“I told you,” Marta nodded. “Being an employee here comes with its perks.”
I put the pamphlets in my bag. “I’ll go over them when I get home,” I told her. “Thanks so much.”
“Of course, hon,” she nodded. “Happy to help.”
“I really am interested in a few courses… I just need to save up enough money to take them,” I said. “And, I want to find a place of my own soon, too.”
“Living with your brother is not going so well, huh?” Marta asked.
“It’s okay, I suppose.” I shrugged. “It’s just a small apartment, there’s only one room and I don’t have any privacy. Plus my brother is kind of…”
“An asshole?”
I laughed. “I was going to say weird…my brother is a little weird,” I clarified. “And to be honest, I don’t much care for his friends.”
“Aren’t you dating one of his friends?” she asked pointedly.
I smiled. “Phil is different,” I said. “And, I think he’s the only one. Sometimes I wonder how on earth he became friends with my brother in the first place.”
“How are things going with lover boy?” she asked curiously.
“Really well,” I said. “Phil’s one of the good ones. He’s been really busy this week, so I haven’t seen him at all since last Sunday. He’s off tonight, but he’s promised to spend some time with Brent.”
“You could tag along?” she suggested.
“Brent would throw a hissy fit,” I said. “He’s been going on about this boys’ night out the whole week. I don’t want to impose. Although, I’m sure Phil wouldn’t mind… Brent’s the one who’d have a problem with it.”
“What does your brother do again?” Marta asked.
I paused. I really should have known that, but I was so involved in my own life right now that I barely paid attention to Brent’s. Plus, anytime he had his friends over I’d either retreat to his room if they were out in the living room or I’d just go for a walk in the park to avoid them altogether.
“Well…he was working at this company, but he quit a short while ago,” I said. “He claims to have started a business.”
“What’s the business?” Marta asked.
I remembered asking Brent the exact same thing, but he’d been vague and evasive about answering me. “Um, buying and selling,” I replied, repeating the same thing he’d told me. “I don’t know much about it… He’s been very tight-lipped about it. I suspect he just got fired, and he’s covering it up by saying he left by choice to start this ‘business’ of his.”
“Sounds dodgy.”
I sighed. “You should see my brother…he looks dodgy, too.”
Marta laughed. “So the priority is moving out then?”
“Definitely.” I nodded. “Which is going to take a whole lot more money than I’ve got saved at the moment. Plus, I need to be able to make the rent each month. I don’t need anything fancy obviously…a tiny space with a bed of my own will suffice. And once I’m living on my own, then I
can start saving up for the courses.”
“What about moving in with your boyfriend?” Marta suggested.
“Oh God, it’s way too early for that,” I said quickly, even though my heart started fluttering at the thought.
“You could suggest it?”
“I don’t want to spook him,” I said. “And, it wouldn’t matter cost wise anyway, because I’d still insist on paying half the rent.”
“Fair enough.” She nodded. “Good on you. I’d like to meet this guy one day.”
I smiled. “I’m sure you will. He’s busy, though, so it’s hard to peg him down.”