Chapter 39
A New Outlook
Celia felt Mike put his hands on the chair as he pushed her around to the pool. He moved her beside the table, sat down and gave her a smile. She felt nervous, and after looking around, spoke.
“I don’t know how to thank you for buying food. Roger has no money. I have no money. You’re feeding all three of us. I know Mom has some cash, but she can’t afford much. I guess I’ll just start by saying ‘thank you’.”
“You’re welcome, and don’t worry. I’m sure by the time your mother cooks some meals and I stop ‘eating out’ that I’ll actually save money.”
“She is a good cook so I’m sure she very well could save you money. But I warn you now, stop buying chips and junk food. Roger will eat you out of house and home.”
Mike nodded. “Point taken. What about you and pudding?”
Celia laughed. “I don’t need many of those either, so please stop buying them, too. Staying in this chair for any length of time is going to put on the weight fast.”
“You could afford to gain a few pounds.”
“No way! I’ll have to buy a new wardrobe if I gain ten pounds. I can’t afford that. I need to be figuring out ways to make money not spend more.”
“Have you been studying the information I gave you on selling vehicles?”
Celia had been reading up on the position and it sounded like something she’d be good at. For some reason, it pleased her to be able to answer him in the affirmative. “Yes, but I’ll need to have more specifics on the different features on each vehicle. Maybe in a few days you can take me down to the showroom and let me see what you have in stock.”
“Showroom? So you have been doing some reading?”
“I’m not a dumb blond like Martin more than likely said.”
“Not that I’m going to open the door on what he said or did not say, I will admit, he never said you were dumb. And, sure, when you’re ready, we can do that.”
Celia felt excited about the prospect of working. She hadn’t worked in years and thinking about it made her feel good. At the same time, it also made her feel bad that she’d not done more with her life.
For the years she’d spent with Martin and the few other men before him, all she had to show for her time was a closet full of fashionably chic clothes and several very nice pieces of jewelry. In some ways it made her feel like a prostitute, and she didn’t like that.
“Are you okay? Can I get you something?” Mike asked, leaning forward in his chair.
It had been a while since she’d had to guard herself around a man and how she reacted to the thoughts in her mind. Maybe it was some of the medicine she was on. She forced a smile and nodded. “I could use some ice water or something to drink and my evening pain pill.”
“I’ll be right back.”
She nodded, leaned back and watched him as he went in the back entrance. She couldn’t go in or out that particular entrance because of the wheelchair. Mike wouldn’t be gone very long and she let her mind wander to her current situation. She was now playing house with Martin’s best friend. They weren’t sleeping in the same bed, or anything close, but it felt strange.
As far as that went, it felt strange to be in this house, sleeping in the bed that Randi had slept in. The news her mother had dropped on her the day before would have been enough to cause her mind to start thinking all kinds of things, but all of it put together was a bit much. It was so exhausting.
She would have to be careful. Her emotions were allowing what was on her mind to show but Mike had thought she was in pain. If he could see inside her mind at this moment, he would probably want to get her more than just one pill.
In time, she would process the information and adjust to a new way of thinking about her mother and dad’s relationship. She had so many questions she didn’t know where to start. She wanted to know more about this other man her mother had given her heart to. She wanted to know how her mother planned to just fall in love with a man she had lived with for years, but hadn’t loved. Wouldn’t there be some part of her that already loved him?
How could she have spent so much time with a man she didn’t love? Her mind answered that question for her. ‘You were doing the same thing with Martin.’
How do you search your own heart for answers to questions you really don’t want to know the answers to? These questions would make her look deep into what she’d become and she wasn’t sure she wanted to know that person.
When the door opened, she forced herself to smile while pushing away any emotions that might be showing. She held out her hands as Mike placed a pill container in one hand and a glass of iced tea in the other. He also had a glass of his own that he had placed on the table as he had pulled her pill container out of his pocket.
“Mother’s iced tea. You are going to get spoiled,” Celia said, taking the pill and enjoying a long drink. She let out an audible sigh as she sat the glass down. Her grip was a bit shaky and she did not want to waste her mother’s tea or stain her clothes.
“I won’t mind getting spoiled like this.” Mike took a long drink of tea, then another and kept his glass in his hand. He began telling her about the house and some things that he had taken care of over the last few days. He mentioned that there were people interested in stopping by to look at the changes, and this made her smile.
“Do you think we could actually sell it before all the work is done?”
“It’s possible. One couple is really interested in moving to that part of town because they have family in the area. They’ll be getting married in a few weeks and I think they have money to spare or can get a loan.”
“I don’t care if they steal the money, I really need that investment to pay off. I didn’t need the jewelry I sold but I do need money to live on while I get settled in my new job. I would like to buy this house some day, or if not this one, something nice.”
“That’s understandable. If we get what I think we’ll get, you should have some extra cash to play with, but it won’t get you this place.”
“Maybe not but it’s a start in the right direction. I might not get this place soon, but it’s my dream house and I’m not giving up just yet.”