After my shower, I saw I had received a text from Maxwell, saying he had a contact for a job. I answered him, asking for info.
I heard Mary enter the apartment, dragging her feet to the sofa and letting herself fall into it.
"Urghhhh, my feet!"
She must've had a long day at work. I put on a bathrobe and went to meet her.
"I had a group of males that ate like fucking pigs, and they didn't even give me a decent tip. And they were handsy."
I made a disgusted face and sat by her feet. I took one of them in my hands and started to massage it.
"Oh my God, what a fucking angel you are!"
She closed her eyes, and I could swear I saw a tear.
"No problem. I feel you. My feet hurt so much after a night."
She opened her eyes immediately.
"Shit. I'm sorry. Here I am, complaining that I got groped and that my feet hurt when you have it ten times worse. What a friend."
"Don't worry. I also make more money than you, and I chose this."
"Well, you know it's a choice-ish. There are close to no jobs open, and everything costs a fortune."
"I know. But I could surely find something somewhere if I got tired of this. Don't worry about me."
"Sometimes I wonder if it's like that everywhere. Do we have to struggle, or is it better somewhere else?"
"You're thinking of moving?"
"I don't know. I want an adventure, I want to know if there's more."
"I don't know. But I'm not sure I could leave this place. Our family was here, we grew up here. Our people, our land. You know… for the past few years, I started to feel a little numb. I… I don't know. I feel stupid."
She changed position and laid her head on my lap.
"I see it, Alee. And I don't know how to make it right again, but I have hope."
I didn't say anything because I didn't want to ruin it for her. But I had none. I only felt like we were waiting to die, one day at a time.
We eventually made some popcorn and found some candy in my pantry. We put on P.S. I Love You and bawled like children. It was purgatory, and she finally fell asleep. I grabbed her and put her in bed, tucking her in, then went to clean the living room and do the dishes.
I checked my phone and decided to text the contact Max had sent me. The guy answered immediately, asking if I was free on Thursday night for the job. I asked for more details.
He sent me a strange link. I hesitated but clicked on it anyway.
My phone went black, and green writing—data-like—appeared.
They wanted BloodLust, the drug that certain werewolves' blood produced when they were aroused. They gave me an address and a time for the transaction. The cashback was enough to pay Andrew and refill the backup money I had spent. It was a good deal, but I didn't know these guys, and all of this didn't smell right.
I restarted my phone after writing down the information and answered that I would take the job. They sent the money immediately, saying they would give me the code for the transfer on-site.
So it was real, then.
Well, I needed to get going if I didn't want to be late for work, but I'd have to figure out how I was going to do this. One of my ex-boyfriends had been addicted to it. Every time we had sex, he would bite me and drink. It was exhilarating for both of us, but he stayed high long after. It was a nightmare when I broke up with him, realizing he had only been with me for the free stuff and hadn't loved me whatsoever. He had been angry and had broken into my apartment a few times, trying to scare me.
It was a long time ago, and I had been really young, but I hadn't fed anyone after that. In fact, I hadn't had much sex at all after what had happened, struggling to trust men in any way.
Anyway, that would be tomorrow's problem. For now, I needed to get to work before Andrew threw a fit. I grabbed my bag, put on my shoes, and headed to the club—again.
The night flew by, and I was grateful for that. Andrew wasn't as much of a pain in the ass as usual, which had to do with the new girl replacing the one who had died last month. She had probably opened her legs wide on his desk before the shift to get on his good side—hence the good mood. I made a lot too, thanks to a human group here for a bachelor party.
After the night, I sat at the bar, counting my money and sipping on my whiskey. The new girl was giggling, sitting on Andrew's lap. He was grabbing her ass greedily, his face practically buried in her cleavage.
"There, my share."
"Wow, another good night, Alee chérie. I'm starting to be happy that we have our little deal—I wouldn't want to lose you over a disagreement."
I forced a smile and nodded, heading to the back room to change.
Some of the girls looked at me with caution or disdain before going back to their things. After a while here, everyone lost their happiness and their drive. Nobody talked, nobody was friendly, and nobody gave a shit about anyone else. You had to be feared, or some of the girls would try to steal your money—or hurt you so you couldn't work here anymore.
I quickly got ready, grabbed my bag, and left as soon as possible. I was so hungry I bet everyone could hear my stomach growling.
Hurrying home, I made two bacon grilled cheeses and devoured them in less than two minutes. I'd need to go grocery shopping tomorrow because my fridge was starting to look empty with Mary staying here. I found some chips and a banana, then went to bed.
Mary had left a note on the counter saying she was spending the night at Valentina's, so I had the bed to myself.