Four
—
I yanked my apartment building’s main door open and stormed inside.
A week later after being fired and I still hadn’t found anything new. Not for a lack of trying. I’d even returned to my old job at a staffing agency to see if they’d hire me back. No luck.
Granted, it was still early. Finding a job took time. But time equalled money and I already didn’t have much of the latter. I had a bit of savings, but only enough to pay for food for a month or so. And that was if food consisted mainly of ramen noodles.
I jabbed the call button for the elevator and waited impatiently for its arrival. The thud of the apartment building’s door opening drew my attention. Kim strode toward me.
“Hey, Julia,” she said. “I’m sorry to hear what happened with you and Mrs. Wheelman.”
“You heard?”
Kim grimaced. “Everybody did. Nadine held a meeting in her office and used you as an example as to what would happen if we fucked up.”
I scowled, but the elevator arrived so I kept my nasty comment to myself as we both got on. Kim gave me an apologetic look.
“I kinda think it’s my fault you got fired, though. If I hadn’t been sick, then you wouldn’t have taken my shift, then you wouldn’t have had to deal with that crazy bitch Mrs. Wheelman.”
“Kim, that’s silly.” I smiled. “This is life. At least, my life. It’s like advanced Murphy’s Law with me. If fucked up shit can happen to me, it will. No question.”
“I don’t know what Murphy’s Law is, but you shouldn’t say shit like that.” Kim shook her head. “You gotta welcome positive energy, you know? Speak good and it’ll appear. That’s what my grams used to say anyhow. Like, before you showed up with that tasty soup, I was thinking about how much it sucked being sick, but at least I had life and I’d get better soon. Then you show up.” Kim grinned. “Girl, I felt better the next day!”
I laughed. “I’m glad it helped.”
“It really did.” Kim nodded. “That’s why I was thinking I wanna help you too. You got another job after Nadine let you go?”
“I’m still searching.”
“You ever been to college?”
I eyed her and spoke carefully, not willing to tell the whole truth that I had dropped out.
“Yeah. Why?”
“My brother runs a temp agency. Sort of. I think you’d be good for a job he has because you look the part.”
“How?”
“You know. Smart.” The confusion must have remained on my face because she laughed nervously. “I can’t explain it. It’s not like you wear glasses or anything. But you just give off this vibe of somebody who’s really intelligent. And I think I’m right if you went to college. Me? Never gave a fuck about school.”
The elevator pinged for her floor and the doors opened. She stepped out and I followed her so we could continue the conversation.
“So this job… it’s not porn, right?”
Kim grinned. “Porn or even cam girl stuff ain’t a bad gig.” Then she lowered her voice. “No, it ain’t porn or drugs, but it ain’t exactly legal either. It pays good though, and it’s quick. Hour, two hours tops. I can’t tell you anymore unless you say you want to do it. Then I’d have to let my brother know and he’d explain the rest. So if you wanna think it over, that’s cool.”
“Don’t need to. I’m interested.”
Kim smiled. “I’ll let my brother know then.”
Kim turned and headed to her apartment, while I jabbed the elevator button to head up to mine. Once I was home, I took a shower. The hot water washed away the day’s disappointment of not finding a job. But I felt energized with excitement at the possibility of having a new source of income.
Kim said it was illegal though. I hoped it was on the lighter end of illegal, if such a thing existed. As long as it has nothing to do with killing or drugs. Still, doubt nagged at me. I already had a police record from past misdeeds. Maybe getting tied up Kim’s brother’s dealings might not be such a great idea.
I should at least hear what Kim’s brother had to offer. If I didn’t like any of it, I could just say no.
When I got out of the shower, I checked my phone and saw a text from Kim.
Come down in an hour. Jared’s coming over soon.
I passed the hour in jittery anticipation, then went down to Kim’s apartment. Kim answered the door and let me into her apartment. A lanky guy in a too-large t-shirt and baggy jeans sat at her small dining room table. He had dirty blond hair and brown eyes like Kim.
He stood when I entered, sizing me up. I did the same to him. He looked more like the type of guy who loved to idle and smoke weed with his friends on someone’s property than a business man. But I guess it wasn’t wise to judge a book by its cover.
“I know the perfect job for you. University.”
I folded my arms. “What’s the job about?”
“Lazy U of M kids who ain’t go to class all semester. Then they realize they fucked when final exams roll around. So they look for a get outta jail free card from me.”
His laugh was a loud, obnoxious sound especially when what he said wasn’t funny.
“So the job is I take a final exam for someone?”
“Yeah, I got a girl who wants to pass her Economics course but knows she ain’t ‘cause she did squat all year. She kinda looks like you but you’re way cuter.” Of course, he winked. “All you gotta do is pretend to be her and take the exam. You don’t need to go for no A or anything. She ain’t that bright and it’ll look suspicious. Get her a passing score at least and you’ll get five hundred easy.”
“That’s it?”
“That’s right, baby.” Jared smiled revealing several teeth capped with gold. “And there’s more money to make if you know how to play the game. So you in?”
I looked between Jared and Kim. Fake an exam and give someone false credentials? It wasn’t ethical at all and it might not be legal either, but Jared had spoken the magic words.
More money.
The goal that was perpetually out of reach.
“I’ll do it.”