2. Astrid
Heather has invited me to lunch, so I wrap my ankle and pick out a comfortable pair of shoes. It’s definitely not broken, and I don’t think that it’s sprained. Either way, I’m not about to go to the doctor and spend my last little bit of rent money.
Just as I consider texting her, Heather walks into the cafe, dressed in a new ready-to-wear jacket that I’m pretty sure I saw in a Bergdorf’s ad. This, and the fact that she offered to pay for lunch, makes me suspicious.
“You didn’t find a new job, did you?” I ask as I stand to hug her.
Heather squeezes me tight. “No,” she laughs. “You like my jacket, huh?”
“Like it?” I stare at her, trying to decide if she’s come into money or picked up shoplifting as a hobby. “I love it. But how did you get it?”
Heather is a part-time assistant for the high school athletic director, part-time substitute teacher. There is no permanent teaching position just yet, but it is nice to have her around the building. We’ve been best friends since college. I actually can’t imagine not seeing her around work. I’ll be so pissed if she got a new job and didn’t take me with her.
“You’ll never believe this,” she starts, sliding into the booth. Her crimson curls bounce as she moves.
“Oh, god, what did you do now?”
“So you know my friend Lisa, right?”
“Lisa?” I can’t picture her.
“Yeah, you met her the other week at my place. Anyways, she nannies for this family a few times a month, and get this, she makes fifty dollars an hour.”
“What?” I nearly choke on my own saliva. That’s… I don’t know, double what I make an hour. More than that, maybe.
Enough that I would be able to afford rent and a doctor’s appointment.
“That’s what I said. So,” she takes a deep breath, continuing on in a huff. When Heather gets excited, she forgets to breathe in between sentences. “She nannied for them full time last month, since school hasn’t started, right? And she made five grand. Five grand! In one month.”
I start to question my life choices. Five grand. What I could do with that much money. Every month. I could pay off my debt. I could go to the grocery store without looking at prices. I could afford to stay in my apartment and not have to worry.
But a job that pays that well, I imagine there aren’t a bunch of opportunities like that. I’d probably have to kill Lisa to get it.
“Wait,” I say, realizing what she’s said. “You’re doing this too? Part-time? Is it the same family or….”
“No, but she hooked me up with her boss’s friend. I’m watching the kid of a professional hockey player.”
“What?” Since when does Heather know professional hockey players?
“Yeah. You know hockey, right? Well, I guess you don’t. But their season is about to start, so practices, away games, all that means if the players have kids, they need help.”
“Oh, that’s cool.” I’ll admit, I am surprised that’s all that she has to do. Watching a kid part-time...that doesn’t sound too bad. I suppose that’s even something I could do. Two hours here, three hours there. If I did it long enough, that could add up. But I’m a long way from designer shopping.
Surely there’s a catch.
“That’s not even the half of it.” She only pauses to place our order. “The season is starting soon, so Connor, that’s the player, Connor and his husband, Tanner, had me move in. For free. I live there for free, and they pay me on top of that.”
“You’re joking.” Now I know there’s a catch. It cannot be that simple.
“Nope!” She claps her hands, barely containing her excitement. Her curls bounce with every move.
I shake my head. Either these guys are the absolute worst, and no one in their right mind wants to do the job, or Heather snagged the only job left in the world.
“You’re serious?”
“Deadly.”
I look at her, waiting for her to laugh and tell me she’s pulling my leg. When she doesn’t, I continue. “God, only you could be that lucky.” I slide lower in my seat. This is the kind of thing that happens once. So the fact that Lisa got Heather a job, means there’s zero chance for anyone else.
Zero.
“No, no.” She takes a sip of her drink. “So, that’s the best part.” Her eyes get so big I worry that she might explode from anticipation. “Get this, there is another player looking for help!”
“What?” I couldn’t be that lucky.
“Want me to put in a good word?” She grins.
I snort. Of course I do. I’d also like a million dollars and a hot husband and to start a family. Just because I want something doesn’t mean that it’s going to happen.
But I don’t want to bring the mood down, so instead of sharing my fears, I make a joke. “It’s either that or I’m going to have to move in with you, Connor, and Tanner.”