Page 75 of The Viper

It’s just that black car stuck out and didn’t belong in the area where the motel is. Shit, what if Adrian’s found Eliza and he’s waiting for me to leave so he can kick in the front door and take her?

What if it’s Dominic who’s found us? Would he tell Adrian? No, no, he wouldn’t do that. Would he? No, I don’t believe he’d betray me like that. No way, not considering he knows what his brother is capable of. But Adrian is his brother and Dominic owes Eliza and me nothing.

“Hey, Abbie,” I say as I walk into the café.

She acknowledges me with a smile as she’s taking a customer’s order. Finn is on the coffee machine and when he sees me, his eyes light up. His smile fades as he scans me. “Are you alright?” he asks as he froths the milk.

I plaster a fake smile on my face and stop beside him before heading out to speak with Evelyn and put my stuff away. “Yeah, why?”

“You look tired.”

“Great, thanks,” I say sarcastically.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean anything by it.” His entire body tenses as he looks at the milk he’s frothing. “How’s your boyfriend? I haven’t seen him around.”

I’m not doing this with Finn. “Good.” I point toward the back. “I better go and put my stuff away.”

“Sure.”

I turn to see him looking at me as I walk away. Weird. I head out back to the staffroom and sling my sweater over one of the chairs before I go into Evelyn’s office. “Rose, take a seat.” Evelyn gestures toward the chair opposite her poky little office.

My heart skips a beat. “Am I in trouble?” I sit and wring my hands together. My pulse quickens and I feel sick to my stomach.

“God, no. I just wanted to see how you’re doing?”

A relieved breath escapes past my lips. “I thought I was in trouble.”

“Not at all.” She smiles kindly. “I know the fire really screwed with you, and I wanted to see if there’s anything more I can do to help.”

“If there’s any way I can have any more shifts, I’d appreciate it.” I lift my hand to clarify what I mean. “I don’t want you to take work away from any of the others. But if someone can’t make it to work, then I’d be really grateful for the hours.”

Evelyn tilts her head to the side as she studies me. “Is everything okay?”

I shift my gaze to the side so I’m not looking directly into her kind eyes. “Define okay,” I whisper, hating myself for even saying anything.

“What’s going on?” Evelyn relaxes back in the chair as she waits for me to give her something.

Everything. “I’m in the need of money, that’s all. I’m having some...” I gulp the lump in my throat down. “...difficulties,” I finally say.

“What can I help with?”

“I just need to make more money in order to get out of the problems we have.”

“We? Who’s we, Rose?”

I look around the office as I try to say as little as I can, but still tell her enough so Evelyn knows I’m on the brink of desperation. “The thing is,” I start as I intake a sharp breath. “I didn’t have insurance on anything so the fire has destroyed everything. And, I’m living in a seedy motel, and I need to take the bus to work.”

Evelyn opens the bottom drawer of her desk, reaches in and takes out her checkbook. “Will a thousand dollars tide you over? Two thousand?”

“No!” I wave my hands at her. “I don’t want your money, Evelyn, I just need to find extra work. I had a little over a thousand dollars saved, but I had to pay for the motel, and I still have some but it won’t last.”

“Let me give you some money.”

“No, thank you. But, if any shifts can’t be filled for whatever reason, can I have them?”

“You can.” She closes her checkbook. “Actually, I have a cleaner who comes to my house once a week. She cleans the bathrooms, vacuums and mops. I pay her a hundred dollars a week to do so. But she can’t come for the next three weeks because she’s going to Europe with her family, and I was looking for someone. Would you be interested?”

My answer is instantaneous. “Yes.” The excitement is quickly replaced with deflation when I remember I have no equipment nor am I able to get there. “Thank you for the offer, but I can’t,” I say as I slump down with defeat.

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