Crystal woke up to the beauty of another day; she glanced around her new room looking for Emilia before she remembered they now have a separate room. She also remembered that this is her first morning in a city in Nevada, and they are all going out today.

  She remembered yesterday's incident, and she felt uncomfortable. "I hope there won't be any reason for me to go back to Nigeria," she told herself because she still felt something amiss.

  She put on her slippers and headed for the sitting room to start with house chores, but on getting there, everything was already set; the house was sparkling. Then she remembered Marie, who must have been the one to do all those chores.

  Would she just be sleeping and waking? She asked herself. No, she must tell Marie to leave some chores for her.

  With that, she headed to the kitchen, and Marie was there preparing breakfast.

  "Good morning, Marie."

  "Good morning, Miss Crystal, I hope you slept comfortably."

  "Yes, I did," Crystal replied. “But please call me Crystal; forget all the formalities."

  "Alright, dear, so what brings you to the kitchen?"

  "I thought I could help with some chores, but unfortunately you have done it all, and I can't assist in cooking because I might just end up being useless."

  Marie gives her a motherly smile. "Do not worry, sweetheart; I have always been managing…"

  "But I insist," Crystal cuts in.

  "Okay, tomorrow then."

  Crystal smiled in reply and left the kitchen to prepare for breakfast and today's outing.

  Emilia sat on Patricia's bed, listening to her sister rant about not being a Samaritan and that she had helped Crystal enough, so it's time to profit from it.

  "I will talk to her," Emilia said.

  "That's what you have been saying for a while now."

  "I know."

  "I am planning a welcome party for the both of you; top clients will be present and other sets of people, so before the party I want you to have told her so that she would get her first duty that night," Patricia said.

  "How soon would the party be?" She knows her sister too well to know the party would be soon, but she, on her side, would need time to speak with Crystal.

  "Say, two days," Patricia replied.

  Emilia closed her eyes, and then it dawned on her that Crystal's birthday is in 4 days; 3 days would be enough for her to talk to Crystal and convince her.

  "Sis…" That's what she usually calls her sister when she wants to get something. "... Crystal's birthday is in 4 days, so I am thinking, why not celebrate both together? It would add more spice to the party," she said, giving her sister a wink.

  "Okay, okay, but I do not want any stories by then," Patricia said while pulling her ears.

  "Yes, sister." Emilia left so she could start preparing for their outing, and then she would start planning how to tell Crystal all she needed to know and how she would convince her to agree.

  She would do that by showing her the positive side of the deal.

  As the sun began to set over Reno, Patricia took the two girls on an exciting adventure around their new city. They started by visiting the bright lights of downtown, where the neon signs sparkled like stars. The girls laughed as they walked through the bustling streets, stopping to take pictures by the famous arch that welcomed them to Reno. Next, they strolled along the Truckee River, enjoying the cool breeze and the sound of water flowing. The girls pointed at the ducks swimming happily and hopped over little rocks on the riverbank. They also visited other places; later on, they found a cozy park where they could sit on the grass, share snacks, and watch the colorful sunset paint the sky. It was a lovely day filled with joy and new memories in a city that already felt like home.

  It was very late in the night when they came back. While they went sightseeing, Patricia showed them awesome places: the park, some buildings, cafes, beaches, and other places. Then they went to the spa, where they got beauty treatments, hair treatments, and other stuff. She could say that was the best part of the outing. While having their meal, she concluded that the meal was another thing she needed to start getting used to and the little portion they always served.

  After they had their lunch, they went shopping. Emilia told her to also choose party clothes and other sexy outfits; of course, she did.

  She enjoyed the shopping too.

  They kept everything in the car, and they went to the cozy park, which made them come back late. Immediately they got home, everyone went to their respective rooms. Crystal lay down on her bed and was thinking of how she could repay them for all they have done for her and all they have spent on her. She really needed to start job hunting, so she decided to meet Marie in the morning.

  In the morning, Crystal woke up early to assist Marie with some chores, and then after that, they both went to the kitchen, where she brought up the topic while assisting her. "You cannot get a better job unless you have a worker's permit," Marie replied to her.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  Crystal looked shocked. "How do I get that ?"

  "It's a long, long process. If you want to start working in Reno after moving here from another country, it’s important to take a few steps. First, you should check if you need a work permit, as this will allow you to work legally. Next, consider updating your resume, highlighting any skills or experiences you have. You can look for job openings online on websites like Indeed or LinkedIn, or you can visit local businesses to see if they are hiring. Don’t forget to network! Meet new people and tell them you are looking for a job; sometimes, a friend can help you find a great opportunity. Lastly, stay positive and persistent, as finding the right job can take some time, but with effort, you will succeed! You just... Before she could finish her statement, Emilia burst into the kitchen looking like someone who did not have a pleasant night.

  "Hi, Emmy." Crystal is fond of calling her that.

  "We need to talk" was Emilia's response.

  "Good morning, Miss Emilia," Marie greeted, to which she got no response.

  What's wrong? Crystal thought to herself while following Emilia to her room.

  Emilia had decided that today is the best day to talk to her since it's the second day and her 20th birthday is in 2 days, which makes today the only day befitting her announcement.

