A Borrowed Life (Carly and Liam #1) (12 page)

“Don't you dare!” I retort, rising to my feet.

I put my things in my locker.

“Why not? You know, then Liam would know where you were and could come find you.”

“How would I explain all of this?” I point to my uniform with both hands.

“You know, I don't think it's your money that he wants.”

“No, but the prestige and class, yes. I lied to him.”

“You didn’t lie to him, you just didn't tell him everything.”

“What difference does it make? Plus, then I would spend all my shifts wondering if he'll walk through the front door, and I’ll be disappointed every time I don’t see him. He won't come to rescue me and take me away on his white horse to his far away castle. Just forget about it, they will soon enough.”

I close my locker and leave without saying another word, and Liv doesn't argue with me. She knows I'm right and that it's better this way. I get home and grimace at the smell of mac and cheese that Sean cooked for dinner.

“Hi, your dinner is in the fridge.”

“Nice,” I sigh quietly.

Canned food disgusts me even more than before, probably because I ate so well the last week and a half.

I walk through the hallway to get to the kitchen and living room where my roommate sits at his computer.

“There’s no more ravioli?”

“Nope, and that was our last box of macaroni. I hope you made a lot of tips tonight?”

I sigh, showing a sorry look.

“Cayden is pissed and retaliated against me and Liv. We shouldn't rely too much on my tips for the next few days.”

“No way! What an idiot!”

“Didn't you get paid last week?”

“There was a banking problem with the company. Their account is frozen for twenty-one days.”

“Great!”

I take the nine dollars I made tonight out of my pocket and drop it on the counter.

“Do you think we'll be creative enough this time?”

He rises with a sigh, trying to keep a neutral expression at the sight of the few dollars.

“We always are, right?”

I grab a sheet of paper and a pencil to make calculations.

“Let’s say we buy a loaf of bread for two dollars. Then, we can get a jar of peanut butter and maybe two cans of tuna, and we can do with sandwiches for the next couple of days.”

He sighs and drops his head against the counter.

“Yeah,” he says, straightening up.

Then he puts a hand on my shoulder.

“Don't worry, we'll get by.”

Sean is so nice! I don't deserve to be comforted by him. If I hadn't gone on that stupid cruise, my credit card wouldn’t be maxed out and I would have two weeks of tips in my pockets. I also wouldn't be in the slowest sections of the restaurant and we wouldn't have these money problems right now.

“You think you could sell my stuff on the internet?”

“What stuff?”

“All the dresses and shoes I bought for the cruise. They are still practically new and I certainly will never have the need to wear them again.”

“That would be stupid. You’re not going to get near what you paid for it all.”

“I know, but it’s still better than nothing.”

“All right, then I'll try.”

“I'm not hungry,” I tell Sean who's back on his computer. “You can eat the mac and cheese tomorrow, and I'll try to come back with more than nine dollars.”

“On a Saturday at lunch time?” he responds, spinning his chair around. “Don't get your hopes up, the restaurant is usually empty at that time.”

“I know,” I sigh as I enter my room.

I go down to the basement of the restaurant to get my things and begin my shift. I had a strange feeling when I woke up this morning, and Sean let the news report play repeatedly on TV; every thirty minutes or so, they spoke of the mysterious brunette who accompanied Liam Walker.

I think my roommate did it on purpose. He knows it's me and he simply ignores how much it hurts me to think about him. I can't escape this unpleasant feeling that sticks to my skin, as if I was a fraud; as if it wasn't just Liam I lied to, but the world. It's ridiculous! Besides, there’s no risk that anyone would recognize me with the description that is given. There were at least a hundred women with brown hair, hazel eyes, and tan skin on board.

“Carly!” Cayden cries out.

I turn to him.

“In my office, right now!”

Uh oh! I don't like this at all. I take a deep breath and follow him in his small, closed office. There are no windows because it’s in the basement and I always get claustrophobic.

My boss pulls the only chair in the room and pushes it behind him as if to make sure I don't sit. I look down, expecting the worst.

“I won't beat around the bush. Your work performance yesterday gives me no reason to keep you in our team.”

“But you can't fire m
e
”

“I can and I will,” he interrupts. “I'm the boss and if I need a reason, believe me I can find one. I can also make sure that not a single restaurant hires you, ever again. You'll be serving hot dogs at the stand around the corner
if
I'm willing to grant even that to you. Do you understand?”

I'm speechless and swallow a lump in my throat as I look up at him. I know he's right, and I know I’m not the first to be in this situation. Cayden has relationships with the managers of every establishment. Without his recommendation, I can forget about working anywhere else.

“I'll make up for it,” I try to convince him.

“You see, I don't think that's gonna be enough.”

“No, please, you can't fire me!”

He slides his hand down his face, sighing.

“I know you need money, Carly. I understand that. And I know you're a good person, but you see, the two girls I hired to replace you and Liv really are excellent at their job, and I don't see how you could make yourself indispensable to me.”

He gives me a strange look as he says this and a shiver runs through my spine. It all of a sudden feels very cold in here.

