Homeless

Chapter 37

Derek's POV

"I think I'm ready for bed," Danielle says as she lets out a yawn. We are curled up together on the living room couch and have just finished tonight's episode of The Bachelorette. I've never been into reality tv but Danielle has gotten me hooked.

"I'll be up in a few minutes, beautiful. Just gonna tidy up down here."

Dani stands up and wraps the fuzzy blue blanket around her. "Sounds good," she says sleepily. "See you in a few."

As she heads up the stairs, I get a notification from my gmail app. The subject line reads, "Welcome to MLC Real Estate" and it's from Mike. Mike the real estate guru. I quickly open it and feel my heart rate pickup as I read it.

Mr. Pearson,

I am delighted to offer you a spot in my 2022 MLC Real Estate Internship! This 12-week program is a paid internship where you will learn the ropes of real estate. The program is all inclusive and includes courses on how to find clients, flip homes, manage wealth and build the foundation for your own real estate company. At the end of the program, you will be eligible to test for and attain your state of New York Real Estate License.

From January 11th to March 28th, classes will take place, Monday through Thursday from 8am to 4pm. Interns are encouraged to use Fridays for reflection and self study. You may also choose to spend time networking at our Brooklyn, Manhattan and Jersey City offices. We do not operate on the weekends in an effort to promote the wellbeing of our staff.

Interns are paid a daily, tax-free stipend of $200/day, Sunday through Saturday, for a weekly total of $1,400 to be paid out each Friday. It is my hope that this money will help each intern to be able to fully focus on the course without taking on additional financial burden. Scholarships are also available to those who require additional assistance. Please do not hesitate to ask. Health insurance will begin on day 1 of the program and provides coverage through Mount Sinai Medical Center.

It is my hope that you will choose to join our 2022 cohort. Please respond to this email by Friday, January 4th with your acceptance or declination.

Kindly,
Mike Cassidy
CEO of MLC Real Estate

I smile from ear to ear and jump up off the couch. This is awesome. So awesome. I have to tell Danielle.

When I get upstairs, Danielle is in the bathroom drying her face.

"Dani, Dani, Dani," I say excitedly. I walk up behind her then spin her around so she's facing me. I can't stop smiling.

"What?" she asks, with a big smile herself. "What's up?"

"Dani!!" I grab her and spin her around.

"Derek!!" she squeals.

"So." I put her down. "I got the internship! I got the freakin' internship Dani!!"

Dani smiles big. "I'm so happy for you baby. But what internship?"

"The real estate one. With Mike Cassidy!!"

Danielle's eyes get big. "Wait, THE Mike Cassidy? Like Michael Lewis Cassidy? That guy owns the biggest real estate company in New York."

"That's the one!! I went to his seminar a couple weeks ago and today I got an email inviting me to participate in his internship. I'm so excited!"

Danielle grabs my arms. "I'm SO happy for you Derek." She pulls me in for a hug and squeezes me tight. "SO happy for you."

We hold each other for a couple more moments before I pick her up a little then put her back down.

"When do you start?"