Chapter 177

Almara’s Pov

Inside the diner, the place looks exactly as I left it. Except maybe a little cleaner before the crowd of the day comes in. The dining room is empty allowing The shuffling in the kitchen to seem louder than usual.

“C’mon Grace.” I say quietly and hoist her up on my side.

“Food. Food.” Gracie says. I nod.

“That’s right. People eat here.” She’s been really good at making verbal observations lately and it’s bittersweet. Every new word she says makes my heart swell like a balloon with pride only to quickly deflate at the somber realization she’s growing more and more.

I knock on Derek’s door. It’s a wooden door painted white with the word ‘office’ painted in chipping gold. “What is it?” I hear his familiar miserable voice gruff.

I push open the door and Derek is seated at his desk, papers askew, with a pen in his mouth. I cough to make him aware of my appearance and he raises his eyes to take a look at what or who is before him.

He more or less looks the same, maybe a little heftier but that’s to be expected when your constant meals are from a place like this.

“Well, I’ll be damned.” Derek says, the pen dropping from his mouth and landing on his desk before rolling to the floor. “What in the mood goddness are you doing back here?”

“Hi, Derek.” I say, purposely avoiding his questions. I still haven’t mastered how I was going to say that I needed my job back. He doesn’t give me any other greeting and the silence stretches a bit too thin. “I was wondering if I could come work here.” I eventually spit out.

“Why?” Derek asks without skipping a beat.

“Well, Arthur and I are visiting my parents . . . for some time, and-” my voice trails off. Derek raises his eyebrows and leans back in his chair.

“What? You need more inspiration for your art?” He dips his chin and looks at me with a knowingness in his eyes. “Or inspiration for our bedroom?” He barks out a laugh.

What does that even mean? Lily snaps, reading my own thoughts. I shake my head. “No.” I say. “To both of those.” Just then Grace starts toying with my hair and it’s as if her light touch sparked an idea in my brain.

“Actually, I want to teach Grace here the importance of hard work, so she would be here with me.” I say, knowing I sound more confident than I feel. Derek looks at Grace as if just seeing her for the first time.

“What do I look like here, a daycare?” Derek snorts again and I resist the urge to walk right out of thus building while I still have some dignity. Instead, I bring my chin higher just as Arthur taught me and roll my shoulders back.

“Grace could actually help out. She’s very advanced for her age, all the experts say so. Not to mention think of how the customers would just adore her.” I tilt my head “They might even come to think highly of you for being so generous to a working mom.”

Derek turns the corners of his mouth as if he’s considering what I’m saying. “That’s the part I don’t get.” He wags his finger at me. “Your husband is the Alpha,” he says that like it’s painful, like he’s reliving his last encounter with Arthur. “You don’t need money.”

I bite my tongue. I don’t want to tell Derek that we do actually need the money and let him revel in that fact, but if I tell him that we don’t need money then he may cut my pay. I shrug letting Derek come to his own conclusion.

“I’ll hire you, Almara.” He says and pauses like he expects me to fall to my knees and kiss his feet. “But, you do what I need you to do when I need you to do it.”

“Deal,” I say before I think about what he’s saying and change my mind. As much as I hate it, Derek is the only one who offered us a job.

“Come back in two hours and do dishes,” Derek says. I nod and try to hide my relief. I think Derek assumes he’s giving me the lowest job here, just to see me squirm but at least I’ll be in the back so I won’t have to deal with the general public yet.

I head back home and I already feel like I need a shower from that place. Arthur is taking the trash out when I begin walking up the driveway. “How did it go?” He asks.

“Good. I guess. For what it’s worth, I got the job.” I nod towards Grace, “So did she.” Arthur shuts the lid to the trashcan and widens his eyes. “That’s great!” Then he pauses a beat. “Well,” I wave him off.

“I know, I know.” It’s great that a place finally hired us and I get to bring Grace, it just sucks it’s that place.

“I have an interview at the personal training job.” Arthur says with a shrug. Now it’s my turn for my eyes to widen.

“They called back?” I ask, unable to keep the smile out of my voice. Between our two jobs we’ll have enough saved to help with groceries and maybe save up to eventually move out.

Arthur and I haven’t discussed buying a house since our last tour visit, but that hope is still very much alive in my heart. Besides, living at either of our parents is getting old.

“Yes, they did. I guess my reputation is only tarnished within the business realm not the looks and fitness department.” Arthur says with a shrug.

I want to console him, but unfortunately, he has a point. “It won’t be forever,” I say.

“No, it won’t’” He agrees and takes Grace from my arms, his mood already lifting. “Anyways, how was my good friend Derek?” Arthur says his lips curling into a proud smile.

“He remembered you.” I tell him and Arthur nods.

“Good.” Arthur looks up at the sky. It’s a cloudless day, mid-seventies and low humidity. “Want to walk in the park? I could use the fresh air.” Arthur says and I agree. We strap Grace into her strollers and begin our walk to the park.

“I have to be back in two hours.” I tell him. “I’m on dish duty.”

Arthur jerks his head. “Why would he give you some low job like that?” He asks and I know if I wanted him to he would happily march back to Derek’s office and ensure I get my original job back.

“It’s fine.” I say and mean it. “Besides, we can’t be using our title to alter situations.” Arthur makes a sound like a growl and a huff. I don’t blame him. I know the change has been challenging.

Our walk lightens with each step. Grace babbles at every new thing we pass, pointing out the flowers, the trees, the birds. I almost forget about our unfortunate situation until Arthur stiffens next to me.

“What?” I ask picking up on his sudden change in mood, but I already see what he’s looking at. Just a few feet ahead of us is Cathy out on a jog, though he’s stopped in her tracks looking at us.

I guess there’s no better time to deal with our stale friendship than now.