“Hey!” I answer on the first ring. As expected, she immediately cuts me off.
“Where thehellhave you been?! Girl, I thought you died!”
“I’m not that lucky,” I joke, then realize she is really panicking.
“Jonathan said you ghosted him.”
I stop. I was missing for several days and the only thing my best friend cares about is some creepo guy from a date I clearly didn’t want to be on asking about me?
“Yeah… I don’t think Jonathan is for me,” I say, pulling the sheet out of the printer and re-reading it for errors.
“Is anyone your type?” she huffs. “Also, as hot as your boss is, it’s weird that he comes barging into your personal life. Bro needs to learn the definition of work-life balance.”
I cringe. “Yeah, about that…”
It occurs to me that this new contract is going to make my personal life hard as well. Ransome was repetitively clear that I am to remain monogamous. Which is going to be kind of difficult, since Electra is repetitively persistent about me being the opposite. The last several years of my life have been one Jonathan after another.
“Mar! Are you listening to me? I said I have another date lined up.”
“Sorry, girl. I’m busy.” I check the time and make my way to Ransome’s office, schedule and piping hot coffee in hand.
I set the schedule on his desk and grab his black mug, scowling at it momentarily as I pour the contents out of the paper cup into it.
“I didn’t even say when it is,” she argues.
“I’m busy… a lot,” I lie, somewhat unconvincingly. “I’m picking up more hours at work.”
“All you do is work!” she whines.
I feel bad. I really do. But I also can’t deal with this right now. Even though I got here early, Ransome will be arriving soon, and I need to focus.
“We can figure it out later,” I reassure her. “Love you. Gotta go.”
I hang up before she can say anything else. Knowing her, she had a lot more to say. Not that I can blame her. I have been a shitty friend lately.
I make my way over to the desk, wanting to triple check the schedule. As I do, my phone buzzes again. At first, I am sure it’s Electra and I am about to put it on silent. But then I see a text from my sister.
ELIZA: Hey sis, are you alive?
Guilt floods my chest and I juggle to text her back while still holding Ransome’s coffee mug with the other hand.
AMARA: Sorry, I lost my phone. Is everything okay?
ELIZA: Well, Dad found my debit card.The one that you sent the money to. So that’s gone.
Fuck.
AMARA: Let me guess: Hennessey?
ELIZA: Yep.
I shake my head. Bitterness pools in my stomach, but I force myself to swallow it down. We knew this might happen. It’s why we never put all of our eggs in one basket. There’s several more cards in Eliza’s possessions, all filled up by me, little by little, so that she’d have something to fall back on if our inebriated sperm donor ever got the itch to go snooping.
Which, apparently, he did.
AMARA: I’ll send more now. Do me a favor and hide your cards. Only use your phone for transactions. How is everyone else?
Eliza voice texts a rundown. She is most likely driving or at the salon, already working. Everyone is okay. She’s putting in as many hours as she can, and so is Gianni. When he’s not working, he’s puttering around the garage. Bella is dealing with all things high school. Apparently, she got a nose piercing, and may or may not be seeing the guy who did it.
