In the Age of Love and Chocolate (Birthright #3)(26)

A couple of days after Easter, I found her sitting on the couch in my living room with Felix in her arms. She looked the same, pretty as ever, though she was skinnier than she had been before she’d had the baby. A fine wrinkle had taken up residency between her eyebrows. “Gable’s gone,” she said. “His parents blame me, and I can’t stay there anymore.”

“Where did Gable go?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” she said. “We were fighting constantly. He hated his job at the hospital. His parents had been pressuring us to get married, but neither of us wanted to do it. And now he’s gone.”

“Scarlet, I’m sorry.” I was sorry for Felix, if not particularly for Scarlet. I was sorry about the situation, but I wasn’t surprised. Given enough time, Gable Arsley always managed to live up to his last name.

“Could we stay here for a little while? I don’t want to live with my parents, and I can’t be at Gable’s with his mother hating me so much.”

“Of course you can stay here.” Though truthfully, there were a lot of people currently in residence at my apartment: Noriko, Leo, Theo, and Natty when she was home. “You can use Natty’s room while she’s away.”

“Also, I need to find work. I’ve been auditioning for plays a little bit. I’ve come close to getting cast a couple of times—”

“Scarlet! That’s great.”

“But with Gable gone, I know I can’t afford to wait around anymore. I need to figure out how to make money now.” She made a face. “I hate to ask, but would you give me a job at the club? A hostess or a waitress or whatever. I know I’m not qualified for anything else. If I had a job with tips and flexible hours, I could still audition now and then.”

I sat down next to Scarlet. I was still awkward around Felix, but he climbed into my lap anyway.

“Good,” Scarlet said. “Sit on your godmother. You’re getting too heavy for me, Felix.”

“Hi, Felix,” I said.

“Hi,” he said.

“Oh, he’s talking now,” I said. “Hi,” I said again.

He waved and laughed at me.

“The club can definitely take on another waitress, but won’t that be weird for you? I mean, I wish I had something better to offer you.”

“There aren’t exactly a ton of jobs in this city, and I’m not proud. I can’t afford to be.”

“Who will watch Felix while you’re at work? I’m not here a lot.”

“No, I would never ask you to do that. My father can. Dad always tries to help. It’s really my mother who disapproves of me, which is why I can’t live there either.”

“I’ll go back to Gable’s apartment with you to get your stuff and Felix’s, if you want.”

She laughed. “I’m about to sound terrible. I know I’ve already asked you for so much. But would you … would you mind going alone? I don’t want to bring Felix back to Gable’s parents’ place. Everyone is so upset. I don’t want him in the middle.”

At that moment, Theo came into the living room. “I will watch the baby,” he said, “and then you both will go.” He must have been eavesdropping.

He walked over to the couch and scooped up Felix from my lap. “See. Los niños, they love me.” Felix was grabbing Theo’s mustache, which he had grown in the months since he’d moved to New York.

He offered Scarlet his hand. “We have not met. I am Theo.”

“Scarlet,” she said. “And he’s Felix.”

“Ah, the best friend. I am Anya’s boyfriend.”

Scarlet looked at me. “What? Since when do you have a boyfriend?”

“He’s not my boyfriend,” I said.

“My English is not perfect,” Theo said. “I only mean I am a boy and I am her friend.”

“I don’t understand,” Scarlet said. “Is he your boyfriend or isn’t he?”

I sighed. “Who needs such labels? We should leave if you want to do this tonight.” I turned to Theo. “Also, Scarlet’s going to be your new waitress.”

“Wait? What?” Theo said. “You are not bad to look at, but do you have any experience?”

“I’m a fast learner,” she said with a smile.

* * *

Scarlet unlocked the door to Gable’s parents’ apartment. “Maybe they won’t be home,” she said.

We went inside and no one was there. Scarlet told me to pack up the bedroom while she packed up the nursery. I threw her clothes into a suitcase and her makeup and jewelry into a box. I was nearly finished when I heard the door to the apartment open.

“Scarlet?” a woman called. I recognized the voice as Gable’s mother.

“In the nursery,” Scarlet replied.

I set the suitcase and the box by the front door and went to wait just outside the nursery door. I thought there could be trouble so I wanted to keep close.

“You can’t take our grandchild away!” Gable’s mother yelled.

“I’m not taking him away. I would never do that. But we can’t live here anymore. It isn’t good for anybody. And it doesn’t make sense now that Gable is gone.”

“Gable will come back,” his mother said. “He’s upset.”