Page 10 of Property of Raider
Slowly a small smile spreads across his face the longer I speak.“Do you understand me, Rushy?”
He drops his head back, groaning at the nickname I gave him when he was a baby.“Gahh, why do you have to be so embarrassing all the time?”
“Oh, that’s embarrassing?”I rub my hands together as if plotting something.“I think I’ll get a shirt that says Rushy’s Ma!”
“Oh!I want one that says Rushy’s Auntie!”Auntie Lynn claps her hands, laughing.
“No, no, no.I can’t with you guys,” Rusher says, laughing and standing to clear his plate.
He takes it to the kitchen, comes back by us and first kisses Auntie Lynn on the head and squeezes her shoulder.Then he comes to me, kissing me on the head.“Love you mostest, Ma,” he whispered.
Tears prick my eyes.“I love you more, Rushy baby.”
Rusher turns, leaving us standing there as his phone dings.Sitting there, I watch my heart walk out of the room and then anger builds in my soul because it’s not fair that his mother is a bitch who just uses him to control us, and his father was a fucking asshole who wanted him taken care of.Auntie Lynn reaches out, placing her hand over mine, squeezing mine tightly.I turn to her and know I am seeing the same look on her face that I have on mine.
“You’re doing everything right,” Auntie Lynn whispers.“That is an amazing boy who is growing into an even better man.I couldn’t be prouder of you and the woman that you have become.”
“Thank you, Auntie,” I choke out around the emotions clogging my throat.“Now, do you know of anyone who might be hiring some part-time help?”
A cunning smile tugs at the corners of her mouth.“I think I might have just place.”
I grin nervously.“Oh, I don’t know if I should trust you.”
She waves me off before standing and going into her office.“I’m going to make some calls and will let you know what I come up with.”
Three days later, my GPS chirps that my destination is on the right.Eyeing the building, I wonder if Auntie Lynn is trying to land me on the Discovery+ channel as anotherIDspecial.I flip on my turn signal and pull into the broken-up parking lot.As I pull up to the only door on the front of the building, I finally seePetty Cleaning Crewetched into the glass of the door.
“Well, it appears you’re in the right place,” I mutter to myself.
I look at the building once again before pushing the button to turn my car off.I reach over, grabbing my purse before throwing it over my shoulder and stepping out into the hot, humid Savannah air.Closing my car door, I take a deep breath to steady my nerves as I make my way towards the door.
Once I step inside, I’m shocked by how nice and clean everything is.With the shape of the outside of the building, I assumed the inside would have been just as bad.Don’t get me wrong, it is a cleaning company, so I would be even more worried if it wasn’t.Looking around, I relax just a little because under the smell of clean lemon there is a hint of leather and motorcycles very similar to all the guys that have been to the house to see Auntie Lynn.Suddenly, the door on the back wall to my right bursts open, causing me to shout out in fright.
“Oh goodness, you gave me a scare,” a small, truly southern woman gasps, holding her hand to her chest.
I give her my biggest and brightest smile.“Oh goodness, I am so sorry.My name is Anastasia.My Auntie Lynn said that you’re looking for some part-time help for the front desk and office assistant position.”
The smile that spreads across her face is genuine and tired.“Your Auntie Lynn is so sweet.How has she been feeling lately?Your being at the house must be why she cut back on how often we were sending someone out to her home.”
Her words help me relax.“She is the best.I help her keep the house straight, but it has more to do with the construction starting this week for the upstairs that has her spreading things out a bit.”
A true smile spreads across her face.“Oh, the boys did say they were going to be out there.I can’t wait to see what she comes up with.That kitchen was amazing.”
Nodding in agreement, I walk over to the counter.“Oh, I love that kitchen more than I could say.It’s almost like someone pulled it right out of my brain.”
“Anyway, did you have any problems finding your way?”the older woman asks, smiling.
Glancing over my shoulder at the door, I throw a thumb at it.“I almost left because it felt a little like I might get murdered and put on a special ofID.”
She throws her head back in laughter at my words.“Oh my, you’re going to be perfect around here.Now if you’ll follow me, we’ll go talk in the back about what I’m really looking for.”
I arch an eyebrow at her words, confused—wasn’t I here for an interview?As I move to follow, my foot catches on my pant leg, stopping my feet, but my top half keeps moving forward.
“Shit,” I breathe as the ground comes at me in a hurry.
“Oh, damn.”The older woman gasps, hurrying towards me.
Rolling over, I look up at her laughing.Don’t get me wrong, I’m fucking embarrassed that I just fell on my face in front of a complete stranger.But after years and years of being the clumsiest person I’ve ever known, well, I’ve learned to laugh at myself.The older woman watches me for about ten seconds before she holds her hands out to help me up as she chuckles.Her strength surprises me as she pulls me to my feet.
