by Ava Storm
My phone rang.
“Hey honey!” Mom said. “Just wanted to wish you luck for your first day.”
“Thanks Mom,” I said, putting her on speakerphone. “Steph is driving me there now. Though I did say—”
“I know, I know, you wanted me to call you after, but hey, a call today is better than no call, am I right? Plus, the other day I forgot about Tiki Night tonight and the rumba dancing Ron’s taking me to, so I wanted to make sure I got a chance to talk to you at least.”
“Ooo rumba!” Steph smiled devilishly. “Is that the one with the butt dancing?”
“NO!” Mom hooted with laughter. “That’s twerking. Rumba has a box step.”
“Whatever, send us pics!” Steph said.
“Will do, anyway, how are you feeling about it?”
“Nervous,” I said.
I didn’t exactly want to go into a three-part treatise about how nervous I was, considering it would only make me even more nervous.
“Ah, well.” Mom had guessed at it herself already. “You almost there now?”
“Few more minutes to go,” Steph confirmed.
“Alright, alright, I’ll let you go now,” Mom said. “You’ll do great, honey! Love you both!”
“Thanks Mom,” I said.
“Bye Mom,” Steph said.
After I hung up, I looked at Steph pointedly. “Send pics, seriously?”
“What?”
“You do remember Ron’s last photo, do you not?”
She cracked up. “Ok, ok, I mean it’s not like we have to zoom in, right? Plus, it’s rumba night, how bad can it be?”
I wrinkled my nose. “Oh, I’m sure Ron will find a way to rewear that leopard speedo for every occasion under the sun.”
“Well, leopard does go with everything, so…”
“I’ve seen nail decals that were bigger.”
My sister was still giggling. “Ok, ok, but remember how long and hard Mom worked to save up for this trip. She deserves to blow off some steam.”
“And I deserve to have my eyesight preserved, thank you very much.”
“Anyway,” I continued, my gaze drilling into the side of my sister’s head now, “Tell me what you know.”
Steph sighed.
“Don’t sigh, tell me!” I grumbled.
“But you know how Miranda is,” she said.
“Ah.”
I did know how Miranda was. Pasty, thin as a straw, neurotic. But still, – “Tell me.”
“And how she overemphasizes—”
“Tell me.”
“I just don’t want to rain on your parade.”
“Tell me.”
“Honestly, Jazz…”
“Stephanie Jane Stewart! You will tell me this instant.”
“Fine, she just said that your boss is a jerk.”
“You mean Beck Fuller?”
“Yep. She had an internship there for a year – loved the kids, loved the work, hated Beck.”
“Ok, but couldn’t that just be—”
“Personal preference? Maybe. Thing is apparently, he’s well-known as a jerk. By all the coworkers there, at least.”
“I haven’t heard anything.”
Stopped at a red light, Steph shot me a supreme eye roll. “Right, yeah, you’re right. Must be nothing then.”
“Ok,” I admitted. “You may be right. Thanks for the warning, anyway.”
The car was driving again, Steph’s gaze was back on the road, focused, but her voice was warm: “Just don’t go in there expecting everything to be grand and sunny, ok?”
“I’m not. This is an after-school program for at-risk youth, not a continuous season of the Brady Bunch.”
Steph just bobbed her head, was clearly tired of us squabbling.
“But thank you,” I told you. “It never hurts to be forewarned. Plus, it’s only for twelve weeks.”
I went on my phone and typed in his name in the search bar. Beck Fuller. I got a few press articles, as well as a bio from the Shooting for the Stars website. “Huh.”
“What?”
“Googled my boss and nothing came up.”
Steph bobbed her head sagely. “Ah. Well then. He’s definitely not a jerk, then.”
I snorted. “Wouldn’t it be nice if Google was like that, though? If you could just search someone’s name – no matter how ordinary – and find out about them?”
“Not really, no.”
“C’mon.” I slid a smile her way. “Miranda Payatakis – insane worrywart.”
A smile crept on Steph’s face. “Wanda Stewart: in a period of self-discovery.”
“Jazz Stewart: Nervous AF for today!”
Steph swung into a parking spot and cut the gas, eyeing me. “And here.”
Full story available here
About the Author
Ava Storm is an up and coming contemporary romance author. Born and raised in the hustle and bustle of New York City, she has opted for a quieter life immersed in the nature sceneries of Washington.
When she's not going on walks through local parks, forests, or mountain trails with her beagle, Chloe, you can find her reading or writing. Ava finds her passion in writing captivating romances. Her stories are full of desire, sexual tension, and attraction contextualized in the practicalities of every day life. If the perfect romance is what you've been searching for, then you've come to the right place!
Keep in touch with her at :
[email protected]
