by Krystle Rose
“Hey, sweetheart, what’s got you looking so glum?”
Guillermo, the head cook at the restaurant she managed, sat down across from her in the empty booth. It would still be another hour until they opened, but many of the employees were already there, preparing things for the day. Nomi had gotten the front of house ready, so now she was tucked away in a corner, staring down at her notebook while chewing on the cap of her ballpoint pen.
Guillermo was a kind, older man that Nomi respected and appreciated a lot. He always took time to teach her new things when she asked and rated her food whenever she made something new for him to try. He was like family to her and she made sure to treat him with the care and appreciation he deserved.
“I’ll never be able to get my food truck,” she whined, pushing the notebook away.
“Ah,” he nodded and positioned himself on the tabletop. “The bigger the dream, the more intimidating it can be.”
Everything he said always sounded like it was straight out of an old novel or something. Guillermo was so wise and it always made Nomi feel inferior. She slouched into her seat and pouted.
“I’m thinking about demoting myself back to a server.”
“Now why would you do that?”
“I need the tip money. It could be very helpful,” Nomi explained.
“You make just as much in salary now as you did in tips before, no?”
“Sure, before taxes.”
He bobbed his head in understanding again and then shrugged.
“You cannot take on a second job?”
“Not one that could work around these hours.”
She was a full-time employee who also had to be on-call, just in case and that kept her rather busy. When Nomi wasn’t working, she was busy catching up on errands and chores and, well, sleep. However, Guillermo was right, she needed to find a way to make some extra money on the side. She just wasn’t sure how.
“Gladys requires a babysitter,” he offered.
Nomi gave him a tired expression. He knew how much she loathed kids. Guillermo gave a hearty chuckle and tried again.
“What about the pets? People require sitters for those, as well, right?”
“Yeah, I guess I could join one of those care sites and see what's available. House sitting is pretty in demand during this season,” she agreed.
The snowbirds (people who flew away during the colder months in search of warmer weather) were heading out for the season and some of them needed occasional watering of the plants, light cleaning, and feeding the fish. Nomi could definitely do that.
“You see? Not all is lost. You will find ways to reach that goal, even if the climb may become difficult.”
“Always the shining beacon of wisdom,” she said to him with a smile.
He waved her off and scooted out of the booth.
“I must return to my job so that I may make my own money,” he joked.
Nomi grabbed her notebook and jotted down, house sitting, then circled it a few times. Closing the cover, she tucked it under her arm and climbed out of the booth seat. Next, she hurried away toward the employee office and shoved it into her personal locker. Dusting out the wrinkles from her shirt, Nomi headed back to the front. She had to open up shop soon and now she could do so with her chin up, thanks to Guillermo.
That night, after Nomi got home, she got onto the internet and signed up for every care and sitting site she could find and even sent off a few emails to listings she found on Craigslist. Around midnight, she finally crawled into bed and got some sound sleep for the first time in weeks.
The very next day, there was a message in her inbox from one of the people she had reached out to. Seeing it roused Nomi from her half-waken state. She sat up and opened the link, excitedly. Too soon, her happiness was squashed. It was a scam. Unless an Albanian Prince truly did own a home in her town without her knowing and could totally be trusted since he was asking her to accept a check via mail. Her smile fell and Nomi sighed heavily. It seemed this wasn’t going to be as easy as she had hoped.
Her ‘Year of Making Things Happen’ had only just begun and, so far it, wasn’t exactly 'happening.' Things hadn’t been going her way and Nomi was beginning to lose hope. She tried to stay motivated, nevertheless, as she rolled out of bed and headed downstairs for breakfast.
“Good morning, honey,” her mother said when Nomi entered the room.
She grabbed the gallon of milk from the door of the fridge and set it on the island counter, then reached back in for the flavored creamer she’d gone in for. Then she put it next to her mug of coffee and pulled down a box of cereal from on top of the fridge. Turning around, she set it beside the milk and smiled at Nomi.
“Breakfast of champions,” her mom kidded.
“Thanks,” Nomi replied, moving to the cupboard to get a bowl.
After filling the mug a third of the way with creamer, the woman then added the freshly brewed coffee and stirred it up. Sitting down at the bar, next to Nomi’s empty seat, she blew on her java and patiently waited. Bringing the bowl with her, Nomi joined her mother at the breakfast bar.
“What are your plans for today?”
The truth was, Nomi wanted to relax, do more research on her food truck and apply for more jobs. She planned on lounging around in pajamas all day and staying confined to her bed except to use the restroom or eat. There was no way her parents were going to let her do that, though. To them, that was equivalent to doing nothing at all. Nomi had to come up with a new idea quickly.
“I’m going to go into town and have a look at the job boards. I need some extra income.”
It wasn’t what she wanted to do, but it was a good idea, nonetheless.
“Oh yeah?”
“Mm-hmm,” Nomi answered around another bite of breakfast.
“Well, if you’re looking for something temporary, I know a gal who needs a helper.”
“Define ‘helper.’”
Setting down her coffee, her mother shrugged and detailed the position to Nomi, “She’s an older woman, she can’t do the things she used to. Margo’s her name. She just needs someone to get her groceries twice a month, do her laundry weekly, things of that sort.”
