Jasmine's POV

"Thank you." He'd said to me.

Have you ever had that feeling where you feel like you're back in high school and your dreams were finally coming true because you were getting noticed by the popular guy, who also happens to be your crush?

Well, that was what it felt like with Mr. Hollen; but I had to be very professional with and around him now that I was going to be working even closer to him and may have to accompany him to meetings and on business trips. I didn't know how I was going to contain and control myself, but I had to. Losing my job was not an option.

I arrived at my apartment. I pushed the key into the lock and opened the door to find my mother sitting at the couch, reading one of those gossip magazines.

"Hi Mom," I greeted, shutting the door behind me and taking my handbag off my shoulder.

"Hi Jassy, how was your day?"

"It was great. My boss is promoting me to be his Personal Assistant. I'm starting on Monday. Someone else will take over my previous position," I explained with some excitement in my voice.

"That's great. Congrats."

"Thanks Mom. Is Zenia home from school yet?"

Zenia was my younger sister and my best friend. She attended a community college since I couldn't afford to put her through an Ivy League college and still pay the bills and put groceries on the table and take care of Mom. It wasn't a burden to me, but, at times, we did not have enough, especially when Mom's lungs started acting up. I was still paying the medical bills from the last treatments.

I went to my bedroom and sat down on the bed, exhausted and hungry. I had walked all the way home from work to budget on cab fare; however, I was so grateful Hollen Tower was approximately one mile away from my home.

I changed from my work attire and went to the kitchen to get dinner started. I was going to make lasagna, potato salad, green vegetables, and rice with red beans in it.

______________

"Hi Mommy."

I heard Zenia's voice greet our mother when she walked through the front door.

"Hey baby. How was school?"

"It was all good. I have an assignment I need to complete. Is Jassy home yet?"

"In here!" I called to her.

"Hi sis," she said to me as she came up and hugged me from behind. "What you're cooking already smells delicious. I'll get changed and come back to help you."

"Don't you have an assignment to do?"

"Yeah, but I already completed most of it between classes. I took your advice."

"Always advance when you can," we said together with a laugh.

Zenia was twenty years old, four years younger than me. It was easy to tell that we were sisters because she looked like me.copy right hot novel pub