The Bet
“Wait. Where is MG?” Lizzie asked and Josie grunted.
“He got dumped.” Josie answered from her computer and then looked at Lizzie with a sad face.
“Again?” Lizzie asked sighing and Josie nodded.
“Again.” Jo said. Lizzie and MG had been working together for almost five years. They worked for the Composure, the bigger magazine in the country. Josie used to be a teacher but a couple of years ago when she finished her master’s in child development, she started to work writing articles about learning and teaching and how to help children with learning difficulties. She had Lizzie to thank for the super well paid job, you’re welcome. MG was their best friend. He was the nicest guy someone could ever meet but he had trouble making his relationships last. He worked writing little funny political cartoons that mocked the world’s multiple problems. Lizzie loved his ideas and works. As for what Lizzie did at the magazine… that was a pain in the ass. She had worked her ass off getting through undergrad and grad school to finally earn a little piece of paper that would presumably give her an advantage but in the end she was stuck with writing futile articles for the magazine. But this year would be her year. She had made a career plan and after five years of work, this year, her boss would finally let her choose which department of the magazine she wanted to write for. Lizzie just needed a last big hit on the “How To” column she was responsible and then freedom to choose her topics for the rest of her life.
“Meeting in ten.” She heard someone saying. Shit. MG would lose the meeting.
“I’ll go pick him up.” Lizzie informed her sister. Josie smiled encouragingly.
Lizzie wasn’t good at picking up broken heart pieces but over the five years she had known MG, he had been broken hearted so many times that Lizzie had gotten used to it. When she arrived at his apartment and he opened the door, Lizzie grimaced. Heartbreak was a bitch. That was why Lizzie didn't do love.
“Hey.” She said and he sighed.
“Kym broke up with me.” He blurted out and Lizzie half expected him to begin crying. Gladly, he didn’t.
“Her loss. Now go dress something nice…” Lizzie said frowning at his pajamas. “preferably without an unknown stain.” She pointed at the yellow stain on his shirt. “The madam just called a meeting.” Lizzie informed him and he nodded. Lizzie got in and waited for him to finish. After leaving his apartment, he covered his eyes when the sunlight hit him. Today was Monday and Lizzie wondered if he had been locked inside his apartment for the last three days. He probably had.
“I just don’t know what I did wrong this time. Everything was so nice.” He said as they walked. Lizzie had a thing or two to say about what he had done wrong but she was more interested in lifting her friend up and not throwing the last hand-full of dirt on his grave.
“You are a wonderful and amazing guy. You just come off a little too…” Lizzie thought about a way of saying it without hurting him. She wouldn’t care about saying shit to any person but MG was the softest human being Lizzie had ever met and she didn’t feel like breaking his heart. The girls he dated did that quite often already, she thought wickedly and mentally slapped her own face for being so mean. “… a little too emotional.” Lizzie settled for something light.
“But I waited to tell her that I loved her this time.” MG argued as the took the elevator. Lizzie thought about asking how much time but she gave up when she remembered that he had only met Kym for a week and no amount of time he had waited in this short lived relationship would have been enough.
“I’m happy you two decided to join us.” The madam, like she liked to be called, said when they entered the meeting room three minutes late.
“I’m sorry.” MG said and he sat and the meeting started. Their boss started asking about how the articles for the next print were going. 11 days till the printing of next month’s magazine; people should start to work late and stop eating to get it done on time. Lizzie rolled her eyes at the ass-eaters that had their articles already finished. When her boss called MG, he started to stutter.
“I- I don’t-” He started and then Lizzie saved him of the embarrassment.
“MG just broke up with someone. He'll still start his..” Lizzie explained to their boss and as the emotion eater that she was, her eyes turned sad and she took MG’s hand.
“Oh, I’m so sorry to hear it. Everybody, tell MG he’s the best.” She said and every single person inside the meeting room told MG he was great and hot and amazing and that he would find his soulmate. He sniffed and thanked them. “You know what you should do with all this break-up energy? Turn it into work. Write something.” She said and he shook his head.
