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Alas, he met a girl and moved to build a life with her. They kept me on for a bit, saying he was going to be back and forth, but he clearly couldn’t justify my salary any longer. I was cleaning an empty apartment, not stocking it with food because he wasn’t there often, and that was the end of that good thing.
I was a little sad at first when he got a girlfriend. Not that I had the nerve to make a move and he didn’t seem at all interested in me, but I had a crush.
He was aloof, arrogant, but also jaw-dropping gorgeous with this tousled hair, his huge muscles, his sexy voice. I was smitten despite that he had no manners, never bothered to even make small talk. But man, was he nice to look at. And though he was messy to clean up after, drove my OCD cleaning tendencies a little nuts, the money was well-worth it.
I’m missing that money. I’m missing the free groceries.
Aiden’s girlfriend was even better to work for. Whenever they’d been here the last few months, she’d keep the apartment clean and give me my orders for food or whatever else was needed. I only did deeper cleaning and the food shopping the last few times they were here. My only complaint about her, besides the fact that she has Aiden all to herself, is that she stopped me from removing leftovers every second day because she, too, had ascertained they were perfectly edible. She probably figured they were being tossed in the trash and went on about hungry people lining up for free soup as she stashed leftovers in the freezer.
What little I knew of her, I guessed that if I said I was the one on the soup line, she’d have kept letting me take those leftovers.
The last few times they’d been here, she wanted ingredients to cook with, too, rather than pre-made food and stuff I bought that I knew would probably wind up in my freezer later. Carly was not wasteful like her boyfriend. And she was way nicer and tidier than the other girls he’d had around in the time I’d worked for him.
Aiden told me he’d call me if they were coming to New York and if they were, I could take care of them when they did, provided I had time. I didn’t turn that down, but it’d been a month and a half since they’d been here.
Aiden tipped me extra well last time and Carly slipped me two fifties on their way out the door, too.
It’s nice that a nice girl got the attention of a hot guy with money. It gives me hope. Not for money, more for a hot guy who gives me the time of day. I’d settle for a nice guy, too, even if he’s not totally hot.
So, it was nice having enough money to pay my rent, the free gourmet food, and having to not work forty hours a week to get it. I only worked for him for not quite a year, but since then, things have been a lot harder. And my big brother isn’t making them any easier.
***
When I get to the coffee cart, there’s no actual coffee cart.
I must look idiotic as I twirl in the empty spot where it’s supposed to be. When it doesn’t magically appear somewhere in my peripheral vision, I pull my phone from my pocket and see a missed call. Mr. Bolliano, the owner.
I call him back.
My luck just went from bad to worse.
He said he lost the cart spot because of a business deal, whatever that means.
What it means for me is no job. And evidently no pay tomorrow, either. He tells me he’s sorry, he’ll do his best to pay me back as soon as he’s back on his feet. Whatever that means.
What it means for me is that I’m totally screwed.
4
Austin
My brother and Carly didn’t need any of us here at their wedding. It’s as if nobody’s even here but those two as they say their vows to one another.
Carly glows as she makes her promises to Aiden and my brother says his vows in a soft tone, a tone I might never have heard from him before.
I feel a stab of jealousy for a split second, but it goes fast and instead swells into happiness for them, especially for Aiden. Carly has already made Aiden and in fact our whole family better these past few months.
Carly’s mother Charlene and her Aunt Susan are both openly weeping with big smiles on their faces, their arms around one another. My mother is holding herself nearly stoic, never one to overdo the facial expressions lest her face crack, but her lips are upturned slightly. My eyes move back to my brother as he leans in to kiss his bride, looking like he’s just won the lottery. That’s when I hear a choking sound and my eyes move to where the sound comes from. My mother. It came from her throat. She’s doing her best to not lose it, but she’s failing.
