I spent my day walking from restaurant to restaurant, asking to drop off a resume no one was looking to accept. After twelve straight-up noes and six maybes, I gave up. Luckily, I was able to sell my car to the impound lot. Three hundred dollars was less than I could have sold it for, but it was more than I'd have otherwise.
After setting money aside for Lily's meds, I tried to give the rest to Jamie to cover the mattress and bedframe he bought for the second bedroom. He refused it, of course, so I decided the next best thing would be to use the rest on GED study materials.
It's probably best to take the classes, but I want to see how I do on my own first. Saving that much money would make a big difference. It would definitely help me get out and on my own sooner.
Sooner, but not soon. I need to find something to get me through the months it will take to pass the classes, and possibly beyond.
A long bus ride brought me to the studio where Jamie was shooting some scenes for the new season. They let me onto the set where I tuck myself in the back with the crew. I'm starting to recognize faces and learn names, but only one seems happy to see me.
He's always here. Whether I look for him or not, I know it's just a matter of time before I bump into him. I don't hate that. It's hard to hate him. It's hard to hate looking at him, too.
Not ten steps in, I see him.
Gabe is laying back on a couch, a little human about Lily's size is asleep on his chest. My curiosity makes me walk over. Just curiosity, I swear.
"Hey," I whisper to him.
He looks at me with those beautiful eyes and a smile spreads across his face. "Hey," he says back.
When I get closer, the little girl wraps her arms around his neck and turns her head to look at me. I melt.
She's cute as hell. Tiny with a huge smile like Gabe's, the same coloring, but a mess of curls pulled up into two puffs on the top of her head. She is obviously his. "This is Celia," Gabe introduces her. He moves to lift her but she wraps her arms around him tighter. He looks down at her and grins. That look of love.
My heart flutters for more than one reason, though I'm not quite sure how I feel about him having a kid.
I sit at the other end of the couch and set my bag down near my feet. My eyes can't leave the two of them. "I had no idea you were a dad," I say.
His eyebrows raise with a laugh. "She's not my kid. Just my kid sister."
"Sorry, I assumed ... That was stupid of me."
"No, that happens a lot. She was a very happy surprise." Celia scrunches her nose at him and he smiles at her.
"I get it. My little sister is six."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah. Her name is Lily." I watch his smile spread. "How old are you, Celia?"
She turns her head and hides her face against his neck. "She's five," he answers for her. "And she's usually not this shy."
"Is Celia staying with you for the summer?"
"No, she lives with me," he answers. "Or, I live with her, I guess. I'm still staying at my parents' until I can find my own place." His eyes drop from mine as if he said something embarrassing.
"It's impossible to find an affordable place here. I'm nowhere close to moving out of Jamie's, but that's the goal." At least, I think it is.
"Definitely. I've been considering moving away. Or maybe going back to school."
YOU ARE READING
The Professional Lover III (18+)
General Fiction"What can I say? People like to watch. If they're willing to pay, why not let them?" . . . Margeaux is a bad girl with good girl intentions. All she wants is a steady home with whatever family she has left. With no GED, no credit, and no bed to slee...
