just rather not have one." He says, his voice friendly and inviting. He DOES NOT sound like someone hit his car today so there's just no way in hell I hit him today. I smile slightly, "That's interesting. Hey, this is gonna sound weird but....do..do my eyes look red and puffy?" I ask, trying to see if it's noticeable that I continuously cried today. He looks for a minute, staring into my eyes in a way that, if i knew no better, would think was flirty.
 "A little. Just a little" He admits. I sigh, now I know I look like wreck. "Sorry about this..." I instantly just start pouring my heart out. About me and my dad. Everything. Even the car wreck and how
it was my fault. But instead of like...I dunno a normal reaction...he...
 He laughed?