she’s hanging onto it out of love, but out of necessity.
“How’s your
little one?” I ask.
She doesn’t
say anything for a moment. Her voice turns quiet. “I think I’m
having a harder time than she is.”
I hear her
pour the water and the clank of a spoon against porcelain and she
comes over, placing a cup of tea on the coffee table in front of
me, making sure to use a coaster. It’s black.
“Sorry,” she
says, cradling her own cup of tea and sitting at the opposite end
of the sofa, legs curled up, as far away from me as possible. “I
don’t have any milk in the house. I’m lactose intolerant.”
Though she’s
curled in the corner, she doesn’t look all that comfortable. Her
head is up high, chin out and her mouth is set in a firm line. I
can’t read her eyes at all, so I stop trying.
“Did you get
the medicine okay?” I ask.
She nods and
takes a sip. “Thanks to Steph’s insistence on paying, yes. The
doctor at the hospital gave me a month’s supply of insulin, but
Steph paid for everything else. The pharmacist at Target gave us
both a crash course on injecting Ava again, so I don’t have to go
and pay for my doctor either.” She exhales heavily. “I really
needed that reminder. Last night just seemed like a horrible
nightmare.” She looks at me and maybe I see her face softening.
“Thanks again for driving me around. I kind of ruined everyone’s
night.”
“Shit
happens,” I tell her with a wave of my hand. “It’s no big
deal.”
“I bet your
girlfriend was upset.”
“Aye,” I nod.
“But she’s not my girlfriend. Especially not now.” I don’t say
anything else.
“So, what did
you want me to talk to you about?” she says, sounding tired. I
realize talking to me is probably the last thing she wants to
do.
“You look like
you need a nap,” I tell her. Her eyes look sad and I realize it’s a
jerk thing for me to say. No one wants to hear they look tired. “I
mean, you’re still pretty hot but you look tired as hell.” And now
I’m just making it worse.
“I don’t dare
sleep,” she says. She seems to shrink down before my eyes. “Not
now, not when something can happen to her.”
“You could,” I
say. “Right now. Just have a nap. I’ll stay here. I’ll be up, make
sure that everything’s okay.”
She looks at
me like I’m crazy. Maybe I am. I have no idea why I just
volunteered to do that – maybe because it’s the right thing to do –
but it makes me sound like the world’s biggest creeper.
“No thanks,”
she says, looking a wee bit disgusted. “So.” She sounds impatient
now. “What is it that you want from me, Bram?”
I lean forward
on my elbows and twirl the watch on my wrist over and over
again.
“I have a
proposition for you.”
She watches me
for so long I have to look up. She doesn’t look curious, she looks
worried.
“Is this going
to be like ‘Indecent Proposal?’” she asks. “Because Robert Redford
loses at the end.”
“A) I’m
surprised you’re old enough to remember that movie,” I say. “And B)
no, it’s nothing like that. I know my reputation precedes me –”
“That is
does.” She takes a quick sip of her tea.
“But, this
offer is coming from a good place. An honest place.” I pause. “I
think you should move in with me.”
She nearly
drops her mug.
CHAPTER FIVE
Nicola
For my first
week of age twenty-nine and second week of being a small business
owner, I wonder if I’ve ruined one of the best friendships I’ve
ever had.
No, not
me and James, even though he would be the cause. Did I just hear him right? My hand starts
to shake and I put the mug of hot tea down before I scald
myself.
“I’m sorry,
what?” I ask Bram, bewildered. “Did you just ask me to move in with
you?”
He gives me a
placating smile. “Not exactly. What I mean is, the apartment next
to mine is vacant. The tenant moved out at the start of the month.
I think you should take it. You can live there rent
“How’s your
little one?” I ask.
She doesn’t
say anything for a moment. Her voice turns quiet. “I think I’m
having a harder time than she is.”
I hear her
pour the water and the clank of a spoon against porcelain and she
comes over, placing a cup of tea on the coffee table in front of
me, making sure to use a coaster. It’s black.
“Sorry,” she
says, cradling her own cup of tea and sitting at the opposite end
of the sofa, legs curled up, as far away from me as possible. “I
don’t have any milk in the house. I’m lactose intolerant.”
Though she’s
curled in the corner, she doesn’t look all that comfortable. Her
head is up high, chin out and her mouth is set in a firm line. I
can’t read her eyes at all, so I stop trying.
“Did you get
the medicine okay?” I ask.
She nods and
takes a sip. “Thanks to Steph’s insistence on paying, yes. The
doctor at the hospital gave me a month’s supply of insulin, but
Steph paid for everything else. The pharmacist at Target gave us
both a crash course on injecting Ava again, so I don’t have to go
and pay for my doctor either.” She exhales heavily. “I really
needed that reminder. Last night just seemed like a horrible
nightmare.” She looks at me and maybe I see her face softening.
“Thanks again for driving me around. I kind of ruined everyone’s
night.”
“Shit
happens,” I tell her with a wave of my hand. “It’s no big
deal.”
“I bet your
girlfriend was upset.”
“Aye,” I nod.
“But she’s not my girlfriend. Especially not now.” I don’t say
anything else.
“So, what did
you want me to talk to you about?” she says, sounding tired. I
realize talking to me is probably the last thing she wants to
do.
“You look like
you need a nap,” I tell her. Her eyes look sad and I realize it’s a
jerk thing for me to say. No one wants to hear they look tired. “I
mean, you’re still pretty hot but you look tired as hell.” And now
I’m just making it worse.
“I don’t dare
sleep,” she says. She seems to shrink down before my eyes. “Not
now, not when something can happen to her.”
“You could,” I
say. “Right now. Just have a nap. I’ll stay here. I’ll be up, make
sure that everything’s okay.”
She looks at
me like I’m crazy. Maybe I am. I have no idea why I just
volunteered to do that – maybe because it’s the right thing to do –
but it makes me sound like the world’s biggest creeper.
“No thanks,”
she says, looking a wee bit disgusted. “So.” She sounds impatient
now. “What is it that you want from me, Bram?”
I lean forward
on my elbows and twirl the watch on my wrist over and over
again.
“I have a
proposition for you.”
She watches me
for so long I have to look up. She doesn’t look curious, she looks
worried.
“Is this going
to be like ‘Indecent Proposal?’” she asks. “Because Robert Redford
loses at the end.”
“A) I’m
surprised you’re old enough to remember that movie,” I say. “And B)
no, it’s nothing like that. I know my reputation precedes me –”
“That is
does.” She takes a quick sip of her tea.
“But, this
offer is coming from a good place. An honest place.” I pause. “I
think you should move in with me.”
She nearly
drops her mug.
CHAPTER FIVE
Nicola
For my first
week of age twenty-nine and second week of being a small business
owner, I wonder if I’ve ruined one of the best friendships I’ve
ever had.
No, not
me and James, even though he would be the cause. Did I just hear him right? My hand starts
to shake and I put the mug of hot tea down before I scald
myself.
“I’m sorry,
what?” I ask Bram, bewildered. “Did you just ask me to move in with
you?”
He gives me a
placating smile. “Not exactly. What I mean is, the apartment next
to mine is vacant. The tenant moved out at the start of the month.
I think you should take it. You can live there rent
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