“Little get togethers.”
That was what my mother used to call them. Fucking get togethers. It was such an innocent name for what was nothing more than a bunch of immature adults drinking and smoking their way into a stupor. There would be many nights when I’d come home to find my mom shirtless and passed out on the floor next to her ‘friends,’ and let me tell you, there’s nothing more traumatic than having to peel your unconscious mother off the floor to get her dressed. If I shut my eyes and imagine hard enough, I could still smell the burnt popcorn that surrounded her and the gross stench of alcohol and old vomit on her shirt.
Eyes glazed over, I shook the thought from my mind and with the fury of a hundred starving lions, I burst through the door.
“Jesse!” My mother choked back a cough. Her eyes danced excitedly. “Glad you’re home.”
Was she drunk?
A movement in my periphery caught my eye. Dumbfounded, I watched as a bright-eyed young woman stood up and extended her hand. “Hello, I’m Michelle.”
I frowned at the freckled face. “Hello?”
Obviously sensing my confusion, she explained, “I’m from the Home Care Agency that you sent an inquiry to. Um, your mother actually set up this meeting to interview me as a potential nurse.”
“Potential nurse,” I repeated with a sigh of relief. I’d take a nurse over a new drinking buddy any day. “Hope my mom was cordial.”
Mom flashed me what looked like a kind smile, but I could see right through it. Had Michelle not been standing there, she would have snapped, berated me, and just been downright nasty. Mom snuck me a smirk before turning back to the woman. “Michelle has been telling me all about her skills and expertise. We were actually waiting on you to come home so you could meet her.”
“And your mom is an excellent host. I could actually see us getting along really well.” Michelle grinned, brushing back a few locks of her fiery red hair.
Red.
Warning flags again?
Examining our new nurse, I couldn’t help but wonder whether she was either totally oblivious, or just one really good actress.
My mom’s an excellent liar too. She’ll manipulate you in no time…unless that’s what you’re planning to do to her, which in any case, welcome aboard!
I finally forced a smile. “Well, looks like you two have already made up your mind on this arrangement. There’s really no need for me to put my two cents in.”
Michelle’s smile quickly faded. “Um, I hope I didn’t offend you. I didn’t mean that I had this job for sure. It’s just—”
I cut her off. “Don’t worry about it.”
Seriously, you need thick skin to work for her.
Michelle nodded in relief, turning back toward the couch. Taking advantage of her turned back, Mom threw me a scowl, but kept her voice kind. “I told Michelle it was important she meet you before we moved forward.”
“Why?” I asked blankly. “I gave you the list; you picked one, end of story.”
Mom inhaled, causing her tank to tick a bit louder than usual. “Because we said we’d decide together, of course. I couldn’t say yes without your blessing.”
“Because I’m paying?” I shot back.
That was all it took for my mom’s mask to fall off. Unable to keep her kind facade, she snapped, “Because I need your signature on the contract.”
The fact that we hadn’t scared Michelle off was a good sign. Snorting, I shook my head and turned back toward the poor soul who had no idea what she was in for. “When can you start?”
“Seriously?” Her eyes widened. “But you didn’t even interview me.”
I shrugged. “Anyone who gets along with my mom this well is a winner to me. So? When can you start? Would you be able to start tomorrow? I really need to get back to my business in Charleston and if I need to train you, I need to start now.”
Her jaw dropped. “Well, needless to say this is beyond protocol but I see no problem with it.”
“Good.” I was already turning toward the door.
“Um, when are you planning to leave?” she asked in confusion.
“I just have to tie up some loose ends first…”
***
It was as if I was dragged across town by some magical force. Whipping in and out of traffic, slowing at stop signs and lights—I was a zombie if not a robot under mind control. I don’t even know how I made it to Rocky’s house, but before I knew it I was parked across the street, gaping at the foreign red two-seater sitting pretty behind Rocky’s old car. There was no way her parents came home from their work convention early (nor drove that ostentatious piece of shit) and I doubted it belonged to her sister, Emily, either.
“Shit, that must mean…” My voice trailed off just as Ethan walked past an open window looking as cheesy as ever. Heat rushed through my extremities, culminating at my hands, which gripped my steering wheel tightly. I pried each finger off quickly; worried I’d do something as crazy as rip the wheel off my dashboard.
What are you doing? Just leave! What loose ends do you need to tie up? Rocky obviously hates you!
But I couldn’t leave. I couldn’t even move. I was frozen, staring into a house where the one woman I continued to push away had finally fallen into the arms of another man.
“What did you expect to happen? That she’d wait for you again?” I spat out with distaste.
The front door opened with a bang, startling me. I sucked in my breath and scooted down into my seat, worried that Rocky would catch a glimpse of me. However, it wasn’t Rocky at the door. Ethan jumped from the cement step, tossing his keys in his hand. Like tiny bells, his keys jingled in the night, a song of happiness—a song that wasn’t mine. As if feeling my presence, his gaze immediately jumped to my car and though I was hidden behind the darkness of night and behind tinted glass somehow I knew that he saw me. A smug smile rested on his face, and for the first time I noticed his messy hair and haphazardly thrown on sweater, which was wrinkled as if somebody had been gripping onto its sides. My stomach lurched with the realization of what he and Rocky must have been doing inside.
“Well, your plan worked, genius. Rocky’s finally gone.” I waited until Ethan peeled off before I restarted my car. I threw one last glance at her house, feeling an odd sense of déjà vu. Stifling a chuckle, I shook my head and drove off. “Goodbye again, Rocky.”
Chapter 24
Knock. Knock.
“Jesse! Get your ass over to the front door and answer it.” My mother coughed twice as she struggled to get the words out of her mouth. Those coughs were the only thing stopping me from snapping back at her. I was really not in the mood for her shit that day.
Rolling my eyes, I opened the door to a shivering Michelle. Her red hair was tucked into an oversized knit cap and her teeth were chattering so hard I could have sworn I heard their impact above the whistling breeze.
“Hey, come on in.” I lifted my eyebrows in surprise, completely forgetting that I had insisted she begin work immediately.
“T-thanks,” she stammered as she rubbed her gloved hands over her arms. “I-i-t’s freezing out there!”
“I bet,” I replied glumly, staring longingly outside. I knew I had hit rock bottom when I favored sitting in an igloo outside over being cooped up with my mother…or going to Rossi’s Novelties.
“Sorry, I’m late,” she said as she peeled off her gigantic jacket. Not only was the navy blue monstrosity thick, but it went down to her ankles! How the hell was she still cold?
“Yeah, about that…” The corners of my mouth dipped low. “Honestly, I was in the middle of an emotional upheaval last night and well…I kind of forgot that I told you to come.”