Page 22 of Be My Valentine

“Actually, Leannan,” he coughed awkwardly, “I can’t even keep you for the usual shift anymore.”

“No, wait a minute, please. Are you sending me away?”

“I’m sorry, but business isn’t going the way it should.”

What the heck did that mean? The place was almost always full! Then Kate understood.

“It’s because of what happened yesterday, isn’t it?”

The man remained silent, and she got her answer.

“Can I stay tonight?” she only asked.

“Yes, of course.” he looked down at the toe of his shoes “Let me pay for a cab home though, it’s the least I can do.”

“All right.”

Kate worked like a demon to keep her mind off of things. She collapsed late at night in the shower. She had lost two jobs in the same day: was there anyone in the world dumber than her? Probably not.

She had to tell her mother that the pub had also gone down the drain. She hadn’t told her about everything that had happened, and now she had to come up with a suitable excuse that could justify getting kicked out. She didn’t know what to come up with. She fiddled with the food on her plate, not saying a word.

“A bad habit you haven’t lost yet.” Her mother scolded her, smiling.

“Sorry.” She put down her fork and that one word led her to think of Arrow. She was always apologizing, he was right. For the first time she reflected on how bizarre it had been that he had driven her home two nights before. Why had he done that? She hadn’t even thanked him properly. She had fallen asleep like a rock all the way home. Then suddenly she remembered that she had woken up when she heard her name. “Kate” is what he had called her. It had been strange; it was still strange.

“You’ve lost weight. I noticed it better when I repurposed my outfits for you. These months have been hard.”

Kate shrugged.

“A little.”

Her mother sighed.

“What are you going to do today?”

“I’m going to start making some phone calls, comb through some ads, find something suitable, I hope.”

“Why don’t you start preparing for your return to college? You’re so close, Kate. Maybe we can afford to buy some used textbooks for your upcoming exams.”

We could have if I still had a shred of work.

“That’s a good idea. You do your exercises now, and I’ll tidy up here.”

Her mother stood up with the aid of a crutch and looked at her unconvinced. Kate began to clean with her head down, to avoid meeting her gaze.

At two-thirty the cell phone rang. It was Meg.

“Where the heck are you?” She whispered into the phone.

“At home. What’s going on?”

“You need to let us know when you’re late, Attorney Arrow… oh my God, he’s here!”

“Who are you talking to, Mrs. Penn? Put her on now!”

Kate heard the commanding tone and braced herself for the ultimate rant.

“Miss Donovan, it’s half past two! Unless you’re sick or lying on a hospital bed, you should be here!” He thundered.