Page 24 of The Money Shot
She walked over to her closet, rummaging around before pulling out a ring light. It was older, with a few scuff marks here and there, but it looked sturdy enough. “Here you go. Consider it a loan for now, but once you start making bank, you can pay me back.”
I took it from her, swallowing hard as I looked at the thing. She was really serious about me going through with this. I felt this knot of excitement and panic twist up in my gut, but I tried to look cool about it.
Laura winked and patted me on the shoulder. “Break a leg, sweetie.”
Chapter Fourteen
Jack
Sitting at my desk, I glanced at the time on my computer screen and sighed. I should’ve gone to lunch hours ago, but here I was, still buried in paperwork for a client who somehow found every loophole possible to keep his wallet closed. My stomach let out a loud, embarrassing growl. That sealed it—I was taking a break.
I stretched, got up, and headed toward the breakroom, trying to shake off the morning’s stress. As I walked in, I noticed the basket of glazed donuts on the counter with a brief note: “For Everyone.” I glanced down at the salad I’d brought that morning, and then back to the donuts.
To hell with it. Grabbing a paper plate, I stacked three donuts on it.
“That’d mean an extra two hours in the gym for me,” said a voice from behind. I turned to see David, a guy from accounting, standing there with a clear container of salad in his hand, looking at my donut tower with a grin.
I grinned back, shrugging. “You only live once.”
We both sat down at a table, me with my plate of sugary bliss and him with his sad-looking greens. After a few minutesof munching in silence, David glanced over and said, “Hey, you okay? You look a little wiped out.”
I sighed, still halfway through my first donut, and filled him in. “It’s been a helluva weekend. My roommate Bradley? Got himself arrested. Turns out he was dealing. The police raided our apartment during a party and took him to jail.”
David’s eyes widened. “No way! That’s insane. Are you alright?”
I nodded, though it still felt surreal. “Yeah, just—now we’re in a bind. Our place is crazy expensive, even split three ways. With him gone, Liam and I… it’s gonna be tough.”
David winced. “I feel you. My lease is up at the end of the month, and my landlord’s jacking up the rent like he’s got the last studio in Manhattan. Been looking for options myself. You guys…looking for a roommate?”
Relief filled me. “Yeah, actually, we are. That would help a ton.” I pulled out my phone, and we swapped contact info. “How about this weekend? You can come by, check out the place, see if it’s a fit.”
“Sounds good,” David said, smiling. “And maybe, next time, I’ll let myself have a donut, too. Thanks, man.”
I chuckled, taking one last bite of sugary goodness. For the first time all day, I felt a little less on edge. At least one thing might be looking up.
The elevator at work was packed. I was squished into a corner, trying to keep my cool, but all I could think about was getting out. My mind wandered back to school—those days when it was just me and Liam, carefree, when “stress” was a paper due the next day or squeezing in a nap before class. Lately, though,something was up with him. He’d been closed off. I’d ask him what’s going on, and he’d brush it off. Then I’d be left wondering what the hell was happening in that head of his.
Just then, a woman in the elevator got a phone call, and from the look on her face, it was bad. I felt my anxiety spike, but before I could get sucked into her drama, the doors slid open. I bolted, weaving through the lobby and out onto the sidewalk, trying not to look at my watch. If I missed my train, I’d have to wait another thirty minutes.
I cut through the crowd, made it to the subway entrance, and flew down the stairs, skipping every other step. When I saw Liam on the platform, I felt a wave of relief wash over me. He was standing there, shoulders a little hunched, with an odd expression. And as soon as he glanced up, that familiar smile cracked across his face. I couldn’t help but smile back, but something felt off.
Liam was holding several brown paper bags, all unmarked, stacked awkwardly against his chest. He didn’t look like he’d been at the office; he looked like he’d been out grocery shopping. Without thinking, I reached over and took one of the bags, feeling its weight as I shifted it into my arms. He blushed, and I wondered why he was embarrassed.
“What’s with all the bags?” I asked, curious.
He stammered a bit, glancing at the floor. “Uh, I just… I needed to do some shopping on my lunch break.”
The train pulled in, and for once, there were two empty seats waiting for us. We squeezed in, and I tried to shake off the weird vibe. The bags sat in my lap, tempting me, so I peeked into one, just to satisfy my curiosity.
“Jack, don’t,” Liam hissed, his cheeks going pink. He sounded almost… panicked.
“Alright, alright.” I shut the bag and leaned back, pretending it was no big deal. But something was bugging him, and I couldfeel the tension between us. So I shifted gears, thinking maybe a little small talk would help.
“Hey, there’s this guy in my office named David. He’s looking for a place. I thought maybe, with Bradley gone, we could use the extra rent money. It’d help.”
But Liam stayed quiet, staring straight ahead, gripping his bag like it was a life raft. I felt a pang of frustration, like I was locked out of some big secret he was carrying around.
“What’s wrong, Liam?” I almost asked. But I held back, letting the silence fill the space between us.