“I couldn’t possibly write about my personal life.” He answered and their boss nodded agreeing with him.
“You’re right.” She said and then looked at the rest of the people. “Who wants to write about MG’s personal life?” She asked and Alyssa, Lizzie’s ex hook up and a no-rules girl, raised her hand.
“I can write it.” She said and Lizzie knew she would write something super sensationalist that would make MG be the villain of the story. Alyssa was like that and she enjoyed way too much her gossip column. Lizzie rolled her eyes and raised her own hand.
“I’ll do it.” She said and both MG and Jo looked at her with betrayal and surprise on their eyes. Lizzie mouthed a half-assed apology. “I’ll do it. Look at MG… He’s the greatest guy someone will ever meet, he’s sweet…” Lizzie left out the too sweet part. “and he’s caring and supportive…” she also left out how annoyingly clingy he was. “Anyone would be happy to be his someone special but why doesn’t he get to make any of his relationships last long? There are things that people do that make other people feel pushed away.” She said and MG smiled that she was actually thinking about helping him.
“I like where this is going.” Their boss said and Lizzie nodded. Lizzie opened her mouth to finish her idea. She was about to propose to write an article about how people should just not be annoying asses in a way that wouldn’t feel like she was calling people out when her boss clapped her hands happy. “HOW TO LOSE SOMEONE IN TEN DAYS.” She grinned happy with herself. “That’s it. You date someone and make all the mistakes people do in the beginning of relationships… be too jealous, clingy, needy or too secretive… and at the end of ten days you write me the article. This is your big shot, Saltzman.” She said and Lizzie wanted to argue, to scream and say that no, she wasn’t interested in dating someone for ten days but then she heard the words big shot. She knew what that meant…
“This means that…” Lizzie started.
“Yes, make this a success and I’ll let you choose what themes you want to write from now on.” She said and Lizzie almost jumped and danced around. She noticed that both Jo and MG were smiling proudly at her.
“It will be a success.” Lizzie promised. After they left the meeting, Lizzie snickered at her sister and friend. “My shot.”
“Yes, there you go, Lizzie.” Josie said hugging her tightly.
“So now we just choose someone for you to date?” MG asked smiling and Lizzie nodded.
“Yes. Let’s hit the bar. I have to find a prey.”
Hope was late. She looked around for a place to park her motorcycle. When she found it, she parked it fast and jumped out. She ran to the building bumping into Penelope on her way in.
“Ouch. If you wanna hit on me, do it with words, Mikaelson.” Penelope said smirking and Hope rolled her eyes.
“Boss?” Hope asked.
“Left already.” She said and Hope cursed. She had lost him.
“Fuck.” Hope said.
“Fortunately for you, I’m your one and only savior.” Penelope said smirking. “I made him lose his plane. He’ll only board tomorrow morning.”
“Oh, Penelope, I love you so much.” Hope said hugging her friend.
“I’m getting jealous. I want a hug too.” Hope heard Maya saying from behind her. Hope rolled her eyes.
“Save my ass just like Penelope just did and we’ll talk about hugs.” Hope said making Maya snort.
“Are you really going to try it?” Maya asked when they went to Hope’s office.
“Of course I will.” Hope answered starting to change her clothes. “This book is set to be the number one under the topic of relationships next year, if I get to illustrate it, I’ll finally get my spot in literary illustration and I can stop making doodles for beer companies and airlines.” Hope answered. Her dream had always been to draw pictures of books. When she was little, she would go through books marveling at how beautiful the pictures were. Now she was one step away from finally making her dream come true.
“He’s almost giving it to Annie and Carl from downstairs.” Penelope pointed out.
“I just have to convince him that I’ll make it better.” Hope explained. After she had changed into a more professional clothe, she turned to her friends. “How do I look?” She asked and both Penelope and Maya looked her up and down.
