Strip

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Mrs. Copper wasn't answering, which meant she was either ignoring the impressivly loud knocks on her door, or was dead. Due to the face that ignorance can wear off I hoped it wasn't the first.

After another minute of banging on her door, I heard a muffled voice yell, "I need a day off!"

"Mrs. Copper!" I yelled back. "Please take James! Just for today, then we'll work something else out!"

No response.

"Mrs. Copper?"

Nada.

I sighed and rested my head against the door. "Please?"

When there was still nothing from her end, I stood up, and looked down at James. "What should we do buddy?"

James just stared at me. Knowing that it might not be the best idea, I took James' hand, and started leading him downstairs.

"Where are we going?" James asked.

"You're gonna see where I work."

 ---

"Nope."

"Come one Cath!"

"No. Nuh uh. No way."

"Just for today!"

Cath glared down at James, who looked up at her with his cutest, "Please-help-I'm-just-a-poor-little-kid" face. It didn't seem to be working.

"I can't have a kid with us all day."

"He'll just sit in a booth! And, I dunno, color or something."

Cath raised an eyebrow. "He's a kid. He'll be a distraction."

"No I won't!" James said. "I'll be nice and quiet. I won't even get out of the seat!"

Cath wasn't convinced. "I'm sorry but, it's against restaurant policy."

"What policy!?" I asked, my voice jumping an octave higher.

"You can't have your kids around hanging around you all day!" Cath yelled back.

"I'll be good!" James promised. His eyes widened, and his lip jutted out a bit.

After glaring down at him for another moment, Cath looked at me and snapped, "Fine. But he has to be quiet. And no free food."

"Thank you so much!" I said. "I'll make it up to you, I promise!"

Cath just mumbled something under her breath, and I sat James down in the booth closest to the register. "I'll get you some paper, and a pencil soon, ok?"

James nodded.

As I rushed behind the counter and tied my apron on Ally came up to me. "He seems nice."

"He is," I said simply. "He's a real good kid."

"Who's his dad?"

"Don't know."

"Damn girl!" Ally said. "I though you'd at least know who the father of your kid is!"

"What?" It took me a moment to process what she said. Oh, I thought. Ohhhhhh. Wait...

"He's not my ki-" I started to explain.

"I'm not judgin'," Ally said, raising her hands. "I just didn't think you were that girl."

"No, you don't-"

"There's nothing wrong with being that girl, it's just-"

"Jame's isn't-"

"I didn't think it was you know, you."

"No see... James... I didn't.... I'm a virgin." I tried to say, all my words mushing together in my head. 

Ally just raised an eyebrow.

"I didn't... I wouldn't... I didn't even have my period when he... No, he's, he's not..."

Ally crossed her arms.

"He's my brother," I finally spat out.

"Oh." Ally said. "That makes more sense."

"Molly," Cath said. "Don't start bringing your kid to work everyday."

"He's not my kid!" I started to explain (again), but Cath was already walking away.

"So," Ally said, as she started working at the grill (I was making fries). "Why'd you bring him with you today?"

"My babysitter is being stupid. She says she overworked." I rolled my eyes. "All she does is hide out in her room to smoke and gossip and leave James in front of the tv too see movies that will then lead to many nights of nightmares."

"So what are you gonna do?"

I looked up from my fries. "What do you mean?"

Ally shrugged. "Well, if your babysitter quits, what are you gonna do? I mean, you can't bring him here everyday."

I felt like Ally had just dropped an ice cube down my back. Startled, uncomfortable, and wishing she had never asked. I sorta wiggled around as if I was trying to get the ice cube out.

"I... dunno. I don't think I could get another one,.."

Ally shrugged. "Well, good luck."

---

Obviously I couldn't take James with my to the strip club. Which left me with three options: Ask Cath if James could stay there a few more hours, try Mrs. Copper again, or leave him home alone.

The first two didn't seem so promising. I decided not to push it with Cath (I could feel a firing coming, and I was going to try everything in my power to prevent it.) And after knocking on Mrs. Coppers door with not answer, I was starting to actually worry a little that her pace maker stopped working (I didn't actually know if she had a pace maker but I don't think that heart could work on it's own.)

So after 10 minutes of debating with myself in my head, and coming dangerously close to being late, I bent down to look at James.

"I have to go. You're gonna stay here ok? It's just for tonight. There's a big mac waiting for you in the fridge. Call me if anything bad happens. Then, if it's a real emergency, call 911. Do you know my phone number?"

James nodded.

"Tell me."

James recited my phone number. After doing it again, I finally kissed the top of his head, yelled, "Be in bed before I get home!" And left.

---

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