Page 10 of That First Night
That’s how I landed myself in this small apartment, splitting the rent with Kali and Avery. They begged me to let them take over my first three months because they knew I didn’t have much, but I couldn’t find it in me to accept that offer. I have never been one to let someone else take care of me like that. I consider myself an ‘independent bitch’.
“Thanks Avery,” I say as she enters my room. “I would have gotten it. That box is heavy. You didn’t need to do that for me.”
“When are you going to learn, that that’s what friends are for?” she says with a smirk on her face, placing the box on my bed. “Besides, it was blocking the front door. Who has this many fucking books?”
I shrug my shoulders. “I like having my smut trophies on display.”
She shakes her head at me throwing herself on my bed. “Pey, I am so pumped you’re here in the city with us!”
“Me too, Ave. I have to admit though, I’m a little nervous about city life.”
“You’re in good hands with us. Just remember my biggest tips,” she says very matter of factly.
“Refresh my memory.”
“Just remember to adjust your pace when you walk because you don’t want to bethatguy. Definitely master the art of jaywalking. It’s what we do.” She shrugs. “Oh and pizza is a way of life. Duh. Lastly, Battery Park is not a place to charge your phone or your vibrator,” she says with a pointed finger in the air.
“Noted.”
“You will be fine as long as you stick with Kali and me,” she says and moves to pull some books from the boxes and put them on the shelf for me. “Oh hey, have you gotten any hits on your flaming hot nanny for hire ad?”
“Avery,” I say, giving her side eyes. “That is not the ad I put out there and you know it.”
She lets out the smallest giggle, “You might as well have. Let’s face it. You are a flaming. Hot. Nanny. For hire. It’s what your ad should have said.”
Kali talked me into putting an ad out letting people know that I am looking for work as a nanny. I have never been a nanny before, but I have worked with kids for years now. I love working with kids, especially toddlers. I know it’s probably the hardest age for parents and people who work with children. The toddler age is when children are focused on developing a greater sense of self-control. They are just finding themselves and their own personalities at this age.
That’s why this seems like the perfect job for me as I take on the adventure of moving to a new city and finding a leg to stand on.
“Avery—” I’m interrupted by my phone ringing in my hand.
“It’s Gigi,” I tell her before answering it. “Hey Gigi.”
“Hi sweetheart. How are you? Are you all settled in?”
“I’m getting there,” I say with a small laugh. “How are you feeling? How did your appointment go?”
“Oh, you know them.” She laughs. “They want me to start a new treatment within the next two months. I feel just fine, though and I’m in no pain.”
Gigi is the most resilient person I know. She also will never let me know if she really is in any pain, so I take everything she tells me with a grain of salt. Two years ago, she was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, and she has been a true warrior through the process. There is no one in the world stronger than her and if I could become half the woman she is in life, I would be happy with that.
When my parents passed away, she became my rock and backbone in life. She is my go-to person when I need someone to talk to and that woman sure can cook up a storm. When I visit her, I am guaranteed a good meal and some wild stories. She drives me up the wall most of the time, but I know I can’t take my time with her for granted.
“That’s good to hear, Gigi,” I sigh. “You know I’m a lot closer now. If you need anything, I am only a phone call away.”
“Oh, I know, sweetheart.” I can hear her smile through the phone and it’s my favorite thing in the world. “How’s the job search going?”
“You mean the nanny ad?”
“Yeah, the hot nanny for hire.”
“You’ve been texting with Avery, haven’t you?” I laugh, giving Avery a side eye glare. Her hand shoots over her mouth to hide her laughter.
“You know her and Kali are like second granddaughters to me.”
“Esther, you’re my favorite person in the whole world.” Avery screams from my bed so that Gigi can hear her. “I’m going to come over this week for some pepperoni bread,” she adds.
Now all three of us are laughing. Gigi has a way about her that all my friends have adopted her as their grandma. I think strangers in the grocery store have even started calling her Gigi. She’s sort of a social butterfly, so she knows a lot about a lot of people. She knows the butcher's favorite football team. It’s the Jets if you’re wondering. She even cooks for the pharmacy technicians and her dentist. Pepperoni bread is her specialty. It’s a little weird that she does it but that’s what makes her happy and gives her something to do.
