Page 54 of The Muse
“You gotta go. Naomi is itching for a ring. It’s time.”
“Yeah,” I mumble. “Give me a bit to figure something else out. I floated the idea of living with them, but Mrs. Rawlings ignored me. Granted, she wasn’t having the best morning, but …”
“I don’t think they’re going to pay you this kind of moneyandlet you live with them. That check isn’t a living wage, it’s a thriving wage. Hell, in our corner of the world, it’s rent plus a little FU money.”
I internally laugh at his FU money reference after hearing Rupert’s speech.
“I’m talking two-ply toilet paper and fancy coffee drinks every morning,” Monroe continues. “You can have literally any streaming service your heart desires. NFL ticket? Don’t even give it a second thought. Boom! It’s yours.”
I shake my head and chuckle. “I might even start taking my own bags to the grocery store.”
“Put money in the red bucket at Christmas,” he says.
“Tell people to keep the change.” I lace my fingers behind my head. Sure, we joke. But I really don’t know what this check means or if I’ll see another. In fact, having this money is already making me uneasy. I hate how it’s giving me an unexpected high, which feels like the first step to being out of touch with the morals I swore I’d never compromise.
The next morning, I sleep in until my roommates wake me with their extracurricular activities. It’s Saturday, my day off, so Idon’t have to rush my shower. In fact, I use some of Naomi’s fancy bath gel to shave my face to match the rest of my cool, rich man’s vibe. Then I head straight to the bank to cash the check before Rupert changes his mind. I still don’t want to be wealthy, but I’m okay with not being dirt poor for a few seconds.
With two fancy coffees stacked on top of each other, I ring the buzzer to June’s building.
“Yeah?” her roommate answers.
“It’s Flynn,” I say.
“Juju’s at work. Sorry.”
My momentum for the day dies, even though the “Juju” part makes me smile. “When will she be back?”
“I’m not sure. She had a few errands to run after work, so it depends on how long it takes to get a ride.”
“K,” I mumble before heading back to my car, realizing what must be done. Time to shop.
After four stops, a few negotiations that turn into arguments, and a little frustration, I get what I need. Then I head back to June’s apartment and hit the buzzer. No one answers this time, so I wait on the bench across the street in front of the gallery.
I wait over two hours.
Could I text her? Of course. But I want this to be a total surprise.
When she steps out of the black SUV and heads to her door with her arms full of grocery bags, I jog across the street.
“Hey, don’t I know you?” I say.
June bobbles her keys, and they clink on the ground as she twists her neck to look at me. “Hi!”
I eat up her grin, that look that says she’s happy to see me. It’s not a look I see very often. I pick up her keys.
“It’s the dark gold one,” she says, nodding to the keys.
I unlock her door and then take the grocery bags from her.
“How long have you been here? Why didn’t you text me?” She leads the way up the stairs.
“I wanted to surprise you.”
“Oh?” She giggles. “Why is that?”
“Obviously because I have a surprise for you.”
She unlocks the apartment door and holds it open for me. “I assumedyouwere the surprise.”
