Chapter 6
Bianca
With a happy sigh, I logged off of my bank account. At this rate, I’d be able to tell my dad to keep his money soon. If my monthly income kept going up, I could pay for my food service, put money in savings, and get my own cell phone account.
Maybe before long I could buy a new car. How cool would that be? I rocked in my chair and checked my to-do list.
I needed to do a sponsored video today. I’d started doing special effects makeup and those videos had really taken off. With Halloween right around the corner, a makeup company had asked me to use their products to do a wicked witch look, and the offer was more than I could pass up.
But it was Monday, and Wayne was supposed to be here in the next half hour or so.
I definitely wanted to be gone when he showed up.
I trusted him not to rob me blind, as he’d so casually accused Liza of doing two weeks before, so I wasn’t going to be here when he arrived.
He knew the security code to get in the front door, and I’d given him the code to my digital deadbolt.
I grabbed my phone and sent a group text to Kaylee and my sister, but they both responded quickly that they were busy and couldn’t meet for lunch.
With a sigh, I backed out of the message and noticed the one from Liza.
We’d been texting back and forth for the last two weeks.
She wasn’t able to move out of her place yet, as she hadn’t been able to find an apartment.
Her reply came back quickly, luckily. She was free and wanted to go to lunch.
Awesome.
Ten minutes later, we were in my car, pulling out of the parking lot. And just in time; Wayne was early. He pulled in as we pulled out, but I pretended I didn’t notice him in his big, oversized, compensating-for-something truck.
“Wasn’t that your chef?” Liza asked.
I sighed and nodded as I turned onto the road that would lead to Jace’s Place. He did a good, greasy lunch and I doubted Liza wanted to go to Miss Olivia’s Table, considering she worked there.
“Yeah, but he had the nerve to lecture me for inviting you to my apartment after just meeting you,” I said.
Liza raised her eyebrows. “I mean, I guess it wasn’t the best idea, but it’s not like I’m some sort of ax murderer,” she said.
I giggled. “Are you sure? Can you even lift an ax?”
“Hey!” She mock flexed. “I gotta be strong to deal with patients. Lifting, rolling, the whole nine yards.” That was true. Liza was in school to be a nurse. She needed some muscles in that job.
“Yeah, I think we’d better spend some more time on the weights,” I said. “We’ll get you bulked up in no time.”
“My Irish ancestors would be ashamed of me.” She laughed as my phone buzzed.
I ignored it, since I was driving, and sighed. “Anyway, since the week before that, he got super frustrated with me for asking what a sheet pan was, I don’t want to be around him.”
I glanced away from the road to see Liza’s eyebrows raised. “Why is he still working for you?” she asked.
“Well, he’s the only game in town,” I said. “And his food really is delicious. I don’t want to lose my meal prep.”
Liza hummed. “Maybe I can talk to Olivia. If he’s that popular, perhaps it’s something she could add to her catering options.”
I sat up straighter as we pulled into Jace’s parking lot. “That would be awesome.” At this point, as much as he was a dick, I would’ve fired him. But I really, really didn’t want to have to cook.
Jace wasn’t in the bar, just his newer bartender, Alfie. We put in our order, then sat down with a couple of sodas. “He doesn’t do servers for lunch, but the burgers are good,” I said.
My phone buzzed again, and I found a couple of texts from my father. “I’m sorry,” I said. “Let me make a quick phone call?”
She nodded. “You don’t have to get up. You’re not bothering me and there’s nobody nearby.”
I smiled and pressed my dad’s face on my phone to call him.
“Hey, Pop,” I said. He still helped me with the bulk of the business side of my job.
He didn’t know it, but I’d been putting away a little money for him, too.
He insisted on doing it for free, but no way I was going to let him.
When I finally took it all over myself, I was sending him and Mom on a cruise. A nice one.
“I’ve got three sponsorship opportunities I wanted to run by you really quick, then I’ll let you go,” he said. “I think two of them would be good financially. The companies seem pretty popular. But I checked and out of the three, only one is really inclusive to all skin tones.”
