Jade peeked around the corner and watched Cole leave. More than anything, she wanted to run and jump into his lap, but she knew she’d just embarrass herself.
The guy was a stranger, and she didn’t understand the responses she felt. There had never been a time in her life when she was attracted to a man. Now that she was, she picked someone so out of her league that it was pathetic.
After a quick shower, she dressed and grabbed her bag. Her thoughts swirled in her head as she walked the three blocks to her apartment building. Cole was by far the most handsome man she’d ever seen, and she would never forget his face.
Jade locked herself in and threw her bag to the side. She hadn’t eaten since that morning, and that had been a stale donut and apple at the center. It was typical. She didn’t make a lot of money, and most of it went to the rent every month. She spent a little bit more on her place because of the location, but it had either been this place that was a few blocks from work or the one that was a hundred dollars cheaper but eleven blocks away.
It was a no-brainer. She learned how to find food and shower at the center, so it kept her bills down. She used one lamp, and the lightbulb was an energy saver. She didn’t bake or cook like she wanted because it took electricity, so she heated a bowl of soup or ramen noodles in the microwave for one minute.
Jade barely spent twenty dollars a month on the utilities. She’d even brought a gallon of water home with her a few times a week, which helped with brushing her teeth, washing her clothes in the sink, and her meal. She was coming up with more and more ways to save because the life she had was better than a life on the street.
She set her noodles on the table in front of the sofa. All her furniture she found in dumpsters, except the mattress,which was given to her by a neighbor who was moving out of the building—was a godsend.
The mail sat on the counter, and she knew she couldn’t put it off. It had been sitting there for a few days, so she had to suck it up and get through the bills. Most were ads, but the rest were bills. No fun mail for her.
She threw away the ads and was left with two bills. She wasn’t afraid of opening the electricity because she was so careful, but she was terrified of the other letter from the apartment complex office.
She took a breath and ripped the top open. Then she read and then re-read the letter before dropping it on the floor. A hundred dollars? They wanted to raise the rent by a hundred dollars a month. God, what was she going to do? She couldn’t move home. Her parents wouldn’t let her come home. They’d pushed her out after she graduated, and she hadn’t seen them since. She’d already had the job at the center and made money, so they thought it would be easy to live independently. They lived off her father’s inheritance from an aunt instead of working, and they didn’t know what it took to survive in the real world.
They hadn’t taken into consideration all the expenses because they hadn’t ever had to fend for themselves. Just the down payment on the apartment had taken a good portion of the money she’d saved to go to college. They had no idea she’d had to sleep on a sofa in the center until she found an apartment. Then she had the hard floor for a few months with only her clothes to keep her warm until she found a bed to sleep on.
Her parents talked about her being different and that being on her own would help her grow up, but Jade knew the real reason. They didn’t want to spend their money on her. They had to make it last for the rest of their lives if they didn’t want to work. They were the most selfish, self-centered people she’d evermet.
As she walked toward the bedroom, the bowl of noodles was still steaming, all but forgotten. She stripped and pulled on a large men’s t-shirt she’d found in the lost and found at the center, crawled into bed, pulled the blanket up over her head, and cried.
When she woke up the next morning, she rolled over and looked up at the ceiling. Her sleep had been restless all night, so she moved sluggishly. Even exhausted, she had to get up and get ready for work. She couldn’t miss a day because that would be the difference between her apartment and the street.
The walk to work felt like a mile to her. She was so tired and hungry that she could barely function. Fortunately, she only had three classes that day, all with older children with experience. She’d be afraid to work with the babies and toddlers when she wasn’t rested.
She pulled her swimsuit from the bag and then shoved her bag into her locker. She’d forgotten to hang the suit on the rope she had attached to the wall in her bedroom to hang her clothes, so it smelled and was clammy.
Jade smiled and waved at the other women in the locker room. She needed to wash the suit quickly. It would be wet when she put it on, but it wouldn’t smell like mildew.
After dressing and grabbing a towel from the stack on a table, she started to walk past the office, and her eyes caught on a few words that might just save her life.
Help wanted: A night waitress job at McGinnes Bar. Good tips. Call Tom for an interview.
Jade had never waitressed before or been in a bar, but it was an opportunity she couldn’t pass up.
Her class would start soon, so she’d have to call right after. She wanted to get an interview with the man before they filled the position.
Jade kept looking at the clock as the kids swam laps. When it was time for the class to end, she almost wept in relief. She clapped her hands. “Let’s go, guys.”
“Awww, Jade, can’t we swim a little longer?” It happened every time, and usually, she gave them five more minutes, but she couldn’t today.
“No, Max. Not today. I have something important to do. Please get out. Your parents are waiting for you.”
Each kid seemed to take forever to climb out of the pool. When the pool was clear, she wrapped a towel around her waist, glanced at the number of the bar, and walked into the office.
“Becky, can I use the phone?” she asked.
“Sure. I’ve got a class, so it’s all yours.”
“Thank you.”
Becky stopped at the door and turned. “By the way, a man called here for you.”
“Who?” Jade asked.