If only you could see boring old me now, Jamie thought. A part-time job as a buyer’s consultant for a major retail clothing chain. Days spent pounding the pavement at various government administrative offices, begging for attention and assistance at finding her big sister. Although it might chafe to admit it, this was the closest thing to a routine she’d had since she’d moved out on her own at 17.
Jamie and Sylvie had lost their parents when they were teens. Sylvie was in her last year of high school and had promptly asked for accelerated coursework to finish ahead of the rest of her class. She’d had an early acceptance to MIT to study biology, and she’d brought Jamie to Boston with her, where she’d worked hard to take her courses during the day, study, and still hold down two part-time jobs to supplement her scholarships and keep a roof over their heads.
And instead of appreciating all the things Sylvie did for her, Jamie had done nothing but complain. By the time she was a senior in high school, she’d informed her sister that she was moving in with her older boyfriend.
That boyfriend had led to a string of other boys, to roommates and couch-surfing, and finally to a small studio apartment packed to the gills with clothing and nonsense. Now, ten years later, Jamie realized that Sylvie wasn’t there to save her from her mistakes, to loan her money for rent or a new interview outfit as she moved from one dead-end retail job to another.
Now Jamie was the one who was responsible for not only herself but for getting her sister back. Sylvie had left her with some large, and sensible, shoes to fill, but this time she wouldn’t give up.
This time she’d prove to her sister, and herself, that she could get the job done.
If only I could get some sleep, she thought with a wry smile. A peek at her phone told it was close to two. Jamie sat up, deciding to give up on sleep. She grabbed her tablet, figuring now was as good a time as any to do some work.
She scrolled through fashion blogs, designer’s web pages, collections, and magazine sites, her eyes trained for something fresh. Something new.
A blond model dressed in a tight-fitting jumpsuit against a barren backdrop reminded her of her sister.I bet Sylvie’s seeing something new. Something none of us has ever seen before.
I just hope she lives to tell about it.