That sounded perfect. Nomi could do that around her current schedule. It would give her almost no free time for anything else, but she could learn to multitask. Then again, it sounded too good to be true. Usually, when her mother offered up something like this, it often came with baggage.
“What’s the catch?” she asked bluntly.
“No catch. I’m heading by there this morning to drop off a few things until she can find someone regular. You should come with me.”
Riding with her mom anywhere was a trap. It meant that Nomi couldn’t go home when she wanted. She’d be stuck with her woman until she was ready to head back and that could be in an hour or not until dinner. It was a risk, but if she was telling the truth, this could be a good opportunity for Nomi.
“Alright,” she conceded.
“Great. Finish your cereal and get dressed, then we’ll hit the road.”
With that, her mom stood and, taking her drink with her, headed back toward the entry. Nomi took her time finishing her breakfast before heading up to get dressed.
It only took them about twenty minutes to get to Margo’s place. They rolled up the long, hidden driveway and to the front of a large, old house. It struck Nomi as odd that she didn’t know the place was even back there and that she’d never heard of this Margo woman, but she didn’t dwell on it too much.
They parked next to a classic Cadillac and headed up some decorative stone steps to the front door. Nomi’s mother rang the doorbell and in less than a minute, the wooden barrier swung open to reveal a petite old woman with curly gray hair and soft gray eyes. Her smile was warm and inviting and it instantly put Nomi at ease. There was something familiar about her face, yet Nomi couldn’t place it. Afraid to stare for too long, she drew her eyes away and let the lady welcome them both inside.
The place was bright and beautiful. Margo may be getting less done these days, but cleaning certainly wasn’t one of the things lacking in her life. Every room was immaculate. The elderly woman led them to a family room and instructed them to have a seat on a designer sofa.
“Who’s this you’ve brought with you, now?” she asked as Nomi and her mother sat down.
“Margo, this is my daughter, Nomi. She might be interested in helping you out if you're still looking for assistance.”
“Oh, wonderful!” she exclaimed, clapping her hands together excitedly.
“What kind of duties would you require?” Nomi asked, in a professional manner.
“I don’t need much, just a few errands I can’t get to. Laundry, shopping, picking up pills, that sort of thing. You could just do it whenever you have free time. I’m not too bossy, I promise,” she said with a raspy chuckle.
“Of course not,” her mother agreed.
Turning her attention to Nomi’s mom, Margo questioned, “Did you bring what I asked for?”
“Yes, it’s in the car. I’ll get it right now.”
Then she jetted back through the foyer to the entrance, leaving Nomi and Margo alone together. Awkwardly, Nomi looked around the room, unsure of what else to say.
“Don’t feel pressured, deary, I have no intention of bullying you into working for me. You either want the job or you don’t, I’m in no hurry.”
“Well,” Nomi explained, “I work full time at a restaurant in town and would only be able to come before or after my shifts or on my days off. I won’t be able to keep a regular schedule.”
“Fine by me.”
“Would you need me to do the laundry here or take it to a facility?”
“Here, your house, the laundromat, doesn’t matter as long as it gets done.”
Nomi gave her a long, questioning look and Margo grinned. She lifted her shoulders to her ears, then giggled. Nomi joined her in chuckling, then heard the front door close and quickly wiped the smile from her face.
“You’re not just doing this because your Mom is making you, right?”
“No, ma’am, I do need the money,” she told the woman honestly.
“Good,” she replied. Calling out over her shoulder, she instructed Nomi’s mother, “Just leave it on the kitchen counter, dear!”
“I’d love to help,” Nomi said, hoping the job was hers for the taking.
“You haven’t asked how much I’d pay you,” Margo mentioned.
“It doesn’t matter. I’ll take whatever you’re offering.”
“I do appreciate a woman who is willing to work for what she wants. You must have big plans. I’d love to hear about them sometime, but for now, let’s write out a list of the things I’ll need from you and you can figure out how to work them into your schedule.”
Nomi nodded and watched as Margo retrieved a tablet of paper and pen from the drawer of the end table beside her. Just then, her mother reentered the room.
“You two look cozy.”
“We’re getting on just fine, dear.”
“Well, good,” she approved.
When Margo was finished writing, she tore out the piece of paper and handed it off to Nomi. Accepting it gratefully, Nomi folded it up and put it into her jacket pocket.
The door closed again, letting out a soft whoosh as it did so, letting everyone know that someone had entered. Footsteps followed, coming through the house toward the room they were all in. Margo perked up and handed off the notepad and pen to Nomi. She stood and started toward the doorway.
“Nan?” a voice called out from the foyer.
A voice Nomi recognized.
“In here!” Margo replied to the guest.
No sooner did she reach the entry than did the welcomed guest meet her there. She immediately wrapped him in a tight hug and cooed with happiness at seeing her grandson. Seemingly in unison, Nomi and her mother’s jaws both dropped and they stared, entranced by what they saw.
“Nan?” Nomi repeated quietly, stumped by the scene.
