“Nope, I can most definitely start tomorrow. I’ll notify my boss tonight, but if you don’t mind me asking, what is the salary?” I cross my fingers, hoping it is more than nine an hour.
“Oh, of course, sorry. We would start you out at twelve an hour. Does that work?”
Twelve dollars an hour?I can’t even believe it. “That’s perfect. I’ll see you tomorrow at nine, sir. Thank you so much for the opportunity. You won’t regret it.”
I walk out of the office with my head held high, shoulders back, excited about the new adventure I’m embarking on and the raise that will be a welcome addition to Emily's and my life.
After some debating between just not showing up to work at the supermarket, I decide in person sounds much more fun. He needs to know I won’t be returning. It feels like a good slap in the face after all the crappy things he said to me just earlier today. No more sexist jokes, single mom insecurities, and no more lingering eyes. He is a bona fide creep to the tenth degree.
I park in front of the market, and I begin to go over what I want to say. This is my chance to get out everything that has been bottled up for the last two years, and give him a piece of my mind. Profane language and a middle finger sound great, but I want to be classier than that. The car door opens, and I slam it behind me, marching through the automatic sliding doors, straight back to his office, and walk in without knocking. No one really knows what he does in there, and for a second I’m worried I might find him fondling himself like a pervert.
“Excuse me. You don’t just walk into my office without an invitation. What the hell has gotten into you lately?”
Oh, he didn’t even know the half of it.
“A lot, actually. I’m sick of the way you treat me. You’re a complete ass who takes advantage of women. Yes, I’m a single mom, but I have more balls than you ever will. Fuck you!” I say and walk out of his office feeling proud, even about using the vulgar language.
He follows me. “What are you talking about? How do you plan on feeding that kid of yours? Huh? Don’t be stupid... no one else will hire you.”
A laugh escapes as I turn around to face him. “Actually... I got a new job today. Paying more than you do and more hours. Plus, the boss isn’t a complete asshole and perv. Have a nice night, Kevin.”
He’s still talking to me when the automatic doors open and close, and I don’t give a rat's ass what Kevin has to say at this point. He isn’t someone I have to deal with anymore. And I couldn’t be happier about that.
Pulling up into Damon’s driveway, I take a minute before going inside. My life has gotten better since meeting Damon, but that might not be directly correlated. I found a friend, saved up some money, and now I found a new job that will make a huge difference in the way Emily and I live going forward. I still feel the need to thank him.
The front door closes behind me, and Emily runs up to me for a hug.
“How did it go, Mommy? Did you get it?”
I try to hide my smile to throw them off my scent, but I failed.
“I take it you got the job?” Damon asks.
“I start tomorrow, and it pays more. I’m still in shock. Thanks for watching her.”
He embraces me, and my feet lift off the ground as we twirl around and celebrate.
“See. I told you things would get better. Just gotta believe in yourself,” he says before placing a kiss on my lips that leave me confused once again.
Why is he doing this? Just last night, he pulled me in and made me think he finally realized he’s ready to move on, and then he pushed me off his lap and rejected me. The utter shit feeling after that caused me to get no rest.
I push away from him and migrate to the dining room to eat the lasagna Damon prepared, and then go through our nightly routine. Once done, I explain to Emily that things are finally looking up for us, and soon we will have our own place again.
“But why would we leave here? It’s a perfect place. We are both so happy here...”
I’ve been worried about this happening, with all the bonding those two have done together, but we can’t stay here forever. The last thing I want to do is overstay our welcome. “This wasn’t permanent. Only temporary, sweetheart.”
“But... then how will I see Damon?”
A tear falls from my eye. “Well...” I look over at him.
“You don’t have to worry about that. It’s not like you’ll never see me again, booger. You can come visit me whenever you want, plus we will have to go to that zoo again. Right?”
Emily nods.
My heart breaks, realizing my daughter is attached to him. But Damon also has a bond with her that is beautiful to witness.
***