Page 18 of Going Deep (Odyssey #3)

O n Wednesday night, Ginger sat in her living room surrounded by empty Chinese food cartons. Lola lay sprawled on the sofa behind her. “ Why did you let me eat so many pot stickers?” she whined.

Ginger didn’t look up. She was painstakingly painting her toenails, frowning in concentration. The pinky toe was always the trickiest. “ I tried to stop you. I almost lost a finger.”

Lola struggled to a sitting position. “ It’s Anna’s fault. Why’d you order extra?”

In the kitchen pouring herself a Coke , Anna snorted. “ Because you always eat them all, and I wanted some. You weren’t supposed to eat them all.”

“Dammit.” Ginger frowned at the smear of polish on the skin of her toe. “ Anna , will you bring me a tissue when you come back in?”

“Sure.” Anna snagged the box from the counter as she came back into the room.

“Thanks.” Ginger plucked out a tissue. “ I suck at painting my nails.”

“Here, let me do it.” Lola scooted down onto the floor and picked up the bottle of Siren Red . “ How’s the job hunt going, by the way?”

Ginger put her foot on Lola’s knee. “ Lousy .”

Anna settled into a chair with her Coke . “ I figured there would be a lot of openings for teachers.”

“There are openings,” Ginger said with a sigh. “ I just don’t want any of them.”

Uncapping the polish, Lola glanced up. “ Why ?”

“It just feels like I don’t get to do actual teaching anymore. I got into it because I wanted to give kids the same love of reading, of literature, that my teachers gave me. Instead , I spend half the year making sure they can pass a standardized test.”

“That sucks,” Anna commented. “ You said you have a master’s degree, right? Does that mean you can teach at the college level?”

Ginger shook her head. “ Most four-year universities require a doctorate.”

“Can’t you teach community college with a master's?” Lola asked, wielding the tiny brush with delicate skill.

“Yes. Now ask me if I can live on what it pays.”

“Oh.” Lola grimaced. “ Sorry .”

Ginger sighed. “ I’m not sure what I’m going to do. I may end up looking for an entirely different career.”

“Like what?”

“I have no idea.”

Lola capped the bottle of polish. “ There . All done.”

Ginger beamed at her newly scarlet toenails. “ That looks great. Thanks .”

“Are you still thinking about staying in Chicago ?”

Ginger bent forward to blow on her toes. “ I want to. I like it here. Plus , my family would be two states away in Ohio , and the importance of that cannot be overstated.”

Lola snickered. “ As someone whose family lives in San Francisco , let me just say, girl, same.”

“But I’m afraid I won't be able to afford to stay unless I take a teaching job,” Ginger continued. “ And if I take a teaching job, I’m going to be miserable.”

“Well, if there’s anything we can do to help, let us know.”

Ginger leaned back against the sofa and smiled at Anna . “ Thanks . I’ve got the apartment until David comes back in October , and I can live on my savings for a while. But eventually, I’ll need to make money.”

“Maybe you can do private tutoring,” Lola suggested.

“Maybe,” Ginger said, then shrugged it away. “ I’ll figure it out somehow.”

“Well, you can always stay in our guest room if you don’t have a place by the time David comes home.”

Ginger sent Anna a smile. “ You’re sweet.”

“We love you, sweetie. We want to help.”

“You are, believe me. If you two hadn’t come over tonight, I’d be sitting in front of the computer, contemplating my future, depressed and alone.”

“Anytime, girlfriend.” Lola leaned over to wrap her in a hug.

“That goes double for me,” Anna added. “ But next time you invite me over, make sure you have more than pop to drink.”

Ginger tucked her tongue in her cheek. “ I figured after last time, you’d prefer to avoid getting drunk. I heard you got…reprimanded. And not just for the ribs.”

Anna rolled her eyes. “ I don’t know what he was so peeved about. He got laid, didn’t he?”

“Yeah, but then you threw up on him.”

Ginger snorted with laughter as Anna stuck her tongue out at Lola . “ Men . They’re just never satisfied.”

“Tell me about it,” Anna grumbled.

“Well, since we’re not getting drunk,” Lola said, “what’re we going to do tonight?”

“We could go out, see a movie or something,” Anna offered.

Ginger shook her head. “ I’m not really up for going out. Would it be totally boring to just do a girl’s night in? Make snacks, watch TV ?”

“Works for me,” Lola said.

“I’ll make the popcorn,” Anna offered and pushed to her feet.

“I don’t have any,” Ginger told her.

“There’s some at my place.” Lola got up. “ Be right back.”

“Bring back wine, too,” Anna called after her, then plopped back down on the sofa. “ So , have you talked to Michael since he left town?”

Ginger shook her head. “ No . He said he’d call when he got back, but I haven’t heard from him yet.”

“Why’d he have to leave, anyway?”

“I don’t know. I think it was a work thing.” Ginger frowned. “ What does he do for work?”

“Besides the club?” Anna looked baffled. “ I honestly have no idea. I thought the club was his job.”

