Valeria sighed bitterly as she watched Alice playing alone at the farthest table of the restaurant, in a corner almost nobody used.

“Val, stop thinking.” Her friend Emma approached her and hugged her with a sigh. “Alice is going to be fine.”

“That's what she says, but she's six years old, what can she know?” said Valeria trying to hold back her tears.

“Well, she's a child genius,” said Emma smiling. “At six years old she is already smarter than you and me”.

“She's a child genius who doesn't like to be touched, who barely eats, who suffers from social anxiety, and I don't know how many other disorders she has been diagnosed with precisely because she's too smart,” replied Valeria. “She should be in a specialized school for children like her, where they help her... where they help her be happy, because it's obvious that I can't!”

Valeria hid her face in her hands and sobbed in despair. Alice was a child who required special care; and a job as a waitress, even working full time and doubling shifts, was not enough for Valeria to pay for the expenses of a school like the one her little sister needed.

“There, there... Don't get like that.” Emma tried to soothe her. “I'd tell you you're doing the best you can, but you're doing it amazingly. No child could want a better substitute mom than you, and as for the job... something will turn up, don't despair.”

“What do you mean ‘don't despair’, Emma?! It cost me blood, sweat, and tears to finish studying Design, and now nobody wants to hire me because I went to a public university,” Valeria protested. “Why the hell do they offer that major if nobody is going to hire those who graduate?”

Emma sighed as well. She knew that Valeria was going through a very difficult situation. She had lost her mother three years ago, and ever since, she had become a makeshift single mom to her younger sister.

Worst of all was that, after trying so hard, her credentials were worthless to the recruiters.

“Look, you're a very talented woman, my friend. I'm sure a call from one of those places you sent your résumé to is going to come in any minute,” Emma said, grabbing her cell phone with a theatrical gesture. “Heck, we are going to order the universe that we want them to call you right now! Right now! Right—”

The cell phone began to ring and Emma screamed, frightened, and dropped it. Luckily, Valeria was quick enough to catch it before it shattered to pieces on the floor, and she stood up looking at the screen, dumbfounded.

“What— who is it?” asked Emma.

“Bennet Designs,” whispered Valeria as if her voice were struggling to come out.

“Oh God, I might turn out to be a witch! But answer the call, woman! Answer it!” her friend urged her, and Val took the call.

“Good morning. To whom am I speaking?”

“Is this Valeria Williams?” the voice on the other end of the phone said.

“Yes, it's me. How can I help you?” she replied, trying not to let the tremor in her voice show.

“We have reviewed your résumé and we wanted to know if you are available for an interview,” asked a girl's sweet voice.

“Of course! Of course. When would it be?”

“Well...,” the girl seemed to hesitate, “Mrs. Bennet told me yesterday and I forgot to call you and... she doesn't come by the company much, so... could you come now?” The girl even sounded a bit distressed.

“Now?” Valeria saw Emma nod vigorously as she quietly clapped her hands. “Yes, yes, I can!”

“Perfect! Oh, thank you, you're a lifesaver!” the girl sighed. “I'm a bit clumsy; I didn't want Mrs. Bennet to be mad at me. My name is Olena, but people call me Oli. Ask for Oli when you get to the building... okay?” She could tell she was a nervous girl, but Valeria already liked her even before she met her.

“Sure, I'll be right there,” she assured before ending the call.

Valeria put her cell phone to her chest and she and Emma stomped their feet on the floor in excitement.

“Go and get ready. I'll take care of Alice,” Emma said, rushing her, and hugged her.

Valeria could only be reassured that way because Alice only stayed quiet with Emma or with her school teacher.

“But Emma... my shift starts in twenty minutes.”

“Don’t worry, I'll cover for you. Val, if you get this job, it won't even matter if you don't come back on shift! Go! Don’t miss this opportunity! And make sure you get that job!” Her friend hugged her, and Valeria hurried to say goodbye to Alice.

The girl was absorbed in a notebook full of numbers that even Valeria didn't understand. She only nodded when Val told her that Emma would take care of her for a few hours and smiled without looking at her when she felt her kiss on her head.

Valeria bolted for the small apartment she shared with her sister a few streets away. She changed clothes and understood the need to spend money on a cab this time so she wouldn't arrive all sweaty for her job interview.

Oli was exactly as she had imagined her: nervous, vivacious, and talkative. She took her into the waiting room of Mrs. Bennet's office and asked her to wait.

“I'm going to tell Mrs. Bennet that you're already here. She is talking to a friend. She will be with you as soon as she finishes,” she told her.

Valeria looked around, excited. Bennet Designs was one of the best fashion design studios in Los Angeles, and it was as impressive as it looked.

She tried to calm her nerves by hugging her binder, but as the minutes passed, she only managed to get more anxious. After two hours, Oli would only give her a negative sign of the head, indicating that Mrs. Bennet was still busy.

