Rough Drafts by J. A. Armstrong Read Free Book Online Page A

to
carrying a load now.”
    “Jerk,”
he called after her,
    “That’s
Step-jerk to you, Sonny,” Jameson called back as she made her way to the house.
“Never a dull moment in this family,” Jameson chuckled as she reached the door.

Chapter Four
    “You’ve been quiet all
night,” Melanie observed.
    Michelle
groaned. “Sorry.”
    “Want
to talk about it?” Melanie asked.
    “Mom
offered me a job,” Michelle said.
    “You
have a job,” Melanie replied in confusion.
    “Yeah,
I do,” Michelle said. “That’s the thing.”
    “Should
I be following this?” Melanie asked. “Because I am completely lost.”
    Michelle
sighed and shrugged. “She offered me the chance to take on the role Gollum
left.”
    “No
shit! She wants you to manage her campaign?”
    “Only
if that’s what I want to do,” Michelle answered.
      “Do you? Want to?”
    Michelle
nodded. “I think so. I just…it’s a big step, Mel. I don’t know. What happens…”
    “She
wouldn’t have asked you if she didn’t think you could handle it,” Melanie
interrupted Michelle.
    “It’s
not that.”
    “What
is it then? Your students?”
    Michelle
sighed, “Partly, yes. What happens after?” she looked at Melanie helplessly.
    “What
do you mean?” Melanie asked. “Shell, you could do anything you wanted to. Teach
again or move into your mom’s world a bit.”
    “Yeah,
I guess. She’s my mom, Mel. To get another job? It won’t be so easy in that world. It might not pay all that
well either.”
    Melanie
scooted across Michelle’s sofa and took Michelle’s hands. “We’ll figure it
out,” she said. “If you want to do this, do it. Whatever happens, we’ll figure
it out.”
    Michelle
smiled. “Oh? You really want to support my unemployed ass in a year?” she
joked.
    Melanie
took a deep breath. She and Michelle spent a good deal of time laughing and
just enjoying their time together. Sometimes, Michelle used humor as a way to
avoid her emotions. Melanie had learned that in that last year. She looked at
Michelle thoughtfully. “If you want to do this, I want you to do it,” Melanie
said. Michelle closed her eyes. “I love you, Shell,” Melanie told her. Michelle
opened her eyes. “I guess I should say that more often, huh?”
    Michelle
shook her head. “I don’t want anyone to have to take care of me.”
    “Well,
too bad,” Melanie responded. “That sort of comes with the territory.”
    “Mel…”
    “You
do what you want to do. Just don’t decide not to do it because you’re scared of
what might happen,” Melanie said flatly.
    “When
did you get all grown up?” Michelle chuckled.
    “I’m
serious,” Melanie said.
    “I
don’t even know if I’d be any good at it, ”
Michelle admitted. Melanie laughed. “What’s so funny?”
    “Seriously,
Shell? You could sell a desert dweller a pile of sand.”
    “A
desert dweller?” Michelle arched an eyebrow at her girlfriend.
    “Sounded
good in my head. Anyway, you get my point,” Melanie replied.
    Michelle
leaned in and kissed Melanie tenderly. “What could I sell an architect?”
    “Why?
Looking to make a buck off of J.D.?” Melanie quipped.
    Michelle
pushed Melanie back on the sofa. “Not exactly my style,” she said as her hands
traveled down Melanie’s chest.
    “Be
careful. Look at what happened with your brother,” Melanie smirked. “You know,
I expect to remain an honest woman.”
    “Is
that so? I’ll make you an honest woman
and you’ll keep me—kept? Is that your proposition?” Michelle asked playfully.
Melanie closed her eyes. She was desperately searching her brain for some witty
retort. Michelle’s lips were traveling over her neck and she failed to form any
coherent words. “What was that?” Michelle asked. Melanie sighed. “Mm. That’s
what I thought,” Michelle said. She pulled back and looked at Melanie. “I have
no problem making an honest woman of you,” she said.
    Melanie
looked at Michelle quizzically. “You know, a less