Chapter 17 #2
“Not really, the only thing when it comes to my personal life is to make sure I make my appointments to give blood. It’s an annual thing, and I can’t miss it. It’s written on my calendar on my desk upstairs. It’s somewhere around the middle of October, but I don’t know the exact date.”
“I can do that. Can I think about it for a couple of days? When I leave here, I have to go home and pack, and it’s not something I’m looking forward to.”
“You’re moving?”
“Yes.” Gypsy sighed. “You know Mick’s in the Marines, right?”
“No, I didn’t know that.”
“Yes. Mick’s reign completely ends in eighteen months, but he received word that he’s being deployed in two weeks.
We have a small house off base, but we decided to move me next door above the bike shop.
We’re already paying the mortgage on the place and the utilities for downstairs.
With me moving in upstairs, we can save that much more without paying for the rent and utilities on our current home.
If I decide to take the job you’re offering, I’ll be right next door, so I won’t have to worry about commuting so we can save money there, too. ”
Willow got up and went over to the small table she used as a desk and wrote on a scrap of paper. She came back and handed it to Gypsy. “That’s what I’m willing to pay you weekly. With all travel expenses. The only thing I can’t offer is health insurance.”
“That’s okay. I have good health insurance from Mick.
I’m not going to look at this until I go home and talk with Mick.
He’s been on forty-eight-hour lockdown, but he should be home tonight, then he’s off for seventy-two hours.
We’re hoping to have the house packed up and moved in here in that time. ”
“Do you need any help?”
“Thanks, but it’s pretty much done. The guys are bringing their trucks over to load, so we don’t have to rent a truck.
I hope you don’t mind that I might camp out on your couch a couple days a week.
The only thing I hate about Mick’s deployment is the loneliness at night.
I’m good during the day, it’s just the nights that bother me.
Takes me a few weeks to get adjusted to sleeping alone again. ”
“You’re more than welcome, but don’t think you have to use my couch. You can use one of the bedrooms. My room is on the third floor, and Christopher uses the green room. You’re more than welcome to use any of the other ones and then you can be that much closer to work.” Willow grinned.
“But take your time, get moved and think and talk it over with Mick. If you don’t take the job, I understand. But I hope you do.”
“Where would I be traveling to?”
“Mostly Seattle, that’s where Trish is based out of. I’ll send her an e-mail explaining why I’m hiring you and tell or stress to her that you are not replacing her. You’re helping me on this end. In the long run, that will help her also.”
“I’m like the go-between with the two of you. I organize your personal life, and she does your professional.”
“Sort of, let’s just say that you’re organizing the production end of my life and she’s organizing the retail part.
But I’d like you to meet with Trish and talk with her personally.
I’m not being a bitch about not doing it myself, but as you can see.
..” She held up the folder with the orders and moved her arm around to indicate all the product that needed to go into the kilns and then what had to be boxed up and shipped out.
“I understand. I’ll think it over and talk it over with Mick.
But I’m about eighty percent in favor of taking the job right now.
” She stood and hugged Willow and on her way out to her car felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.
She couldn’t wait to get home and talk to her husband.
She pulled into the driveway and made her way to her front door.
She was so lost in thought she didn’t see the truck already parked in the street.
Gypsy unlocked her front door and screamed when she saw a someone standing there, looming in the shadows.
“Gypsy! It’s me, babe.” A light flicked on, and Mick grinned at his wife.
“Son of a bitch, Mick, you scared the shit out of me.” She didn’t know if she should slug him or hug him. She laughed and did both. With her arms wrapped around his neck, she kissed him then placed her head on his chest. “I thought you weren’t going to be released until seven.”
“I was. It’s after eight now. I was just getting ready to go search for you. You haven’t been answering your phone. I was getting worried.”
“Sorry.” She sighed and took his hand, and they went into the living room. “I turned my phone off after work. I’ve had such a messed-up day.”
“Let me order a pizza, and then you can tell me all about it. But first, I want to say thank you for all the packing you’ve done.
I see you’ve only left last minute items out and enough clothes for a couple of days.
Before you tell me about your day, let me order that pizza.
” He did and then went and got them both a glass of wine.
He joined her on the couch, picked up her legs and after he removed her shoes, he began massaging her feet.
“Oh, that feels so good. I’m going to miss this when you’re gone.”
“I know, and I’m sorry. I’ll be back before you know it. I just want to make sure you’re going to be okay with being alone above the bike shop.”
