for you to be up singing,” I groaned as Brooklyn was singing a tune on her way to shower. I looked over at the clock to see it was early. “It’s 5am,” I shouted as I pulled the pillow over my head.
“Yea it is also Friday. If you don’t want to wind up working under daddy dearest shouldn’t you be looking for a new job? Your student loans will come calling soon if you don’t.”
“I have a job. It doesn’t pay anything, but the rewards are phenomenal,” I replied as I tried to snuggle under the blankets.
“What is your pretend job today?” Brooklyn asked and I sighed.
“I am a part time groomer.”
“I am almost afraid to ask and I probably don’t want to know. Who do you groom or what do you groom?”
I cracked one eye open and saw she wasn’t leaving without an answer so I tossed the pillow at her. “I groom myself.”
“I know what your problem is,” Brooklyn spoke calmly and I sat up in the bed to hear what she had to say. “It’s daddy day.” I shot her my middle finger and climbed back under the blankets. “You have to see him with your mom today at the appointment.”
“He is just my tadpole donor, and his name is Henry, not daddy.” Then because I hadn’t had any coffee my mouth exploded words, like a volcanic eruption of grammatical blah. “I mean who even fucks a man named Henry. When you orgasm do you fake them, count them, or is it like busting out in song singing I’m Henry the VIII I Am by “Herman’s Hermits.” I mean do you make up your own lyrics to it like ‘Oh Henry the second I am exploding because I am doing the second Henry.’ I don’t even know or want to know it is all gross.”
“Yea, clearly you have no issues with daddy day,” Brooklyn chuckled sarcastically. “I’m going to put on some coffee and I will bring you a cup to turn down your demonic mode before I shower if you want me to.”
“No, I’ll make it now that I am up before the sun,” I stated with a hint of bitchiness.
I went into the kitchen and started a pot of coffee when I heard Brooklyn singing in the shower. She was singing “ Henry the VIII ,” and I felt like she needed something to cool her singing streak.
I filled up a bowl of ice water and walked into our little lilac bathroom and poured it over the white shower curtain that had butterflies all over it as she screamed.
“You bitch,” Brooklyn yelled as her teeth chattered from the chill she felt and I smiled.
“Bet you won’t sing it again,” I laughed, but then she started singing louder. The song made me think of old people doing some kind of wheel chair sex or a horizontal polka. ICK!
When Brooklyn left for work and I was stuck pacing our apartment. The hardwood floors were ice cold as winter had decided to return once more and allowed snow to fall. I sipped my coffee as I stared at a wall wondering what excuse I could use to get Henry to stay away from my mom’s appointment.
The man never wanted me anymore than I wanted him to play the part. My mother and him had separated before she even found out she was pregnant and never told him about me, so when I popped up on his radar he was getting ready to marry a cheerleader and I wasn’t exactly a welcome sight, and working for him was not appealing given our short time together.
I took my shower and straightened my long blond hair and then put a few curls in the bottom so he thought I looked professional. Then I rummaged through Brooklyn’s closet and found a black pencil skirt a red silk blouse and a black blazer. I was set to pretend I had already found a new job.
I filled my black coffee mug that read “If coffee is laced your safe. If coffee is not done you better run,” and walked out the door to catch a cab when Brooklyn called me.
“Kate,” Brooklyn started talking, but had a bunch of voices in the background. Her voice sounded angry and muffled till she clearly said my