I owed Harriet so much. I can't comprehend why someone would be so helpful to a stranger without any compensation. I tried my best to think of ways to repay her. My best solution was to find my way home and then to use my power to bring Harriet back to live with me in the palace. She was smart, funny, kind, and always busy. I could only imagine how much she could benefit from a royal patron like my father. But that plan was about six hundred steps away. I needed to focus on the moment. And at this moment, I had no power or money.

Harriet found me a job at a restaurant called Cielito Lindo. I used Google to learn that it was the name of "Lovely sweet one" and was from a Mexican folk song. Harriet had explained to me that Mexico shares a border with California, so many people in California have mixed with those from Mexico. She assured me that the restaurant where I was working was a popular place for people to eat authentic Mexican food. I didn't know what Mexican food was, but when I Googled pictures on my phone, it looked amazing. I felt completely unprepared for my job as I got dressed for my first day. 

I was supposed to wear a white button-up shirt and black pants. Harriet took me shopping to get two pairs of pants and three shirts. The experience of shopping in Los Angeles was completely different from what I had back home. No one came out to greet you, take your size, or anything. Instead, clothes were premade in sizes, and then you picked out your size and brought it to the cash register up front for purchase. We spent time trying on different sizes of pants and shirts until we found my size. Harriet also got some clothes for herself since she could tell that I was uncomfortable with being the only one trying on clothes. We both left the store with multiple bags. I was trying my best to be frugal with the money in my bank account, but if I needed this for a job to earn more money, it seemed like a worthwhile investment. I had never been in charge of managing my money before. I had always just had endless access to whatever I wanted. 

I walked to my job because it was only a few blocks from the women's shelter. It had been one of the reasons why Harriet wanted me to work there. I went in a few minutes early. I had never worked for money, but I wanted to make a good impression. I was worried that I was not qualified to do this job. But I got it through Harriet, so I was going to do my best to make her proud. A short, brown haired, brown eyed woman came up front. Her hair was in a bun. She had a nametag that said, "Alicia." She looked older than I. She made eye contact with me and immediately clicked her tongue. She shook her head and asked, "Olivia?" I stood up awkwardly and said, "That's me!" She circled me once and folded her arms. She took something off her wrist. She handed it to me. "There's NO way you can work with your hair down like that. You need to use this to pull your hair back into either a bun or a ponytail. We don't want your hair ending up in someone's food. You also don't have non-slip shoes. It's necessary to keep you safe when you are walking around. You will have to move to different parts of the restaurant as a waitress, and some of them can get very messy. You need non-slip shoes so you don't fall on your ass. And your face... Well, people respond better when their server has put some effort into her makeup."

I am completely taken aback. I immediately feel inferior. My face drops, and I look down at my shoes. I don't even know what non-slip shoes look like. Alicia takes one more second and then exhales. "Let me help you with your hair." She then pulled my hair back into a tight bun. She looks at my shoes again. "What size are your feet? Six?" I nod. She smirks, "It's the same as Maribel. She leaves hers here in the back. She hates wearing them in or out. So let's go grab hers for today, and you can order yours. Sorry. I can be a bitch. I was just being honest about the makeup thing. Guys, give you more tips if you wear some, but.." She looks me up and down again. She laughs, "You are pretty enough without it."

Alicia is the person in charge of training me at work. I stand up and follow her to the back. Once we get the shoes on, Alicia starts training me on the job. She explains everything she does before she does it. She explains why she does everything the way she does it. She talks a lot. She also talks with the chefs. When she talks to the chefs, she is speaking Spanish. I don't know what she is saying, but it is very animated, and they laugh when she finishes telling them something.  She introduces me to people as we go. We talk to so many employees, chefs, hostesses, busboys, and dishwashers. And finally, about three hours in, a manager comes out to greet me. His name is Diego. He shakes my hand and asks if I have any questions. He tells me I need to take the menu home with me to study it.  I nod in agreement. I thought being a waitress was a simple job, but it is not. There is so much that goes into it that I start to feel overwhelmed. At the end of the shift, Alicia says, "Don't worry, it seems like a lot until you have done it a bunch. You will get used to it in time." The manager then comes and hands me my schedule for the next two weeks. He asks if I have any problems with it, I look it over and shake my head no. I still feel uncomfortable with all this. But I also felt this huge sense of relief that I made it through my first day at a job. I had never done something like this growing up. The idea of working for a paycheck excited me.

 

I was getting ready to go to the shelter when another employee came up to the front with me. He stuck his hand out and said, "Olivia, did you want me to walk you back to your place?" I instantly flashed to Nolan. This guy's assurance reminded me of Nolan. I got sick to my stomach. "I am fine." Before he could say another thing, I ran out the door and started my walk home. I check my phone as I am walking home. I got a text from someone while I was working. The only person I know in Los Angeles is Harriet. The text wasn't from her. It was from someone labeled in Olivia's phone, "She devil," and it said, "It's been weeks since I heard from you. Are you dead? If you are, I want Gigi's ring." I closed the phone and didn't reply. Today has been a big range of emotions with my new job. I remind myself to ask Harriet about where to get non-slip shoes.