“No! It’s nothing like that.”
“Then what is it?”
“It’s a job. I have to be at HR by eight tomorrow morning so I’m staying over in William’s guest room. That’s all it is. I’ll sign the paperwork for the job in the morning, I’ll get a start date, and then I’m coming back home to get my affairs in order for the big move.”
“What big move?”
“The move to Chicago where the job is located, Tess, are you listening to me?”
“Are you listening to yourself?”
They both exhaled. Their whole conversation was emotionally draining.
But you’re okay for real?” Tess finally asked her. “Because if you’re not I can get there.”
Joy knew she couldn’t get anywhere in that broke-down van, but she appreciated her anyway. “I’m good,” she said. “No need to worry.”
Contessa let out an audible exhale. “Okay good. So you’re coming back tomorrow then?”
“Yes. I’ll get William to lend me bus fare and I’ll be back.”
“You don’t even have bus fare girl?”
“I had it when I went in to jail, but it was gone when I left.”
“They figure they can do anything to criminals. That’s why I don’t never wanna get locked up.”
“Amen to that.”
Then they small-talked about what was going on at Maylene’s a little longer, and they talked about Gramps and his growing forgetfulness, and then they ended the call. And Joy, getting tired for real now, laid back on the bed with her feet still on the floor. Waiting for William who told her he would be right back. Over an hour ago.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
It would be nearly half an hour more before William finally concluded his phone call and came back into the bedroom. But when he saw her laying there, he stood at the door momentarily. Maybe he should just leave her alone. But he knew she could be far more comfortable than that.
He placed his hands in his pockets and made his way toward the bed. There was Joynetta,Joy, fast asleep. She was a smart, practical, sensible girl. Mature for her age in some respects. Exactly her age in others. But he liked that youthful exuberance about her too that he often found irritating in other young people.
But when he stood at the edge of the bed staring down at her, he felt an odd sense of more than just liking her. Although he didn’t know her like that, he was already deeply concerned about her and about her wellbeing. He felt connected to her in a way he’d never felt connected to hardly any woman before. Nor person for that matter.
Apparently sensing a presence in the room, Joy opened her eyes. When she saw William standing there staring at her, she quickly sat back up. “I’m sorry. I must have fallen asleep.”
“I’m the one that should be apologizing. One of my clients, a legendary Hollywood director, was just snatched out of his bed by order of the FBI. He was arrested.”
“Arrested?What for?”
William wasn’t going to give out any further information and Joy wasn’t going to ask for any. But he could tell something was bothering her. “You’re worried about something.”
When she just hunched her small shoulders, he placed his hand under her chin and lifted her face up to him. “What is it, Joynetta?”
She looked up at him. “I feel bad about what happened.”
“With my client? He’s rich. He’ll be fine.”
When Joy looked confused, William smiled. “I’m joking, sweetie,” he said.
When he said those words, Joy looked even more stressed. He called hersweetie. Nobody had ever called hersweetiebefore. She didn’t know what to make of such a whimsical term of endearment.
“Now you’re really worrying me. What’s bothering you? You look quite distressed. What is it that you feel so bad about?”
