I raise a brow but keep my thoughts to myself. Justin has a house, which I’m assuming he was perfectly capable of affording on his own before Jade moved in. It’s great that she’d be willing to contribute financially, but it isn’t her house, and surely he wouldn’t expect her to pay part of his mortgage when she’s just lost her job.
“What kind of job will you be looking for?” I ask.
“I don’t know. Something similar. Probably not a flower shop, because that would really limit my options, but some type of retail work would be good.”
“That shouldn’t be too hard to find, especially this time of year. Rusty’s should be hiring soon, once the expansion is finished.” Talking about the expansion reminds me of the construction crew, which makes my belly tingle.
“I don’t think I’d make a good waitress,” she says, and I know she’s being diplomatic. Jade visited Rusty’s before the Stone brothers took over, and the dive bar was not her scene, to put it mildly. I’ve told her how it’s changed, but she hasn’t been back, especially not once she got with Justin. He wouldn’t set foot in there, and probably wouldn’t want her going there to hang out with me. I’m sure he thinks I’m a terrible influence.
We reach the counter and order, and I insist on paying, thinking about how I’m staying with four near-strangers, and they’re not expecting me to pay money toward their mortgage. They probably won’t accept the money when I try to give it to them, which I do plan to, as soon as I have enough.
As if reading my thoughts, Jade asks, “Have you found an apartment yet?”
“Not yet. Still looking.” Not looking quite as hard as I was last week.
“Are you staying with your mother? I never did ask; I just assumed …” She looks guilty for not having asked about this sooner.
“That’s okay. I know you’ve been busy shacking up with Justin,” I tease. I consider evading her question because it’s quite an unusual situation I’m in, but I’ve never kept secrets from Jade. I have, perhaps, downplayed the issues I have with my mother, or she’d never have assumed I’d be staying there. Jade has wonderful, caring parents, and it’s probably hard for her to imagine how shitty the parent I have really is.
I spot a couple that’s about to get up, and lead us over to the table so we can snag it as soon as they leave. When we get seated, I say, “I’ve been staying with some friends.”
My hesitant tone prompts her to arch a brow. “Friends? Anybody I know?”
“No …” Jade fixes her eyes on me until I tell her more. “They’re a few guys who are doing construction at Rusty’s.”
“A few guys?”
“Four men,” I clarify.
“Four? They all live together, and they had room for you at their apartment?” She sounds both skeptical and concerned.
“They own an enormous house, actually, in Whitman. They’re doing construction at Rusty’s more as a favor, but they work in property development too, so I guess they make good money.”
My friend continues to stare at me, knowing there’s more to the story. I hadn’t told her where I was living because I thought I’d only be there a night or two. I hadn’t even mentioned my nights with Shane or Khalil, because I don’t usually talk about my hookups. Jade never judges me, but I know she would never be comfortable having sex with random men.
“And they’re your friends?” she says, though I know what she’s really asking.
“Friends with benefits, I guess you could say.”
“All … of them?” There are a couple of women on the island who are in relationships with four men — Christine, the bartender at Rusty’s, for one — but it’s definitely not a situation I ever thought I’d find myself in, so I understand her surprise.
When I nod, her jaw drops open. At the same time, a guy arrives to deliver the food we ordered, putting Jade’s followup questions on hold.
When he leaves, she asks, “Are you planning to stay with them?”
“No, just while I look for an apartment. It’s been ridiculously hard to find a decent place. Bad time of year, plus probably all of the people who lived in our building needed to find new places, too.”
She nods, chewing a bite of her fish sandwich. “Will you still see … these men … when you find your own place?”
“I’ll see them at Rusty’s.”
She makes a silly face, tilting her head to the side. “You know what I mean.”
I laugh, dipping a fry in ketchup. “You should say what you mean.”
Jade looks around at the crowded patio, concerned someone is listening. “Are you in a relationship with them?”
I shake my head. “No, we just have an arrangement for while I’m staying there.”