The Millionaire Ghost

Moving to another city is stressful for the average person who doesn't like to move. It is even more so for Maisie who had never left her city since she was born. Okay so maybe she moved around when she was little but could not remember anymore. What she does know is that she has been in one city since forever and now she is no longer there.

And that thought is scary, scary but real for her, she had time to get used to the idea of her moving to a new city while she was in school. After all, she got accepted by the firm where she relocated to while she was still in school. She was brilliant and her employer acknowledged this.

Now if she were half as comfortable as she was brilliant, she knew that she would make a big hit but sadly she was not. Her lifeline was not in the present, her lifeline was about a sweet crazy friend whose name was Bethany (shortened Betty) and who still holds the first position on Maisie's scale of crazy people she has ever met. Betty was her closest friend, the person who had stuck with her through thick and thin. Betty even followed her to law school just so she won't be alone and that is saying something since Betty hasn't discovered her passion in life then. Imagine after graduating from law school as one of the top twenty in her class, the psycho chose to open a flower shop!

Of course, that annoyed the hell out of Betty's parents, but they loved her to the moon and back and she had a way of skirting around them and doing whatever the hell she wants without the fear of any repercussions.

Maisie wished that her friend could have followed her but that was just selfish of her; after all, Betty family have finally reached the end of their patience with Betty and the girl knew that if she opened her mouth to say that she is moving to another state just to open a flower shop, she knew that she would be disowned and her favorite aunt who always had her back could do nothing to change her parents' minds.

Maisie wishes she had a family like that, but the truth is that Betty is her family, her only family. The girl had stuck with her and shared everything with her. When her passion was to go to law school, but she could not due to insufficient funds, Betty searched the city and the environs until she got someone to sponsor Maisie in school. Betty's parents were well to do, not so much but they lived alright. Not Maisie, she was as poor as a church mouse and left the foster system at eighteen with not much with her except her clothes and shoes which she had then. And now seven years later, she is finally making a way for herself. She would soon start making money doing what she loves and the only thing wrong with the deal is that she is without her safety net, her best friend, the one person who had always had her back and will always do, Betty! She was also aware that as soon as things have calmed down with Betty's family, she will move to meet her. Staying away from Maisie is never in Betty's best interest. Betty had told Maisie a good number of times that if she is away from Maisie that she is always nervous and worried. In short, she feels like a mama bear letting go of her young.

Maisie's phone rang and without looking at the caller she picked the call. She knew that there would only be one person who was calling her, it was the same person who has been calling every forty-five minutes since her phone had been off flight mode. The same person who made Maisie feel like she had some semblance of family, the same person whom Maisie is feeling like she could strangle soon enough because of the overprotective and concerned act she got going.

Rolling her eyes, she answered her call. “Hi, mom.”

“Hello dear.” Betty replied ignoring Maisie's sarcasm. “got in okay.”

“Still in a cab but I am close to reaching my apartment.” Maisie said as Betty was silent for a little while.

“How close is close.” Betty asked.

Maisie's mouth dropped open. “you got to be kidding me.”

"I am not, I am just worried.” Betty said as Maisie heard the concern for her in her best friend's voice.

“Yes, like a mother sometimes.” Maisie said as she smiled, she knew that she would have seen Betty shudder if she was in the same place with her.

“All I want is to stay on the line with you as you check out the apartment. Your first reaction is what I am looking for so that I will have peace of mind that you are okay.”

“I am okay.” Maisie argues.

“Your definition of okay is warped and that is why I need to know if you are truly okay or not because I cannot believe you when it comes to your comfort. Also, this way is better than calling you every day and don't think that I wouldn't do it, I will do it. I close my shop today just so that I can do this.” Betty tells Maisie as she groans.

“You are a pain in my ass you know that, right?” Maisie tells her.

“I know. I also know that you won't take care of yourself unless I am there and I am worried about you, are you...” Betty stuttered.

“Drop the issue. You know that you cannot move out of there now right. Your family will disown you.” Maisie spluttered.

“Those were just idle threats. They love me too much to drive me away.” Betty laughed.

“But still...” Maisie interrupted.

“You worry too much.” Betty breathed out.

“Says the mama Bear.” Massie drawled as the two of them started laughing.

When the cab slowed to a halt, Maisie and Betty had descended to all-around gossiping, all they needed was a bottle of wine with them as it will turn into a full-blown Friday night girl meeting.

“I missed you.” Maisie tells Betty softly.

“Missed you too, now get your ass out of the cab and go check out the apartment.” Betty orders.

“Bossy.” Maisie complains but she got out anyway and moved to her apartment all the while with Betty chatting off her ears.

There was no way she could hide her initial reaction to the apartment, it was beautiful, and at such a low price. It was also dreadful because of how the last occupant left everything in a state of disarray.

Her reaction was three-letter words that almost made Betty get on the next flight. Those words were “what the heck.”

“It is not that bad.” Maisie said after she got over her first reaction and immediately try to do damage control with her friend.

“Try again. You didn't convince me and right now, I am almost on a plane heading to you.” Betty said.

“What about your family.” Maisie asked.

“They will understand, they always do.” Betty replied and Maisie could hear some shuffling in the background.

“Tell me you are joking.” Maisie pleaded.

“Well, I am not.”

" Everything is fine. I can handle it, and did you forget what will happen to me if you come to visit me.”

