SKYE
“I can’t believeI’m doing this,” I said aloud, I wasn’t sure if I was talking to myself or Ri as I brushed my teeth in the bathroom.
“I can,” Ri said as she finished applying her cat eye mascara.
Between Rihanna, my mom, and Callie, the bathroom had been occupied since six this morning. Kurt was supposed to be there at nine to pick us up and it was ten minutes till. Nick had wanted to take us back with him the night before, but I’d told him it was too late and we’d come over in the morning. The truth was I needed time to get my head around this decision. I had to have a night to process it, aka freak the fuck out over it.
“This is stupid, right?” I asked as I spit out the toothpaste and then swished water in my mouth.
“Moving in with your smokin’ hot boss who you had smokin’ hot sex with?” Ri whispered as she locked eyes with me in the large oval mirror that hung above her pedestal sink. “Yeah, it’s downright idiotic.”
“I know, right?” I wholeheartedly agreed as I wiped my mouth.
“I was being sarcastic.”
“Oh.” I blinked at her. My flustered levels had reached a point that I hadn’t even picked up on Ri’s sarcasm.
“Look, everything’s going to be fine. Sonja even said it was fine.”
I’d texted my boss to let her know about the unusual circumstances this morning and she immediately texted back that Nick had already reached out and made her aware of the situation. After he’d teased me about signing an NDA, I’d voiced my concerns to him that I wasn’t sure what the policy for work would be about this arrangement. He’d said he would take care of it and apparently, he had. The only thing Sonja said was that she was sorry about my eviction and to let her know if I needed anything.
Even though she seemed to be on board, I knew this was inappropriate for all sorts of reasons. It would have been bad before I slept with Nick, but now it was unethical. Or at least it felt unethical.
“Just think of it as an adventure.” Ri wagged her brows.
“I hate adventures,” I reminded her as I gathered my hair up at the top of my head and tugged the elastic band from my left wrist and wound it around my hair securing it in a top bun.
“Right, okay, bad choice of words. Think of it as if you’re going to stay at a really nice Airbnb that eliminates your commute to work.”
That was exactly what Nick had said.
“The car’s here!” Callie bellowed as my phone buzzed with a text from Kurt announcing the same thing.
Nick had also tried to insist on picking us up today, but I refused and told him that we would drive because I had my car. Then this morning, when I’d gone to move my car so I didn’t get a ticket, it wouldn’t start. Jada called while I was speaking to the tow truck driver and the next thing I knew Kurt was on his way to come get us.
“Shit,” I murmured as I checked to make sure that there wasn’t any dried toothpaste on my mouth before announcing, “Okay, let’s go!”
My announcement was pointless since both my mom and Callie were already at the door with their bags. Last night, when I came back into the apartment, they’d both been ecstatic to find out that we were going to be staying at Nick’s house. My daughter’s excitement was understandable, she was a huge fan of Nick’s. My mother’s enthusiasm was a little questionable. After her flirty performance last night, I worried she was going to hit on Nick.
She probably would.
Then what?
What was I going to do then?
If she didn’t hit on him, she would probably break one of the rules, which I’d laid down after Nick left. She was not allowed to go out and come in at all hours. She couldn’t have any visitors. And she had to clean up after herself.
I’d made it clear this wouldn’t be the same consequences as her breaking a rule at home. If she decided to do that at Nick’s, there would be consequences. Callie and I would move to an Airbnb, and she would have to find another place to stay.
I hoped it wouldn’t come to that, but with Lola I just never knew. When we got to Ri’s last night, I’d looked up short term rentals. Since this was peak tourist season, there weren’t many available and the ones that were available, were not in places I would feel safe leaving Callie. Especially if Lola wasn’t there.
“How many bedrooms are there?” Callie asked as we rode down the elevator.
“I’m not sure.”
“I still can’t believe this!” she enthused.
Neither can I. I wanted to throw up. My stomach was tied in more knots than Callie’s tangled earbud wires. Callie talked nonstop on the ride down. Thankfully, Ri was responding to her because I was having a mini-panic attack.