Finally, when Valeria’s desperation was at its peak, the office door opened. An older but very pretty woman came out, saying goodbye, and another peeked through the door.

“Miss Williams?” she asked. “You may come in”.

Valeria entered Layla Bennet's office as if it were the temple of a goddess, and almost bowed before her accordingly, but she managed to maintain her equanimity despite her anxiety.

“So, Valeria,” said Mrs. Bennet after a brief greeting, “the truth is that I have been very impressed by your sketches. Is this a sample within your designs or do you specialize in lingerie?

“I wouldn't say “specialist”, but yes, lingerie is my favorite area”.

“It's just... it's bold... it's fresh. I'd love for us to have a collection like that,” she sighed. “What was your inspiration?

“Well... I know it may sound vain, but I like to feel sexy. And I wish other women could feel that way just for themselves”.

Layla looked at her with an indecipherable expression, as if she were trying to read her soul.

“We work hard here. Do you think you have the disposition?”

“Of course!” Valeria said with her heart racing. “As long as it takes”.

“Our CEO is a bit demure,” she laughed. “Maybe he'll make you modify your designs.”

“Sure, I'll do it! Whatever it takes!” said Valeria.

Layla Bennet sighed internally, not letting her disappointment show. This girl was very talented, but she was just another submissive designer, willing to give everything to secure a job. If she was willing to sacrifice her creativity in front of Nick, then she had no use for her.

“I think you have a bright future ahead of you, my dear,” the woman said with her kindest smile as she thought of an excuse to turn her down. “Unfortunately, your studies in a public school are below the company's requirements, so... I'm sorry.”

Valeria closed her eyes, feeling that tightness in her chest as she nodded and stood up. It was always the same! Another rejection! Another missed opportunity for the same stupidity!

“I understand...” she murmured, giving Layla her hand to shake, but before she reached the door she stopped. She felt she was about to choke on the words if she didn't get them out, and she didn't care that it was right there. “No! You know what? I don't understand!” she exclaimed facing Layla Bennet. “I didn't just give you my résumé, you studied it, you've had it for weeks, and the first things on my résumé are my credentials. And yet you called me!”

Layla froze at the girl's emotional outburst. Apparently she wasn't as docile as she thought she was.

“You called me! You made me wait for more than two hours! Why? To reject me because I don't have good credentials? Didn't you know that before you asked me to come?” Valeria said in a fit of anger. “And if you hadn’t liked my designs, it would’ve been understandable! But you did! It's just that—” she interrupted herself, frustrated. “You know what? Forget it. Someone in your position would never understand that someone like me can't waste time.”

“Wow! I didn't know your time was more valuable than mine,” Layla taunted her.

“Well, it sure is! Because while you were spending two hours getting the latest gossip, I was wasting two hours of a work shift where I actually get paid. I'm responsible for a child who needs special care, so yes, a paid hour of my time is worth more than an hour of your gossip, don't you think?”

Layla leaned back in her chair, shocked, as she saw Valeria's defiant look.

“Darn, girl! And here I was thinking you had no character!” She smiled. “Come, sit down, sit down.”

Valeria looked at her suspiciously and sat down again.

“Tell me something, what do you think of the lingerie department of this company?” Layla asked.

The girl looked at her with suspicious eyes.

“I think the designs are for older women... really older women... women lying inside a coffin, preferably”.

Layla let out a hearty laugh that almost made her smile.

“Okay, let's not beat around the bushes then. Nicholas Bennet, Nick, Nicky, my son; he is the CEO and majority shareholder of this studio. Unfortunately, he's the one who has the right to decide what goes into production, and God only knows why. He considers any kind of lingerie other than those plain bras to be vulgar,” Layla explained to her. “That department hasn't gotten a good contract in years, but there's a runway show coming up for distributors and I want you to design something fantastic to show them”.

Valeria wrinkled her brow with suspicion.

“I'm sorry, but I don't understand...”

“Of course you don't understand!” Layla said with a sigh. “You don't understand because you don't know my son. He runs this company beautifully, but he's mentally constipated when it comes to women who are... just like me.” She laughed flirtatiously. “The thing is that there are very good designers in this company, but they all end up deferring to him. They all end up making the bland and boring designs he commands”.

Valeria sighed.

“And you want... what?”

“I, my dear, need someone with your character, someone who won't let herself be stomped on, who will fight for her ideas! Here's what I propose,” she leaned forward on the table with a smile, “I'm going to hire you on a three-month probationary basis as a junior designer. You'll have a good salary, benefits, insurance, everything you need to work at ease. And in that time, you have to get my son to approve one of these sexy lingerie collections.”

“And what's in it for me?” Valeria said and raised a distrustful eyebrow.

“My son is a tyrant,” she warned her. “He's inflexible, perfectionist, and God forgive me, but he's bitter. If you manage to conquer him... if you get this…” Layla challenged her, “I'll give you a position as a permanent designer”.