Following Me by Linde, K.A. (good e books to read txt) 📕

didn’tknow how much Garrett was expecting her to pay.  It was likely a third, but hehadn’t said.  He didn’t really need the extra money, but Devon was sure he sawit as a compromise for her using the extra space, adding to the utility costs,taking away some of his privacy, and so on.

So, Devon had to immediatelystart looking for a job.  Unless she wanted to sell her body for money, shedidn’t see an alternative to working during the summer.  She couldn’t exactlycall her parents and ask them to clear the cash.

Her first instinct was to applyat Jenn’s Restaurant, but after her last encounter with Brennan, she justcouldn’t bring herself to go there.  Devon hadn’t talked to him since she hadleft his apartment.  He had thought she was leaving the city anyway.  If shedidn’t alert him of her presence, then he would never have to know that she wasstaying.  Her life was too complicated as it was without adding a romantic elementto her time in the city.

Brennan was dangerous andattractive and caring…and she would have none of it.  She had to shut down herbrain when her thoughts began to venture in that direction.  It would only domore harm than good.  Eventually, she would have to return to St. Louis,and she didn’t want guilty feelings on her conscience as well.

Without further ado, Devon beganwalking around the city, filling out applications wherever she could.  Not manyplaces were hiring at the moment.  So many of them had already filled up theirstaff for the summer tourist season.  The places that had signs up in thewindows were looking for more experience or offering low wages or not hiringimmediately.  Anything that could possibly get in the way did.

Devon returned home empty handedand plopped down on the couch in the living room, propping up her feet on thecoffee table.  She was exhausted from another day of searching for jobs.  Itseemed like a futile mission.  She was convinced she would never find anything intime to pay rent at the end of the month.  She had already been scouting fortwo weeks, and the month was dwindling away.  After three unsuccessfulinterviews out of at least a hundred applications, Devon was spent.  She didn’tknow what else to do.  If she couldn’t get a job, she couldn’t stay, whichmeant she had bullied her best friend at a time when she needed her the mostfor nothing.

She pulled up Netflix on thePlayStation and started flipping through the catalog of TV shows.  She hadnever been a big TV fan before, but this was also one of the first times in herlife she didn’t have anything to do.  Hadley was always at work, and whenGarrett was here during the day, he would usually be locked away in hisbedroom.

Deciding on the first season of Heroes,Devon kept her phone close by just in case someone decided they wanted to giveher a job, and then she vegged out.  After she made it all the way throughepisode two, Garrett made an appearance outside of his bedroom.

“What’s up, Dev?”  He pulled outa snack from the fridge and then took a seat next to her.

“Just praying that someone callsme for a job,” she said, turning on episode three.  Then, thinking better ofit, she offered Garrett the remote.  “Do you want to watch something?”

“No, Heroes is fine.  Justso you know, the first season is addictive, but the other ones suck.  Youshould probably stop now,” he said.

Devon just shrugged, not havinganything better to do.  “I think I’ll let myself get sucked in.”

She swallowed hard, hearingherself say that out loud.  Wasn’t that always her problem?  She alwayslet herself just get sucked in to things, and then she couldn’t or wouldn’twant to find a way out.  Even now that she was out of it, she couldn’t believeit had all happened the way it had.  She sometimes wondered if Chicago was thedream, and her dreams were reality.

“So, the job search isn’t goingso well?” Garrett asked, offering her a carrot from his plate.

“Ugh,” she grumbled, tossing herhead back.  “It’s the worst possible thing ever.  Why do businesses evenadvertise that they’re hiring if they’re not actually hiring?  Or better yet,if they already have someone else in mind, why do they waste your time bysetting up an interview with you?  It’s total bullshit.”

“That’s the worst.  What kind ofjobs are you looking into?” he asked sympathetically.

“Everything.  Anything.  I’vescoured the newspapers, craigslist, and all over the fucking Internet.  I’vewalked up and down the streets, checking for new signs.  I think I’m prettyfamiliar with the landscape now,” she said, half-joking.  “There’s just nothingout there.  Most places aren’t likely to hire someone they don’t know whodoesn’t have a degree.  Even a lot of the serving jobs…well, most are full, butthey want someone who will be here after the summer.  And when they see that Iwent to Wash U, they don’t believe me when I say I’m not going back to St.Louis for school.”

Devon wasn’t sure where it hadall come from.  During the last two weeks, she had been so frustrated fromtrying to a find a job and having no one to talk to.  Hadley was avoiding heras much as she could, Garrett was mostly absent, and Brennan was completely outof the picture.  It was nice to just talk to someone.

Garrett pursed his lips.  Heseemed to be contemplating her scenario before speaking.  She didn’t know whathe was going to say about it, but it couldn’t be worse than what Hadley wouldlikely say.

“I mean, I hate to say it, but ithas only been two weeks,” he looked sympathetic.

“I know,” Devon relented.  “Ijust have to pay you rent soon, and I don’t have the money.”  She sheepishlylooked down.

“Hey,” he said, his hand landingon her knee, “don’t worry about that.  I’m sure we can arrange something.”

Devon didn’t know if she shouldhear the hidden meaning in that or not, but she chose not to.  This wasGarrett, and he was madly in love with her best friend.  There was no way hewas insinuating what she thought he was insinuating.  To avoid accidentallyspilling her thoughts, she didn’t dare open her mouth.

“I’m sure you’ll