Just when I’m getting mentally prepared to leave, all of this happens
I can’t even imagine what would have happened if he didn’t intervene. Just thinking of his kind gesture gave me that same warmth that made me fall for him in high school. I mean who wouldn’t melt if someone stayed to console you, and even paid for a cab to take you home? That’s Josh though, considerate yet unaware of how others feel.
All these thoughts swirl through my mind as I sat in the waiting room, getting called in for the interview in any minute. 
“Ms. Park, the editor would like to speak to you,” the secretary said gesturing for me to enter the office.
Since this would probably be one of my last interviews, I definitely dressed to impress. My cream lace blouse with ruffled sleeves, tucked into my intensely black culottes, emphasized my height and was brightly delicate to reflect my personality.
The editor offered her hand to shake and I gladly did so with a smile. Although she must have been in her early fifties, her almost flawless complexion made her look like a model. 
“Nice to meet you Ms.Rosé,” she said warmly. We sat down and began the hardest part, which was the questions.
“Unlike other companies, we like to do an unconventional approach to interviews for our potential employees. So I will simply ask you one question and I will decide from that,” she says with her intimidating smile. “Why do you like to write?”
Hold up, what? A question that I never thought I would answer was my only one. For hours on end, I was always quizzed on what university I attended and my connections, which was none. I had so much to say, but not much time to explain. So I took a deep breath and let it out. 
“My mom used to read to me everyday. Not just a children’s book, but it was her own writing. She illustrated it and made it just for me, even making me the main character.” I chuckled softly. “Despite the good or bad times, she wouldn’t skip a day without a new story, even when she didn’t have the time to draw it out. Like any little girl, I wanted to be just like her. So I wrote my own, everyday for 10 years, and now our storage is suffering.” She laughed which caught me off guard.
  “My dad was against me becoming a writer. He worked so hard to teach me dancing, since he owned a small arts studio. I still do love performing but it wasn’t the same type of feeling when I wrote. I begged my dad to let me go to a writing school, but he told me to leave or follow in his footsteps. So, I enrolled in a dancing academy and started doing performances to make him happy. Just before the first day, my mom gave me an envelope of savings she had for me, and begged me to go to New York and figure out my dream. She knew how much I wanted to be here rather than living a meaningless life in my dad’s studio. So I left and have been trying to find what made me happy, and it was writing of course.” I smiled as I looked to the floor. “And that’s why I’m here and why I aspire to get this position. Although I didn’t have the resources to go to a writing school, I am confident in my abilities. Maybe it’s because of my mom’s gift and raising me around writing, but I just know that I love it.” 
Her assistant began clapping out of the blue and the editor followed her as well. Did I actually do well?
“Welcome to the company Ms. Rosé 

___________________________

Someone pinch me because this felt like a dream. What are the odds that I would land a job as an assistant writer at Peachy Co. I didn’t care if they were a small company, I was elated just to even have a writing position. I immediately called my mom, where my parents were so happy that even my dad told me congratulations. Lisa and Jennie almost damaged my eardrums when they screamed with joy for my success. 
Should I tell him? I subconsciously walked past 55th and saw the illuminated “The Bean” sign a few feet away from me. Are we even that close like we used to be? I stopped my worries for the first time in a while and opened the café doors with glee. 
The first thing I saw was him sitting on a comfy chair behind the counter, flying through the pages of his book. Boy do things never change.
“Hey,” I said awkwardly and he almost fell out of his chair in surprise. “I’m so sorry I didn’t mean to scare you!” 
“It’s all good, it’s that 4 o’clock chill period where I get to read,” he laughed fluffing his hair. “What brings your here?”
“Well I’ve been looking for a writing job for months now and…” I paused for suspense. “I got the job!”
“Congrats!” He said giving me a high five like old times. “This calls for celebration. A free drink on me,” he says trying to be suave. 

I sat down in the same seat I passed out on that stormy evening. It’s crazy how life makes a 360 turn. Joshua brings my chai latte to the table and sits in the seat across from me. Can those highschool butterflies go away please?
“Man I feel like it’s been awhile since high school. Who knew we’d be in the same city on the east coast?” he smiles sweetly as he always does.
“That’s true.” 
Did he forget what happened. How I embarrassed myself on the last day of senior year. How I told my friend to give him an anonymous letter professing my love and how our friendship was one of a kind. I cringed at how cheesily infatuated I was. 
“Do you ever know what happened to Joy? Like even though we weren’t close, your sister thinks that she was the one who wrote me this love letter.” He took his phone out of its case and took a perfectly folded letter that looked all too familiar. 
I started coughing on my latte. What did I get myself into. Also I don’t think I’ve ever despised my sister so much. With the shot of anxiety from his words plus burning hot liquid entering my lungs, my cough wouldn’t stop. 
He rushed up to pat my back so I could breathe. Why does every good moment have to be so embarrassing?
“Man I’m sorry that I mentioned it, I know you and Joy weren’t the bestest of friends but I really want to figure out who it is.” He says to break the silence after the choking on a drink incident.
“Don’t worry about it. I didn’t have anything against her, it’s just our personalities conflict so I was a bit surprised that she would do that.” I say with every bit of regret. 
She got the guy, like always. But then again, Joy isn’t here to steal my moments with him. Not as a guy I like, but as a friend. 
“Well then again, your sister does have some interesting ways of storytelling so who knows if it was Joy,” he laughs. My sister  definitely had a big imagination. 
I savored the small talk we had amidst that slow hour at “The Bean. Reminiscing and laughing about old times and the pointless high school drama. How we both silently wished we were closer friends back then. I still wondered how he got here though, but we were so nostalgic that I didn’t want to think about reality. 
Out of the blue I heard a ,“Kachow!” from his phone on the table.
“Are you serious you still love Lightning McQueen?” I laughed, remembering all the Cars shirts he wore in middle school. 
“Of course I do,” he said puffing his chest in pride. “Well I need to get back to my evening shift but today was a great talk. I don’t have a working phone right now since it’s still a long distance number but do you have Instagram so we can keep in touch?”
I smiled when I saw that his username was @joshuahongkongxD. Haha. 
Just before I left the door, he yells, “Don’t worry Rosé, you’ll do great!” 
The city might not be as disappointing after all.