“Nicely done little tigress,” Tate teased fluffing her hair. “How’d you know about her and Gary? And really,Gary?”
“Yeah let’s just say I heard them on my way out here. She was telling him to say her name, but he kept saying ‘Sarah...Sarah…Sarah’. It was hilarious and disgusting all at the same time.”
“Well, I’d say you’ve just made the Queen Bee mad as hell.”
“Who cares, after all if I’m a tigress wouldn’t I simply squash her?” she teased taking her bag and heading to her car, parked directly in front of the quad where they were eating.
“Have fun Mel!” Tate shouted.
“Always do,” she said with a wave as she drove off a huge smile on her face.
Chapter 3
Jordan came out of his office as Mel gathered her things for the evening. She’d been working with him for two weeks and though the first time payday had rolled around it’d been a madhouse she was happy as could be working there. “Mel, can you hold on a second?”
“Yeah, did I forget something?” she asked looking around the office. It was a little after six and she thought she’d finished everything she needed to for tonight.
“No, I wondered if you wanted to get something to eat and I can let you know about Tracks’ project.”
“Sure…anywhere in particular?”
“I think I know the perfect place. My friends and I used to hang out there when we were younger, and after an entire week of work I think we all deserve to feel younger, don’t you?”
She grinned at him wondering what he’d think if he knew the truth. “Well you are the boss.”
“That’s not what it feels like in this place anymore, not that I’m complaining. You’ve gotten me organized, cataloged, marketed, and who knows what else in two weeks.”
“What can I say I’m very resourceful.”
They took her Jeep, but he drove and she relaxed back into the seat not caring that she shouldn’t be spending more timewith him than she was. The place they pulled up to ended up being a burger joint that smelled divine. She liked eating healthily and keeping herself in shape, but her weaknesses were pizza and burgers, as long as they weren’t too greasy at least since it didn’t sit well in her stomach.
“Why aren’t you in college?” he asked once the waitress had taken their drink orders surprising her a bit with the question if he’d wanted to talk about Henry and the project.
“My grandma got sick. She’s all I have and I didn’t want someone else taking care of her. I figure one of these days I’ll get around to it but for now, I’d rather work and spend the time with her,” she said crossing her fingers under the booth to ward off any evil spirits her lies might create from heading her way. It might be a little childish but hey, it was better than risking it with the way her life had gone already. She didn’t need any more bad luck or any more bad things happening to her.
“In other words when she’s no longer here?”
“Yeah,” she said lowering her eyes to the menu hoping he’d drop it. Unfortunately, after the waitress left them again, he started back in on the topic.
“Is that a possibility of happening anytime soon?”
“I don’t know. The doctors say for now she’s holding her own, but they give her maybe another year—two at the max.”
“What’s wrong with her?” Jordan asked, concern on his face that made her feel awful for lying to him about it, and yet amazing since she barely knew him still.
“Her heart…it’s slowly giving out.”
“And your parents?”
“My father left when I was…well probably before I was really conceived, and my mom ran out on me when I was fifteen.”
“Ran out?” Jordan’s brow lifted in shock, a tinge of anger filling his eyes when she told him the truth this time.
“When I went to bed the night before my fifteenth birthday, she was there but the next morning, she was gone and so was her stuff.”
“I am so sorry that happened to you, Mel. I can’t imagine what that was like.”
“It sucked from a financial aspect but emotionally…well, she was never really around before then either. For the last…since I was seven Tate and I have celebrated my birthday together.” Mel caught herself in time before she spilt the truth of how many years it really was now. “We go to this pizza parlor and order something unheard of…some combination that should never go together and we eat it.”
