Total pages in book: 130
Estimated words: 125517 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 628(@200wpm)___ 502(@250wpm)___ 418(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125517 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 628(@200wpm)___ 502(@250wpm)___ 418(@300wpm)
“In what century? In this one, they want you to be a size zero and have boobs the size of cantaloupes.”
“Then you’re halfway there,” Mama joked.
“Kill me,” Arden joked back. “See you tomorrow. Make sure you leave with Rocco. I don’t want you staying by yourself.”
“I’m having an early night myself. I have a date.”
That stopped her in her tracks. Her friend hadn’t had a date in six months, when she had broken it off with a man she had dated for several months.
“Who with?”
“Someone you don’t know.”
“Who with?” Arden repeated.
“Okay, I met him on Tumbler.”
“Natalia… I told you no more dating sites. The last one you went out with stole your wallet.”
Mama took off her apron. “I’m taking precautions this time.”
“What precautions?” she asked suspiciously.
“Rocco is going to follow us and come inside the bar we’re meeting at.”
“Then I suppose that’s okay.”
Mama gave her a big hug, nearly lifting her off her feet. “You are like a little sister to me.” Putting her back on her feet, she gave her a kiss on both cheeks.
“Little?” Arden laughed. “Have you sampled the wine?”
Mama’s eyes narrowed on her. “I don’t like it when you put yourself down.”
“Yes, Mama.” Pretending to be chastised, Arden blew her a kiss as she headed out the door. “Have fun.”
As she drove home, the smell of the food in the car had her stomach growling. She regretted not eating earlier but forced herself to imagine getting in the dress she had purchased online. It had been meant as an incentive to get herself on a diet, which she swore every day she would stick to until she went into the restaurant only to have her willpower smashed into smithereens.
Once in her apartment, she put the food in the refrigerator and took out the salad she had prepared the day before.
Still hungry and clinging to minuscule willpower, struggling to survive, she decided to wash a load of clothes instead of tearing into the food she had brought home.
She went into her bedroom to pick up the basket of dirty clothes, placing the detergent on top before she headed toward the door.
Locking the door behind her, she carried the basket downstairs, waving at a couple who were sitting outside their apartment door, smoking a cigarette.
“How’s it going?” she called out to them.
“Not bad,” the woman replied. “Andy and I were thinking about going to the convenient store. You need anything?”
“No, I’m good. Thanks for asking, Lizzy.”
“Can you spare a couple of quarters?”
At the question, Arden took out the roll of quarters she kept at the bottom of the laundry basket. Balancing the basket, she peeled several quarters from the pack to hand to the woman who had quickly gotten up to walk over to her.
“This enough to get what you want?”
Lizzy gave her grateful smile. “I only needed a couple.”
Arden smiled back. “That way, you can buy you both a beer.”
Lizzy and her boyfriend took off to get their beers while she made her way to the laundry room, which was next to the front office.
The room being empty didn’t bother her. She was used to washing her clothes this time of night. She knew it wasn’t safe, which was why she kept her pepper spray within easy reach as she loaded the washing machine. She started the cycle then picked the basket up to leave the room. She had lost several baskets before, so she’d lost the trust to leave them until she returned.
Bounding up the steps, she unlocked her door and went inside.
She took a shower and dressed in loose sweatpants and an oversized pajama top that used to belong to her father. He had lost so much weight after his heart surgery, her mother had been about to throw it away when she had asked for it. She didn’t bother to put her bra back on when all she was going to do was finish her laundry and go to bed.
After brushing out her damp hair, she went into her bedroom check the time. Then, gathering her basket and pepper spray, she went outside to retrieve her clothes. She had a foldable laundry rack the clothes would dry on placed under the heating vent, so the clothes would be dry before morning.
She removed the clothes and placed them in the basket before heading back out the door, but when she turned to the left, she rammed into a body that was rushing toward the door at the same time.
Startled, her survival instincts kicked in at the same time as a flashback of being attacked by her brother’s headmaster had her raising the pepper spray to press the button. Closing her eyes to prevent the spray from burning them, she began madly swinging the basket of clothes toward her assailant.
“What the fuck!” a familiar voice roared. “Arden, stop! It’s me, Doom!” A furious move ripped the spray out of her hand.