“No.” She lifted afinger, disturbing Harriett’s rumbling purr. “Stopforcingit, Tessa. Stop telling yourself what youshould bewriting, and justwrite.”
“Butwhat?” I asked the question, knowing shewouldn’t have the answer. Nobody could tell me what to write. Nobody but me.
“Look around you andfind something,” she said simply with a shrug. “Maybe youshouldget out more often. Find some inspiration.” And just likethat, she turned away, pulling her glasses back on, and as Richard’s sultryvoice filled the room once again, I knew I had been dismissed.
I fixed my gaze on theTV, seeing beyond Mr. Dawson’s washed-out face and through the wires and bulbs.I found it strange that my thoughts turned to, not my floundering career as anauthor, but the job opportunity I had received just the day before.Babysitting. I scoffed bitterly. Ofcourse, Jeff the Middle-Aged Hipster hadn’t known my history when he’d askedthe question. He didn’t know that I had spent nearly every waking moment of mylife for the past six months essentially babysitting an eighty-four-year-oldwoman. Cooking for her. Cleaning up after her. Sitting through more than myshare of stubborn tantrums. How the hell was babysitting a couple of littlegirls any different than that?
It’snot, except…
Except that it was, Irealized as Richard took his spot between the first two contestants. It was achange of scenery. A new set of problems. Hell, the sheer thought ofplaytimesounded absolutely rivetingall of a sudden, and I began to kick myself for notaccepting Jeff’s offer.
Without taking a momentto think, I sprung from the couch and headed straight for my bedroom. I pulledon a pair of Doc Martens and grabbed my messenger bag, making sure to check myreflection in the mirror before heading back to the living room.
“Come on, Grandma,” Iannounced. “We’re going for a ride.”
***
“I thought you said they didn’t want youto tend bar,” Grandma commented snidely as we pulled into the parking lot ofJeff’s.
“They didn’t,” Iclarified. “But I want to talk to the owner about something else.”
For now, I kept thebabysitting offer to myself. The last thing I needed was for her to point outthe obvious: that I’d be spending even more of my time taking care of somebodyelse.
Grandma harrumphed fromher side of the car as we parked. I climbed out and hurried my way around toher door, opening it and offering her both of my hands. She grumbled withinsistence that she didn’t need the help, but who was she trying to fool? Sheaccepted my hands with stubborn reluctance, and I pulled her out of the car.
“We’re only going to bein here for a few minutes,” I promised, reaching into the backseat for hercane.
“Then why doIneed to go in?” she droned,undoubtedly glaring at me behind her extra-dark sunglasses.
“Because there’sgottabe laws against leaving the elderly alone in hotcars,” I countered, offering my elbow for her to grasp.
“Well, can I get adrink, then?” she bargained with a wink.
Oh,that’s the last thing we need, for her medications to mix with booze. “Uh,I don’t think so.”
“And here I thought Iwas getting stuck with someone fun.” She feigned a wistful sigh, shufflingalongside me and keeping her eyes intently on the ground.
I allowed myself aneye-roll and pulled the door to the club open. Immediately I was struck with ajoyful chorus of giggles and squeals, and I smiled with the strangest hint ofcertainty that I was doing the right thing.
“Tessa!” The familiarlittle girl came rushing toward me, stopping abruptly at my feet. “You cameback!”
Wearing pink ballet slippersand another princess dress, Shelly was accompanied by the little girl I sawonly briefly the day before. She hid shyly behind the older girl’s shoulder,peering up at my grandmother and me with a cautious curiosity shimmering in thedeep-greenof her eyes.
“Hi Shelly,” I greetedher with my friendliest smile. “Is, um, is Jeff—”
“Hello.” I wasinterrupted by the man I had momentarily met the day before. Tall, slender, andin what appeared to be the same outfit as I’d already seen him in—black, button-downshirt and black jeans. I wondered if maybe it was a uniform, not knowing whatit was he did. “Tessa, right?”
“Oh, hi. Yeah, that’sme.” I nodded, stretching my lips into a wide smile as I reminded myself thatthis was their father and, in a way, the reason I was here.
With a curt nod, hetook a step backward as he said, “I’ll get Jeff for you.”
“Wait, actually,” Iushered Grandma to a seat and helped her into it before hurrying after him ashe walked toward the bar, “I’m here to seeyou.Well … I think so, anyway.”
He didn’t say anythingas he turned to me. His face was blanketed by a mask of skepticism while theedges of his eyes darkened with a certain knowing.
“Oh?” His tone wasflat, and I began to wonder if I was intruding where I shouldn’t.
“Um, well,” I started,painfully aware of the wavering in my voice before I resigned myself to beingconfident. “Yesterday Jeff offered me a job babysitting the girls, who I’massuming are yours, and—”
