To be a Wildflower

Chapter 4

"Something on your mind?" Asked Maya gazing at Elizabeth over the rim of her coffee mug, who had donned up a confused frown on her face.

"Uh no, I think I forgot something, but what..." Elizabeth stood up mindlessly and turned to head back into her room.

"feather brain," murmured Maya into her mug and Elizabeth shot her a smug look.

"Heard that West."

"Of course, you did," Maya smiled and stood up to take out the trash, "hey why don't you call up Cassie and we'll go out for a girls' night to celebrate your last unemployed Friday night ?"

"The whole city is unemployed on Friday night Maya," said Elizabeth deadpan. "and how can you be so sure?"

"Oh, please you're Elizabeth Hartley, they'll be calling you the first thing tomorrow." Maya smiled comfortingly and picked up the trash can. Elizabeth smiled back politely and involuntarily glanced from her coffee mug to her phone screen back and forth for a ping from Designers Den. It was a just a slip of her eye that glanced towards Maya taking out the trash when she caught the envelope of the mystery letter sticking out of the trash pile. Elizabeth did not know what came over her, but she stood up in a jolt and stopped Maya.

"Jeez what now?" Maya halted exasperated.

"That letter," blurted Elizabeth, then ran over to the trash can and fished out the envelope. She turned to Maya and smiled sheepishly.

"I think I'm going to hold onto this, see if someone will come back for it." Elizabeth knew how stupid she sounded, but she could not let the letter go. Maya squinted her eyes at Elizabeth suspiciously and worried.

"That was what was bothering you?"

"See now you're just putting words in my mouth," said Elizabeth defensively.

"Just keep the letter I won't judge." Maya laughed and walked out with the rest of the trash.

Elizabeth looked back at the letter held in her hand, and she oddly felt as if she had ticked a task off her bucket list of adventures.

That evening Elizabeth called up Cassie and headed to their usual spot at the Cozy Sac with Maya. Elizabeth did not want to celebrate and waste booze over an interview, so she kept mum and went anyways for her own reasons. The Cozy Sac was the only bar in town that was serene enough to nurse a wine glass after a tumultuous day, and Elizabeth wasn't having a tumultuous day nor did she find any place serene-er than her room, so she knew this night wasn't for her, but seeing Cassie and Maya melt into their comfort zones made her want to merge into their bubble instead of popping it. Hence she pulled the girls along with her all the way up to the rooftop, which had a magnificent overview of the city while the chill September winds blew fittingly through the martini induced crowds with warm flushed bodies. Elizabeth knew not much on Cassie except that she showed no mercy to anyone who interrupted her during her spin class and that the Cozy Sac was the only place where she could free her tensions—although Elizabeth had second thoughts on the latter, the fact that Cassie never had to over explain anything made her look like real company to Elizabeth's eyes.

After ordering their favourites Maya did the one thing that excited her the most and that was to question Elizabeth about Designer Den. While Elizabeth appreciated Maya's enthusiasm she could not help wondering if this was what all their conversations were going to be comprised of if Designer's Den did take her in. Elizabeth shuddered at the thought.

However, surprisingly, what took Elizabeth by astonishment was how her mind constantly slipped back to the letter tucked in the grey box in her closet. The letter. It was gnawing at her silently as she yearned to know what the letter said. Elizabeth knew it was illegal and just not right to read stray mail or any mail that was not hers, but the possibility of anyone reaching out for this letter seemed a possibility out of this world.