So I nod. “Yeah, tell them I’m interested.”
“Alright. I’ll let them know. I don’t think we’ll hear much until at least the end of the summer, so just keep your nose clean and keep doing what you’re doing. They’ll be stupid to not pick you up while your name is hot. It’s good for both sides.” He makes some notes on the laptop before closing it.
We spend the next hour having lunch while we keep him company and catch up. We go over my interview with Cliff, and I tell him all the good parts of what’s been happening, leaving out anything that might worry him. In the back of my head the whole time is the wild concept of being successful enough to not worry about money. There’s no point in worrying about it yet, but eventually I’m going to have to talk to Mom about my finances.
I was a kid when I started picking up modeling and acting jobs, so it made sense for her to be in charge of everything. But now? Of course she should get paid for being my manager, but I shouldn’t be living off an allowance from my own paychecks.
When finally the door closes behind us, and it’s just her and me, she drags me along to the car, grinning ear to ear. “Did you hear that? All my work, everything I’ve sacrificed. It’sfinally happening! Aren’t you excited? God, you’re such a killjoy sometimes.”
“I am! Honest! I guess I’m still worried about what happened at the party, and the message. Have they found anything out?”
“Hm? Oh, yeah. I passed everything on to our contact.”
“Was there anything in the drink? Erika saved it, right?”
She glances at me. “I’m sure they’re getting it tested. Trust me, baby, keeping you safe is my top priority. There were a lot of people there that night taking pictures. So far everyone agrees that the message probably wasn’t related. Just bad timing.”
“Right. What makes people send stuff like that?”
“Takes all kinds.” She pulls up in front of the apartment and stops.
“Do you want to come up? Get dinner or something?” I ask.
“Why? We just ate.”
Right. “Never mind.” I nearly manage to get the car door open on my own before Clarke is there.
“Ms. Callahan,” he greets me with a smile.
“Do you ever get a day off?” I tease.
He laughs. “Don’t know what I’d do with myself if I did to be honest.”
“Don’t forget your walk with Erika tomorrow!” Mom reminds me like she won’t be video calling me hours beforehand to make sure I’m wearing something she approves of.
“I won’t.” I roll my eyes and Clarke smirks.
He leans in. “You got a delivery earlier.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, looked like something big.”
I thank him, then take the elevator up, punch in the code for the door and look around. No packages here. Maybe Clarke made a mistake? I check the other rooms, and stop dead in my tracks.
There’s no way Mom did this, which leaves only one other possibility. I pull out my phone.
“Hey, Q,” Priest says when he picks up on the third ring.
“You bought me abed?”
I’m staring at a queen sized bed in my bedroom looking like it’s supposed to be there. My sad, half-deflated air mattress was kicked to the side to make room. It’s nothing fancy, just a mattress and a built-in box frame combo, with wooden legs screwed into the bottom to keep it off the floor. But it’s in my room. It’s mine.
“Everything look okay? I don’t know what kind of shit you like, but there’s some pillows and sheets and crap like that with it.”
I spot some bags on the other side of the bed and crawl over the top, grinning like an idiot at how bouncy it feels. “Why did you do this?” I hug a brand new plastic wrapped pillow to my chest. “I… I can pay you back.” Probably. Mom should be feeling a little more generous than usual after the meeting with Roger.
“You were sleeping on the fucking floor. Don’t worry about it. I know a guy. He got me a good deal on the mattress, and one of the old ladies has contacts in the laundry business. She hooked us up with the rest. I just made a few calls.”
