Chapter 3
“Upon looking at your application, you made a submission for our part time position, not the full-time position.”
“What?” You set your groceries down on your counter. “No, no, no. There must be some kind of mistake I definitely applied for full-time.”
You put your phone on speaker so you could search through your emails on your app.
“I thought so too after all of our conversations, but you definitely submitted for a part time position.”
“N-no there’s no way I’d make such a dumb mistake like th-“ You stopped talking as you saw the submission. Your résumé definitely said you were seeking full-time, but in your rush to find a new job you must’ve blindly applied for the part-time position.
You groaned, wiping a hand down your face. “Can’t I just- I don’t know. Can’t I just reapply for the full-time position?”
“Unfortunately, that position has already been filled.”
Shit. You put your head in your hands and groaned again. You couldn’t afford this new apartment on a part time salary. Job hunting to find a job this good was hard enough already. Now with just a part-time you would have to find another job on top of this one.
“I’m so sorry, (Y/N).” You heard him sigh over the phone. “Since it was a mistake on both our parts and I actually offered you the full-time salary you will receive that amount for the first few months of your employment, but after that you will only receive the part time salary. I’m sorry, that’s the best I can do.”
Well, that gave you a little more time to find a new job.You had enough in savings to get by for a while but not for long.
“Well, thank you Paul. I-I…I will figure something out.”
____________________________
As Miguel shut his door behind him Gabi looked at him from the couch. She was eating one of her packs of gummy snacks while watching a cartoon on the tv.
“Who was that, Papa?” She said between bites.
He looked at her and put his hands on his hips. “Our new neighbor.” He gestured at what was in her hand. “And what is that, Gabi?”
She pulled the gummies behind her back and smiled sheepishly at him. “Nothing..” He could tell she was trying not to laugh.
“It’s not nothing. You haven’t even had lunch yet, hand those over.”
She pretended to pout, but still she was just happy she was able to sneak her snacks without her dad immediately noticing. She handed him the snacks and hopped off the couch.
“Go pick out what you want to wear so we can get you changed.”
“I’m not dirty papa!”
“Gabriella..” He warned. Miguel gestured to her very obviously dirty uniform. She giggled again, giving in as she ran off to her room.
Once Gabi was out of earshot he pressed a button into the small bud nestled in his ear. “Lyla, can you get me into that phone call?”
“Uh.. yep you’re in.”
He went silent as the sounds of the last bits of your call came through. Something about issues with you not wanting to be part time. Out of context he couldn’t really tell what led to this but he could hear the disappointment in your voice at your bosses poor attempt at consoling you.
“Wow, tough break.” Lyla said once your call ended.
Shit.
There had to be some way he could help you. Lyla moved directly in front of him and gave him a quizzical look.
“Miguel,” She folded her arms. “What are you thinking?”
He didn’t respond immediately, the wheels in his head turning as he tried to think of a solution to help you.
“Just a suggestion… she did offer to babysit Gabi.”
“It’s too soon Lyla.” He turned away from her to pull the bread from the cabinet above him. “I don’t think she should meet Gabi just yet. And anyway Lyla, I thought you wouldn’t want me trying to-“
He paused trying to find the right words.
“To what? Try to control your fate? Manipulate your situation? Copy and paste the life another you had?”
He rolled his eyes as she rambled on. “Yeah, something like that.”
“Well, I figured I can’t stop you.” She shrugged. “Might as well get this plan of yours moving along now.”
He pulled the ingredients out to make Gabriella’s favorite sandwich. “I don’t have a plan Lyla.”
"Right, of course not." Lyla said sarcastically. “Well let’s see… In Gabi’s universe she was a stay a home mom. The other Miguel had the same job as you so when the two of them got married it was more than enough for the three of them.”