“Hot.” Penelope said at the same time Maya answered. “Ready to kill.”
Hope made a half curtsy to them. “Now let’s go. Where is he?” Hope asked as they went downstairs.
“Indulging himself in drinking at the bar.” Penelope said rolling her eyes. “No one mention that I’m the responsible for him losing his plane. He thinks that his ex-wife made him lose it our of spite.” Penelope said making them laugh. The bar was just across the street and when they entered it, Hope got annoyed at the amount of people in there. When she spotted him, they went to his table. Penelope was the lawyer of the company and Hope’s boss always listened to her opinions and Maya, a software developer that worked in the company for as much time as Hope had, compiled Hope’s six years of success at the company and how much money she had gotten in since she has joined it. Hope was good, so a lot. When he saw them, he grunted.
“A man can’t enjoy a drink alone anymore.” He said as they sat on his table.
“You know why I’m here.” Hope said and he nodded sighing.
“You want to illustrate the book.” He guessed correctly and Hope smirked.
“So why are you avoiding the inevitable? I’m the best you got.” Hope said and Maya nodded.
“Look at this chart I made with Hope’s achievements compared to our others graphic designers and illustrators over the past six years.” Maya said giving him the binder.
“Hope’s also the investors' favorite which is great for the company.” Penelope added. He still wasn’t sure, Hope noticed.
“I don’t know, Mikaelson. The question is not whether or not you’re good, we all know you are…” He started.
“So what’s the question?” Hope asked.
“Are you able to do it?” He said and Hope frowned. That didn’t make any sense. “You’re our best artist and you’re also very versatile. You can draw, you can paint, you can sculpt. I would definitely give you the spot. But this is the first time I’m responsible for a huge book publishing like this and I don’t know if you have the sensibility required to bring love to life.” He explained.
“What do you mean?” Hope asked infuriated.
“The book is about an emotional and artistic approach to love and the writer needs someone that can transmit it through the art. Have you ever been in love at least?” He asked and it was such a personal and annoying question that Hope decided to deflect.
“How does that have anything to do with my ability as an artist?” Hope asked.
“Not much, I know you would draw it better than anyone else. I just don’t know if you would make people fall in love with it.” He said.
“Hope can make everything compelling.” Maya said passionately.
“She could make anyone fall in love with her or her work. She’s just that good.” Penelope voted for her.
“Is that right?” He asked and Hope nodded.
“Of course I can. I can make anyone fall in love in whatever context.” She agreed with Penelope and Maya. The three of them watched as he looked around thinking about it. Hope knew the exact moment he reached the verdict.
“Okay, then. Do it.” He said and Hope tilted her head. He explained. “Make someone fall in love with you. In ten days we’ll have the announcement party and if you bring as date someone in love with you, I’ll give it too you.” He said and Hope smiled broadly. “Not that fast. To make sure you won’t cheat, we’ll choose someone here and now. Look around. One of these people will have to be in love with you in ten days.” He said pointing around and Hope gulped. She didn’t doubt herself but to just choose someone like this and make them fall in love? “What do you prefer? Men or women?” He asked casually as he watched the whole space like a radar. Hope looked around too.
“Both.” Maya and Penelope said also looking around with their eagle eyes.
“There.” Her boss said pointing at someone. Hope followed his fingers to the most beautiful girl she had ever seen. “The tall blonde that refused the last five people hitting on her. The pretty ones are always hard but since you're so confident...” He said smirking and Hope rolled her eyes.
“I have to know if she’s into women first.” Hope said and Maya smirked looking the blonde up and down.
“Look at her. She definitely is.” Maya said and Hope nodded.
“I make her fall in love and the book is mine.” She said and her boss smiled.
“Easy like that.” He said. Hope smiled and stood up.
“Watch me.” She said walking to the woman. When the blonde turned to her and slowly looked Hope up and down like she was a prize she had been waiting her whole life, Hope smirked. The promotion was already hers.