Page 56 of Toxic Wishes
I laugh lightly. “Well, thank you for thinking of me. But I doubt it pays well.”
“No, my dad talked to Charlie. I told him you needed a job to get out of your fucked up situation with your parents. But that was before I knew you were shacking up with the hot NFL player.”
“I’m not shaking up with him.”
“Lighten up. Anyways, my dad talked him into a salary with paid time off and benefits.”
“Wow, really?”
“Yup,” she says, making a popping noise with the p. “That’s my dad. He can sell ice to an Eskimo.”
“Oh my gosh Mel, thank you. This couldn’t have come at a better time.”
“I know. You can thank me by inviting me to stay with you and meet Colt in person, maybe we can do a little more than just meet, if you know what I mean.”
I shake my head as I bit back a laugh. “Okay, and I actually could use a friend out here.”
“What’s going on with your sister? I know she loves you.”
“Nothing, she’s just busy. I mean, she is married now with a new baby, and we talk on the phone, but it’s hard for her to get away since I live an hour away from her now, and you know my mom isn’t the biggest help.”
“Jesus Ash, I’m sorry. That’s got to be lonely.”
“It’s ok, nothing I’m not used to.”
“What have you been doing to stay busy?”
Masturbating, looking at jobs, then masturbating some more. I had an addictive personality, and that’s one of the reasons why I developed an eating disorder. It's part of the OCD, perfectionist in me.
“A lot, really. This isn’t Beverly Hills. I have to do all my own shopping, cooking, and cleaning on top of finding a job, but it looks like I can scratch that off my list.”
“Sounds kind of depressing,” Mel says.
I place the folded t-shirts neatly on top of my bed. “Ya, well, that’s the story of my life. Work, work, work, work” I sing-sang in a Rhianna tune.
“That’s why you need me. I’ll cheer that ass right up.”
I stop folding my clothes and let her words sink in. Mel would too. She’s so carefree and so resilient. Mel and I both suffered from eating disorders. It’s how we got so close over the years. We understood one another, but she suffered with lots of money and with parents who adored her, so it didn't seem as bad when she talked about it. It’s as if an eating disorder was glamorous, like she developed an issue because her life was too perfect, even though I knew that wasn't the case.
“I know, I miss you.”
“Aww, babe, don’t do that. You know I don’t like hearing you sound so sad. I’m already going gray worrying about your perky ass.” She says in a British tone since her father was in fact, English. So she got the accent down to a-T. Mel came from money, but what made me think she was truly rich was the love she got from her parents. I never got that type of nurturing. In fact, I can recall a handful of times my mom comforted me and none at all when it came to my dad.
“Stop worrying. Im fine. I just miss you and Josh, all of us seeing each other daily.”
“What’s that fool been up to anyway? Hooking up?”
I laughed out loud. “You know that’s one of his hobbies, and now that he is home, living off his parents until school starts, I’m sure he’s going to become a man-whore before he goes back.”
“Gosh, he’s such a slut.”
I can’t see Mel, but I can picture her rolling her eyes at the thought of Josh and him partying it up.
“You guys did date. It takes one t-.”
“Don’t you dare even finish that sentence. You know I was drinking a lot during that time of my life, which equals bad decisions.”
My cheeks started to hurt from smiling so much. I couldn’t remember the last time I smiled this much. I continued to put my clothes in my suitcase.