“Coming from a third-rate, boiler-room broker, you wound me terribly. Now get out.”
James did seem to be enjoying himself, but I couldn’t draw an easy breath until Gordie, dwarfed by Hector and Rodney flanking him, walked out of the club. Drained, I swayed a bit and found myself held against Aaron’s broad chest. All I wanted to do was close my eyes and sleep.
“Okay, Frankie. Time to go home.”
“You’re very bossy tonight, James,” I murmured.
“I’m ignoring that because of how tired you are. Tomorrow, please come in a little early. I have something I’d like to discuss with you.”
I struggled out of Aaron’s arms.
“Am I being fired? I’m—”
“Frankie,” James said, more sharply than I’d ever heard him. “Go home. I think you know me better than that. I told Hector to go to the dressing room and pick up your stuff.”
Holding my bag, Hector approached us. “Here you go. I got everything off your table. And here’s your sweatshirt.”
He handed it to me, and I slipped it over my head, yawning. I had no energy to fight any longer.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, James.”
With Aaron holding me around the waist, we walked out of the club. Not until we were in the car and driving down the West Side highway did Aaron speak.
“All I gotta say is I don’t understand why you didn’t say nothin’ about this when it happened.”
The traffic whizzed by, and I huddled in the corner of the car. “’Cause I’m an adult and should be able to handle this shit on my own. Because I didn’t think I’d ever see him again. I was wrong. I got so excited about the stocks and investing…” That sounded so lame, and I nibbled at my cuticle. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’ta kept it from you. I was wrong.”
Aaron said nothing, and uneasy over his silence, I sneaked a glance at him. His jaw worked back and forth, and his hands gripped the steering wheel tight. For a moment—a guilty moment—I wondered if he’d revert back to his old ways and start yelling at me. We slowed to a light, and finally he met my eyes, took his hand off the wheel, and held it out to me.
“I’m sorry that happened to you, but you can’t do shit like that. It’s too easy for you to get into trouble. Please don’t keep things from me again.”
“I know. I didn’t think of the consequences.” Relieved, I took his hand. “There’s still so much we have to work on. We, not only you. I thought you might start yelling at me for not telling you about Gordie.”
Aaron ducked his head. “I deserve that. It hurts to hear, but it hasn’t been that long. Maybe we should call Dr. Morrell tomorrow?”
“Yeah. Look at us. Acting all adultish.”
The light turned green, and the car accelerated. “What do you think James wants to talk to you about?”
“I dunno. He’s not firing me, he said.” I went back to nibbling my fingernail. “Oh, I saw you talking to Rhoades. Did you ask him about construction jobs?”
A weary sigh escaped Aaron. “Yeah. I can’t sit around all day with nothin’ to do. He said he’d be happy to find me something.”
“But you’re not happy.”
“It’s a job. I need it. So I’ll take it.”
“I’m sorry, babe.”
“Don’t be. We all gotta do what we havta, sometimes, whether we like it or not.”
Only three months ago I was content, never questioning my choice of fashion design or dancing. Now, living with Aaron, helping him work through his own life changes, gave me the push I needed to admit, if only to myself, that I was floundering with my own personal choices.
“Yeah. We do what we have to.” Right now, I was at as much of a loss and crossroads as Aaron.