“What do you mean exactly?”

“That I can solve all of your problems quite easily. You could have the best sections, the best schedules, better working conditions, and no one would bother you…”

“And what would I have to do for that?”

His hand on his belt seems to almost point to his crotch and I fear what he's suggesting. But I'm not imagining this; he wants me to be indispensable to him… My heart is pounding. I want to cry, leave, and slam the door, but I need the money. I didn't have dinner yesterday and I ate what was left of our cereal this morning. If I lose my job, we would lose our apartment and Sean and I would find ourselves on the street, eating leftovers from the garbage. Have I really reached this point? Am I really this desperate?

I think about it for a very short moment before I decide to send him packing. He approaches me.

“Don't look so innocent Carly, you don't fool me. I know that deep down, there's an animal slumbering in you, let me wake it up.”

His hand stretches to caress my face. It’s true that Cayden is very attractive, but I hate him so much and wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I caved in. I step backwards.

“Don't be shy,” he says, reaching for my chest.

I violently slam my palms against his chest and push him back with a firm shove. I'd rather beg than stoop to this! My gaze is determined and his is furious.

“I’ll give you a week,” he growls. “After that, you're fired! It will give you time to think and who knows, maybe you can convince me to keep you around.”

With that, I leave, slamming the door behind me. I don't even argue with him. It's simply out of the question! I wrap my bag around my waist, forcing myself not to burst into tears. My hands shake and my legs barely support me. I lost my jo
b
that's just great! If I wasn't so desperate, I would forget the two weeks notice and already be on my way home. However, I need it, and It’s pointless to even consider a harassment complaint; it takes years for such cases to be judged, and I don't have any evidence or a lawyer.

Like every Saturday, the place is deserted. An hour has passed and I have made only two dollars in tips. I could maybe buy a jar of peanuts to hold us over when we get hungry.

I walk to the apartment wondering how I'll tell Sean about it all. I frequently turn my head to check behind me since I have a strong feeling I’m being followed, but I see absolutely nothing out of the ordinary. I keep walking, but still can't shake the feeling that someone is watching me.

I hurry back home and Sean isn't back yet. I don't really want to be alone right now, so I call my brother who joins me within a few minutes. I'm so happy to see him that I jump into his arms and start to cry. I’ve experienced many emotions the last few days, and they seem to all take over me at once.

I tell him everything. He's furious of course, but just as helpless as me.

“Don't let him do this, Carly,” he begs me. “I swear, if he touches you…”

“You'll do what? Go back to prison, maybe? It didn't get you very far last time.”

“That was different! What I'm telling you is that you handled it well. Nothing in the world is worth enduring that.”

I nod and tuck myself in his arms, trying to find some comfort. We move to the living room to watch television until Sean arrives, two hours later. I inform Sean of what happened with Cayden in his office and he literally boils with rage. He paces the living room, muttering threats against my boss. I've never seen him like this; he’s usually so calm! I didn't even know there was something in this world that could make him angry, but now I can see I was wrong.

At least they both approve my decision, but neither of them would have gotten out of there without punching the guy.

“What are we going to do?” I desperately sigh.

“Tonight, you're gonna put your dress on, join Liv at the bar, and drink enough alcohol to make you forget all about it,” Sean suggests.

My brother glares at him, still being overly protective, and I let out a giggle seeing him react like this. He makes me laugh.

“It's Liv's birthday,” I reply. “It's her who must get drunk tonight.”

“We will see to that,” Ethan laughs.

“By the way,” says Sean, “I've already sold two pairs of your shoes.”

“Awesome! The quicker all of this stuff is gone, the sooner I can move on and forget about this cruise.”

“Why do you want to forget about it?”

“Because it was the biggest mistake of my life and it brought me nothing but trouble.”

I painfully push myself on my feet to enter the shower and change. I've spent a small fortune on dresses too expensive for me, and it's definitely one of them I'll wear tonight. It has only one strap made of pearls holding a soft and delicate sapphire fabric. I tie my hair into a bun, let a few strands hang loose, and the look is perfect. My silver high heels finish the ensemble.

Ethan drives us to the bar where Liv is already waiting with Adam and her boyfriend of the week. A few drinks later, we are both bent over the table, laughing until our ribs hurt. I don't even remember why we're laughing, and the guys just stare at us as if we came from another world.

“You’re so… serious!” I stutter.

“And you're so drunk,” my roommate responds.

“Yes, I think you've had enough,” Ethan agrees taking away my already empty glass.

“Leave her alone!” Liv yells.

I burst out with laughter again.

“Two more piña coladas!” she yells to the server who doesn't hear her.

It’s normal he doesn’t respond since she's speaking to a man that doesn't even work here. Exasperated, she climbs on her chair, staggering, and her brother jumps up to catch her. She assures him she's fine and sets her foot on the table. She climbs on it to shout her drink order, but no one answers her call.

Then she holds out her hand for me to join her and we shout together.

“We'd like two piña coladas! Anyone?”

“And turn the music up!” Liv adds.