“Okay, then I’d rather not work with the two that aren’t,” I said. “I only want to represent brands that are inclusive.” He knew that without asking. I hadn’t told him to make sure the brands were representative all skin tones. He deserved an extra hug.
“Okay, that leaves you with Beauty Girl,” he said. “They’re having an upswing on social media and the offer is generous. Does that sound good?”
“It does, Dad, thank you. I like that brand.” My dad was white but had raised two darker-skinned daughters and did a damn good job of it.
“Bee, I’m so proud of you,” Dad said. “You’ve found your calling and you’re damn good at it. I couldn’t be prouder.”
My eyes misted. My father had told me he was proud of me before, but for things like graduating high school or getting my driver’s license.
The sort of thing I’d expect him to say it for.
This was unprompted, and he’d never done that.
I’d never once doubted his love for me, but pride? That wasn’t something I expected.
He meant it. “Thanks, Dad. I love you.”
“Love you too, sweetie. Have a nice day and we’ll talk tomorrow about an advertising venture with a new social media company, okay?”
“Sounds good, Dad. Bye.”
“You okay?” Liza asked.
“I am. I’m just happy.”
She smirked. “See? I’m not the only one that cries with every single dang emotion under the sun.”
We laughed about that for a while, then the food came. After we slowed down and had eaten enough that we were just picking at our food, I changed the subject away from her apartment hunt. “How is school going?” I asked.
She grinned and sat up. “I’m about to start clinicals,” she said.
“Which is great, because that means I’m that much closer to my degree.
” We chatted for a while about what that meant for her remaining school and where she wanted to work when she graduated, then I insisted on paying the bill, even though she protested.
“You save for your apartment,” I said firmly. “Do you have plans for the afternoon?” I asked.
She sighed. “I wish I could say no, but I’ve got the dinner shift at Olivia’s. We’ll have to head back soon.”
We had time for one detour at the secondhand shop, which we both loved to go to, as it turned out, then I drove us home.
As soon as I parked my car, I noticed Wayne’s truck was still there. Damn it. I was sure we’d been gone long enough to give him time to clear out, but no.
Well, I wasn’t about to let him keep me from my own home, my fortress of solitude. If he wasn’t done, I’d just go upstairs and start prepping for my sponsored video.
After saying goodbye to Liza, I sighed and trudged up to my townhouse door.
I figured if he was still here, he must’ve been working on some complicated recipe or something, but the apartment was quiet. I tiptoed toward the kitchen to find Wayne sitting at the kitchen table, facing the doorway. “What are you doing?” I asked.
“Can we talk?” He motioned at the chair beside him. “I’ve been waiting on you to get back.”
I scrunched my brow and sat across from him instead of beside. “What’s going on?” I asked suspiciously.
He sighed. “I’m going to call your father as soon as I leave here today. I didn’t want you to find out from him that I’m going to have to stop cooking for you.”
I arched an eyebrow but didn’t respond. How big of a coincidence when we’d just been talking about why I hadn’t fired him. Instead of speaking, since I didn’t trust myself not to shout that he was fired before he could quit, I just nodded.
“I just don’t think we are very compatible to work together,” he said. “But I wanted to tell you up front. Also, I do apologize, sincerely, for butting in where it wasn’t my business at all.”
I nodded again. “Anything else?”
He shook his head, then sighed. “Look, it’s not personal, okay? I don’t want you to think it is.”
I sniffed and pursed my lips. “I’m pretty sure it is personal. But I had a good day, and I’m not about to let you ruin it. If you want to quit, then quit. Take care, and good luck with your chef career. You are a very good cook.”
He stared at me, looking like he really wanted to say more, but I just stared at him without moving a muscle in my face until he stood and walked out of the kitchen.
He’d cleaned up after himself, as usual, and all his supplies were already gone.
He must’ve loaded them in his truck before I got back.
He stopped in the kitchen doorway and gave me one last look. “I’ll see you around, Bianca.”
I doubted that very, very much.