“There’s nothing wrong with that, Jade,” I tell her in a soft voice, my heart cracking at how she never even had a shot at that life. Until now. “Is there anything you want from your house? Anything you don’t want to leave behind?”
“Let me tell you the truth. I own one pair of jeans, two tshirts, and one sweatshirt. I don’t have anything else. It will take one minute to grab the stuff. I’ll come to your place tomorrow or the day after. Since you live so far away, I need to have bus fare and I have to give Big Mike a notice. So, I’ll have to work tomorrow.”
I shake my head because that’s not happening. “Stay with me tonight.”
“Oh, in your bed? I’m kind of glittery if you like that sort of thing.” She winks.
“Is that a yes, Jade? There’s hot water, tons of food, my bed, and you can sleep in my clothes, if you need convincing.”
“Finny,” she says, “you’re a really good guy and I hope this doesn’t backfire on either of
us.” She looks down at the table before looking around the restaurant, not bringing her eyes back to me as she adds, “Okay, I’ll be your maid and fuck buddy.”
Fuck buddy? “Jade, that’s not what I meant. Shit, I just want you to sleep at my house tonight. I didn’t mean to imply anything else. That’s not part of the deal. I wouldn’t make you do that.” No wonder she’s hesitating so damn much. She thinks I want sex from her in exchange for helping her.
“Why is that?” Now, she seems confused. “I mean, since I’ve been with you, well, you know, talking to you, I haven’t had sex with anyone, and that’s some type of record for me. Do you not find me attractive or is it something else?”
“You’re beautiful, Jade. That’s not the issue.” I take a deep breath and lean across the table toward her. “If we’re going to have sex, it’s because of nothing else other than we want to. Not because you’re staying in the house, not because I’m giving you this chance, not because of any of that. Those things are not connected.”
“Wow, and here I didn’t think you could surprise me anymore tonight. I’m wrong, you just did. My answer is yes. I’ll do it.” She smiles, definitely more at ease now.
“For someone who keeps calling me a good guy, you sure seem to forget it. C’mon, let’s go. I imagine you would like a shower.”
“Yes, I would.”
I pay and we leave. Jade doesn’t seem nervous, but she’s not chatty either. When we enter the condo, Gus is sitting on the couch, watching TV. I say a quick hello and lead Jade to my bedroom.
“I’ll let you rummage my dresser to find whatever you want to wear to sleep in.” I open the drawers with my pajama clothes before turning to face her. “I’m going to talk to Gus, so just come find me whenever you’re done, okay?”
Jade nods and I leave her.
“Hey,” I sit on the loveseat, “I need to talk to you about something, and until I can figure some stuff out, I need your full discretion. Think you can do that?”
“Okay, what’s up?” Gus mutes the TV, giving me his full attention.
“Jade’s moving in. She just…” I take a moment to think of how I want to say this. “She was born with her life in a bad place, and I’m helping her get out of it. She’s going to keep this place clean in exchange for rent and food because she wants to earn her stay.”
“All right, I know this is your place, but I pay rent here, too. My concern is: do you trust her? I mean, we do have valuables here, man.”
“Yeah, I trust her. I don’t see any red flags about this,” I assure him.
“Then I’m cool. You’re a good judge of character and if you trust her, then I do, too. It’s not like a maid wouldn’t be a good thing with your sloppy ass anyway.” Gus seems to think about it because he suddenly asks, “But why does she need help? It isn’t anything illegal, right?”
“No, nothing illegal.” He’s going to need more information, and I have to tell him. “This is where your discretion comes in. The only reason I’m telling you is because you do live here. She’s a stripper and she needs to get out of the world she’s in. The only other person she has is in a worse place with bigger troubles than that, the kind of trouble we definitely do not want. All Jade needs is a way out, so she can find a way to really support herself.”
“Okay, I’m going to retract my last comment about you being a good judge of character for a moment. You’re letting a stripper live here to be the maid to help her, correct? But there’s trouble. Could this trouble affect us? Because I’m not looking to be kicked off the Eagles or out of the league, and I’m sure you aren’t either.”
“Jade has kept herself out of trouble. Let me correct myself. Jade doesn’t do anything to get into trouble. The other person she has in her life does, but Jade doesn’t get involved with that. I don’t think it will follow her here.” God, I hope not.
Gus leans back into the couch and is quiet at first. “You’re always honest with me, Valo, and you’re a good guy, so I’m okay with this as long as it doesn’t get us in trouble. I’m just being honest with you.”
“Jade won’t cause trouble, I promise.”
“Then I’m cool.”
“Thanks.”
He unmutes the TV, and it feels as if a weight is lifted off my chest. No issues with Gus. This can work and Jade can have the time and resources to do whatever she wants with her life.