That would be perfect. He thought to himself. Someone to stay home with Gabi while he was out either working, being Spider-Man, or monitoring the multiverse. Wait- No, he couldn’t make that decision for her. She might want to keep working. And Gabbi liked her daycare center-
Lyla zapped herself to be directly in front of him then, snapping her digital fingers in his face. “Hey! Didn’t you just say it was too soon? You gotta a lot of bridges to cross before you can think about marrying her.”
He rolled his eyes, putting the finishing touches on Gabi’s lunch before he responded. “I’m not talking about marrying her.”
Yet.
After finishing with the ingredients he carefully sliced the sandwhich into four evenly cut squares. Gabi always liked to have her sandwhich like that for some reason. Cut into fours.
“Papa!” Gabi called out to him before running out from her room. Lyla quickly made herself disappear before Gabi came around the corner. “I can’t find my polka dots!”
Miguel followed behind her as she trotted back into her room. “I can’t remember where they are!” She dramatically gestured to her bright pink dresser.
“Ok, let’s see.” He opened the drawers to her dresser until he found that one was stuck and wouldn’t come out all the way. He peered inside the drawer and saw the pajamas in question shoved into the very back of the drawer.
“Well, here’s the problem.” He reached into the drawer and with a sharp tug pulled the pajamas out. “You gotta stop shoving your clothes in your drawer like that Gabi, I’ve told you.”
“But look! I didn’t put them on the floor this time, papa!” She smiled up at him proudly.
“Yeah, that’s right.” He ruffled her hair and then squatted down to her level to hand her the clothes. “One day I’m gonna teach you how to fold these, okay?”
She grinned and nodded. Miguel had quickly learned that she liked him teaching her things so that she could attempt to do them on her own. It usually resulted in him having to go behind her and do it over. “Probably wont be any time soon. Go get whatever toys you want ready for bath time.”
“Ok!” She said, running past him into the bathroom.
“Don’t run, Gabi!” He called, but she had already closed the door behind her.
“Hey boss, look what i found.” Lyla popped up in front of him. She showed him a open job position at Alchemax. It was a position that had been open for a while. In all honesty, the job was unnecessary. Lyla or any other AI could do most of the work that the position had. Occasionally running paperwork from office to office. Doing a few reports here and there and monitoring the guests coming in and out of the building. That was really it.
“You would see her way more…” Lyla teased.
It wasn’t a bad gig. Given the connections the job would provide it was eventually going to be way more beneficial than whatever your other job was.
“Look boss, I’ll be honest with you: there’s not a lot of options for her right now.” Lyla said pulling up the other very few places that were hiring currently. “This is probably the best bet for her right now.”
____________________________
“What are you working on now, bug?” Saff said into the phone as you took a sip of your drink. It was the two days after you’d gotten the bad news. You had been looking for jobs continuously but there was always something that about it that didn’t work for you. Either the scheduling didn’t line up or the pay wasn’t enough or it was located somewhere far from the city.
“I feel like I’ve been scrolling through these job postings nonstop. It’s like all the good jobs are taken or no ones hiring- I’m such an idiot. I can believe I made such a stupid mistake.” You groaned.
She sighed and you heard some movement on the other side of the line. “It was a simple mistake, anyone could have done it.”
Your face scrunched up when you heard even more movement from the other side of the line. “Hey! I can check with my boss and see if we have any openings if you’d like.”
The noise in the background on her side got even louder this time around. “Yeah that’d be great- Saff what in the world are you doing?”
“Oh, I’m at the gym!” She replied happily.
“At the-? Saff! You said you could talk!”
”I can, this is nothing!” She huffed loudly.
”I’m hanging up before you hurt yourself somehow talking to me.”
“What? No, no. I can talk! It’s fine, I’m just doing weights right now.”
“Weights?! Goodbye Saff.” You laughed. “Call me when you get home!”
“Bye bug! Say hi to your hot neighbor for me!”
You rolled you eyes as you ended the call. You closed your laptop, your eyes exhausted from staring at the screen all day. You then nudged your forgotten lunch to the side, too anxious to eat. With a heavy sigh you slumped forward and rested your head on your folded arms. You were in the clear for at least a while. But, if you couldn’t find another job you were going to have to find a new apartment.
