Page 9 of The Bluffing Game

“I’ve just always wanted a dog.” Her voice is wistful, and she looks back out the window.

It’s then that I notice the blonde walking a chocolate Lab down the street. She’s wearing a pair of short shorts and a sports bra, and she’s bobbing her head to whatever music is pumping through her earbuds. The lady has zero cares in the world, and the dog looks like he’s living his best life as well.

“And one day, you shall have one, I promise.”

“I think we should get jobs.” She offers me an apologetic look, like she doesn’t want to remind me that the job offer I’d originally been offered had been rescinded just a few days previously.

I’m about to ask what brought this on when I realize we’re approaching the apartment complex where we’re staying. My heart sinks as I notice the knocked-over trash cans, unkempt grass, and decaying building. The building is a gray eyesore, and I’m stunned that the inhabitants of Santa Capinari are okay with this building sharing the same soil as their zip code.

“Oh, shit,” I mutter under my breath. Rosie leans forward, an awed expression on her face as I pull into the parking lot.

“Please tell me this isn’t our new home?” Her voice rises as her brown eyes blink rapidly. “We’re poor, poor, huh?” she says in such a teasing tone that my eyes snap to her face. There’s a half-smile on her face as she winks at me. “I’m not dumb, Sage. I know you think I’m still your baby sister, but I can read the room. We don’t have much money …” She wrinkles her nose. “I guess there’s one positive thing about living here.”

“And what’s that?”

“We’ll be forced into meeting as many men as possible because who wants to stay here for a long amount of time?”

“Well, we do have a year lease.”

“Oh, shit, you think it will take us a year.” It’s her turn to sigh as I park the car. “We can always go back to Coconut Beach and stay with Juniper. She’d love to have us.”

“Yes, but our dear cousin has a boyfriend now,” I remind her. “She won’t want to entertain us for months.”

“She wouldn’t have to. Plus, Coconut Beach is lush. I wouldn’t mind living there. It would be fun. And Mia is there. And maybe Luke could give us jobs, and then we could …” Her voice trails off. “It was just an idea.”

“We have a year lease here. We thought it would be cool to meet billionaires …” It’s my turn to let my voice trail off.

I don’t want to be manipulative, but I don’t want to tell her the other reason why I want to be here. The more important reason. I will tell her eventually. I just need time. It always comes down to time.

“I know. I was just saying we have a backup, in case it doesn’t work out. It will work out though,” she says quickly, and she reaches out to squeeze my hand. “I have faith in us.”

I turn off the ignition and twist to face her. There’s a nervous expression on her face, and her eyebrows are scrunched. Her fingers play with a hairband on her wrist, and I know she’s just as worried as I am.

“It will.” I nod. “But, yeah, you’re right; we’re broke, and I think we need to find jobs. Let’s get the keys, check out our new home, then grab breakfast and look for jobs.”

“Sounds like a plan.” She offers me a smile that radiates in her eyes, and I can feel the warmth of her love deep inside of me.

I’m so lucky to have a sister who is also my best friend. And even though we often get on each other’s nerves, it’s moments like this that make everything worth it. It’s times like this that remind me that even if we weren’t blood-related, she’d still be my chosen family.

“You know what I just realized?” she asks as we both exit the car and make our way to the front of the building.

“That you don’t want pancakes after all?”

“Never.” She laughs. “I just realized we’re never going to be on that TV show about cool cribs while we live here.”

“What made you even think of that?”

“I don’t know.” She giggles as we head toward the rusted bright yellow door, marked Office. “I just hope they don’t have rats or cockroaches here.” She mock-shudders. “And I hope there are no thin walls either. Or loud stompers. Or people with babies who cry a lot.”

“I have a feeling you just doomed us to all of the above.”

I throw my hands up in the air and wail like a banshee. Rosie joins me, and after a few moments, we bend at the knees to catch our breath.

“We’re certainly on an adventure now,” I say as we make our way to the office.

The door swings open with force, and a tall man stands in the doorway.

“Oh shit,” I can’t stop myself from muttering as my heart races at the sight of him. “Is that the guy from last night?” I whisper to Rosie. “Makes sense he would work in a dump like this,” I continue.