“Owen?” her mother asked loud enough for them to hear.
“Mrs. Phillips?” he answered, taking in the sight of them both. In a more silky tone, he added, “Nomi.”
Her mother instantly noticed the voice change and passed a look between them both, but before she could conjecture anything, Nomi gave a false smile, feigning a friendly look, and waved. Owen released his grandmother and escorted her into the room. His hand hovered over her spine, in the same way that it had when he had led Nomi through the party and suddenly, she felt ashamed for the feelings it had created in her when it was obviously just a polite gesture.
Tamping down the blush that crept into her cheeks, Nomi shifted in her seat and tried to regain her thoughts. Beside her, her mom continued staring at Margo and Owen in disbelief.
“I had no idea,” she said plainly.
“You know my grandson?” Margo queried, beaming.
“You’ve met Canaan,” Owen mentioned to his Grandma. When she nodded in response, he continued, “This is his mom and sister.”
“Oh, how lovely!” she said to him. Then, to Nomi’s mother, she mentioned, “Canaan is such a good boy.”
“Thank you. Wow. This is a small town, isn’t it?”
Nomi looked at Margo, then at Owen, and scolded herself for not seeing the similarity sooner. Those eyes which had seemed so familiar in Margo were the same ones that her grandson shared. He also had her nose and fair skin. The likeness was obvious when they were standing next to one another and Nomi was angry that she hadn’t made the connection before.
Margo Blankfield was a very well-known author and had been widely loved and appreciated by many. She moved to their little town when her popularity began to dwindle so that she could hide out and settle into normalcy, decades ago. She’d heard the story a time or two growing up and Canaan had repeated it to her when he’d become friends with Owen, saying that the famed writer was his new pal’s grandmother, but Nomi hadn’t attributed much weight to it then because her brother was known to show off and elaborate on things.
Now she felt silly for not putting it all together the moment her mother had mentioned her name. After all, there was no one else in the town named Margo and with this house tucked away in the hills, it only made sense that it was her.
“So, you’re who Nan roped into helping here, huh?” Owen assumed.
“I was just bringing by some groceries until she could find more permanent help,” her mother explained. Elbowing Nomi, she added, “Actually, Nomi has volunteered to be your grandmother’s new assistant.”
“Is that right?” he asked coolly.
Nomi’s heart fluttered. Why did he have to lower his voice an octave and say it in a husky way that made her bones melt? He knew he had that effect on any woman and Nomi was no exception, however, she wished that wasn’t true.
Owen lifted a brow at her and waited for Nomi’s reply.
“Uh-huh,” was all she could manage.
“Well, good,” he answered. Looking down at his Nan, he finished, “She needs a helping hand and I was worried it would be hard to find someone trustworthy. But, Nomi? She’s perfect.”
Perfect. The word bounced around in her head like a pinball. Nomi knew he didn’t mean it in the way she was thinking, but it felt good to hear that compliment come out of his mouth. When she realized hers was hanging open again, Nomi snapped it shut and cleared her throat.
“Well, we should probably get out of here and let you two visit,” she urged her mother.
“Yes, of course.”
“Don’t let me scare you off,” Owen pleaded.
“Not at all. You two should enjoy some time together,” she said to Owen. To Margo, she added, “We’ll talk soon.”
She stood and Nomi followed suit, then trailed behind her mother as she left the room. When they passed the elderly woman and her grandson, Owen’s hand wrapped around Nomi’s upper arm and stopped her. She held her breath.
“We’ll talk soon, too?”
“S-sure,” Nomi stammered before swallowing hard and moving out of his hold. Then she scurried out of the house and into the car with her mother.
So much for keeping her distance from him for a while.
Month 3
That following week, Nomi picked up some prescription medications for Margo and brought them to her house, then ran some laundry while she plundered the internet for used food trucks and equipment. While doing errands for Margo was simple, searching for ways to get what she wanted was daunting.
The week after that was Thanksgiving, so Margo told Nomi not to bother coming by. Her family would bring her the things she needed and Margo could catch up on the things she wanted to do, herself. She would have rather been earning the extra money from Margo, but Nomi did need to get a few items checked off of her agenda and was thankful for a little time to complete them.
Thanksgiving was a blur. Her Aunt Linda and Uncle Terry came in for the occasion, as usual, and her mother cooked up a traditional feast with the help of her minion children. Nomi mostly just went through the motions and made it through the day. The food was good, but the company not so much. Her relatives weren't the nicest people and she was glad when their guests left early the next morning and the house was mostly empty again.
Then it was back to work. Nomi brought some more necessities for Margo and did another load of laundry and, when she was paid, she put the cash into her pickle jar, as usual. And so it went for another few weeks until Christmas was closely creeping in.
Nomi’s phone dinged and she picked it up to see yet another message from Jenna. Rolling her eyes, she opened the link and wasn’t at all surprised to find that it was a social media profile for some handsome hunk in a town nearby. Jenna had been sending her random available men in hopes that her friend was ready to get back onto the market, but she’d had no luck yet. Nomi was serious when she’d made this commitment; she wanted to give herself time to recoup and at least attempt to better her circumstances.