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Cricket laughed out loud.
She cleaned up the cow then released her into the stall with her calf. She began sweeping hay from the birthing stall. I saw a broom in the corner near her stereo and pitched in. She locked eyes with me and nodded. We swept it all up and tossed it in a huge barrel for trash. I thought we were done, but she went to one of the long sides on the inside of the barn and started uncoiling a large hose. She began to spray down the stall and tools, the remnants washed down the drains. She then replaced all the tools back where she had gotten them. When it was all said and done, you couldn’t even tell the heifer had given birth. Until, that is, you looked down at my clothing.
“Disgusting,” I said truthfully.
“Just a little blood and guts,” she explained.
“This all cost me around five thousand dollars,” I said, gesturing to my clothing.
At this, she burst out laughing.
“Greenhorn, I don’t even know where to begin.”
She turned off her music and started toward the door we’d entered before coming from the main house.
“What am I supposed to do?” I yelled out.
“I suggest you wash up and get some rest. Work starts at five.” She stopped and turned my direction. “I also suggest you wear something else, if you catch my drift.”
“These are the only kind of clothes I own.”
Where most girls were impressed by my clothing, by her expression alone, Cricket seemed to believe I was insane.
“Then I guess we’ll have to buy you some new ones. Ones that, I don’t know, don’t cost more than my annual salary?”
She closed the door behind her and I stood there feeling like a first-class asshole...as I should have felt, but all that really made me want to do was check the balance in my account. I was going to start counting down the days, no, the minutes, until Bridge turned eighteen. I wanted out of there. Five thousand a year for grueling, thankless work? No, thank you.
Chapter Fifteen
“Forget all about little old me?” Piper pouted.
“What?” I asked.
She ignored me. “You flirt with that girl but you don’t really want her. You want me.”
“Get the fuck out of here, Piper!” I demanded, descending the villa stairs.
She smiled at me, but it wasn’t a beautiful smile, it was chilling. “Lost all your winnings,” she giggled, digging in the blade.
My blood ran cold in my veins and I stopped at the bottom of the stairs. “Yes, you bitch, thanks to you, it’s all gone.”
She laughed, throwing her head back. “How are you going to leave him now?”
“Joke’s on you. I already did.”
She shook her head. “My darling, you only think you did.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You have to share what you have with your sister. You don’t have enough now. You’ll go back to him because you know he’ll take you back even after what you did, and he’ll take you back because he can’t trust anyone else. You need him. You need what he has to get you what you need.”
“Shut up.”
“He’s your dealer!” she squealed.
“No, we’ll be okay,” I desperately denied. “I don’t need him anymore,” I cooed, an attempt to appease myself.
“Liar,” she sang, bobbing her head back and forth as if she was insane before tossing herself onto the sofa.
