Full Name: Arlene “Arla” Rhodes
Age / Zodiac Sign: 24 / Gemini
Gender & Pronouns: Female & She/Her
Which part of NYC do they live in?: Bed-Stuy
Occupation: Secretary at Allouche Gallery
1) Aaand action! Tell me your favorite movie quote. A movie quote that defines you, a movie quote that sings to your very soul, possibly stomach — or maybe it’s just a really great ice breaker at one of those stuffy work parties.
At the question, Arla smiled wryly. This was her favourite moment, the one when eyes turned and she held the room’s attention in the palm of her hand. She savoured it, humming as she considered. In her seat, her spine straightened— preparing for a performance that had been honed from a steady diet of matinee’s and soap operas. Like cornstarch being stirred into a pot, the air thickened and with a manufactured accent, she began:
“People looked at me differently and they knew I was with somebody. At thirteen, I was making more money than most of the grown-ups in the neighbourhood. I mean, I had more money than I could spend. I had it all.”
She paused, leaning forward to capture the last of it. It wasn’t as though the Goodfella’s was formative for her, it was just something that everyone had already seen. If you wanted the crowd to hoot and holler, you didn’t mess around with indie movies— you picked something that packed a punch.
“One day the kids from the neighbourhood carried my mother’s groceries all the way home. You know why? It was out of respect.”
2) It’s two in the afternoon on a Saturday, a bright and sunshiny day (Carpe diem and all that jazz). What are you doing?
It was a strange thing for a tinder date to ask, but Arla swirled her wine around, pretending that it was something other than the twelve dollar bottle that it was. Her eyes closed and she tipped her features up to catch the last rays of the setting July sun.
“I’m probably at home still. Saturday’s a prime day, almost everyone’s off work and that means pooling the money from the drinks jar and going out for mojitos we can’t afford.” Her smile spot across her face, as soft as an afterthought; she preferred reflection over peering across the table at the man who was paying for their subpar gnocchi.
“There’s music playing from someone’s phone, because no one thought to charge up their portable speakers and I’m trying to do the best eyeliner look of my life without slipping and becoming Amy Winehouse. Two’s still kind of early, but when you’ve got nothing else to do, getting ready can take you all the way to evening.”
3) You might truly be the biggest pile of your neighbor Gladys’s obnoxious Pomeranian’s shit, but there’s bound to be something about you that isn’t horrible. Tell us one thing about you that people like, and one that leaves them rolling their eyes or running for cover.
Tapping the ash from her cigarette, Arla canted her head and drew her brows together. “First of all, there’s nothing terrible about me.” The facade lasted only a moment before she shook out her hair, plucking out the alligator clip that kept her mussed curls from tumbling down to her shoulders. “I’m kidding.” She took a leisurely drag, letting smoke halo her before speaking. “I think people like that I’m willing to make things happen. I’ve got that Arla Rhodes magic.” Her ego felt bloated, but instead of stopping, she popped a hand onto her hip. “I’ll do whatever I’ve got to do to pay rent, I’d step in front of the L Train to save a life.” The second half of the question made her consider further, “I guess people don’t like that I lack stability. I don’t have a plan, I’m just trying to live my dream.” Grey eyes glanced down at the tops of her sneakers. “Whatever it is.”
4) If you weren’t doing your job, what would you be doing?
“Sitting here, talking to you.” Her laugh was the easy kind, it came freely. Long legs stretched out from her perch on the stoop and the bottoms of her shoes came flush to the asphalt. “I don’t know, I guess I’d find a place somewhere else in Manhattan.” A finger lifted and she tapped at her lower lip, “You know, I’ve always wanted to be a florist. Isn’t that every little girl’s dream? Scoop ice-cream or sell flowers to people in love. I listened to a podcast episode about it once, I think it was on Modern Love.”
5) Finally, and exhale a big, deep Sacred Sounds (we’re not sponsored, I promise) breath because these are painful, I know… but final question. What is it about New York City that you love the most?
“I love that New York gives you the opportunity to be someone new every day.” Arla didn’t even hesitate, launching into an argument that she’d tossed at out of towner’s every weekend. “I can wake up and be Arla who works at Allouche, but at three, I can be Arlene from Hewlett Bay Park. Or I can be Arlie who pets the cats at the bodega down the street.” She grinned, “I can be anything and anyone I want to be. New York invented reinvention.”
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