A soft knock on your front door made you peek up from your position at your desk. You double checked the time, wondering who would be coming by your place this evening. It was probably Mrs. Lin. She saw you yesterday in the hall and could tell something was wrong. You made an excuse, not wanting to worry her with your problems. She, however, suggested you hadn’t been eating enough and offered to bring you something sweet. A small smile worked its way on to your face at the idea of her outside of your door with another dessert.
You peeled yourself out of your desk chair and went to let her in. ”I can’t handle another cake Mrs.L-“ You stopped when you opened the door to find Miguel standing outside your door in what looked like casual workout clothes.
”M-Miguel, hey.” You said awkwardly. “Sorry, I thought you were Mrs. Lin.” You laughed awkwardly.
“Is she making desserts for you too? I had to tell her Gabi had a sugar allergy to get her to stop.”
“Did she believe you?”
”Now that you mention it, I’m pretty sure she’s sneaking them to Gabi behind my back, somehow.”
That warmed your heart. The woman couldn’t help but want to take care of anyone she met. “That’s sweet.”
”Yeah, until you see Gabi on one of her sugar rushes.” He joked, folding his arms. “But anyway, I was coming by because I just ran my trash out to the bins. If you had anything that needed to go out I can run it down for you, if you’d like.”
You took a second to compose yourself before you registered what he’d said.“Oh. Oh wow, thank you. But, I took mine down last night. I couldn’t sleep.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. Is everything alright?” He leaned against the wall behind him.
“It’s a long story.” You gave a half laugh at that.
”I have time.”
Your eyes widened. Did he really want to hear about your problems? It seemed like it. He staring directly at you, waiting for you to speak. You looked up and down the hallway. Talking about it out here in the hall could be a bit awkward.
“Ok, um did you want to come in?”
He turned around briefly to look back into his own apartment.
“Oh! Shoot! Sorry- you have a daughter- you’re busy-“
“No, no, it’s ok. She just had her dinner and that cartoon she’s obsessed with is on. Plus she’s right across the hall.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah.” He stepped further into the hall, closing his door behind him. He looked at his watch for the briefest of moments and Lyla queued up a live feed of Gabi on the couch. He couldn’t lose sight of her if he tried.
You pulled the door open wider and he stepped through, stopping once he was inside to look around. You leaned back against the door as you closed it, watching him. He was so much taller than you. His broad shoulders and frame took up so much space as he walked over to your kitchen island.
“Wow, I didn’t know these units could look so nice.”
“Thanks. I still have to clear out all those empty boxes but I’m pretty much all moved in.” You gestured around the room.
Your apartment felt like a home. Before he had Gabriella he was hardly ever home. Between his job at Alchemax and being Spider-Man there was a time where he didn’t even use his apartment. Once he was able to bring Gabi back, he’d tried to add some things to make it feel more comfortable for her. But, that had just turned into him buying her whatever toys she wanted and the apartment being littered with dolls, toys, and stuffed animals. It still felt cold, it didn’t have the warmth that yours had. He turned to face you.
“So, does this have anything to do with what happened on Saturday?”
“Hmm?”
“Your boss?”
“Oh, that…” You remembered the encounter the two of you had in the hall that day. “Yeah, it does actually.”
He took a seat on the stool on the other side of your counter. ”Ok, I’m all ears.”
You sighed and ran through the situation with him. Of course, unbeknownst to you, Miguel was already fully aware of all of this, but he let you explain it in full detail anyway. It seemed to provide you a bit a relief to release the stress that had been building inside you these past few days.
”And so now I’ve been job hunting again but it seems like there’s no one hiring right now-”
“Do you have any front desk experience?” He blurted out.
“Huh?”
”Any kind of reception, or office manager type expierience?”
”Um, some. What- wait why?”
“We actually have an opening at Alchemax that we’ve been trying to fill for a while.” He started. “It’s not that exciting, but since it’s Alchemax and it’s such high security the pay is probably better than some other shitty part time.”
