Unexpected Roommates- A Percabeth Fanfiction

Chapter Nine

Annabeth's POV:

I couldn't decide if Percy's acting differently was all in my head or not. He'd been perfectly normal all morning, but then when I told him about Luke his mood had seemingly shifted. I hoped that I hadn't done something, and the paperwork was what put him in a sour mood; however, after he rushed out of the apartment, I couldn't help but feel like whatever was wrong was my fault. 

I decided I couldn't think on that forever, I had six hours before meeting with Luke and I needed to use them. I needed to find a new job. I was lucky that I had saved most of my earnings from my job with my mother, so I didn't need to worry about money for a long time, but I didn't exactly want to waste all my savings while I wasn't working either. 

I pulled out my laptop and was about to begin the job search when I remembered I was going to order Sally's novels. To be honest, I absolutely adored Percy's mom. I sort of envied Percy for having such an amazing mother. My mom and I had never been close, but Sally just radiated calming energy and seemed to care about every single thing I had to say. On top of that, she loved books and writing too. I was excited to get to read her novels and ordered all three of them on Amazon with full confidence that I would enjoy them.

Hours passed by as I applied to numerous architecture firms. I was so excited to start fresh, but I felt underqualified for most of the positions I'd applied for. Sure, I had a degree in architecture and had a portfolio of designs I could provide, but I'd also been working for my mother since I graduated high school with most my time spent on office work rather than designs. The only thing I felt proud to add to my resume was an internship under Daedalus, a huge architect around the world. My internship was the only thing I could say was completely my own, something that I had earned not been handed. 

Finally, at around 3:30, I headed to my favorite café in the city. It was a small café tucked in the corner of a small street, but it was probably the most calming place I'd ever been in. There were small tables that were scattered around, but the back was filled with books. The place smelt like pages and coffee grounds. I absolutely loved it. 

Luke walked into the café approximately five minutes after I had, 3:50. He sat down across the table from me and smiled. "How'd I know that you would be here before me even when I came here ten minutes earlier than we'd planned?"

"I guess you know me too well," I joked. "Now, tell me all about San Franciso. I feel like I haven't heard from you in forever."

Luke started telling me about his job in San Francisco. He'd barely talked about his work as a prosecutor, but he was beyond excited about a nonprofit he'd been volunteering at. "It helps small businesses stay afloat with all the big guys like Amazon taking over." He explained. He continued to explain how they'd put together fundraisers as well as done renovations for existing businesses. He seemed so passionate about helping out the little guy. 

All of the sudden, he stopped midsentence. "I'm definitely ranting. What have you been up to lately?" 

"Nothing interesting," I started. Luke leaned forward as if to listen to everything I had to say. "I actually got fired a few days ago."

"You what?" Luke exclaimed, sitting up straight in his chair with his eyebrows scrunched together. "Your mom fired you?"

"Yep, quite the mother I have. She got mad because I screwed up a contract, and she fired me then had me evicted."

Luke looked seriously mad. He had a scar that ran across his eye-a bad fight with a mean dog he'd had when he was a child- that seemed to turn a deep red when he was getting mad. "How could she do that? Where are you living now?"