AllFreeNovel
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He goes in his room and comes out holding a pair of red high heels. He drops them in front of me. “Try them on. One of my exes left them here.”
“Dad, I’m not wearing this dress. I look like a hooker.”
“I said put on the shoes. Hurry up!”
I put the shoes on. “They’re too big.”
“Walk around in them.”
I walk to the living room, my heels coming out of the shoes with each step because they’re a size too big.
“Okay, let’s go,” my dad says, heading to the door.
“Go?” I look at him like he’s crazy. “You’re seriously going to make me wear this?”
“You wear it or you’ll sleep on the street tonight. What’s it gonna be?”
Grabbing my coat, I meet him at the door. At least I’ll be getting a meal out of this, and maybe a job, although I can’t imagine what it would be or why this guy would hire me. I look ridiculous in this dress that’s too small and shoes that are too big.
My dad takes me to a restaurant that’s a couple miles from the apartment. It’s dark inside, more like a bar than a restaurant.
“Vince,” my dad says, smiling at a man who’s sitting at one of the tables. The man looks like he’s in his fifties, with wrinkles around his eyes and streaks of gray in his dark hair. He’s wearing a black suit with a white shirt and a blue-striped tie. He doesn’t look like someone who’d be friends with my dad, or even know him.
The man stands as we approach, smiling slightly as he looks me up and down. “You’re Nova, I assume.”
“Yeah.” I shake his hand.
“I’m Vince.” He glances at my dad. “You’re even prettier than your dad described.”
“How do you know my dad?”
“We go way back.” He laughs a little as he glances at my dad. “Have a seat.” He pulls out a chair for me.
I yank on my dress as I sit on the chair, but it doesn’t do any good. My dress rides up to just below my panties. Grabbing the napkin on the table, I spread it across my lap, covering myself.
The man sits next to me while my dad takes the seat across from me. The menus are already on the table so I grab one and look it over, desperate to get food in my stomach.
“Have anything you want,” Vince says. “It’s on me.”
I look up and see him smiling at me. I’m getting a weird feeling about this guy, but I’ve felt that way about everyone I’ve met since I got here. My dad had a friend over yesterday and I got an even weirder feeling from him. Even Belinda gives me that feeling. There’s something off about her. The only person I’m comfortable with is Rita. I wish I was with her now instead of being here. If Belinda would just pay me to babysit, I wouldn’t need a job.
The waitress stops by and takes our order. I get a burger and fries, my mouth watering knowing I’ll be getting food soon. I’ve never wanted a burger this much in my life. I don’t even care if it’s good. It’s better than moldy bread and canned soup.
“So my dad said you might have a job for me?” I say to Vince.
“Yes.” He glances at my dad, then smiles at me. “We’ll discuss it after dinner. I’ll take you there, show you around.”
“You’re taking me somewhere?” I ask, getting that weird feeling again.
“It’s only a few doors down,” he says. “It’s not far.”
“You’re going too, right?” I say to my dad.
“Can’t,” he says, taking a drink of the whiskey he ordered. “Belinda’s coming over. I gotta get home.”
“I’ll go with you,” I say, not wanting to leave with Vince. I don’t even know him and my dad expects me to leave with him, at night? “You’ll need someone to watch Rita.”
“Not tonight. Her mom will give her some of that cough medicine. Always knocks her out.”
