Page 4 of Find Me in California

“Are you here tomorrow?” Shelly asks.

“You know me. Every day after my shift ends at the club. Like clockwork.”

“I have an extra ticket for Margaret Cho at the Ice House. Starts at eight. Come with me? Dale’s going to the Dodgers game.” Her husband lives for baseball.

“I wish, but I’m here past nine tomorrow night.”

Shelly’s bottom lip curves into a dramatic pout. “You need a life, girl.”

Julia works a full shift five days a week at the Pasadena Country Club spa, then puts in a four-hour shift volunteering at Rosemont. She also spends her days off from the spa at Rosemont, to upward of twelve hours a day.

What Julia needs but can’t manage is a social life. With her disastrous record with romantic relationships plus her mounting debt, she can’t afford one—emotionally or financially. Whenever she feels lonely, she overcompensates by working. So far, she’s never felt alone. But that feeling has an expiration date. Once her grandmother passes, Julia will truly have no one. She tries not to think about it.

“Next time.” Julia’s smile is apologetic. She hopes there will be a next time, one day. But that day is far off, and after repeated rejections, Shelly will likely stop inviting her out. Her invitations will dry up like Julia’s other friendships.

Shelly wiggles her fingers goodbye, and Julia follows Lenore to her office.

Lenore’s private space overlooks Rosemont’s side yard garden, a beautiful display of foliage and color. The facility’s grounds solidified Mama Rose’s decision to move in during the earlier stages of her dementia. This is where she wanted to be when Julia could no longer care for her. The cordial and experienced staff impressed Julia. She believed they’d treat her grandmother as family. But she wasn’t entirely sold on the idea until she crunched the numbers. Between Mama Rose’s social security and portfolio disbursements, and how long the doctors expected her to live, they could afford Rosemont. Barely. Julia would have to volunteer at least thirty hours a week in exchange for a reduced monthly fee. That was on top of her full-time job to keep herself fed and not lose Mama Rose’s house, which she had to mortgage to cover her grandmother’s expenses after they exhausted her retirement savings.

“Have a seat.” Lenore gestures at the chair before her desk. Her features look strained behind her sapphire blue–framed glasses, herexpression guarded underneath the Chianti-red lipstick as she settles in her own chair.

Julia suddenly has the distinct feeling she’s being laid off. Silly, given she’s a volunteer.

She warily sits across from Lenore. “Is something the matter?”

Lenore folds her sturdy hands on the desk. Doe-brown eyes rove across Julia’s face before lowering. “This isn’t easy, so I’ll get right to the point.”

“Okay.” Julia tugs at her hot-pink Dickies pants. This isn’t good if Lenore can’t make eye contact.

“Not many people know yet. It hasn’t been officially announced. Rosemont has been purchased by a larger corporation. Effective immediately, we are under new management.”

Julia’s mouth parts. “Oh.” Maybe Lenore’s being laid off. “Have you been let—”

“No.” Lenore shakes her head. “Not yet anyway. I’ve been told they intend to keep the existing staff. Our new parent company will act more in the capacity of oversight. It’s one of the reasons the board agreed to the terms. We don’t want disruption in care.”

“That’s good.” Julia slouches with relief, but she wonders how this could affect her grandmother’s care. Lenore’s gaze turns troubled. “That is good, right?”

Hands steepled on the desk, Lenore taps her fingertips together. “I know we have an arrangement for Ruby.”

Their arrangement has been a lifesaver.

Julia’s knee starts to bounce. “Yes, and?”

“We can’t honor it anymore.”

Her knee stops, and Lenore’s announcement sinks in. “What do you mean?”

“They’re cracking down on our finances. All residents must pay their full contracted fee.”

Their agreement to exchange Julia’s volunteer hours for a discount on Mama Rose’s fees isn’t in writing. It’s between her and Lenore, who’sbecome a dear friend. As long as Lenore worked at Rosemont and Julia volunteered, they would be good. Julia knew Lenore could renege on the monthly discount and the fee could revert to the contracted rate. But thinking something could happen is not the same as it actually happening.

“You swore you—”

“I swore I’d honor Ruby’s discount as long as I could. There was always the possibility rates would increase or the board would crack down. I made that clear in the beginning.”

Julia chides her selective memory. Lenore had explained all this and more. She was just in denial this day could come. Ignorance is bliss until it rains on your parade.

“I don’t have the authority I once had, and I no longer have sway with the board, not under the new management structure. I can’t make exceptions, Jules. I’m sorry.”

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