A LITTLE BIT OF SUGAR by Lindsey Brookes Read Free Book Online Page A

actually imagine myself living there.
     
    I made my way up the sidewalk that ran between their townhouse and the one beside it. Despite having had such a shitty start to my day, I felt a surge of excitement. If I didn’t find a second job right away, I knew I could always get more hours at the restaurant to cover my portion of the rent there.
     
    Living on my own. Setting my own rules. Not that my parents had ever really been strict with me or my sister. There had never been any need to be. We had always been ‘good’ girls.
     
    Well, maybe not always. I had tried smoking a cigarette at Carlina’s that one time. And, after losing a bet with my friends that past spring when we all went to Ft. Lauderdale for spring break, I did enter a wet t-shirt contest. Needless to say my second place ribbon found a home in the trashcan of our hotel room the day we left to come home. Anthony would have had a field day with that one if he ever found out. But I trusted my friends to keep that bit of information between us.
     
    Twenty some identical townhouse-style apartments surrounded ours, forming a nice little community which consisted mostly of young couples and college students. A rec area sat behind their building, complete with an in-ground pool, picnic tables and grills and a basketball court. Not that I would ever have any use for the basketball court, but the pool would definitely be my favorite hangout when the weather permitted.
     
    I stepped up onto the front porch and raised my hand to knock.
     
    The door flew open before I had a chance to and Alisa greeted me with an excited smile. “Gina!”
     
    “Hey.”
     
    She yelled back over her shoulder, “Hey, guys, Gina’s here!”
     
    I looked around at the stacks of partially unpacked boxes. The girls had moved into the place a few weeks before and were still settling in.
     
    She turned back to me. “Something wrong?”
     
    I shrugged. “It’s nothing. I’ve just had a shitty day.”
     
    She grabbed my arm and dragged me inside. “Then you came to the right place to get over it.”
     
    Carlina nodded. “Vent away. You know we’re always there for each other when whining about our life is needed.”
     
    Mia came down the stairs carrying a bucket of sudsy water and a mop. “Hey, soon-to-be roomie!” she exclaimed with a welcoming grin. “You come to work?”
     
    “More like trying to find work,” I replied with a sigh.
     
    “She’s here to vent,” Alisa explained as she closed the door behind me.
     
    “I take it your interviews this morning didn’t go so well,” Mia said with a frown.
     
    “That’s putting it mildly,” I said. “I tanked. A college graduate and I can’t even land a secretarial job.”
     
    “I’m sorry you’re having such a sucky day,” Mia said. Setting aside her cleaning supplies, she grabbed me by the arm and led me into the living room. “Sit,” she ordered, pointing to the plaid sofa Alisa’s parents had given to them.
     
    Tossing my purse onto the table beside it, I dropped down onto the sofa.
     
    Carlina sat next to me. Alisa and Mia settled onto a couple of mismatched chairs across from me. Ones they’d picked up at a yard sale that past weekend.
     
    “Okay, we’re all ears,” Alisa said with a smile.
     
    I sank back onto the worn sofa cushion with a long, drawn out sigh. “I’ve always had my job at the restaurant. I never had to worry about going out on interviews. And I’ll tell you right now there’s nothing worse than job hunting.”
     
    “No?” Mia teased. “It’s worse than having to ride through town as the ‘Sausage Queen’?”
     
    “Thanks for the reminder,” I said, rolling my eyes.
     
    “Seriously,” Carlina cut in, “I’ll bet your interviews didn’t go nearly as bad as you think they did.”
     
    “You have no idea,” I told her. “I should have a huge ‘L’ tattooed on my forehead.”
     
    “Shut up,” she said with a frown. “You’re not a loser. You’re