Page 15 of Forbidden Dreams
My stomach sinks, and my mind immediately goes to her leaving her son in the car. “If there is any shady shit going on…” I don’t even know why I say the words.
She takes a second to look at me before getting up, still holding on to her cup of coffee. If I’m honest, and it was me, I would have probably thrown the coffee in my face. “I may be a lot of things…” I can see her fighting to control her emotions, but her bottom lip quivers, making me feel like someone just kicked me in the stomach. “But my son is everything to me, and if I had a choice, there is no way I would be working instead of home with him.”
She turns, and I hate I’ve made her feel like this. “Harmony,” I say her name, “that isn’t what I meant.”
She stops when she gets to the door. “I know you hate me because of him and his family. Trust me, no one hates me more than I hate myself.” Her voice shakes at the end as she pulls open her door, and she’s about to step inside. Instead of just letting her go, my mouth opens.
“I see that you’re a good mom.” I get up from the step and walk toward my house without looking back and hear the sound of the click of her lock. “Well, that went fucking well.”
CHAPTER 10
Harmony
I look at the drawers of clothes I have. Or better yet, what I have left of my clothes in the two drawers. I opted to sell all the formal clothing I had a month after I left Winston. There was no way I needed to have floor-length ball gowns. Even packing them when I was leaving, I thought it was a dumb idea, but the money I got for them afterward made it make sense. I grab the light-blue jeans and slip them on over my hips, buttoning the button before I grab the sleeveless white halter top and put it on. I walk back over to the mirror, which has seen better days, so many better days that I look yellow in it. The jeans hug my hips but then flare down all the way to my feet. The shirt hugs me and falls just above the waist of the jeans. I turn, making sure I look okay before grabbing a pair of socks and running down the steps to the front door. Sitting on the last step, I put them on before grabbing my sneakers. “Hey, buddy.” I look over at the living room and see Wyatt sitting on the floor with his work in front of him, snacking on apples with peanut butter.
His warm brown eyes look up at me. “Yeah, Mom?” The yellow pencil in his hand is suspended in midair.
“We have to go, buddy,” I tell him as he takes the last piece of apple and throws it in his mouth before he puts away his homework and then stuffs it back in his backpack.
“Mr. Mendelson said he’s going to help me do math,” he tells me as he picks up his plate and runs with it to the kitchen before coming back and grabbing his bag. “Then we can go and pick more berries,” he adds with a smile on his face. Last night when I got there to pick him up, he was sleeping on the couch, and Mr. Mendelson carried him out. He then told me they picked raspberries for me all night long. Which is why I decided to do the raspberry white chocolate loaf that Brady brought over to me this morning. I walk out after Wyatt, slamming the door shut behind me as I walk down the steps to get in the car. “Are you going to be late again?” he asks from the back seat as I pull out of the driveway.
“Most likely,” I say, hating it but knowing I have no choice. I think even Wyatt knows this is my last resort. “Sorry, buddy,” I apologize to him, “but for now, I have no choice.”
“Okay, Mom,” he replies softly and looks out the window. My heart squeezes in my chest as I tap my finger on the steering wheel. Mr. Mendelson is waiting for us in his rocker, and the smile on his face is huge when we pull up. Wyatt is out of the car door, shouting for him.
He runs up the steps, hugging Mr. Mendelson around the waist and looking up at him. “I was practicing my math,” he tells him.
“That’s good news,” he praises. “I just put dinner in the oven, so we can work on the math until then.”
I look over at him as I walk up the first step. “Thank you,” I say and hand him two loaves of raspberry cake that I made this morning. “This is for you. Will you let me pay for dinner?”
“Aren’t you leaving?” Mr. Mendelson teases. “Get off my porch,” he tries to say with a firm tone but smiles while he says it.
I laugh before turning and leaving, wanting to get there before my shift starts. I don’t even know how the night will go after the exchange on my porch. When he sat there, I didn’t even know what the fuck he was trying to say. I was exhausted from sleeping maybe an hour and a half before the alarm rang for me to get up and get to baking. I was on two cups of coffee and half a piece of toast by the time he walked up to me. So, I might have also been hangry, but I always get defensive when people talk about how I parent.
Parking in the back of the bar, I grab my purse before walking to the front of the building. I see it’s almost slammed full. The nerves come to me faster than I can push them away, and I give myself a pep talk. I walk toward the bar, seeing Brady behind it, going back and forth. “Hey,” he says when he sees me, “do you think you can clock in right away?” I nod before walking to the small closet and hanging my purse and grabbing my cell phone. I walk over to the bar and spot Janelle going nuts. “You got that side,” Brady explains, pointing at the tables on the side. “They’ve been here since 2:00 p.m.,” he says, putting drinks on the tray. “They should be leaving soon, but I think they just ordered food.” I stare at him and take in his dark eyes that look lighter in the sun. “That’s for that table over there.” He points from the tray toward the table with five men sitting around it.
“Got it,” I confirm, taking a deep breath. “Here goes nothing.” I turn with the tray and the five drinks, trying not to spill anything before looking back at Brady. “What are these?” I ask of the five glasses that look the same.
He smirks at me. “Whiskey.”
I ignore the urge to make a face at him and go straight to glaring at him. “Are they all the same?”
“Yeah, they are.” He nods before he looks over at Janelle, who hands him a white ticket. He grabs the ticket from Janelle. I would think for someone who is dating the other someone, he should maybe take it with less attitude.
I turn on my heel and walk over to the table. “Hey there.” I put a smile on my face. “I’m Harmony,” I introduce myself, “I’ll be taking care of you gentlemen tonight.” I put down the first drink in front of a man, who smiles at me and thanks me. “If you need anything, let me know.”
“Will do,” the second man says, grabbing his own drink when I hand it to him.
By the time I hand all five drinks out, I turn to see Brady wave me over, and I walk toward him. “You rang?” I ask sarcastically, and maybe I shouldn’t be fucking with my boss.
“This is for that table.” He points over to another table. “Whiskey on the rocks.” He points at the glass with the ice. “Vodka neat.” He points at the other glass that looks like it has water in it. “Vodka soda.” He points at the drink beside it that looks fuller than the other, but with little bubbles in it. “I’ll get the next one going,” he states, turning and walking back to do more drinks when the door to the back opens, and I see Autumn coming in. I freeze in my tracks and so does she when she sees me. I don’t know if I should deliver the drinks or run out of the bar. I don’t have to wait long because it takes her less time to get her footing than me.
“Hi,” she says, smiling, “I was hoping to find you before I left.”
“Can you two do that after she delivers those drinks?” Brady urges, and Autumn is the one who turns her head at him.
“What’s gotten into you lately?” she asks, but I don’t stay around to listen to his answer. I think as soon as I walk away that maybe I should have stayed so I know what the hell is up his ass. I mean, I’ve known him just a couple of weeks, but in those couple of weeks, he’s saved me three times, the last one by giving me a job. So whatever was up his ass, I would know and could avoid doing so as not to put a bigger bull’s-eye on my head.