“Wait- you said we. Do you work at Alchemax?” He nodded and your eyes widened in surprise. “That huge building downtown?”
He huffed out a laugh. “Yeah, I’m the head of genetics there.”
“Holy shit.” The words slipped out and you immediately covered your mouth. “Sorry! It’s just so unexpected. I mean you seem so chill- Alchemax is such a big deal. You just- you don’t really give off the Alchemax-y kinda vibe.”
He grinned at that. “And what kind of vibe would that be?”
”I don’t know,” You shrugged “I used to pass by that building all the time. Never really saw anyone coming in or out. It always seemed so serious and kinda scary, I guess.”
“Oh, so do I seem scary?”
“Eh, maybe a little.” You joked.
He gave a sarcastic laugh at that. “Yeah, yeah ok. Well, it’s not that bad. Worse thing about it is you’re gonna be bored out of your mind half the time.”
You chuckled in response, “Well, when you put it like that it doesn’t sound half bad.”
“So what do you think? You interested?”
In you? Definitely.
”I don’t know, Alchemax is a bit…intimidating.”
“Look, I promise it’s not as scary as it seems.” He reached across the counter and placed his hand over yours, making you look up at him. “And you’ll have me as a guide. Help you get started and everything.
“…ok.” You smiled at him, reveling in the warmth of his touch. ”Yeah, sure. Why not?”
”Alright.” He said, satisfied, trying to hide the small grin that was starting to form. He pulled his hand away to take out his phone and start tapping away on it. “I will inform the department head to get everything started.”
”Oh, ok.”
“You should probably give me your email. That way i can send you all the details on the position and get your application in.”
“Oh yeah, of course.” You went to one of your drawers and scribbled out your email on a random sheet of paper you found. “Here you go.” You said handing it off to him.
“Perfect. And, why don’t you give me your number as well?” He said and your heart skipped a beat. “Just for anything else.” It felt flirtatious but he’d said it so casually. Your face grew warm and your heart skipped a beat.
Calm down. Guys have asked for your number before. Not guys as hot as him, but still. He was looking right into your eyes, waiting for your response. He felt so close you had to take a small step back so you could breathe properly.
“Y-yeah, absolutely.” You went to grab your phone when he quickly handed his to you first. You quickly put in your name and number under a new contact and handed it back to him.
Once he had it back in hand he quickly typed something and your phone dinged in your back pocket. You looked at the screen and saw a text from an unknown number.
It’s Miguel.
You grinned and added updated the unknown contact. You quickly typed a short response back:
It’s Y/N :P
Miguel looked down at his phone when it vibrated in his hand. He tapped on the screen, opening up the text you’d just sent. He smiled and typed away adding your number to his contacts as well.
“Well, I should probably check on Gabi,” He stood from the stool, not wanting to overstay his welcome. He had accomplished what he’d come here for. He didn’t want to push it any further.
”Yeah, of course.” You walked with him through the entryway of your apartment. ”Thanks for letting me vent, by the way. And for helping me with my job search.”
“Any time.” He said. “And now you have my number so seriously, any time.”
Your eyes snapped to his. Was he flirting? You really hoped he was flirting. You also didn’t want to misread his words as something that they weren’t. “Well ok, but don’t be upset when i take you up on that offer.”
”I look forward to it.” He put his hands in his pockets as he stepped into the hall. “So, what are your plans for the rest of the night?”
”You mean after I submit this application to one of the biggest companies in Nueva York? Probably nothing. Try to relax.” You gave a relieved sigh. “Mrs. Lin thinks I haven’t been eating so I guess i could try to finally finish my lunch.”
You gestured behind you to the uneaten plate of food on your desk.
He peered over your shoulder to look at your plate, and a small smirk spread across his face. There on the plate was a sandwich that had been perfectly cut into four different squares. Just the way Gabi liked.
She must’ve gotten it from her mom.