“I am not coming for a visit. I am staying.” Betty told her.

“Be serious.” Maisie snapped at her friend, already at the end of her limit. Her apartment was a dump and she had just two days to fix it before she had to go to work, she was wasting precious minutes trying to convince her hard-headed friend that she will be fine on her own.

“I am completely serious.” Betty replied in an equal measured tone as if it was Maisie who was trying her patience.

“Your family will hate me.” Maisie said after taking a deep breath so as not to quarrel with her friend.

“That is as much of a possibility as them disowning me which will never happen. They love you to pieces.” Betty told Maisie what she already knows.

“Please I am begging you, give me a week then I will tell you everything about me in a video call. When you see the place then, you can decide if you want to come here or not because I need help. Whatever your decision is. I wouldn't try to change your mind.”

Berry remained silent for a few seconds and Maisie knew it was not to think about the offer.

She was finding a better way to see if she will bend the situation to please herself. Betty proved her deduction right with her next statement. “If I do decide to come. I can do anything I want with your apartment.”

“Done.” Maisie agrees immediately.

“Fine.” Betty said as they said their goodbyes and hang up.

Maisie looked around her as she tried to figure out what to do first. There is no way she will allow Betty to have free reins, she would go overboard. The best way to stop her was to make her apartment splendid and that was what she planned on doing. When she was done with that task then she will meet her realtor and rain down chaos on the firm for what they put her through by lying to her.

*******

The last two days had been nothing if not hard for Maisie, she was pleased with her work on her apartment. Betty would not find anything wrong with the apartment. Now all she had to do was to arrange her stuff within the next five days. Her Realtor was a real bitch. When Maisie had brought up the condition of the house. The Realtor reminded her that she told Maisie that the apartment was a little rough around the edges so Maisie really couldn't do anything about the agency. They did warn her even though they did it in an unethical way, she knew that she couldn't blame them.

Now, Maisie spent the last half hour getting ready for her job. She did this with a smile, she was finally going to be able to say that she has gotten her dream job and she was enjoying it. She smiled as she put on her black heels, one of the few good pairs she had. With her salary for next month, she had budgeted it for food, clothes, and transport, then her next salary after that will be for her savings and other minor expenses.

With a smile at her mirror, she stepped out of her room and nearly twisted her ankle in a bid to escape the mess she saw on her front door. There was something brown right where she almost put her leg and from the smell of it, she knew that it was poop. She looked around and saw a dog grinning at her. Maisie narrowed her eyes at the door, but the dog stepped into the apartment he was standing in front of.

Marching to the apartment, Maisie tried to control her temper on the way, it wouldn't do her good if she got on the bad side of her neighbors within a week of moving in. Still, she pounded on the door and the person within took his sweet time before opening the door and when the door was flung open, she found herself staring at the chest of a man. “what.” the irritated voice asked her, and she tilted her head to look at the man with the sculpted chest and she knew without feeling her cheeks that they were red as she felt a blush rising. She had been ogling her neighbor's chest and she was not that type of girl.

“Y…yo… your dog " Maisie stammers.

“What about Axel.” the man said with that irritated tone.

“He pooped in front of my door.” Maisie said as she tried to make her voice as firm as possible.

“So, you could have cleaned it.” the douche standing in front of her said.

“Excuse me.” Maisie asked hoping that her ears heard wrong.

The man shrugged as he replied. “the time you stood banging my door. You would have cleaned it up.”

“As you can see, I am not dressed for that kind of activity. I suggest you clean it up since it is your dog.” Maisie replied frostily.

“Fine. I will.” the man said before he slammed the door close on her face.

Maisie's good mood was evaporated as she stumped into the elevator. She hoped the rest of her day was better than her meeting with the douche neighbor.

On getting to her working place. The incident of that morning was already far from her mind. What occupied the front row of her mind was how she would introduce herself. She didn't delude herself thinking that she is the best but still, she knew that she would have to prove herself useful and memorable and she plans on starting right from the beginning. With a memorable introduction.

“Hello, my name is Maisie...” Maisie started only to be cut short.

“New intern.” someone asked.

“Not really, I was offered a job here while I was still in school about six months ago.” Maisie said.

The man who asked her if she was a new intern scoffs: “one of Zachary's attempts to introduce new blood. At least, we can see what he saw in this one, she is easy on the eyes. Put her in Huggins team, let's hope he will make good use of her looks.” the man concluded as a woman who sat close to the man stood up.

“This way Maisie.” the woman said as she left the room. Maisie turned to look at the man, but the man was already focused on the documents before him, Maisie rushed after the woman and meet the woman in front of a door. She opened the door and stepped inside. “Mr. Huggins, your new team member. Try not to get the firm in trouble this time.” the woman said as if she meant the exact opposite, she turned on her heels which would look better on a runway show than a law office and left the room.

Maisie took a deep breath and looked at her new team who were looking at her in disgust and scowls. “hello, my name is Maisie Williams.”

“Nice to meet you. Miss Williams " a short pot-bellied man said not to her face but her chest.

“Err, the same to you?” Maisie said with a question visible in her tone.

The man pulled his eyes up. “Can you get some files from the secretary on the Winston case. She will direct you on your future duties.”

Maisie stood with her mouth opened in shock. They plan on using her like a secretary!