Page 17 of The Princess & the Prospect

Chapter 8

What in the world had I managed to get myself into? That question repeated in my head darn near hourly. I didn’t think there was a right answer to the question though. I could see that Joker felt bad about what he’d done, or how he’d treated me, but that didn’t take away having to live through those things. On the flip side, I was daunted by my family wanting me to move in with them. I had my own plan, but I didn’t want to tell anyone about it because I didn’t want to jinx myself. What if I failed? I had already failed everyone who thought I was a good girl. I couldn’t bear the disappointed looks from everyone again.

The real reason I was waiting for my sister to give me a ride into town was so that I could get a job and make some money. I just didn’t need my family breathing down my neck about it. I knew everyone involved would attempt to open their pockets or buy me what they thought I needed. That wasn’t what I wanted. I figured if I was adult enough to be bringing a child into this world, I should be adult enough to take responsibility for the financial aspects of having that child.

Besides, there was only so long I could stay shacked up here with Joker. Eventually, he would want to bring his women around so he could get laid. Being at the clubhouse was out of the question for him in a few ways since my father, Merc, and Deck would be there to see what he was up to. No matter how much I wished I could make myself indifferent to the idea of it, I couldn’t. It would kill me every time. It was going to absolutely slay me one day when he would get serious with a woman and bring them around our child. There’s no way I could deal with watching the man I thought I’d been in love with play house with our child and some other woman.

So, that brought me back to the issue at hand. I needed to get a job so that I could save up money for a place to live with my baby. At least then, I wouldn’t have to witness first hand when Joker had a woman over with him, or worse, near our child.

“Hey Anna Banana,” Ever called out when she pulled up to ride me into town.

“Hi Ever. Thanks for doing this.”

“You don’t have to thank me for being a big sister and making sure you have a ride.”

“Yes, I do,” I insisted.

“Anna?” My name was a question on her lips. “Are you sure about all of this?”

“I’m sure,” I explained again, for what felt like the tenth time.

“I liked Joker. I thought he was a great guy, but what I saw after your split from him, when you told him about the baby. The way he reacted since then…” she licked her lips and side-eyed me as she drove. It was clear she was trying to go easy with what she wanted to point out. I nearly laughed, because there was no need to go easy about things I’d already experienced for myself first hand. “Honey, he’s been a dick. Your wedding night,” she started to tell me something. I was sure she probably was going to shed light on the situation I already knew about, and I didn’t want to talk about it with her.

“Ever,” I called out to stop her. “I already know all these things. I know them, and I still think this is for the best,” I hesitated before I tacked on two last words. “For now.”

She offered up a quick smile and then turned her entire focus back to her driving. “If you say so, but I want you to know I’m here for you. Don’t feel like you’re trapped in this situation. If things get bad…” She stopped and then started again. “I don’t want things to get bad for you. So if anything happens that makes you any more uncomfortable then you’ve already been made, please, promise me that you will come stay with us until you can figure out what you want to do for your future. We’ll help you reach your goals. You don’t have to do it on your own.”

“You did,” I argued with her.

She grinned. “I did because I wasn’t pregnant, but I am stupidly stubborn.”

“That must come from our dad then, because we have that in common,” I told her and we both chuckled a bit then. It felt great to be able to smile and laugh again for a minute.

“Do you need me to stay with you, or did you just want me to drop you off somewhere specific?” Ever finally asked me.

“I just need you to drop me at the library. I have some studying to do and research for a paper I’m going to have to turn in. I’ll probably need to get dropped off a couple days this week if you don’t mind.”

“I don’t mind. Just text me when you’re done and either Deck or me will come take you back home.”

“Thank you.”

Once Ever dropped me off at the library, I went inside to check the help wanted pages from the local paper, along with doing an online search for jobs in the area. Most of them were the typical teenage jobs working fast food. I applied to all the ones I could online. Then I went to a couple that were within walking distance of the library because they required that people apply in person. By the fourth rejection, I was feeling daunted. I wondered what it was about me that had people shuffling me out the door so quickly, but honestly it probably just had to do with my lack of experience at pretty much anything.

Three days in a row I walked around different areas of downtown looking for work. Either they weren’t hiring, had already hired someone, or just plain told me no and then stared at the slight baby bump I had showing that meant I either drank too much beer as a teenager, or I was baking a bun in my oven. I rolled my eyes at the thought. Like pregnant women didn’t need to work more than most people. We had another person built in that was counting on us.

I was nearly ready to give up, admit defeat, and take my mom up on her offer to see me through college before I venture out on my own with the baby, when I saw another help wanted sign in a window. When I glanced up, my eyes brightened and hope filled my chest, even though I knew it was a long shot. It would be the best job in the world for me. I walked inside smiling at the tinkling bell that rained music down on me as I stepped inside. “Hi, we’ll be right with you,” a disembodied voice called out from somewhere around a curtained off area. It didn’t take long until a frazzled woman with medium-length white blond hair backed out of the curtain holding boxes stacked so high I couldn’t get a good look at her face.

“Do you need help with that?” I asked in a hushed tone as not to startle her.

“No, I got it. Just,” she huffed as she stumbled a bit, knocking the middle box into the counter. “Give me…” she tried again as the top one almost teetered off, but not quite. “A sec,” she finished as she managed to lift her burden just enough to be able to set the bottom box down on top of the counter. She patted the leaning tower of boxes gently and then walked out from behind them. Her grin fell almost immediately as she took in the sight of me standing there.

“Anna?”

“Hi, Gretchen, how are you?”

“I’m okay,” she started to say before her eyes drooped down to my mid-section and I watched as they sort of bugged out, and her dimpled chin began to wobble momentarily before she got herself, and her reaction, under control. “Is that what I think it is?” She asked, pointing at my belly. I nodded slowly, not knowing how she was going to take my pregnancy news. “Oh boy, I think we have a lot to discuss then,” she offered with a sweet smile before directing me over to a slouchy microfiber couch toward the opposite end of the lobby area.

“We do, because I thought you still worked at Permanent Marks with Ever,” I stated as we moved to go take a seat. She immediately sat beside me and pulled one of my hands into hers, and then gave up her original intent with the simple gesture and pulled me into a tight hug instead.

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