  "What's wrong??" Crystal finally voiced

  Nothing is actually wrong; it's just that you need to get into business so things would be easier for you here, and you would not need to start begging for money."

  "I have that in mind; in fact, that was what I was discussing with Marie before you came in. I will start job hunting very soon, and before you know it, I will be good, and I will be able to assist financially in running the home,” Crystal replied carefully.

  "This is not Nigeria, babe; you cannot just get a job; you would need a permit, among other things."

  "Yeah."

  "You have to join my sister and me; we are sex workers…"

  Crystal cuts in "I don't seem to understand what… what… that means…" She glanced at Emilia, and Emilia was nodding her head affirmatively. "...No, you must be joking."

  All this while Patricia was seated on a couch; Crystal had just noticed her, and she glanced at her, the look on her face she could not interpret.

  ************************************

  Edward Hernandez was staring at himself in the mirror while doing his tie; he wasn't interested in attending the party because he knew he was surely going to see Michael and his sister at the party.

  He is not ready to see any of them, not because he was hurt but for the sake of his sister, who had forced him to attend the party.

  He and Michael had been friends since high school; they weren't close, but they moved in the same circle, and they met at different hangouts, especially clubs. While in school, they were also at the same football club.

  He never noticed Michael's sister Ann until he came back from the university, and they had met on a few occasions, and it had led to sex.

  He was not someone who got into real relationships, and he had thought Ann would understand, but then she did not, and that caused a big fight between them.

  No, this shouldn't be Ann's fault, he told himself while brushing his hair; it should be my fault.

  I should have told her from the start that it's just going to be sex, and maybe she would have understood.

  Ann should be the cause of it, he told himself again. When he had the fling with her, he didn't expect her to take it to heart; he thought they were just having fun.

  She came back the second time for sex again, and he, being the cool guy, gave it to her, and they became sex partners.

  He never knew that she had fallen in love with him until she told him.

  The memory was fresh in his head.

  "I love you , you know." They had just finished having steaming sex, and he was just lying down to catch some air when she said that.

  Looking at her while saying the word got him irritated, but of course it was obvious on her face that she was sincere. But how come he hadn't noticed the signs?

  "Anastasia, look at me..." she did, and he continued his words, "... it was just a fling. I mean, it was supposed to be a one-time thing, and I wasn't expecting you to take it seriously." He couldn't continue his words because she was already crying profusely, and she is not a girl he would want to have issues with.

  "All this while, I was being deceived," she said, cleaning her tears, but they kept falling.

  "Ann, love..."

  "Don't, love me," she said, cutting him off.

  "Okay, Ann, I did not mention love in this arrangement; we were both having fun."

  "Shut the fuck up…" while cleaning her tears, "... you deceived me, you lying son of the devil. You called me love, and I took it to heart because I had been crushing on you since the first day I saw you with my elder brother during high school. Fine, you took me as a younger one, but I was fine with it knowing I had no damn breasts. Immediately you went to college, I was glad knowing I wouldn't see you every day again, and by the time you came back, I would have grown beautifully, and you seduced me, and I thought I was lucky," she said, putting on her clothes.

  Edward was shocked; he never knew she had feelings for him. If not, he wouldn't have allowed her to seduce him. "Fuck, you were the one who seduced me, and you know the kind of person I am. I mean, I move with your brother, and that's the kind of person he is too, so why would you think I would be any different? I don't play love. The earlier you get it into your thick skull, the better for you. I guess it's better we don't see each other again."

  "Of course it's better. I know you will come back for me, and I promise I will never forgive you, and I will make you pay." She walked out carrying the rest of her stuff, and it was obvious to him that she was shaking; it would have been better for him to drive her to her apartment, but of course she wouldn't allow him.

  That same night her brother visited him, and they had a fight. Reminding him he had broken the bro code, he promised to make him pay for it.

  When he left, Edward came back to his senses.

  He shouldn't have allowed anything with his friend's sister, knowing full well that it was all for fun, but he was just too interested in sleeping with her that he did not think about it.

  The issue went on for about 3 months; he had even forgotten it since he no longer went out with his friend, but he remembered it when his dearest sister, Diana, came to him crying, telling him about what Michael, Ann's brother, did to him.

  Exactly the same thing he did to his sister, and he knew his friend had had his revenge.

  His sister kept to herself for three days before telling him that she had had a crush on Michael since high school and that's the reason she felt this hurt, but now she's fine.

  "You mean it?" He asked her.

  "Yeah," she replied, and they hugged.

  He still noticed that she usually got moody, but of course, with time, she would get over it.

  Edward and his sister had been invited to this party by a mutual friend of theirs with his friend Michael, and of course the person would also have invited Michael and his sister Ann.

  They usually meet at parties too.

  Edward had no plan to attend the party, but his sister insisted that the both of them must go there together. He knew the reason, which she confirmed.

  In her words, "I am attending it, and I have no one to accompany me, so yes, brother, you are accompanying me, or do you want me to be alone when I see Michael again? You want me to feel bad, right? ..." She gave him her silly look, "... I just want him to see that I have moved on."

  His sister knows that he could hardly say no to her, so that was how they ended up at the party.