are piling up. Need me to give her some cash?”
“No, no! I have money. Well I’m going to have a lot of money in a week. Enough to send her some to pay the bills and buy food. Soon though, I’m going to have a lot more! Just need to get on an airplane next week, and that hundred thousand goes into my account. Then I have an opportunity to get paid another twenty thousand, and that would be just mine.”
“How you going to make an extra twenty thou?” I could hear her suck in a drag off her cigarette. Must be finishing up her lunch break with a smoke.
I chewed on my thumbnail and looked down at the ragged edge. “Next client is an artist. I’m going to be his muse or some shit. Wants me to pose nude. If I do it, it’s an extra twenty large.”
You could hear Gin blow out a breath into the phone. “Fuck! I take off my clothes every fucking day and don’t get paid no twenty grand! Get me hooked up with Auntie Millie. I’m due some fat cash!” she harrumphed into the phone, and I laughed. She’d never leave Vegas. God, it’s good to talk to my girl. She reminds me of everything I am, where my roots are laid, and that I’m still me. Even if I’m dressed up like a Barbie doll and playing the part of a trophy date, I’m still Mia Saunders. The girl who raised her sister from age five, took care of herself, and is going to save her dad’s ass…again. Hopefully, for the last time. I could only hope that once he woke up and realized what he’d done, what had happened due to his choices, he might actually learn from it. Get some help with the drink. See a counselor. I’d given him information on tons of free programs along with the flyers and pamphlets for the local AA. Maybe, just maybe, this time he’d see the error in his ways.
“You coming home at all?” Gin asked as I pulled out the dress I was going to wear to this evening’s social event. Wes was taking me to some movie shindig with the new cast. It looked like fun. I’d get to meet some famous people. Ones I hoped to work with someday. That career path was nowhere in sight for the time being. Funny how things had come around full circle. I finally knew someone in the industry, and there was no way I could even commit to anything or go on any auditions. That part of my life was on an indefinite hold until I got my dad out of hock.
“I wish. Heading straight to Seattle three days after I leave Malibu. Auntie has me set up on a horde of beauty appointments between that day and the day I head out. I’ll try next month though,” I offered weakly.
“Hey, I know you want to come home as much as I want to see your fat ass, but it’s okay. Things are going to be fine here while you clean up your dad’s mess. But shit, Mia, he’s gotta learn from this go ’round. You can’t keep upending your life for him.”
“I have no choice,” I whined. “If I don’t, they’ll kill him. And he’s in a coma, Gin. It’s not like he can defend himself.”
This conversation was getting old. I loved Ginelle more than anything, but she spent an ungodly amount of time nailing me over my dad’s bullshit and how I continued to save him. It’s not like I wanted to. But I couldn’t just let him be hurt or killed. Blaine and his goons are serious motherfuckers. Blaine is a coldhearted snake. He wouldn’t think twice about killing Dad. Hell, he’d be more concerned about getting blood on his expensive suit than he would about taking my dad’s life. People are collateral damage to him, and I had been one of his victims. Cheating, lying piece of trash!
Through the phone, I could hear rustling around then the ever present clinking and pinging of the slot machines as she made her way back through the casino. “Just promise me you’ll find a way to have a life?”
“I will, I will. Besides, I’ve been having some fun here in Malibu. Wes taught me how to surf!”
“Okay, that is pretty cool. I’ve never even seen the ocean,” she groaned. “When you
“No, no! I have money. Well I’m going to have a lot of money in a week. Enough to send her some to pay the bills and buy food. Soon though, I’m going to have a lot more! Just need to get on an airplane next week, and that hundred thousand goes into my account. Then I have an opportunity to get paid another twenty thousand, and that would be just mine.”
“How you going to make an extra twenty thou?” I could hear her suck in a drag off her cigarette. Must be finishing up her lunch break with a smoke.
I chewed on my thumbnail and looked down at the ragged edge. “Next client is an artist. I’m going to be his muse or some shit. Wants me to pose nude. If I do it, it’s an extra twenty large.”
You could hear Gin blow out a breath into the phone. “Fuck! I take off my clothes every fucking day and don’t get paid no twenty grand! Get me hooked up with Auntie Millie. I’m due some fat cash!” she harrumphed into the phone, and I laughed. She’d never leave Vegas. God, it’s good to talk to my girl. She reminds me of everything I am, where my roots are laid, and that I’m still me. Even if I’m dressed up like a Barbie doll and playing the part of a trophy date, I’m still Mia Saunders. The girl who raised her sister from age five, took care of herself, and is going to save her dad’s ass…again. Hopefully, for the last time. I could only hope that once he woke up and realized what he’d done, what had happened due to his choices, he might actually learn from it. Get some help with the drink. See a counselor. I’d given him information on tons of free programs along with the flyers and pamphlets for the local AA. Maybe, just maybe, this time he’d see the error in his ways.
“You coming home at all?” Gin asked as I pulled out the dress I was going to wear to this evening’s social event. Wes was taking me to some movie shindig with the new cast. It looked like fun. I’d get to meet some famous people. Ones I hoped to work with someday. That career path was nowhere in sight for the time being. Funny how things had come around full circle. I finally knew someone in the industry, and there was no way I could even commit to anything or go on any auditions. That part of my life was on an indefinite hold until I got my dad out of hock.
“I wish. Heading straight to Seattle three days after I leave Malibu. Auntie has me set up on a horde of beauty appointments between that day and the day I head out. I’ll try next month though,” I offered weakly.
“Hey, I know you want to come home as much as I want to see your fat ass, but it’s okay. Things are going to be fine here while you clean up your dad’s mess. But shit, Mia, he’s gotta learn from this go ’round. You can’t keep upending your life for him.”
“I have no choice,” I whined. “If I don’t, they’ll kill him. And he’s in a coma, Gin. It’s not like he can defend himself.”
This conversation was getting old. I loved Ginelle more than anything, but she spent an ungodly amount of time nailing me over my dad’s bullshit and how I continued to save him. It’s not like I wanted to. But I couldn’t just let him be hurt or killed. Blaine and his goons are serious motherfuckers. Blaine is a coldhearted snake. He wouldn’t think twice about killing Dad. Hell, he’d be more concerned about getting blood on his expensive suit than he would about taking my dad’s life. People are collateral damage to him, and I had been one of his victims. Cheating, lying piece of trash!
Through the phone, I could hear rustling around then the ever present clinking and pinging of the slot machines as she made her way back through the casino. “Just promise me you’ll find a way to have a life?”
“I will, I will. Besides, I’ve been having some fun here in Malibu. Wes taught me how to surf!”
“Okay, that is pretty cool. I’ve never even seen the ocean,” she groaned. “When you
Similar Books
