Surrender

Prologue

“That’ll be $2.69,” the cashier said, handing Toni her caramel iced coffee in exchange for her money. She took a sip and made her way back out into the crowded streets of New York City.

            There was a gentle, warm breeze flowing through the streets of the city, giving that Friday morning in early May a glimpse of summer. The blonde tips of Toni’s dip-dyed hair tickled the hem of her white, off the shoulder chiffon top. With her black skinny jeans, cutout booties, and her red Michael Kors bag, she looked like she had just stepped out of a fashion magazine. Toni strutted confidently down 7th Ave, taking in the sights and sounds of her new home. She glanced at her phone to check the time. 10:12. She had an hour and 48 minutes before she had to be at her new job.

            About to turn 23, Toni landed herself her dream job of being the head fashion consultant for SEVENTEEN magazine and moved herself from upstate New York right into the middle of New York City. When she got the call from the magazine a few months back, she couldn’t believe her luck. She has wanted this job for so long, and finally her bad luck was starting to change. After quitting her horrible job as a retail saleswoman in her local mall, she was down on her luck. She couldn’t find another job in her field of interest and on top of that, she was still stuck living at home. This job offering was a godsend and Toni was up for the challenge. When she came in for her first interview with the magazine back in March, she was nervous that they would change their minds about hiring her, but now that she’s the official head fashion consultant, she was confident and was eager to get to work.

            Instead of turning down 57th Street and walking towards the SEVENTEEN magazine building, she decided to walk straight to Central Park. Taking a seat on one of the park benches, she finished off her iced coffee and watched other New Yorkers pass her by. Feeling the sunlight hit her cheeks, she tilted her head upwards and took a deep breath, savoring the moment and enjoying what it feels like to officially be a part of the city that never sleeps.