Dirty Roomie Read online

  “Just one? What about one for yourself?”

  I smiled politely. “I really wish I could, but I have to do my job. Oh, here’s your change,” I said and handed over his money.

  He chuckled. “I’ll get you one day. I like myself a bit of a challenge. Keep the change.”

  I didn’t argue. I needed the money, and I was just glad he hadn’t pushed for more. The rest of the night was mostly the same, with me serving drinks while desperately trying to dodge the flirtations from all the men. The later it got, the more the men hit on me, and the drunker they got, the more they pushed to get something out of me. By the end of the night, I was exhausted.

  I sat in the back room with Paisley and sighed.

  “Tonight seemed worse than usual. What’s wrong with these men? Do they really have to flirt like that? I bet you they all have wives back home.”

  Paisley laughed. “You’re just in a bad mood because of your rent. You should look at it differently. I mean, if you just flirted a little bit back with them you might actually make more money. And isn’t that what you’re looking for right now?”

  I looked over at her stash of money and sighed. She had made more than double what I had made that night. No wonder the boss liked her so much more than me.

  “They’re only after one thing. I just can’t flirt the way you do.”

  “More flirting, more money,” she said as she started counting the bills in front of her.

  I shook my head and went through my own, smaller pile of money.

  “How’d you do?” Riley asked.

  “Not as well as you apparently, but I did okay. It was a busy night, and people were in a generous mood. I have just enough to pay rent at least, so that’s a relief.”

  “You sure you don’t need my help, Riley?”

  “I’m sure.”

  It wasn’t entirely true. Having enough money to pay rent was just one thing of the many things I had to pay to get by each month. I was sick and tired of spending my time looking at my account and wondering if I had enough to get by. I needed to find a better job, one that I enjoyed and one that paid me enough each month. But right now, the only thing that I could think about was how much I couldn’t wait to get home and sleep.

  Chapter Three

  Silas

  I had been lucky to get a job at a local construction company about a year ago. I had to put my ego aside and tell myself that the money was important. I also promised myself that working in construction would not mean that my dream of becoming a singer would be put aside. I could still work toward my goal while making money in another field. Luckily, all my singing gigs were at night, and construction was in the day. If I did both on the same day, I generally felt exhausted, but I would never say no to a gig if one came about.

  As it turned out, I didn’t have all that many gigs to go to. They weren’t nearly as easy to come by as I thought, and over the year, I could still count how many I had done. And I’d yet to be invited to something big and memorable, with most of my gigs being in little venues where nobody was really interested in watching the performers. I was starting to think that I needed a different marketing scheme. Right now, I was going by the hope that luck would come my way. I figured that working hard and getting out there would ensure that success would follow, but perhaps this wasn’t the case. A lot of the guys that I knew who had made it big hadn’t been any better than me. They’d simply had better connections. I needed to find those connections without compromising who I was.

  Thankfully, in the meantime, I actually enjoyed the construction work. It wasn’t permanent, so they only called me when they needed me, but I always walked away from the job feeling satisfied. I was good at the job. Working hard ran deep through my family, through brothers and cousins alike. We might all be very different people, but we all knew how to work hard. It was just a part of who we were.

  I made my way over to the construction site and found my boss.

  “Gary, thanks for calling me out today.”

  “I should be the one thanking you,” Gary said. He was a short, stocky man, who somehow still managed to tower over everyone with his personality instead of his height. I admired the way he spoke to people and had learned a lot from him over the years. He commanded respect, but not fear, and it wasn’t something you saw often in people with power.

  “Silas, I actually need your help today.”

  “That’s why I’m here, isn’t it?”

  “I need more than that, though. I just found out the site manager is not in today and I need you to run the crew. I couldn’t think of a better person to leave these guys with. I have to be out at another site so I can’t be here to make sure that things run smoothly. I’ll go over the plans with you before I go, of course. Are you okay with that? I know being a site manager is not what you normally do, but I figured you’d be great at it. You’re just the sort of guy for the job. Of course, if you don’t want to, that is fine.”

  I smiled. It was a huge compliment. And I figured it was going to bring me a bit more money than just being one of the workers. I had never worked as a site manager before so it was nice that he was asking me over everyone. Gary and I had always gotten along great.

  “Absolutely. I’m glad that you trust me with it. Yeah, I’d love to give it a shot.”

  I walked over to Gary’s car while he ran through the plans with me. I’d done enough construction work to know exactly what he was talking about, and I was glad that I also knew the group of guys that were working that day. I knew almost all of them except for two new guys. Once Gary finished going through everything with me, I walked over to the guys to let them know what was happening. I was glad to see that nobody seemed upset that I would be their boss for the day. They all took it in their stride and listened to what I had to say. Even the new guys were fine with me.

  I spent the day walking around the site, giving orders and helping out where I could. The guys were all just as hardworking as me and getting them to do what I wanted was easy. I didn’t think I’d enjoy running the show, but I took more pleasure from it than I expected to. Maybe it would be different if I was working with a more difficult team, but these guys were making things easy for me. At the end of the day, one of the guys came up to me.

