Love Like This

Chapter 17

"I think you lost your mind."

Cleo closed the bag and stapled the order ticket on it.

Someone knocked on the window for change, but when the twenty came through the slot, Cleo smiled knowingly and took the bill. "I'll be out in a minute, sugar lips," she promised the old man in the long trench coat.

"I'll finish this up," Nicole said giggling as Cleo freshened up quickly.

"Thanks darling. I'll be back in a moment."

Nicole finished up the work and then sat back by the window to try to finish up her lesson. She was two months ahead of the workload, but that didn't matter to her, the sooner she finished the faster she could get out that house and when Nanna passed away, she wouldn't just be put out, but have a nice job waiting for her although she enjoyed the Laundromat business.

If she ran the joint though there wouldn't be any hanky panky like Cleo was doing, but she didn't run the joint and Marvin didn't mind the cashiers making some extra dough on the side just as long as he got a cut of it. They'd slip him the money by making their drawers come up over an extra forty bucks.

Nicole had told Nanna about the dirty dealings and Nanna was upset, but she assured Nicole she had taken care of things and soon no one would worry about the business, but Nicole. She had no idea what her grandmother meant by that, but Nanna was still strong mentally although her body was giving up physically.