She decided to forget about her lousy mother; she would rather work on the streets of Las Vegas and be a hooker than look for someone who wouldn't even spend a second to think about her.
She then considered finding a hire-on-the-spot job to make a quick buck, but any work she could find would only pay minimum wage. It wouldn't be enough. She needed to think fast. A job that would let her make enough money to cover her expenses to go to the audition.
"Ha, fat chance of finding that kind of job..." She mumbled then heave a heavy sigh.
Finding herself stuck at a standstill, she had no other option but to see her best friend. She hoped that her best friend would have an idea or if worse came to worst, she could give her a small loan even if it was only for the bus fare.
She wouldn't ask for too much money, only enough to get her to California, where the audition would be held.
===
The young girl set out to see her best friend, confident in the knowledge that if her best friend had any money, she would give it to her, no questions asked.
A short walk and she was already at her best friend's place.
However, when she arrived, she found her best friend arguing fiercely with her boyfriend over something. She quietly stopped at the threshold, not wanting to let them know she was there and not abruptly disturb them.
"I don't know anyone, all right?!" Her best friend angry voice resonated throughout the room. "No matter how much your friend's boss is willing to pay, I can't help you!"
"How about you? I know you can speak at least four or five languages!" The boyfriend accused, his voice barely repressed his anger.
"So, what if I can?" Leah retorted, "It doesn't mean I'm willing to do it!" Her best friend retorted.
"How about your friend, the one that's always hanging around you? She's always borrowing money; I'm sure she could use some cash right now. Why don't you ask her?" The boyfriend suggested.
"You're unbelievable! She's my friend, not yours. What she owes me is our business and has nothing to do with you. I can't believe you would even mention that!" Her best friend replied, finally breaking out into tears.
"You have no right to bring my private matters with my friend into our discussions." Her expression had then turned stiff. "You know what? I don't even need a shady boyfriend like you. I want to break up. We're done!" She then turned around, ready to leave.
"N-no! Please, please don't say that! I didn't mean anything by what I said! I'm in a bind right now, and this is an excellent opportunity. It has a big commission, plus a bonus! I need this right now!" cried the boyfriend pleadingly, eyes full of silent despair.
===
The young girl heard what her friend's boyfriend had said, and curiosity got the better of her. It was the very opportunity that she was looking for, the reason why she was there in the first place.
She hurriedly ran to them, almost tripping, before asking, "What about me?" She asked excitedly.
"What do you mean, what about you?" Her best friend hissed in protest, surprised and irritated with her best friend's sudden arrival. "I'm ready to split up with him to protect you, and now you're asking 'what about you? Are you going nuts too, along with this asshole?!"
Ignoring his furious girlfriend, the boyfriend decided to approach the young girl instead of arguing with his girlfriend. "You came at the right time. I have a job for you! It pays a hefty sum – you interested?" he asked Ann excitedly, knowing she was desperate.
"Yes! I'm interested, but first, I need to know how much this job will pay and what it's about." Just because she was desperate, it didn't mean she would let herself be scammed.
The boyfriend offered the young girl an amount that was enough to cover all the past due bills, with even enough left over for her to go to the singing competition. It was too good to be true. What a blessing!
"Deal! I will do the job, but what's the catch? What exactly do I have to do? Are you going to ask for my kidney?" The young girl asked apprehensively...
===
The boyfriend laughed out loud. The young girl with her innocent puppy eyes looking at him excitedly waiting for his explanation. "No, I'm not going to ask for your kidney, it's a translation job." He replied kindly.
The boyfriend then explained the requirements for the translation job and how she would receive her pay. If she did a good job, there would be an additional bonus added. The young girl felt a burning eagerness grow in her chest. They agreed that she would do the job the following day.
The young girl was grinning from ear to ear. She couldn't believe her luck. All of her problems would be finally solved once she had finished this job.
Yet the boyfriend still had more to say.
"Oh! Before I forget, there is a prerequisite for this job. The client is somewhat eccentric, and he has a problem with young single women... uh, well... you need to either be over forty years old or married. The client was quite adamant about those specific requirements."
Another dilemma had immediately fired back at her. The young girl couldn't age overnight, and changing her appearance wouldn't do any good. There was no way anyone would believe she was over forty.
But there was only one option left, she needed to find and pay someone to become her fake husband, which was easier said than done.
She heard that there were always people looking for easy money in Las Vegas, primarily compulsive gamblers. It should be easy to find a man willing to play along if the price was right. But where would she begin looking for one?
The young girl had begun calculating things out. 'With the amount of money offered, and after deducting the fee for this asshole… Thank God her best friend was done with him… She'll still have enough money to pay the bills and attend the audition.' She suddenly paused in the midst of her thoughts.
'But where on earth should I go to find a fake husband? I need to think quickly! This is too good of an opportunity to let go of…' After pondering for a few minutes, she asked with enthusiasm,
"What time do I need to be there?" She asked enthusiastically.