Indi and I sat down on the couch. I yawned and she caught my yawn. We laughed. "Guess we're old, too," I said.
"Well, you were out doing physical labor all day. I was plunking around on a computer, so I don't know what my excuse is. Actually, I do. Sometimes staring at a screen will put me right to sleep. How is the job going?"
"Good. I'm mostly just the fetch this and that guy for now, but I'm planning to show the boss that I can do more. She's cool. I like her."
Indi's eyes rounded. "A female construction supervisor? Nice. I heard Colin was going to the Gold Rush tonight. I guess that place isn't great for someone trying not to drink."
"Be sort of like walking into an ice cream parlor while on a low-calorie diet. I'm too tired anyhow. After all those weeks without work, it's hard getting back into a routine." There'd been something chewing at me all evening. The workday had been mostly ordinary, but the end of the day had been anything but. I hadn't stopped thinking about Rachel and sitting with her on the bus. We talked to each other so easily, as if we'd been friends forever. "Indi, when did you know you were in love with Jameson? I mean, I know he's loved you since you were teenagers, but when did you stop and say, oh wow, it's fucking Jameson, he's the one I need."
Indi sat forward and turned quickly toward me. "Did you meet someone?" she asked excitedly.
"No, no. Well, yes, but I mean it's nothing."
"That doesn't sound like nothing to me." She sat back. "This is going to sound strange and probably not all that romantic, but I was on a bus, soaking wet from a rainstorm?—"
"That sounds familiar."
She sucked in an excited breath. "Did you meet her today on the bus in the middle of the storm?"
"We got on together. She works at the diner across the street. So … you were on a bus? Don't tell me Jameson was on that same bus? I haven't seen him get on a bus since we were in school."
"No, that's what was so weird about it. I was wet and miserable. I'd just lost my job, my apartment, my boyfriend. The last one was a blessing in disguise. My brother sent me an old picture of Zach and me. I think we were at prom, and there, in the background, lurking like a grim shadow was your brother. He looked hard and angry and lost. Like he often did back in high school. Something struck me as I looked at that photo. Hewas always there … for me. I'd put up this angry shield against him because of the accident." Indi lowered her face, and I knew she was having to take a second to push down the pain from losing her dad. She was in high school when her Dad drove off the road in a bad storm. It turned out he swerved to avoid someone walking down that road. That someone was Jameson, and just like Indi blamed him for her Dad's death, Jameson blamed himself, too. Indi pushed up a weak smile. "I was so wrong back then. Blaming Jameson, it was such a stupid thing to do. Anyhow, you asked when I knew Jameson was the one. I think it was right then, sitting on that bus, hating everything about my life and seeing his face staring back at me. Mind you, I never expected anything to ever work between us, but here we are, and I can't imagine life without him."
"See, I think that is romantic. Strange, yes, but also romantic." I yawned again. "Well shit, old age is catching up fast tonight." I stood up. "I'm going to shower and go to bed. Thanks for dinner, and, Indi—" I looked back at her. "Thanks for making Jameson so happy."
"You're welcome for all of it, Ronan. And I hope the woman in the diner turns out to be the one."
nine
. . .
Rachel
The bus ride with Ronan had been cold and wet, but it was the highlight of my bus riding week. Today, I'd come home with a wad of gum stuck to the back of my uniform. I wasn't sure I could save it. I'd shelled out five grand from my precious savings account, and the mechanic was getting to work on Mom's car. He mentioned it would take at least a week because the car was so old that parts were hard to find. The body shop had given me an estimate that was three times the value of my car, and I had such a high deductible on my crummy insurance plan that I had the car towed off for scrap metal. But the big financial bomb of the week had been the cold, abrupt letter from the new owners of the apartment building. Clearly, we wouldn't be able to stay in the same apartment next year because the apartment would be sold as a condo. It wasn't a five-star resort, and there were hundreds of things to complain about, but Jack considered it his home. I did, too. We'd spent many evenings in the tiny living room huddled under one of his dinosaur blankets, nibbling popcorn and laughing at funny movies. It wasn't our little dream house with the backyard and picket fence, but for us it had been a safe, comfortable place to live. Some of the neighbors had started a petition to get the new owner to changehis mind, but I knew a list of scribbled signatures wasn't going to warm its way into an investor's cold, dead heart. A few of the more affluent neighbors were looking into bank loans to see if it was possible for them to buy their places. I knew that wasn't in the cards for us, and if I did finally have enough for a loan, I certainly wasn't going to buy my apartment.
It was my first night back at work since the day of Mom's accident and my fall on the stairs. The swelling on my shin had gone down, and only a yellowish bruise was left behind. It was easy enough to cover with foundation.
Mom knocked on my door and popped her head in. "He's already asleep." Jack rarely made it past seven o'clock on Friday nights. A whole week of day care and a few afternoons at the park with Mom always left him exhausted by Friday. He'd be back to his energetic self in the morning, probably very early in the morning. Since I worked until two, I usually let him crawl into bed with me, so he could watch cartoons while I got another hour of sleep.
Mom stepped inside the room. "You look tired, Ray. I wish you didn't have to go to this job. You know I support you on everything but still, this job."
"Mom, I'll make three times the amount of money I made today at the diner but in only half the hours. And wow, the diner tips are nice right now with that big construction site across the street. Those workers are big eaters and most are big tippers. Almost as good as the tips at Tommy's," I said with a pointed look. "Besides, where else am I going to use all those dance lessons you paid for?" My phone beeped. "That's Francine. She's giving me a ride to work."
I pulled on my sweatshirt, kissed her on the cheek and headed toward the door.
"Oh wait, Ray, I made you some of that trail mix you like." Mom caught me at the door and handed me a baggie full of her homemade trail mix. "You need your energy."
"Thanks, Mom, and don't worry. We'll figure out something with the apartment." I said it with confidence, but the truth was, I wasn't even sure how to pay the new rent once it came due. It was going to seriously cut into my everyday budget. Jack's day care had a fee increase last month, too. No matter how hard I worked, I just couldn't get ahead.
Francine always wore a bucket of perfume, and it wasn't exactly the good stuff either. It took me a few sneezes and some dabbing of watery eyes to finally settle into the thick atmosphere in her car. "I just got a text from Jaz that you're on first tonight, so we better hurry."
"What? Why did she change the dance order?" I asked.
"I think Olive came in a little tipsy." Francine mimicked turning up a bottle to her lips in case I didn't understand tipsy. "Jasmine made her a pot of coffee and moved her to the last dance. How is everything going?" she asked and then quickly continued. "That's right, I haven't seen you. You know that guy David I'm dating? He's a real doll, and he makes really good money as a car salesman. He wants me to quit working at Tommy's. Says he doesn't like other men staring at my—well, you know. I reminded him that we only strip down to thongs and pasties and that there's never full nudity, but he says he still wants me to quit."
"Yeah? Is he going to start paying your bills?" I asked wryly. "Men are really good at handing out orders but not figuring out how to back them up."
"That's just it. He says yes. Just as soon as he breaks it off with his fiancée."