“I’ll be fine. When I got off work tonight, I went and talked to Willow, told her what we were doing and she said I could stay in one of her guest rooms if the loneliness bothers me at night.
But first, I have to tell you about my day.
” She sighed and sipped her wine. Looking him directly in the eye she said, “I was laid off today.”
“What!?” Mick jumped to his feet and began pacing. “Why the hell for? You’ve been there for ten years and organize everyone’s lives there. How could they let you go?”
“Calm down Mick. I was pissed, and all I wanted to do was drown my sorrows in wine. I knew you weren’t going to be home, and I also knew Willow doesn’t drink, so I went there knowing I wouldn’t have any alcohol to drown in. But something happened.”
“What?” Mick sat back down and began rubbing her feet again.
“First, we’re moving me into the apartment above the shop to save money, right?
We pay the mortgage and utilities there, and here is the rent and utilities, so we’ll save money without this place.
Second, Willow offered me a job. I know you know that she makes pottery.
What you don’t know, and I didn’t until she began discussing the job she’s offering, is that she’s swamped.
Like five hundred orders a week she needs to fill. ”
“Really? I never knew.”
“Yeah. Shocked the hell out of me. Willow wants to hire me to organize her orders, both when they come in, and when they’re done. She wants me to box them up and ship them out. She also wants me to travel to Seattle, and talk with the woman who’s working for her on the retail end of her business.”
“What’s that mean?”
“Apparently this woman, Trish, in Seattle, takes Willow’s product to several small, rustic artist shops. Just this past weekend her designs were featured in a gallery and all her product was sold. It’s going to be on display all month, and the gallery owner is still taking orders.”
“Basically, you’ll be in charge of Willow’s life so that she can just make her designs. Take the everyday, mundane life out of her hands so she can work.”
“Yes.” She reached into her skirt pocket and pulled out a small folded piece of paper.
“She told me to talk it over with you. This is what she’s offering to pay me a week.
Along with travel expenses. The only thing she can’t offer is health insurance, but I told her that it was okay because I still have your military insurance.
I want you to look at this and tell me if it’d be a good idea.
I haven’t looked at it.” She handed the paper to her husband and smiled when he took it, and she couldn’t read his expression as he looked at it. Totally blank.
“Okay, this.” He held up the paper. “This is a weekly salary?”
“Yes. But I imagine it would be minus taxes, but that’s what my baseline would be.”
“And she’ll pay your travel expenses in addition to this?”
“Yes.” Gypsy frowned at him.
“In addition to that, you’ll be living right next door so you won’t have to commute, you won’t have to buy gas, have wear and tear on your car, or sit in traffic.”
“Correct. And with me living upstairs, we won’t have the rent and utilities from this place so we can save that much more. I’m hoping with that, I’ll be able to continue with the mortgage payments on the shop while you’re gone. Especially with the money we’ll save by moving and me not commuting.”
“Babe, before I say anything else, I have one question for you.”
“What?”
“What is your gut reaction to Willow?”
“I like her. I mean really like her. When I think of Willow, I immediately think of a little sister. I don’t know her whole story, but I trust her. And I really want to at least try to help her out.”
“Good. Because if you take the job one, it’ll make me feel better that you’re happy here when I’m deployed.
I won’t have to worry about you. Two, with the money we save from this place that’ll pay the mortgage on the bike shop, so you won’t have to scrape by.
Three, you’ll be working for a friend and like your job better.
Four, with what she’s offering you we’ll be able to save a lot of money so that when I get back from my deployment if you’re still willing, we can start a family. ”
“Really?” she laughed and lunged herself at him. “Why don’t we start now?”
Mick laughed and kissed her then set her aside when the doorbell rang. “Hold that thought, pizza’s here.” He went to answer the door, and Gypsy looked down at the paper he’d dropped. She picked it up and stared in shock at the numbers written there.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” She shook the paper at him when he returned. “Weekly?”
“That’s what you said Willow said.”
“But holy hell, this is more than I made in a month at my old job.”
“I know. We can pay our bills and save in addition to everything else. If that number is true, then I won’t feel so bad about leaving you in the lurch.
I know that you’ll be able to pay all of our bills while I’m deployed.
” He grinned and put the pizza down on the table.
He picked his wife up and kissed her hard.
It was several hours later before they were able to eat the pizza and they laughed at their meal of cold pizza and warm wine.
But Gypsy wouldn’t change their time together for anything.