She knew she wasn't the smartest person, but my God this had to be the dumbest thing she had ever done, and that thought alone was jarring. She had made a lot of impulsive and 'heat of the moment' decisions, some working out better than others.
She paused momentarily at the thought before continuing her walk down the quite city street. She thought about the decisions she had to make to get to where she was standing today. Running away from home hadn't been dumb, in fact, it was the smartest decision she had ever made. She had worked her ass off, working any job that paid money and was at least 'semi-ethical' for her to do back in her small home country town. It was one of those towns that had had one main street where the rest of the buildings were built from, it had a pub on every corner, a church on every block and the people were as pleasant as the world's most sour candy. She had never belonged there, that she figured out very early on in her life. Unlike the other kids, she had never seen herself settling for whatever meagre scraps it had to offer her. So, she knew that she had no other option than to get out.
And get out she did, the moment she had enough she was already halfway out the door. Barely saying goodbye to anyone in her rush, not willing to be caught or held for any longer than necessary in the slow little town that she had never once left previously. Her parents were the lazy religious kind that were common in small town, practically biting at the bit to disown her for any slight infringement she made. She knew they didn't love each other, knew that they married out of habit more than anything else, so having a child leave their care and not having to pay for their 'devious' needs anymore? It was a blessing from the God they seemed to love more than their own daughter.
On the train ride into the big city she had spent every moment calling every landlord she had found in her apartment research. Luck for once was on her side because she managed to find a rundown studio apartment that she could afford with the meagre money she had to her name and an ID that the landlord wouldn't be willing to look too close into.
It didn't hurt that the landlord was a fat old man that hardly looked away from her chest when they met, his beer belly so big the shirt wasn't able to fit and left a slit of the hairy oily skin bare to all who were unfortunate enough to glance over, but she could deal with his creepiness and smell if it meant the apartment was hers. And sure as shit, she had gotten it. She had enough money to make it secure, leaving other furniture until she found a job and more money under her belt knowing that security was her main concern. Like she said, she wasn't necessarily the smartest, but she was smart enough to know the priorities in a big city as a young single woman.
Work had been easy, she had worked enough causal jobs at bars and was able to embellish her resume just enough that she had been able to pick up bar work at a place a few blocks away from her new home, the continuous and almost guaranteed shifts along with the tips paid the bills and rent.
But she needed more.
She didn't want to live pay check to pay check. She had run from a small town that offered her the boring picket fence, lower economic lifestyle that her entire school had willingly walked into, as if it were their only option. She didn't run away from everything to get nothing. That wasn't her style.
This is where her luck was limited. There was no way she was getting into a formal corporate job with her ID let alone her lack of a corporate resume. It wasn't necessary for her to have a fake ID, in fact, she would have had a hell of a lot more money had she not invested in one, she was an adult. In the most part. Old enough to drink, vote and drive. But not old enough for most landlords, not old enough to work in most corporate places or have the embellished experience she had noted on her resume.
She wanted to live and wasn't willing to comprise on that.
So, what was the easiest way to earn large pay checks by her own accord as a pretty single girl?
She spotted a bench to the side of the cracked concrete pathway she had been strolling on the way to her destination and decided to fix up the ankle strap that had been annoying her since the moment she had stepped from her front door.
Humming a tune she couldn't place the song of, but nonetheless having it stuck in her head, she sat down- the cold metal touching her bare thighs almost making her jump in surprise. Chuckling at her own jumpiness she crossed her leg with the annoying heel over the other and leaned forward to tighten the strap that was constantly loosening. It was truly irritating. Especially considering that to walk in heels this high, she often dependent on the strap to keep the shoe to her foot.
Truly, it wasn't the worst option she had. Have a night of sex with an old guy who groaned weird and never see them again, right? A few other girls that she worked with at the bar brought up the idea when she mentioned wanted to earn more under the table and let her know the places to go, the places to avoid and some of the tips of the trade.
Shockingly it was quite a common job.
So, after she had spent an embarrassing amount of her day getting ready, plucking, shaving and choosing an outfit, let alone walking through her options. Here she was, sitting on a cold metal bench in the middle of the night, glancing around at the still empty street as she let her brain walk through the options once again.
What else could she do? She was already working the max number of shifts the bar would allow and it's not like she had the flexibility to pick up another job with the spontaneous and weird hours she currently had. Straightening up she rolled her neck around before going back to the strap of her ankle, finally managing to click it into place when she heard a rumble that had her eyes flicking up to the road which was no longer empty.
A sleek black limo had pulled onto the street, driving slow in her direction. It wasn't the kind of vehicle that you would see in this area, in fact, this wasn't something she had ever seen in person.
Her eyes clung to the pristine vehicle, watching as it slowed, blinker flicking on with a crisp tink that seemed to echo around her as it rolled to a stop on the side of the quite street, right in front of her.
Crap.