Page 48 of Grand Love
I look down at him and then to the bag of soiled clothes in my hand. Moving quickly across the street, I toss the clothes into the bin and sit down on a nearby bench.
Needing to calm myself, I pull Ellis from his stroller and then reach for my phone and dial Lucy’s number.
“Hey! I’m on my way to a fitting, babe. Everything okay?”
“No. Luce, I just saw the stripper.”
“The stripper?” she asks. “Oh my god! The stripper?”
“Yes! She walked into me. I was about to cross the street.”
“Did you say anything? Jesus, Nina, did you hurt her?”
“What? No! I’ve seen her before though. In the hotel. She was going into a room when I was cleaning. I remember she was crying, and I just knew I’d seen her face before.”
She looked ten times better today than she did in the hotel, with her hair washed and her roots fixed. And her dress was smart—expensive even.
“At The Earl Marks?” she questions. “Shit, Nina, I have to go, me and Jean are just pulling up. I will call you after, okay?”
“Yeah. Sorry to call when you’re working. Speak later.”
I stare at the ground, completely lost in my own mind. It never bothered me to know who she was. She was a nobody to me. But now that I’ve seen her… I want to know more. Who is this girl, and how did she end up with Mason that night?
* * *
“I’m coming, baby boy!”I call into the lounge to a crying Ellis. “Just a second. Mummy is going as quick as she can.”
Since Mason has been coming to the apartment, Lucy has taken a step back in helping me in the mornings. It’s what I wanted, but it means on the days I have work and Mason picks up, I have to get us up and ready for seven thirty when Mason comes to get him. It’s a mad rush, especially when Ellis likes to nap so late into the morning.
He crawls into the kitchen and starts to climb up my legs until he’s standing clinging to me, swaying on his chunky legs.
“Come here.” I lift him into my arms and wipe away his tears. “Mummy was only getting your things ready, little man.”
I hear the door and then Vinny walks in. My brows crease. “You beat Mason this morning Vin, you okay?”
“’Morning, love. Mason needs to go into the office this morning. He asked if I could have Ellis for a couple hours after I dropped you in.”
“He didn’t say anything about it. You have time?”
“It’s not for long. And I don’t mind.” He smiles.
I know Vinny adores Ellis, but I sometimes worry he feels obliged to say yes. “If you’re sure.”
“Come on, what needs doing? You’re going to be late.”
* * *
Rochelle is waitingat reception when I get into work. Skirting past her, I slip into the staff office and hang up my coat. If you ask me, she’s making the place look untidy.
“Oh, hello, Nina. You decided you’d come in today then?”
“My son—” I snap my mouth closed, because explaining myself to this woman is pointless. She doesn’t have a compassionate bone in her body.
“You can stay on tonight, or your wages will be docked. Remember when you aren’t here, it’s everyone else having to pull the weight for your tardiness.”
“I know. I’m sorry.” I smooth out my skirt and try to step past her, but she blocks my exit.
“I hope so, because if you’re late again you will be fired, and I’ll make sure you never get a job in hospitality again.” She side-eyes me as I walk from the room, a glare plastered on her stony face.
