Page 2 of Mama Si's Paradise

Could I blame her, though? I’d only taken essentials, and a few of my favorite books I could fit in that bag, nothing else.

“It’s the fact that I can’t afford my own apartment. It’s the fact that I didn’t have the balls to tell him everything I was thinking before I left. It’s the fact that Ihadto take these essentials that he paid for because I’m too embarrassed to walk around naked.Thosethings.”

Annabelle didn’t even try to hide her flinch.

“Yes, those things will put a frown on your face, I guess,” she ended up saying. “You can crash on my couch for a bit till you get your own.”

I smiled. “I have train money. I can go home.” Even if that word didn’t really have the same meaning for me as it did for other people. “That’s it. That’s all he gave me—train money.” After four years, and two in this foreign place. After so many plans. After so many dreams and so many promises.Train money.

I could have laughed.

Instead, I reached for my pocket to see how much I had left from my savings—which I’d been gathering for almost a year to buy a fucking piano.

Now Ialmostlaughed.

“Fucking prick,” Annabelle muttered as she went to theother side of the bar to pour another customer a drink. I loved her a little bit for it.

And when she was done, I called, “Hey, barmaid. I need more vodka.”

Her bar was tiny and right now only five people were in it, including myself. Possibly because it wasn’t even noon yet.

“A good spanking is what you need,” she said with a roll of her eyes, but she got to work preparing another drink for me anyway. Damn, she really was good at mixing those liquors. She was really good at pouring drinks. She was really good at making small talk with people, too. All skills I severely lacked.

The thought hit me like a freight train in the face.

“I need a job.”I need a fucking job—the revelation of the year for me.

“You need to let this out first. It would help if you cried a little,” Annabelle said, putting my martini in front of me.

“I can’t really cry. And I’m pretty sure I just need a job. Because I only have train money.” Andtrain moneycouldn’t buy me food and pay for rent or clothes.

“Fall, you just caught your boyfriend cheating and got dumped and kicked out.I’mpretty sure you’ll need some time to process that, don’t you think?”

Ididthink about it for a moment. “Still pretty sure I just need a job.” Even if I wanted to let out tears, they wouldn’t come. Theyrefusedto come. I hadn’t cried since I was a little girl.

She crossed her arms and took that stance again with one foot to the side and her hip sticking out. “You’ve never worked a day in your life,” she reminded me.

“Because Brandon said I didn’t need to. He made enough. Iwantedto, though.” But he wanted me home where I could take care of him. So he could take care of me in return. “Does that count?”

“No. It really doesn’t,” she muttered.

I waved her off and took a sip of myextra, extrastrong Martini. “You’re no fun.”

“You’re in Roven.Nobody’shiring even if you had any kind of experience.”

“Youcan hire me.” I could learn how to do what she did with those bottles, couldn’t I?

“I can’t afford another salary. Why do you think I work two shifts myself?”

I flinched—then turned to the guy at the bar closest to me. He wore a brown suit and looked on the brink of bursting into tears. “Hey, you.” He turned. “Are you hiring people by any chance?” I had no clue what he did for a living or if he even owned a business, but he was wearing a suit and I was drunk, so I didn’t really think much through.

“Do you happen to have a law degree by any chance?” he asked.

“Nope. No degree.”

He shrugged. “I’m afraid I can’t help you.” And he raised his glass to me.

Not that I expected better, but the rejection sucked, anyway.

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