Page 21 of My Infatuation with Isabella

She’s loosening up slightly. I can see it in the way her body relaxes, hear it in the way the rigidness in her tone seems to be fading.

The waitress returns and places our orders in front of us, and as soon as she leaves, I resume the conversation. “But your whole plan is based on you getting odd jobs. What if you struggle to find one?”

“That’s not even a possibility I entertain,” she replies before taking a sip of her latte. “I pretty much get every job I apply for because my interview skills are untouchable. I’ve had so many jobs, I’m an expert at it now. I’ve come to realize that people can spot talent when they see it. I tell them that if there’s anything they should take from my resume, it’s that I’m hardworking and determined and willing to do anything...Then I prove it by sucking them off, and I get the job. That hard work and determination line gets themeverytime.”

I choke on my coffee, the hot liquid burning my throat as I cough and laugh at the same time. “I wasn’t prepared for that.”

Amusement plays with her expression. “Clearly.”

“You know, a waitressing position just opened up atPiatto Pienoif?”

“You can shove that job up your ass!”

That gets us both laughing, and the sound of her giggling takes me back to the many afternoons we spent talking just like this. I try to keep the momentum going, asking more questions so she doesn’t have time to overthink the situation. She’ll pull away the second she reminds herself of the reason why we’re here, and I just want to stay in this bubble for a little longer.

“What other jobs have you had?” I ask.

“So many. Too many.”

“Tell me about them.”

“So, most of the jobs I’ve had, I started as the receptionist or admin clerk in a small business, but then with some of them, it got boring after a while, so I’d ask to help with other stuff. For instance, I worked at a panel beater, and while I was there, Mike taught me how to change a tire and do an oil change. Oh, and I learned how to clean a carburetor.”

“Those are valuable skills.”

“Indeed. After that, I was a plumber’s assistant for three months, and I learned the basics like how to change washers, fix leaking pipes, unclog toilets...which is pretty disgusting.”

“I don’t even want to imagine. What was your worst job?”

She thinks about it as she sips her latte. “I worked at a daycare center for about two, two and a half months. Worst job of my life!”

“Okay, how much do you hate kids if you rate that worse than fixing clogged toilets?”

Her eyes widen in exasperation, those big topaz orbs looking at me like I’m stupid to even ask such a question. “De Lorenzo, you are not aware.” She shakes her manicured finger at me to drive the point home. “Kids are more disgusting. The things they put into their mouth. Ugh!” She suppresses a gag. “I’d just be sitting there, like, Charlie, is it really necessary to eat your boogers? Lunch is in twenty minutes, little man.”

“Gross!” Laughter mixed with a moderate amount of disgust rolls out of me. “You find a way to incorporate music into everything, so I’m sure you made those kids sing their little hearts out.”

“Did Iever. I was the most bumpin’ mother hen in that joint.Rock-a-doodle-doo. I had Jamal on bass, Clinton doing the beatbox, and then before I knew it,the wheels of the buswas the dopest rap in town.”

“Look, that song was already epic on its own merits, but turning it into a rap? Genius. Eminem would be proud.”

“Boy, don’t play! I could’ve closed a record deal if I just played my cards right, but instead, I left that one and moved on to a bakery. I can now make exactly three different kinds of cake.”

“Impressive. What else?”

“I was a plus-size model for a short time. When I was working as a receptionist at Keith’s firm, one of his clients was a photographer. He told me I was a little too short, but I’m sort of built like Iskra Lawrence, so he could work with that. I went in for a shoot and...ended up leaving Potterman and Hart. That profession was definitely not for me, but it wasn’t too bad.”

“How can you think that? You’re gorgeous.”

“I have my days,” she says with playful modesty.

“Andverysexy.”

I’m still testing my limits, and that comment makes her uncomfortable. “Easy, De Lorenzo.”

And with that, I dial back the flirting. “Why did you stop? Wasn’t the money good?”

“The money was great.” She shrugs. “But...I don’t know. Everything is very superficial in that industry. They all talk about body positivity, but behind the scenes, there were a lot of negative comments being passed about my weight and my height. They want bigger women, but you still have to be therightshape and they still want a relatively flat tummy. Now, I happen to like my little pooch. I think it’s sexy. I just hated the toxicity and the hypocrisy because I thrive on the good vibes. There’s just too much pressure to be something they said they didn’t want us to be.”

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