Chapter 12
LILA
The text yesterday from a lady I’ve house sat for in the past came at the perfect time.
She only needed me one night, to keep an eye on her place and keep her dog company.
Sutton accused me of avoiding him and of course I was.
My hope was that he wouldn’t bring it up. Because what am I supposed to say?
He caught me at a weak moment, halfway to an orgasm.
It didn’t mean anything. Neither of us touched each other or even saw anything.
No big deal. I’m a little annoyed that I can’t use any of my toys when he’s home since they make too much noise.
It’s time for me to find a fuck buddy. With all my plans this year, I’m not interested in anything more than that. Maybe at the bar tonight.
“What the hell, Lila?”
Sutton’s shout draws me out of my bedroom. I know what he’s just seen and nothing could wipe the smile from my face. He bullied his way into my game with his mod nonsense. Two can play that game.
Sutton sits at the kitchen table with his laptop, and Amos stares at me from the couch.
“What?”
“How is Stone pregnant?”
“Oh, that.” I sit beside Amos on the couch. “Male pregnancy mod. Surprise, you’re having my baby, bitch.”
Amos jumps up and goes over to look at the screen. “Your stomach is huge! Look how you’re waddling and holding your back.” He can barely get the words out as he’s laughing. “Game over, dude. Liles won.”
Yes, I did. Amos comes over and high fives me while Sutton types frantically, probably trying to find a way to undo what I’ve done.
Sutton looks up at me. “Lila, why is there a nanny in a dungeon under the backyard?”
Sitting back, I don’t try to disguise the satisfaction I’m feeling. “For when my baby is born.”
“You’re going to lock it in a dungeon? You’ll get arrested.”
“Not if all its needs are met. The dungeon has everything the nanny needs to take care of it. I’ll let it out when its grown.”
Amos has tears from laughing at our conversation. “That’s brutal.”
“I can’t believe you’re allowed to work with actual children,” Sutton says, shaking his head with a grin. He cracks his knuckles and goes back to his keyboard. “Alright, let’s straighten some things out.”
I’m not sure what he’s doing but half the fun of the game lately has been logging on later to see what he’s done.
Maren texts me to let me know that our neighbors are going to meet at nine o’clock at the bar, then asks if she and Cooper can stop by for a few minutes now.
I’m sure she wants to discuss the offer she made me.
I’m still struggling with the decision, but I text her back telling them to come on over.
Amos strolls out, all cleaned up, his backpack over his shoulder. “Mandy doesn’t want to go to the bar. I’m going to her place for the night.”
If he’s passing up another chance to party, Mandy must be one hell of a good influence on him.
He pauses by the door. “Oh, here. I got my first paycheck. I know Sutton covered my part of the rent but you can put this toward food or utilities or whatever.” Two hundred dollars is dropped into my hand before he makes a quick exit.
If there’s ever been a time Amos handed over money without a lengthy argument, I can’t remember it. He’s usually made of excuses. Maybe he really is getting himself together and growing up.
Maren and Cooper show up a few minutes later. Sutton excuses himself to get ready while they join me at my kitchen table.
“Have you been thinking about taking the building?” Maren asks.
“I’ve been thinking about it. I called to see what the average utility bill runs, how much the insurance would be—both on the building and on a business dealing with children. Trying to get a good idea of the math, you know?”
“Absolutely. How are you feeling about it now?”
“I…I think I could do it. Given enough time, I think it would be successful. A fuck ton of work, especially at first, but I’m not afraid of that.”
“What are you afraid of?” Cooper asks.
“Bankruptcy, failing myself and everyone who depends on me, that I’ll end up living in one of the inflatable bounce houses.”
I’m met with matching grins, and Maren shakes her head. “There’s no guarantee any business will make it, but you know it won’t come to that. I know you don’t take risks, but if this is what you want, now or five years from now, there’s going to be risk involved.”
“That’s true, but I don’t feel right letting you two give me something worth so much when I’m not sure it won’t be a waste.”
She smiles at Cooper, and he pulls out a piece of paper.
“She told me you probably weren’t going to accept, so how about this?
It’s a three year lease. You can go ahead and move the stuff you have from storage, work on getting the place ready, see how things go.
Then when the three years is up, we can work out ownership of the building.
