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There’s a faint chuckle as I kick off my shoes and coat. “Funny girl.”
Joel is building a Lego skyscraper while one of Mom’s quiz shows plays in the background. He looks up and beams at me when I walk through the door.
“Look, Mommy, I’ve made us a new home!”
“Good job!”Let’s hope it doesn’t violate a raft of building codes and suffer from a roach infestation like the current one.
An envelope on the side table catches my eye and my heart falls. Yet another bill from the hospital. My admin job at Burley Ross includes health insurance, but it doesn’t cover all the costs, and the bills are piling up. Mom has no clue because I keep it all from her, but I’m starting to worry that we’re going to end up buried under a mountain of debt. The hospital called me twice today, asking for an update on payments due. It’s getting harder to fob them off.
Mum is engrossed in her show and chatting with Joel, so I grab the envelope and move into the kitchen.
“Ready for another cup of ginger tea?” I yell. It helps with the nausea, she says.
“I’m OK, honey. Been feeling better today. I even managed to make a chicken casserole; it just needs warming through.”
I smile. Chicken casserole is my favorite. At least Mom’s version is. She uses a special blend of spices, and the flavor is to die for.
“I’ll peel some potatoes for mash. We still have green beans left, right?”
“Yes.”
“Hate green beans!” Joel informs me.
“Green beans are good for you, kiddo. So suck it up.”
He moans loudly but I know he’ll eat them. He can be picky at times, but he’s not as bad as some kids.
“Can we have ice cream for dessert?”
I smile. He must have seen the Ben & Jerry’s I hid in the freezer for when I’m having a shit day. Which is most days lately, thanks to my asshole boss who seems to think it’s OK to grope my ass when I pass his desk. If I didn’t need the job, I’d have punched him in the balls already. But I do, so I just have to grin and bear it.
“If you eat your green beans, then yes.”
“Mommmmm! Not fair!”
“Them’s the rules, kiddo!”
He grumbles loudly and I hear Mom chastising him. While she’s distracted, I open the hospital invoice.Fuck.The running total is creeping up and I have no clue how I’m going to pay it. My job covers our rent, the essentials, Joel’s daycare, and not much else. While I’ve been making small payments, it’s barely made a difference.
If Dad was still alive, we wouldn’t be in this mess. His construction job paid well and there would have been enough money to cover the expenses our medical insurance didn’t pay for, but he’s not.
The old photo Mom keeps on the wall catches my eye. In it, Mom smiles at the camera and Dad only has eyes for her. They were so in love. The day Dad died, a part of her died with him.
I turn on the oven and pull out some potatoes for the mash. There’s no point crying over spilled milk, as Gran always used to say. Mom’s oncologist, Dr. Lukas, says the treatment plan is working and all being well, she’ll be cancer-free soon.
My phone buzzes as I pop the pan of potatoes on the burner. It’s a text message from June, one of the women from the dance class I sometimes go to, although I haven’t attended in weeks because Mom has been too sick to look after Joel.
June: Hey stranger! Club Venom is holding auditions for new dancers if you’re interested. I remember you said you could use the money Xx
Venom only hires the best dancers. They have a reputation for having the hottest girls, but it’s not sleazy like some clubs. Brianna danced there last year and she earned enough to make a big dent in her student loans. She’d still be there if her stupid boyfriend hadn’t forced her to quit because he couldn’t handle other guys looking at what he deemed ‘his’.
The downside is that I am acquainted with Club Venom, as it’s where I met the guy who gave me the hottest sex of my life, bar none. It’s been six months since I walked out of that hotel room as Roxy and back into my shit life as Rory. I thought it would be easy to forget about Romano, but it turns out he’s not that forgettable. I still fantasize about him most nights when I can’t sleep.
Does he think about me too?
I snort. Who am I kidding? He probably forgot about me the minute he fell asleep.
Going back to Venom is not the smartest idea, but even if we bump into each other, it’s doubtful he’ll remember me. The guy probably fucks a different woman every night. And since I need the money, I can’t afford to ignore this opportunity.
