Page 7 of Dr. Baby Daddy

It’s still months away, but I’m going to need a massive stash of money to avoid freezingandkeep eating.

I take another sip of wine. “I needed the emotional support to get through paying the bills. Pittsburgh isn’t cheap, but it’s nothing compared to here. I thought being on Broadway was going to pay more, but since the show is just in the beginning stages, my salary is truly lacking.”

Kate nods, understanding in her eyes. “I’m in the chorus for a massive show and the pay still isn’t the greatest. It’s why I spend several nights a week bartending.”

I pull a mauve throw pillow to my chest, squeezing it tight. “At this rate, I’m going to have to find a second job. And find time to keep practicing. I don’t know how people manage it all.”

“There’s an opening where I work, at The Gilded Raven, for a jazz pianist. I could talk to my boss and see if he would be willing to give you an audition before the job listing goes out to the public.”

“You don’t have to do that. I’m just complaining. I’ll be able to find something.”

Although, I’m not sure about that. It seems like everyone in this city is working two jobs, if not more. The only jobs that might be out there are ones that aren’t going to work with my rehearsal schedule.

Kate waves a hand. “I’m going to talk to him. You need a job, and I need a friend in that place. It’s filled with entertainers, which means that all the staff view each other as competition. It would be nice to have a friendly face.”

“It’s too much to ask.”

“Nope.” She gets up and grabs her phone from the coffee table. “I’m going to go make a quick call, but I’m sure that Dex will say yes. We need another pianist, and I’ve heard you play. You’re talented.”

Kate takes off into the kitchen, the phone already ringing as she waits for her boss to answer. I finish off my wine before collecting my bills and stuffing them in the drawer of the console table behind my couch.

Outside, the sun is shining bright, and people wander down the street below.

Wait, is that the grouchy neighbor?

A flash of dark hair disappears around a corner. It’s too quick to see who it is. A moment later, the person comes back.

Not him.

My heart sinks in my chest just a little.

While there is no denying that the man is rude, he’s also attractive. There’s no harm in admiring him, even if he’s made it clear that he wants nothing to do with me. I could have used something nice to look at after giving the bill collectors too much money.

I spin around and head for the couch, dropping down into the soft embrace of the cushions.

Kate bounces back to the couch, a wide grin on her face. “All right, so there’s good news and bad news. What do you want first?”

I groan and reach for the glass of wine, taking a sip to calm my nerves. “All right. Bad news first.”

“Well, the bad news is that Dex is requesting a live audition. He wants to see how the crowd responds to you before he agrees to take you on permanently.”

My eyes widen as I jump up from the couch and squeal. “You’re kidding me! He’s going to let me audition?”

“Yes! This Friday night.”

With my heart in my throat, I get up and pull her into a tight hug. “Thank you so much. You really didn’t have to do this for me.”

“We’re friends trying to make it in a city designed to eat you whole and spit you back out.” Kate pulls me back down to the couch, wriggling around until she’s comfortable and in the corner. “We have to stick together if we’re going to survive.”

I put my feet up on the edge of the couch. “I want this to go well.”

“We could make flyers to advertise where you’re going to be playing.” Kate opens an app on her phone to design the flyers. “You have a printer, right?”

“You’ve already done enough for me. I’m not about to ask you to make me flyers too.”

She rolls her eyes and nudges me with her foot. “You haven’t asked me for anything. I offered to do it. Now, printer, yes or no?”

“Yes.”

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