” He slides the lease over to me, and I quickly read it.
“A dollar a year rent?”
“Plus a dollar deposit. I’m not crazy.”
My mind spins with the possibilities. After all my research, I realized I could probably manage this without a start-up loan. There’s no reason I couldn’t get one if I need it—my credit is great and I can show a healthy savings account and monthly income.
That’s the biggest risk in this. Going into debt. It’s something I’ve worked hard to prevent, but Maren is right. This will never be a risk free endeavor. Still, if I keep my job at the daycare, along with my side hustles while I get the place ready, maybe I can do it without a loan.
I can do this. I’m going to do this.
My eyes well up and spill over despite my fight not to cry. The look of alarm on Cooper’s face makes me giggle through the tears as he says, “Hey, I’m not pressuring you or anything. If you don’t—”
Maren lays her hand on his arm. “She’s not upset.”
The knot in my throat makes it impossible to speak as I pick up a pen and sign the lease.
Maren squeals and leaps out of her seat to hug me. “We’re celebrating tonight!”
I’ve never been terrified and elated at the same time. I’m so excited to get started that I’d be at the future site of Planet Playland tonight if we weren’t going out. It’s definitely a night to celebrate and I’m ready to have a great time.
Sutton and I were going to share a taxi since we both plan to drink, but Louise volunteers to carpool and play designated driver. We pile into her car along with Holly and Jarrett, a single dad who also lives in our trailer park.
A lot of the neighbors have shown up and gathered at the tables on one side of the large bar and grill.
Donna and Milton Kent, who live right across the street, are here and getting along for once judging by the fact they’re already on the dance floor.
Donna kicks Milton out a few times per year, usually for cheating.
You wouldn’t think that a fifty-eight year old man with a hairy gut that sometimes hangs out of his shirt would be so in demand.
She always takes him back after finding some way to humiliate him for revenge.
Not that long ago, we watched him picking all his clothes up out of his yard while she randomly shocked him with a dog collar.
One that was not situated around his neck.
Louise joins Freda, Didi, and Rita at one of the tables while Cara waves us over to join her, Row, Cooper, and Maren.
“Congratulations, girl. You’re going to kill it!” Cara exclaims as soon as I sit down. Since all eyes are instantly on me, my next few minutes are spent explaining that I hope to start a business in town.
Our first round of drinks are delivered, and then a second, and the party is on. I feel amazing. There’s nothing like a little buzz to peel away the anxiety and let me be truly excited and happy. It’s so heartwarming to see how thrilled my friends and neighbors are for me, too.
“Do you have a name picked out?” Freda asks. She’s known as the neighborhood grandma who provides childcare to some of the kids in the trailer park for cheap. She’s a godsend to the parents, and kids love her.
“Planet Playland. I want to decorate with an outer space theme.”
“You know what you should do?” Jarrett says. “Have an adult night. My grown ass will come and jump in a bounce house or dive into a ball pit. If you plan to get the big inflatables and stuff.”
I hold up my drink at him. “I do plan to use equipment suitable for adults as well so parents can play with their kids. It’s not a bad idea.”
“You could have a weed themed night. Call it Bake and Bounce,” Holly says.
“Ooh, freaky adult night,” Row adds. “Hump and Jump.”
“Sex and drugs will not be part of my child centered business.”
Row shakes his head. “Well, when you say it like that it just sounds wrong. Of course you have to get rid of the kids first.”
Laughter echoes around us, and Cara nods to the small stage. “Cool, there’s a band setting up.”
The next couple of hours are a lot of fun. I get dragged onto the dance floor multiple times, play a few games of pool and darts, but mostly I’m having fun just hanging out and drinking with everyone.
Donna and Milton are the first to leave after Donna sees him staring at a woman’s ass. Louise meets a guy and spends a lot of her time on the dance floor with him. When he returns to his friend group, more than one look is exchanged.
“Louise is going to get some tonight,” I announce, and she smiles at me.
“Not tonight. I won’t be victim to another whiskey dick. But he’s on my to do list now.”
When I see Colleen Morgan enter, I wave and go to talk to her. I haven’t heard from her since Ms. Trunchbull—god, I hate that bitch and I’m so glad I don’t have to go back for another week—called child protection authorities on her. “Hey, how are you?”