The Wrong Side of Heaven

Chapter 2

My day is spent googling Medina Enterprise Holdings Inc. It's clearly a legit business so I don't think I have anything to worry about. I find myself searching for pictures of Jay but surprisingly there aren't many. I have to scroll through a dozen pages before finding an old picture of him that I almost didn't recognize at first. Odd. Taking a deep breath, I grab my phone and the card he gave me. Dialing the number, I listen to the dial tone and am about to hang up just before I hear his voice. "Medina." Oh. I thought it'd be a general line but it's direct. I find myself unable to speak. "Hello?"

"Jay, it's Isabel. From the plane."

I hear him take a deep breath then chuckle. "You don't have to remind me. I could never forget your voice."

I find myself blushing again. Why do I feel like a high schooler talking to a boy she likes? Perhaps because I'm laying on my stomach in my childhood bed with my feet in the air. "Um... I've thought about your offer and thought I'd take you up on it if you're serious."

"I was hoping you would," he says. I hear something in the background before he continues. "I'm out of town for the day but I can send a car to pick you up tomorrow. I'll show you around and explain some things to help you better understand what we do."

Pick me up? I figured I'd just borrow my parents car for the day. I bite my lip as I consider my options. What the hell. "Okay. What time works for you?"

"The car will be there at four. Text me your address. We'll have dinner with some of my employees then I can show you around. We'll wrap it up around eight or nine. Sound good?"

"Perfect."

Sitting up quickly, I stare at my closet. Oh no. I have nothing to wear. All of these clothes are from when I was in high school. Squeezing my eyes shut, I throw myself back on the bed and mentally scream. Even if I did have clothes, I still wouldn't know what to wear. "Isabel?" he says softly.

"Yes?"

"I meant what I said. I'd like to be friends so you can be open with me."

It's like he can read my mind. I rub my temple as I respond. "What's tomorrow's dress code?"

"Jeans and a nice shirt will do."

"Okay. I'll see you then."

"Until then," he says, pausing briefly. "Goodbye Isabel."

Hanging up, I fall back onto my bed and sigh. I was lucky enough to secure a great job during my senior year of high school. This is how I was able to be financially independent and move out on my own. I've never had any worries until now. Normally I wouldn't doubt that they'd be willing to rehire me but I helped fill my position before I left. I may have money saved but it's not nearly enough to replace everything I've lost anytime soon. Shopping for clothes is at the top of my list followed by my search for a car. My heart aches at the thought of my first car that I sold to move. It was a Pontiac Grand Prix GXP. It was reliable, fast and had a great sound system. That's all I needed. Mostly the reliability but the rest were nice perks. It was a beautiful car overall with a leather interior and a clean exterior. It'll always hold a special place in my heart.

Standing up, I head over to my closet and rummage through my clothes. It's probably a better idea to buy work clothes after I get a better idea of my workplace. For now, I'll see what I can fit into from my high school years. It's unlikely I'll find much, as I've really filled out over the past few years. The third pair of jeans I try on fit me like a glove. They're black skinny jeans and I decide to pair it with a cute white blouse. This should be perfect.

I look around for shoes and find two pairs. My old Nike's that I wore to gym class. Those definitely won't work, they very worn out and probably should've been tossed out years ago. The other pair are Vans that are a little snug on my feet. Figures. I'll need to make a quick trip to the store. I need to get out of the house anyways. After asking to borrow my parents car, I head into town.