Page 48 of Going Deep
Ginger shook her head. “Most four-year universities require a doctorate.”
“Can’t you teach community college with a master's?” Lola asked, wielding the tiny brush with delicate skill.
“Yes. Now ask me if I can live on what it pays.”
“Oh.” Lola grimaced. “Sorry.”
Ginger sighed. “I’m not sure what I’m going to do. I may end up looking for an entirely different career.”
“Like what?”
“I have no idea.”
Lola capped the bottle of polish. “There. All done.”
Ginger beamed at her newly scarlet toenails. “That looks great. Thanks.”
“Are you still thinking about staying in Chicago?”
Ginger bent forward to blow on her toes. “I want to. I like it here. Plus, my family would be two states away in Ohio, and the importance of that cannot be overstated.”
Lola snickered. “As someone whose family lives in San Francisco, let me just say, girl, same.”
“But I’m afraid I won't be able to afford to stay unless I take a teaching job,” Ginger continued. “And if I take a teaching job, I’m going to be miserable.”
“Well, if there’s anything we can do to help, let us know.”
Ginger leaned back against the sofa and smiled at Anna. “Thanks. I’ve got the apartment until David comes back in October, and I can live on my savings for a while. But eventually, I’ll need to make money.”
“Maybe you can do private tutoring,” Lola suggested.
“Maybe,” Ginger said, then shrugged it away. “I’ll figure it out somehow.”
“Well, you can always stay in our guest room if you don’t have a place by the time David comes home.”
Ginger sent Anna a smile. “You’re sweet.”
“We love you, sweetie. We want to help.”
“You are, believe me. If you two hadn’t come over tonight, I’d be sitting in front of the computer, contemplating my future, depressed and alone.”
“Anytime, girlfriend.” Lola leaned over to wrap her in a hug.
“That goes double for me,” Anna added. “But next time you invite me over, make sure you have more than pop to drink.”
Ginger tucked her tongue in her cheek. “I figured after last time, you’d prefer to avoid getting drunk. I heard you got…reprimanded. And not just for the ribs.”
Anna rolled her eyes. “I don’t know what he was so peeved about. He got laid, didn’t he?”
“Yeah, but then you threw up on him.”
Ginger snorted with laughter as Anna stuck her tongue out at Lola. “Men. They’re just never satisfied.”
“Tell me about it,” Anna grumbled.
“Well, since we’re not getting drunk,” Lola said, “what’re we going to do tonight?”
“We could go out, see a movie or something,” Anna offered.
