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I rubbed my eyes with my hands. “I’ll probably run around your estates this morning and then—”
“No. Come with me to the gym.”
“To box?” I grinned. “I’m a pretty pitiful fighter. My brothers always handled my battles.”
“And now I’ll fight your battles.” He smirked. “You can run at my gym. I think there’s a treadmill in there. If not, I’ll make sure a top-of-the-line treadmill is in there by the time we arrive at the gym.”
“Maybe.”
He paused and tossed me a weird grin. “I love how you think my orders are suggestions.”
“I worry that you think your delusions of grandeur are reality.”
My phone rang before he could throw back a reply. He raised his eyebrows as I answered it.
“Hello?”
“Jasmine, it’s about time you answer your phone,” Mom said. “I haven’t heard from you in two weeks. Anything could have happened. That white girl said—”
“Vivian. Her name is Vivian, Mom.” I rolled my eyes. As long as I’d been friends with Vivian, my mom called her that white girl. Thankfully, she referred to Benny by his actual name so I only had to reprimand her for one person.
“Whatever. That white girl said you went to Paris.”
“I did.” Tension swelled in my shoulders. I got out of bed. “Mom, it’s early.”
“Well, while you were in Paris living the good life, your family was in South End with no electricity. They cut our power off. And it’s cold at night. Tee-Tee couldn’t even do her homework by candlelight. You know Sherman Jr. has asthma and we need the nebulizer to give him his treatments.”
“How much is the electric bill, Mom?”
“Three hundred and fifty dollars and there’s a fifty dollar late fee each week it’s off. They won’t take any checks or credit cards.”
I shut my eyes and chewed the inside of my cheek.
You would think she never knew the electric bill was coming. Every month we go through the same thing.
I swallowed. “How long has it been off?”
“Two weeks.”
Fuck.
“Just as long as I’ve been calling and calling you,” she said. “Every day, not one time did you call me back.”
“I’m sorry. I was busy.”
“Obviously.”
Chase touched my arm.
I opened my eyes.
“Everything okay?” he asked.
I covered the mouthpiece of the phone. “Yes. I’m sorry. I’ll just meet you at work later.”
I’d have to borrow more money from Vivian. The last thing I needed was Chase handing me money when he was already signing my paychecks and paying my rent. I didn’t want him to have any more power over me.
When do I get paid anyway? I’ll have to ask Lucy and figure out a good time to get down to the utilities company to pay the bill. What time did it close again, four or five?
