“You’ve brought me here under false pretenses. This isn’t dinner, it’s an ambush.” I stand, pushing my chair back, and it screeches along the floor. “I’m leaving.”
"So, Ms. Corrigan, you thought this was a date?" he asked, his voice laced with amusement. I glare at him, my anger flaring, then I open my purse and slap a fifty-pound note down on the table.
My emergency money.
I could really do without spending it, but this bastard isn’t going to know that. Without another word, I turn on my heel and leave.
Chapter twenty-two
Amy
If it wasn’t for Katie, I doubt I’d have a roof over my head.
Yet again, another invoice blinks on my screen. This time it’s two spin bikes and a rowing machine out of action.
My elbows press into the desk, forehead resting against clammy palms as I stare at the spreadsheet. Our monthly projected profit is zero. To be honest, we’re barely breaking even. Every disaster pushes us toward the red; it’s within touching distance. Last month, I struggled to pay Trey’s wages, and I’m not even paying Katie rent.
It can’t go on like this.
I can’t go on like this.
When Terry’s and I finally sold our apartment earlier in the year, I thought that we’d be sorted. Turns out, there was minimal equity in our home and a whole load of joint debt to pay off with the remaining profit. We walked away with a few thousand each, and mine has been swallowed by this place.
The loan Ben gave me to start, sits on the balance sheet untouched in months. He’s being nice about it, telling me not to worry, but it’s bloody embarrassing. I promised I would make Bex proud. Now, I can’t even keep the lights on. The shame sits under my skin like a bruise that won’t fade.
My office door swings open, and thoughts of my sister recede.
“Hey, Boss,” Trey says in his usual jovial manner, but it falters the second he sees me. “I’m just knocking off for the day.” He plonks himself down on the seat opposite me. “Anything I can help you with?”
I shake my head. “No, but I do need to speak to you.”
“Okay, I’m here now.” He leans forward, waiting.
“Trey,” I stammer, and my eyes fill with tears. “I think you would do best to look for new employment.”
He stands and walks around my desk, then crouches down beside me. I look away, focused on the floor. “How bad is it?”
“I probably have enough funds to cover another month, then it’s curtains.” My windpipe tightens around a truth I don’t want to admit. “I can’t keep running at a loss. I don’t even make enough to cover the rent now. Memberships are down?people have voted with their feet.Bex’s New Youis a disaster.”
I look to my friend; he’s been incredible, but even with his knowledge, we couldn’t save our gym. “Will you be able to find work?”
“Don’t you worry about me,” he says, trying to offer some support. “You’re sure there’s nothing we can do together to fix this?”
“No. I’m not even sure I want to. Everything has changed unrecognizably since we opened. My marriage has failed. I’ve lost my home. My heart has gone from it all. With new gyms opening all over the city, and them having so much more to spend than us, I’m afraid doing more would be throwing goodmoney after bad. It all looked so promising in the beginning.” I sniff, trying to control my emotions. “But I need a fresh start.”
He pulls me up and into a hug. “Hey. You’re not failing. You built something. That’s more than most people do.”
I press my face into his shoulder. The scent of disinfectant and sweat clings to his hoodie. I let out a shaky laugh, but it becomes a single sob.
“I’m here for you,” he whispers. “You’re my friend before everything else, and I’m here for you.”
His words break a dam. My shoulders tremble against him, and my body recalls the feeling of complete collapse.
This is my rock bottom. My life has no direction. My sister is gone. I’ve failed as a woman, and now I’m losing my business, my dream. I’m not sure where I’m going to go from here.
***
Katie moved to the US. Not just for a visit, for good. She's found a new love and a clean slate. I’m chasing unpaid bills. Without her shrieks of laughter, the apartment is quiet and feels hollow. It’s just me and the two little dogs padding around like shadows.
