Page 19 of Finding Redemption

“It’s the bare minimum of a decent employer,” I argued.“Brooke, I know your migraines are a frequent issue.The ER doctor told me how debilitating they can be.Neither of us could understand how you have been able to live with this pain and still work.”

Her teeth sank into her bottom lip, as if she didn’t understand how she’d had the strength to do it either.But I could see it so easily.This little goddess was a fighter.

“Take the job as Bella’s nanny, and I can help with that,” I enticed.“Not only will you be able to afford regular visits to a specialist, but your meds as well.”

ChapterEleven

Brooke

Head still aching,though thankfully, it was just a dull throb, I climbed out of bed and straight into the shower.

Sandra’s catering business was fairly popular.Her staff had steady work throughout the week and most Saturday nights.We were given a schedule two weeks in advance so we knew where and when to show up.

I had a corporate cocktail party that evening.Since it wasn’t dinner, the staff would be limited to just a few servers and two kitchen staff making hors d’oeuvres.I figured I would be walking around with a tray of canapés or crab cakes all evening.Easy enough to handle even if I had a raging migraine.I’d done it plenty of times in the past.With the small discomfort from the lingering headache, I’d be more than capable of doing my job.

I was halfway through drying my hair, something that took well over an hour to do, when my phone rang.Seeing my boss’s name on the screen, I felt a sinking sensation in my stomach.

“Hello?”

“Brooke, glad I caught you,” Sandra greeted, sounding as no-nonsense as usual.“I won’t be needing you tonight after all.”

Crap.I couldn’t afford to miss even a day of work.Not only did we get an hourly wage for the events, but tips as well.Tips were the majority of my income.I would have to dip into what little savings I’d been able to set aside.Especially now that I’d decided I was still going to pay my share of the rent for the months Sariah had offered to cover it if I was a princess for Bella’s party.

For one, I hadn’t fulfilled my obligation to the birthday girl.

For another, Sariah had set me up.

“Was the event canceled?”I asked.

“No, not canceled,” she said briskly.“I just don’t need you at this event.”

“If you don’t need a waitress, I can help in the kitchen.”That would mean no tips, but at least I would still have some money for the day.With rent to pay, an expensive trip to the hospital, and paying back Paxton for all he’d done for me the day before, I needed every last dime.

Sandra’s sigh only made my stomach knot up.“I’m having to make some hard decisions.Business isn’t going as I hoped, and I have to let a few people go.Unfortunately, that means you.It’s nothing personal.”

I grabbed the edge of the sink when I began to sway.“How long have you known this was coming?”

“It’s a new development.”

“If you had warned me, I could have been looking for a new job,” I gritted out, pushing down my panic so I didn’t burst into tears on the phone with the woman who had just turned my entire life upside down and shaken it like a freaking snow globe.

“I’ll give you a good reference if you need it,” she offered, but she had zero remorse in her voice.“Good luck, Brooke.”

Gaping at my reflection in the bathroom mirror as the phone went silent in my ear, I tried to control the hysteria that wanted to take over.Everything would be fine.I still had three more birthday parties scheduled for the coming weeks, and two of them were for the full package option I offered.That meant I would have enough money to cover my bills, and I would only have to dip into my savings for groceries.

I was so proud of that small sum of money I’d been able to set aside.Finally—freaking finally—I’d been able to breathe and not have to live paycheck to paycheck while basically starving myself by only eating instant noodles and spaghetti.

Promising myself that finding another job wouldn’t be nearly as hard if Sandra followed through with giving me a recommendation, I focused on drying my hair and then getting dressed.It was late afternoon, but I had time to put in a few applications and drop off my résumé.

Grabbing my bag, I ignored the voice in the back of my head reminding me I had a job lined up already.Paxton’s offer from the night before rang in my ears, but I shook my head.I’d told him I would think about it, but I wasn’t even going to consider it.Bella deserved someone better than me playing nanny.

I was about to walk into the diner two blocks from my apartment to ask if they were hiring when I got the first text.As soon as I read it, I felt like my feet had been kicked out from under me.

The mom who had hired me for a birthday party that Saturday was canceling.She’d booked the full package, which meant a huge paycheck.

While I stood there, trying to digest the new turn of events, I received two more texts.Both of them from the other mothers, regarding their daughters’ parties that I’d been scheduled to play princess for.

By the time the third and final text came in, I was still dazed, but anger had begun to set in.This wasn’t a coincidence.Losing my job and having three different clients cancel on me in just a matter of hours was not simply some stroke of bad luck.

---