  “It was great having you run the show today, man.”

  I smiled. “Are you being sarcastic?” I asked. I could never tell with Tommy. He was the joker of the group. Even when he was in a bad mood, he couldn’t help but crack a few jokes. It was just a part of who he was. He was one of the guys I enjoyed working with the most because of this. Even when we were exhausted, and dripping with sweat, he would find a way to make me laugh about something.

  He laughed. “I’m not, actually. I mean it. It was great having you around today. To be honest, it was better than usual. The guys seem to have more respect for you. That’s why they were all working so hard today.”

  I grinned at him. “That’s nice to hear. I enjoyed it. I had no idea that I would be able to do something like this. And look at what we did today. We’re actually ahead of schedule. We were supposed to finish today’s job in about an hour or two, so this is great. In fact, it’s been such a good day that I’m going to reward everyone with some beers. Who’s in?” I yelled.

  The guys all finished up what they were doing, packed up, and together we headed out to the local pub for some beers. I knew I probably shouldn’t be spending money that way but I was feeling good after my day with the boys, and I felt like treating them for their hard work. This was probably exactly why I shouldn’t do a job like this, though. The guy that is normally in charge would never buy the guys beers, but he was probably a lot richer than I was because of it.

  “I wish we could go for beers after every job,” Tommy said.

  I laughed. “Yeah, that would be great. But you guys worked hard today. It was strange not doing the same work as you.”

  “You did well, though. I’m not sure it’s something that most people can do. It�
�s not nearly as easy as people think. The guys here are always complaining about the site managers. But I know it’s not an easy job. Although, between you and me, you should totally get this job over some of the other guys.”

  “You’re just saying that because I bought you a beer.”

  He laughed. “Well, that certainly doesn’t harm of course. So, you thinking of working for us full-time now?”

  I shrugged. “I won’t say no to a job. I definitely need the money. But, you know, I’m still holding out on my dream. I won’t give up.”

  “I like that about you, Silas. You’re not giving up on your dream. How’s it going by the way? Any more gigs lined up?”

  “Not even one.”

  “And yet you continue to dream!”

  “Yeah, sometimes I’m not sure if I’m just being delusional, but I’m not going to give up on just yet. I still have faith.” I smiled at Tommy despite the growing feeling inside me that I was perhaps holding onto a dream that would never come true.

  “Good for you. And if you don’t become a singer, at least you know you have a job in construction. You’re great at this job.”

  I suppose he said that to me because he was trying to make me feel better, but it only made me feel worse. I might be good at construction work or have a great future in site management, but I would be so disappointed in myself I didn’t make it as a singer. The moment I had joined the choir at school I had been sure that it was what I wanted to do with my life. I had given up so many other opportunities to pursue this dream, and I had put myself through a lot of bullying that could’ve been avoided. I had ignored the jeers and the jokes at my expense and promised myself that one day I would make them eat their words. But sometimes, as much as I hated to admit it, I wasn’t sure if I believed it anymore.

  I had a good afternoon with the guys at least. They were easy to get along with, and after a day of work all they wanted to do was drink beer and relax. I envied them a little. I always thought it was good to have goals, but there was something about not having a goal that appealed to me nowadays. They did their work and then simply forgot about it when the day was over. I imagined them all going home to their wives or partners, spending the evening doing everything else but thinking about work. It was different for me. Today had been a side job, a way to make some extra cash while I concentrated on the bigger picture. They would all go home and feel good after a good day out at work. I would go home and stress about the fact that I was still nowhere near where I wanted to be.

  “All okay?” Tommy asked. “You look like you’re thinking very deeply about something.”

  I smiled. “I’m fine. Just wondering what to have for dinner,” I lied.

  He laughed. “That’s exactly what I’m thinking about too. I’m starving.”

  I called the waiter and asked him to bring me the bill, and I tried not to cringe when I saw the amount at the bottom of the slip. I hadn’t calculated that correctly in my head and wished now that I hadn’t invited everyone out for a beer. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, but I wasn’t so sure now. I hoped someone would interject and insist on paying the bill for me, but of course, that wasn’t going to happen. They probably assumed I had more money than they did but that wasn’t the case at all. I paid the bill and felt relieved when my card didn’t bounce. Money was becoming a big issue for me. The construction work was great, but it wasn’t an everyday job, and I simply wasn’t making enough money from my singing career. Right now, the singing career was almost non-existent, and it didn’t help that my rent was so high.

  I was going to have to find a new place to live. I loved my apartment, but I simply couldn’t afford to live there anymore. And I knew that there was no way I could give up on my music and do construction full-time. I would have to find somewhere cheaper to live while I pursued my dream a little bit longer. A smaller place in a not so affluent part of town almost felt like I was going backward rather than forward, but it was better than giving up on my goal altogether.

  “Thanks for the beers, Silas!” Someone called out to me as we walked out the pub.

  “Sure. Anytime,” I called back while silently making a promise to myself not to do it again.

