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Nine
Fawn
When I walked into the kitchen the next morning, Gypsi was sitting in the bench that served as our seating for the built-in table.She had a Pop-Tart in her hand and a glass of milk in front of her.She lifted her eyes to mine and smiled.
“You must have gotten paid.I’ve never seen our car so clean,” she said, then took a bite of the Pop-Tart.
I yawned and stared at her, trying to register what she had just said.“Huh?”I replied.
She waved a hand toward the window.“The car.It’s all shiny and clean.I almost didn’t recognize it when I looked outside this morning.”
I walked over to the window and stared out at our thirteen-year-old Honda Civic.Gypsi hadn’t been exaggerating; it was shiny.I stood there, trying to decide if I was thankful for the fact that Garrett had had my car cleaned or annoyed.Maybe a little embarrassed that he’d seen it.I shouldn’t be.That car had served us well.We could hook it up to the back of the camper and pull it when we moved.It was dependable.Sure, it needed some work done, but it was still running.
“How late were you at work last night?”Gypsi asked me.
“Uh, I was home by ten thirty.You were already asleep,” I replied, turning from the window to look back at her.“I had wanted a Netflix-watching buddy.”
She shrugged.“Sorry.I was exhausted.We had been busy at the shop yesterday, and then the walk back did me in.”
I chewed on my bottom lip.I hated that she had to walk home some days with my schedule.If the club wasn’t so far away, I could walk and let her have the car.Maybe I should quit.Get a job where I had hours that coincided with hers.That way, I could drop her off and pick her up.Or I could get a job closer to the camper so she could take the car and I could walk.
“Oh, the electricity bill is late.We got a disconnect notice.I get paid tomorrow.I can cover it, but it will take all of my check.I’m hoping that the car wash didn’t take too much of your check.We are out of dish soap.Using it as our body wash and shampoo used it up.”She held up her glass of milk.“And I just drank the last of the milk.”
There was no check for me yet.I hadn’t cleaned our car.I would never waste our money on that with bills due.Which meant I also couldn’t quit the club yet.I had to work at the club until I got paid.
I went to the cookie jar, where we put our tip money, and counted out the four hundred seventy dollars I’d made last night before I was sent to the Winchester Parlor.
“Here.This should cover the electricity bill.I was going to use it to get the car looked at.Another light had come on yesterday, and we are way past due for an oil change.But I’ll go to work tonight and hopefully make enough in tips to handle the oil change.”
Gypsi nodded.“Okay, then I will go get groceries after work with my check.”
I started for the coffeepot when the gravel sound, alerting us someone was driving up, caught my attention.Turning around, I went back to the window to see the familiar Bentley.I stilled, waiting to see who stepped out of the car.The driver’s door opened, and Kye appeared.The back door remained closed as Kye walked toward the camper with a shopping bag in his hand.
“Who is that?”Gypsi asked behind me, and I spun around to look at her before hurrying to the door before she could.
“It’s, uh, one of the club’s drivers,” I explained and knew my daughter well enough to know she was going to need more of an explanation than that.
I opened the door just as Kye approached.
“Good morning, Ms.Parker.I was sent to deliver your purse.”
I reached out and took the bag from him.“Thank you, Kye,” I replied.
“I was also asked to see if you needed me to take you or your daughter anywhere today.”
Frowning, I shook my head.
What was Garrett doing—washing my car, offering his driver?Was it because of what had happened last night?
“Thank you, but we are fine,” I replied.
Kye nodded, then turned and walked back to the Bentley.I quickly closed the door and hoped Gypsi wasn’t about to ask me twenty questions.
“Why is a chauffeur in a Bentley returning your purse?”she asked me, narrowing her eyes.
I was always truthful with my daughter.I’d taught her the importance of telling the truth.However, in this moment, I wished more than anything that I could lie.I set the bag down on the small counter space and turned to her.
“Last night, one of the servers stole my purse and put it in the toilet.The management had it cleaned for me before returning it to me.”
