Tied - Part One Read Online Free

her know,” Lockett said, “Later, Kat!”
     
    They pushed and shoved each other into the hall, slamming the door with a little too much enthusiasm for seven in the morning. Their neighbors must love them .
     
    I was still reeling after they were long gone. A job interview? Already? I knew I could handle a tutoring job - hell, half the time when a parent said they wanted a tutor, what they were really after was a nanny. But work was work, and I definitely needed to work. My savings wouldn’t last me very long - not in New York.
     
    First things first, though, something had to be done about the milk.
     
    ○●○●○●○●○
     
    I picked up the photo from the shelf and stared at it, a small grin curving my lips. Lockett held a baby in one arm and a young child in the other, lifting them both as if they were weights and he were exercising. Both kids looked delighted. Just when you think a man couldn’t possibly be sexier…
     
    “Thanks for waiting.” I nearly dropped the photo as I put it down, and the woman laughed. “Rob is so good with the kids.” She looked over my shoulder. “Gosh, that photo was six years ago.”
     
    Lockett looked much younger in it. Six years made a big difference in your twenties. He was what, twenty-eight now according to Alexa? So he was twenty-two in that picture. He’d been that buff even back then?
     
    “Let’s sit.” I followed Lockett’s sister-in-law to a kitchen table covered in coloring books, crayons, and all manner of evidence of young children. Lisa seemed very nice, though frazzled. She worked part-time at the local library and volunteered at her kids school when she could. From what I understood, her husband worked a lot, and wasn’t home much. “Why don’t you tell me a little about yourself?”
     
    I brushed some crumbs off the chair before sitting down across from her. “Well, I’m twenty-five. I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree three years ago, majored in education. Specifically early childhood education. I’ve done a lot of substitute teaching over the last year, a little tutoring here and there…” I trailed off.
     
    I waited for the tough questions. “Why weren’t you working straight out of college?” “Because I always had too much alcohol in my blood to pass the test to work in the school district.” “Oh you’re an alcoholic, what makes you think you should be allowed to work with children?”
     
    My stomach churned.
     
    But she never asked. “Well, Rob highly recommended you, so I think we can give this a try.”
     
    “That was really nice of him,” I said.
     
    “How’s twenty an hour sound? Say, twice a week, one day for each of my little monsters?”
     
    “Oh, gosh, I’m sure they aren’t monsters!” I said, laughing.
     
    “Wait until you meet them.”
     
    “Oh, I’m sure they’re perfect angels,” I said, grinning.
     
    “So the rate’s agreeable?”
     
    “Yes,” I said, “That’s perfect.” Honestly it was a little higher than I was expecting, though it was the going rate for a tutor on the less experienced side. Looking around her home, though, I couldn’t help wondering how she could afford it. The apartment was small, the furniture was worn.
     
    I knew better than to question it too much, though. Only a crazy person would ask for less money than they were offered. If anything I should have haggled but it just didn’t feel right. Not for a first job. Not for a job that was practically a favor.
     
    “When would you like me to start?”
     
    ○●○●○●○●○
     
    “I got the job!” I sang as I entered the apartment. Alexa was fiddling with her guitar in the living room, but she put it down so she could run over and give me a hug.
     
    “That’s amazing!” she said. “Here for less than a day and you’ve already got a gig. Not bad, sis.”
     
    “Well, it was thanks to your roommate,” I said, blushing.
     
    “So what, that’s just networking.” She jabbed my arm.