  Chapter Four

  Riley

  I was getting ready for another day at the pub, sighing out loud as I put my outfit on. We had to wear all black at the bar, and short skirts were encouraged. But I always wore black leggings instead. I knew that my boss couldn’t make me wear a skirt, and he knew it too, but I knew he was disappointed in me for not doing it. He had a soft spot for Paisley and more than likely kept me on simply because he liked her. I didn’t mind that he didn’t like me as much. As long as he kept giving me shifts and kept paying me, it was all that mattered. I pulled out my ironing board from under my bed and plugged in the iron. My apartment was small, and I had to find ways of storing things so that there wasn’t too much clutter. I didn’t work well in a messy place, but it wasn’t always easy when you lived in a place so small. I told myself that it didn’t really matter because at least I was saving money. I mostly didn’t buy anything for the home because there was just no place to put it. I hardly ever went clothes shopping because my closet was so tiny. Still, it would be nice to have a place that was at least a little bigger than what I had now.

  I ironed my clothes, put the board back under the bed and got changed. I had just finished applying my makeup when my phone rang. I prayed that it wasn’t my landlord telling me that rent was going up yet again. I couldn’t handle any more bad news from him. But the phone showed a number that I didn’t recognize.

  “Hello?”

  “Hi, I’m looking for a Miss Riley Yelling?”

  “Yes, that’s me. How may I help you?”

  “Miss Yelling, my name is Quinton Spurdock. I’m the lawyer assigned to your late grandmother’s case. Is this a good time to talk?”

  My late grandmother? I barely knew her at all. I knew she had passed away, but we’d had so little contact over the years that I hadn’t given it much thought. Why would a lawyer be calling me? I sat down on the bed.

  “Uh, sure. Yeah, it’s a good time.” The clock above me showed that I still had some time before my shift started. I wouldn’t be late from a phone call, and I was too curious not to find out more.

  “Good. Good. Well, like I said, I’m the lawyer representing your grandmother’s case. As I’m sure you know, Mary passed away a few months ago. We’ve been going through her will and her papers, and it has come to our attention that her house was left to you.”

  “Her house? Are you sure?”

  “I’m sure. Would it be possible to meet me at the house now? I know it’s short notice but I have a jam-packed week and today would be the best day for me. We like to sort out affairs as soon as possible.”

  How could I not go? I hardly ever missed a shift at work. I even went into work when I was sick, so taking off one day was surely well deserved. I had to find out more.

  “Of course. I can meet you there in, say, half an hour?”

  “Great. I’ll see you there. Thanks for being so accommodating, Miss Yelling.”

  “You can call me Riley by the way. And, uh, can you give me the address.”

  “You don’t know the address?” he asked.

  “Uh, no. Sorry. My grandmother and I weren’t exactly close. That’s why I’m so surprised by all of this.”

  I got the address and quickly called my boss to let him know that I wasn’t coming in. But his phone went straight to voicemail. I sighed and called Paisley.

  “I can’t get hold of Derrick,” I said when she answered the phone. “Do you know where he is?”

  “I have no idea. Why do you need to speak to him?”

  “I can’t go into work today. And I’m supposed to be there soon. Shit, I hate bailing on people at the last minute like this. He’s going to be so mad.”

  “No, he’s not. I’ll go in for you.”

  “No, Paisley, today is your day off. Yo
u don’t have to do that. I’m sure it’s okay if they’re one woman down for a change.”

  “I’m honestly happy to do it. I had nothing else planned for tonight anyway.”

  “Really? Wow, thank you. You’re amazing. I owe you big time.”

  “Yes, I am, and yes, you do. So, what’s going on? You sick?”

  “I’m actually going to my grandmother’s house to meet with her lawyer.”

  “A lawyer? Isn’t your grandmother dead?”

  “Yeah. And apparently, she’s left the house to me. The lawyer just called me now and asked me to meet with him.”

  “What? Are you serious? But . . .”

  I laughed. “I know! I hardly knew her. I think there’s a mistake. But I figured I better go and meet him and find out more for myself. How embarrassing though, I had to actually ask for the address.”

  Paisley burst out laughing. “Oh, I can just imagine that. You just asked for the address for a house that someone left you. Sounds insane. You better let me know what he says.”

  “I will. And thanks for helping out today. Coffee tomorrow?”

  “Coffee sounds great. Ooh, this is so exciting. It feels like you’re in the middle of some movie plot or something.”

  “Yeah, with the great big twist at the end showing that they made a mistake and all that my grandmother left me was her stuffed cat.”

  “She had a stuffed cat?” Paisley exclaimed in horror.

  I giggled. “No! I was just joking. Well, I hope not anyway. Ooh, I better get going. Thanks again!”

  “Anytime! See you tomorrow. Leave the stuffed cat at home.”

  My grandmother’s house was a mere ten minutes away. I felt bad at the thought that she had lived so close to me all these years. It wasn’t my fault that we didn’t keep in touch though. A big feud had split the family in half, and I had been too young to really understand what was going on. I probably should’ve made an effort to find out the truth, but I had all but forgotten about most of the family by the time I was old enough to care. It was weird thinking that she had lived so close to me for so long.