Total pages in book: 143
Estimated words: 136743 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 684(@200wpm)___ 547(@250wpm)___ 456(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 136743 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 684(@200wpm)___ 547(@250wpm)___ 456(@300wpm)
“Forget the frittata. I don’t want to talk about something else. Tell me what’s going on, Sol.”
I lift my head and implore her with a look. “Can we skip it? It’s the same shit you’ve been hearing the last nine months. I don’t have enough money. I may have to pull the girls out of Harrington. All their friends and teachers they love are there, but if it comes to that, I will do it. I’m barely keeping a roof over our heads.”
The same pathetic litany. I shove down the rising anxiety at the thought of the collectors calling, the teetering pile of bills stashed in my bedroom where the girls won’t see it, and my half-empty closet, stocked only with the remnants of my wardrobe I haven’t consigned yet. I’m on the verge of being house poor because I actually started selling furniture from spare bedrooms and other places I could find. One room is completely empty now. I go in there sometimes when I’m alone in the house, staring at the blank white walls as they close in on me.
“The savings running out fast, huh?” Hendrix asks.
“Yeah. CalPot unfroze our accounts, but that just gave me access to what was there. I had a nice little nest egg saved for emergencies, but nine months of emergencies? Not so much.”
“You get any catering jobs this month?”
“I did, a couple here and there, and a bit of interior design work for some of the moms at Harrington. I had my first few sponsored ads on my socials, so thanks for the connection, by the way.”
She inclines her head. “You know I’mma always look out for you, but it sounds like the expenses are outpacing the income.”
“A little bit.” I draw my knees up and wrap an arm around them. “I’ve gotten more orders for my pear preserves. Once Yas started selling them at Grits, a few other restaurants requested them. I got some personal orders too.”
“That’s great, Sol,” Hendrix says, giving me a little fist bump.
“Yeah, and Yasmen says I could always come work at Grits. Right now, I’m at least making through my side hustles as much as I would at the restaurant, and this way allows me to make my own schedule so I can be there for the girls. It’ll be fine.”
I have no idea if it will or not, or what it will cost me to make things “fine.” Whatever it is, I’ll do it.
“The influencer thing will take off. You’re starting to build an audience,” Hendrix says. “You know I be checking your socials.”
“It’s been a slow start.” I grimace. “But I did set up my storefront, so now when folks see things on my page and use my links to buy them, I get a cut.”
“You just keep sharing good content with your romanticizing your life, but still accessible aesthetic.”
“If by ‘accessible’ you mean broke.” I choke out a laugh. “That’s me. I try to stay consistent, posting my recipes and cleaning hacks and lifestyle stuff. I did a video earlier today making that vinaigrette you guys love so much.”
“And you got a million things like that people will love and spread the word about. It’s only a matter of time.”
My phone buzzes on the floor by my feet, and I glance down at the now-familiar dreaded number, groaning. “Not today, Satan.”
“Who is it?”
“My mortgage company.” I decline the call and reach for my glass again. The glass is not deep enough to drown all my sorrows, but I’m gonna try. “The night shift.”
“Past due?”
I shoot her a glance and take another sip, not wanting to answer. It’s shitty being broke, but being broke with rich friends is a different level of embarrassment. I know Hendrix and Yasmen don’t look down on me, and they know my full story, but it just gets awkward. I’ve found myself refusing to go out because they always want to cover my tab. A night in drinking or a meal at home I can swing. Anything else usually goes beyond my purse’s reach fast these days.
“I believe things will pick up on the influencer end,” she says. “I know you’ve gotten a few small-brand deals, and they were so pleased with the traction on the post. The cool thing these days is that you don’t have to have a huge following to get results for a brand. I think they’ll be back.”
“I agree, and it’s the kind of thing that feels most natural to me. Talking about my fave recipe or cleaning product or Dustbuster or whatever, but the bills keep piling up faster than the money comes in.”
“Let me help.”
My fingers tighten around the fragile stem of the glass. “Thanks, Hen, but you’ve done enough.”
She and Yasmen have helped so much without me having to ask. Groceries from Yasmen have shown up at the house several times. Hendrix has been going around me to sneakily investigate how much Lottie’s gym fees are and pay them. They’re my best friends, and I know I have nothing to be ashamed of, but a helpless rage claws at my heart when I think about how desperate things are getting as the last of my savings dwindles. I can’t just lean on my friends’ generosity indefinitely. I won’t. My eyes burn and I bite my lip to fight back a scream at the unfairness of the situation Edward has left us in.