“Well, he owns it.” Ginger stretched out to lie on the floor, wiggling her pretty toes. “ Doesn’t he?”

“Yes. I mean, I think so.” Anna picked up her pop. “ He lives above it, so he must, right?”

“Don’t ask me.”

“You’re the one sleeping with him,” Anna pointed out.

Ginger snorted. “ That doesn’t mean I know anything about him.”

Lola walked into the apartment, a jar of popcorn kernels in one hand and a half-full bottle of white wine in the other. “ I didn’t have any microwave popcorn, but I found this in the back of my pantry. I don't know how long it’s been there.”

Anna heaved herself off the couch. “ I can work with that. Do you know what Michael’s job is?”

Lola handed off the popcorn and the wine. “ He works for the foundation.”

Anna took her bounty into the kitchen. “ What foundation?”

“The Killingsworth Foundation .”

“What the hell is the Killingsworth Foundation ?”

“Wait a minute.” Ginger sat up. “ I’ve heard of them. Aren’t they the ones trying to fix the water problem up in Flint ?”

“Trying,” Lola confirmed. “ There’s a lot of red tape to hack through, and the city hasn’t exactly been welcoming.”

“I don’t know why.” Anna dug a pot out of a cabinet. “ It’s not like they’re doing anything to get their own damn people clean water.”

“Politics,” Lola said drily.

“Michael works for them?” Ginger asked.

Lola resumed her spot on the sofa. “ Sure . The whole family does.”

“The whole family?” Ginger echoed.

“Killingsworth was his grandmother’s maiden name,” Lola explained. “ It’s their foundation.”

There was a crash from the kitchen. “ Shit . Sorry .” Anna bent to pick up the pot. “ Michael’s a Killingsworth ?”

“Technically,” Lola said and looked at Ginger . “ Why is she freaking out?”

Ginger shrugged. “ I don’t know.”

“Don’t you two know who the Killingsworths are ?” Anna demanded.

“They’re the people who run the Killingsworth Foundation ?” Ginger ventured.

“Which gives away half a billion dollars a year.”

“ Half a billion dollars ?” Ginger repeated, stunned.

“Ho-lee shit.” Anna pointed. “ You’re dating a billionaire.”

“Half a billionaire,” Lola corrected.

“We’re not dating,” Ginger said faintly, still reeling from half a billion dollars.

“What are you, then?” Anna wanted to know.

“I’m not sure, but it’s definitely not dating.” Ginger got up and walked into the kitchen. She grabbed the wine off the counter, yanked the cork free and drank straight from the bottle.

Lola exchanged a look with Anna . “ Ah , something wrong?”

“What could be wrong? I just found out the guy I’m fucking could buy the Cubs with pocket change.”

“Pocket change is about what they’re worth,” Anna muttered.

“Anna.”

“What? It’s halfway through August , and they’re nine and a half games back,” Anna pointed out.

“Not the point.” Lola rose from the sofa and crossed to the counter. “ Does the money bother you?”

“No?” Ginger drank again. “ I don’t think.”

“Then why are you chugging chardonnay like it’s pledge week?”

Ginger lowered the bottle. “ What do I have in common with a guy who can afford to give away half a billion dollars?”

“Sex?” Anna ventured.

“Kink?” Lola offered.

“Ha,” Ginger said and burped. “ I scrounge for change in my car to buy a pop at the drive-through, and he’s got half a billion dollars.”

“It’s more family money than his,” Lola offered.

“And they put it to good use,” Anna added. “ Flint’s just one of the pies they have their fingers in. They gave a fat chunk to the National Network of Abortion Funds last year.”

Ginger paused with the bottle halfway to her mouth. “ Really ?”

Anna nodded. “ They partner with charities that work to provide affordable housing, wipe out school lunch debt. They sponsor several educational initiatives, everything from early childhood development up through college.”

Ginger set the bottle down. “ That’s good, I guess.”

“You guess?” Lola asked.

“It is good,” Ginger corrected herself. “ But Jesus , half a billion dollars?”

“Is it that big of a deal?” Lola asked. “ After all, it’s not like you’re dating.”

Ginger narrowed her eyes at Lola’s guileless smile. “ Well , aren’t you a sneaky bitch?”

Anna hooted out a laugh. “ She really is.”

Lola’s smile spread. “ Sometimes you two forget I can Dom with the best of ‘em.”

Ginger scowled. “ No switch-hitting on girl’s night.”

“Seconded,” Anna said.

Lola rolled her eyes. “ Fine .”

“Half a billion dollars,” Ginger muttered and took another swig of wine. “ I can’t even picture that much money.”

“He doesn’t have that much personally,” Lola pointed out. “ He draws a salary from the foundation, and he has an inheritance from his grandfather, so he’s not hurting, but?—”

“Hang on,” Anna interrupted. “ How do you know that?”

Lola just raised an eyebrow.

“Oh, for God’s sake. You ran him?”

Lola smirked. “ Of course, I did.”

“Ran him?” Ginger echoed.

“A background check.” Anna said and plunked the pot on the stovetop. “ When ?”