dissolve. nh

Chapter 30

About halfway home, my phone began to ring in the silence of the car. I unlocked it, pressing it to my ear and chiming a hello to the mystery caller. “Hello, Bleu Rochester?”

“This is she.” I said, it almost coming out as a question. Niall reached out to turn down the radio.

“This is Mariam Hoster from the Grainer Street Café. I interviewed you.” I recognized her name the moment she said it, so a ‘yeah, okay’ stumbled from my mouth before she began speaking again. “Listen, you are probably one of the best applicants we’ve ever had for this job, and we would love to have you work for us.”

The Grainer Street Café was quite famous among the locals in this town, and it was indeed more high class. “Oh, I would be honored.”

“Fantastic. Can you start Wednesday? We need you to come in Monday and Tuesday for training.”

“Yes, that’s fine.” I said, and she mumbled her thanks and goodbyes before hanging up. I stared at the phone in disbelief for a second, finally speaking. “I got the job.” I said. 

“Where is it?” He didn’t sound too happy, but I wasn’t going to jump to conclusions.

“At Grainer Street Café.”

His eyes got wide and he raised his eyebrows. “Okay.” He said finally, checking over his shoulder so that he could switch lanes.

“Okay?” I asked, my brow furrowing.

“Yeah. Why?”

“Well, you don’t sound too enthused that I got a job.”

He pursed his lips, his sunglasses shielding his expression from me. “Well, that’s because I’m not.”

I’m not going to lie, I was a bit offended. “What? Why?” I asked, and he shrugged.

“I’m just…not.”

“Oh, well that’s an amazing excuse.”

“It’s not an excuse, it’s a reason.”

“The difference?”

“I mean what I said.”

I just stared. 

“Hm. Well, you can keep your panties in a twist because I start Wednesday.”

I saw him tense as I turned in my seat, crossing my arms over my chest. He didn’t respond, because there was nothing he could say. “Why do you even need a job?” He asked, his voice low and rigid, his knuckles turning white.

“Because I might lose my house!” My voice had rising three octaves in my obvious anger, and my tone suggested that he was dumb as dirt.

“What?” He spat, finally looking at me. I’d forgotten I hadn’t told him.

“Oops.” I breathed, and he nodded his head.

“Yeah, oops. What the hell do you mean you might lose your house?”

“Well, not anymore.”

“Bleu…” He warned, and I huffed a sigh.

“I was late on a payment, and it’s been a little tight around the house. But it’s nothing to worry about.”

“Damn straight it’s not, because I wouldn’t let that happen.”

His words were final, but I’d had enough of his ‘Macho-Man’ attitude. “What the hell would you have done?” I spat, and he raised his voice over mine before I could finish.

“I would’ve taken you in! Or paid for it! Or done anything to keep you off the fucking streets!”

I blushed at his first offer, but again I could not keep my mouth shut. “I don’t need you to take care of me.” I mumbled, running a hand through my hair. It got dead silent for a few moments, and then his hand hit the steering wheel.