“You look distraught. Do you need help?” Nate says into the phone.
“How do you know what I look like?” I ask, and Anessa looks at me smiling, her eyes moving to the corner of the room.
It’s quiet on the line for a moment and then he speaks. “Because the bakery is lined with cameras. You know this. I’m on camera duty today.”
“You’re watchingthosecameras?” When he said he was on cameras, I thought he’d be watching people’s homes or something, not the bakery. Ridge has somebody watching the bakery at all times? That’s weird as hell. I thought they were being sarcastic or dramatic. I try to think back to all the things I’ve done while in the bakery but can’t remember anything I’ve done to make a fool of myself that one of them might relay back to him. What if they keep copies of stupid stuff like one of those video-clip shows?
“Do you guys save these videos?” Are there any of me? Do you get together with a bucket of popcorn and re-watch them for fun on Friday nights?
“That’s unimportant, babe. Tell me what’s wrong.” He doesn’t say no to reassure me they aren’t saved.
“I lost my job,” I choke out as quietly as possible, fearful if I say anything more I will cry.
Nate sighs on the other end. “That sucks, babe. But it’ll be okay.”
“I don’t see how it will be okay. How will I make rent this month, or next, or the one after? Or buy food?”
Anessa’s eyes widen behind the counter and she brings me out another cupcake, placing it next to the one I’d set down to answer the phone.
“I’ll take care of you,” Nate says.
But what he doesn’t understand is I don’t want a man to care for me. It sounds nice, but I want to make my own money, buy my own stuff, and be a grown up. Why is that a bad thing?
“I liked that job,” I lie. Janet always had that look on her face. The one that said to watch your back, but it was good pay for part-time hours.
“Listen, Josie, I understand you’re upset, but don’t worry. We’ll figure it out. Okay?” Nate sounds so sure of himself and promising that I nod even though I can’t see it. There is no easy fix to this.
I breathe deeply once, trying to calm myself and think of the Oreos, and then agree before we say quick goodbyes.
“You know what we should have done?” Katy asks, popping up from the bottom of the bakery counter where I didn’t even see her before. “Saved one of those boxes of drugs. We could have sold it on the side and made a killing.”
“Katy!” Anessa says, shaking her head at her friend.
It’s not the advice I want or need to hear, but it brings a smile to my face. I don’t know Katy well, but I know her enough that I should question whether she’s serious. I can’t imagine the medium height woman selling drugs, even if it meant paying the bills. But if anyone would, my money is on Katy.
“What? It’s the truth and if Pierce raises the rent anymore, we’ll all have to get into the drug trade to pay the bills.”
Anessa shakes her head. “Did Pierce raise the rent?”
Katy narrows her eyes at her. “No, but he threatens.”
“So sorry about the job, Josie,” Winnie says, not giving Katy any extra attention.
I take a bite out of the cupcake and sit quietly chewing for a moment. “Ugh… I don’t know what I’ll do. Nate says don’t worry about it, we’ll figured out, but I don’t know how.”
Winnie nods like she understands. “If I were you, I’d let the big guy handle it. Life always works out somehow.”
“I can’t let Nate help me out when we’ve just met and started dating.” I’m already asking him for so much. I can’t add more. My luggage cart is full. Any more baggage will topple it over.
Winnie laughs. “He’ll enjoy getting to save the day.”
“Oh.”
Annessa sighs. “I argued with Bennett for so long about whether I could handle it on my own, and it was stupid. I wish I would have let him take care of things in the beginning. Sometimes we need help in life and it doesn’t make it less or anything.”
Katy looks at her dreamily, nodding her head. “If I had a man offer to pay for all my bills, you can bet I would take him up on it. Whatever his credit card could handle.”
“I fell for Bennett so hard and fast. I swear it happened the first time I met him. It was fate.”
