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Chapter 10
My couch finally arrived the following Monday and it was glorious. The delivery guys had a hell of a time getting it through the door, but they made it happen, and I tipped them well for it.
“You’re so beautiful,” I said, brushing my hands over the deep blue velvet. The curve of the back and the buttons reminded me of something out of a mansion like the one Natalie and I had visited on our trip. It was an ostentatious piece of furniture for sure, but I didn’t care. I loved it.
I took a picture of myself elegantly lounging and sent it to Natalie.
She didn’t answer until an hour later. I’d forgotten that she had the job interview for the nannying position.
I love the couch! And guess what?
What? I wrote back.
I GOT THE JOB!
I knew she would. I told her I was happy for her, and she gushed about the little boy she was going to be watching and how sweet he was and that yes, the family was loaded and was going to be compensating her very well for her services, and she had free rein to use their pool.
Does that extend to friends? I asked.
I’ll see what I can doshe said.
My parents had a pool, but they’d kind of neglected taking care of it and I didn’t like hanging out at their house, so swimming in a guilt-free pool was a definite bonus.
Want to come over and celebrate? I asked her. Now that I had a nice place to sit, I didn’t feel weird about having her over.
Absolutely. Pick me up in 20?
I finally peeled myself off the magnificent couch and went to the fridge to see what I had in the way of snacks or drinks to offer Natalie. Not much, but I found some cheese and crackers and olives and I had a bottle of lemonade, so that was good enough, I hoped.
“Congratulations,” I said to Natalie as she hopped in my car.
“Thanks,” she said, beaming. “I didn’t know it was going to happen so fast, but they really are great. The mom, Piper, said she might even be able to get me some other work. I still don’t exactly know what she does, but I pretended like I did,” she gushed.
I loved seeing her so excited.
“Sounds like you’re going to be busy,” I said.
“Don’t worry, I’m not working weekends. Just Monday through Friday until six, so I can still hang out with you after work. And if I take Preston out for a walk, I could always stop by your office to say hello.” Preston was such a good name for a wealthy kid, I couldn’t get over it.
I could sense the relief she felt that she wouldn’t be stressed about money. Like me, she had loans that would be coming due soon, and the terror of making those payments without an income was real.
* * *
“Now that is a couch,” Natalie said, sitting down and leaning back, caressing the velvet. “Not a whole lot of people can pull off a velvet couch, but you can.”
“I don’t know about that, but I love it anyway.” I set a plate of cheese and crackers and olives and two glasses of lemonade down on my poor excuse for a coffee table. I didn’t want to waste money on one until I had enough shells to create the vision I had in my head.
“This place is so cute,” Natalie said.
“If by ‘cute’ you mean ramshackle, then yes,” I said.
“Hey, I’m sleeping in the same bed I had in high school. I’m no one to be casting stones.”
I mean, I only had this place because my family owned it. Some independent adult I was.
“At least we’re both employed,” I said, holding up my glass.
“Cheers to that,” she said, picking up the other glass and tapping it to mine.
