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Summer’s mother, Rayelle, is wearing black waitress slacks and a stained white shirt. I can tell she’s been crying.
“Thank you for calling me,” Dominique says. She gives me a hug.
“Summer’s pretty mad at me about that.” I wince.
“Summer told us about the situation at your apartment,” Paxton says to Rayelle. “I would be happy to help you out with rent and anything else you need.”
Rayelle stiffens and swipes at her eyes with the back of her hand. “She shouldn’t have told you that. We do not take charity!” she snaps at him. “Did she ask you for money?”
“Absolutely not,” he replies calmly. “I didn’t mean to offend you. She’s never asked me for a cent.”
“Me neither,” I hasten to add. In fact, Summer keeps trying to give me money in the form of other people’s wallets, because I think Summer feels like she needs to take care of the people she cares about, but I don’t think telling her mother that will help the situation right now.
Dominique flashes a sympathetic look at us, and then walks over to talk to the person behind the desk.
The two of them vanish down the hallway.
A few minutes later, Officer Jones comes out and tells us that we’re free to go. She doesn’t look particularly thrilled with us, but at least I’m not in trouble.
We get up and stroll out of the building, taking in deep breaths once we’re outside. The air inside those places tastes like cigarette smoke and despair.
Paxton heaves a sigh, his forehead wrinkled and his brows pinched together.
“Just so you know, you didn’t do anything wrong either,” I say to Paxton.
He grimaces. “Was I patronizing? Seriously, tell me.”
“No, you were kind and generous, and I am sort of mad at her on your behalf, but also, I have to give her the same kind of grace and understanding that I give her daughter. She’s in a really tough situation, she’s got her pride, she’s worried about her daughter...” I trail off.
“Still feels pretty bad, though,” Paxton says glumly.
I nod in sympathy. “Yes, it does.”
“Want to go have a non-date lunch with me and drown our sorrows in french fries? Don’t worry—I promise not to read anything into it.”
I’m stressed and upset and I don’t want to be alone right now.
“I would love that,” I tell him. It’s okay to say yes just this one time. Because it’s definitely not a date and today is probably the last day I will ever hang out with Paxton alone.
29
RUBY
Yesterday was not the last day that I hung out with Paxton alone.
Today is. Definitely.
He called me up and told me that he’d found an amazing solution to the Summer situation. He was incredibly happy and smug and excited, and he insisted that I had to meet him at Hudson’s, in the café.
So, I hopped on the subway and now here I am.
Hudson’s is a high-end luxury department store that’s a classic New York destination, like the Statue of Liberty. Only a lot pricier. They’re known for their extremely expensive bespoke clothing, and for their gorgeous displays which are like works of art, like little frozen theatre scenes, scattered all throughout the store.
I’ve never shopped there, needless to say. They do have a very nice café on the ground floor, which I can afford. Rowan and I meet there sometimes and pretend that we’re rich.
I stride through the doors today, nodding at the uniformed greeter who is wearing a top hat and tails. Hudson’s has been owned by the Hudson family for generations, and they have some wonderfully old-fashioned touches.
I’ve dressed up in a pink-and-white flowery dress and strappy sandals, because if I wore my usual baggy T-shirt and shorts, I’d look out of place here.
