Page 12 of The Husband Contract

"Yeah, I hope so, because I don't want to be one of Cinderella's best friends for the rest of my life," Brielle says, only half-joking. I start laughing then. It's been a running joke that I am Cinderella because I live with my aunt and my cousin, Charlotte, and they treat me a bit like their maid, but I am far from feeling like a princess. I am infinitely grateful that they took me in when my parents died in a car crash. I’d only been five. Young enough not to remember them, but old enough to carry the loss and suffering inside of me. Old enough to remember how they’d tuck me into bed at night and hug and squeeze me tight. Old enough to remember them telling me they loved me. Old enough to miss the memories we never got to make together.

“Charlotte is trying her?—”

"Charlotte makes us feel indebted to her because we are gaining experience running the hotel for her, but she barely pays us anything," Katherine says bitterly. "We’re here scrubbingtoilets, making beds, checking people in, vacuuming, answering the phones, and where is she? Gallivanting across the world with who knows who, doing who knows what.”

"I mean, I get it, but where would I have been if it wasn't for her? I could have been in the streets. I could have been in a foster home. I could have?—"

"Yeah, I get it," Katherine says, nodding, though her expression still looks pissed. "I guess that's one good thing she and her mom have done in their lives."

"Yeah. My aunt didn't have to take me in. She wasn't even that close to my dad."

Brielle remains silent as Katherine and I go back and forth, but I can see her making a face.

"What?" I give her a pointed look, though I’m not really upset with either one of them. They’ve known me long enough to know how my aunt and cousin treat me.

"Your aunt Mildred was your dad's younger sister. Didn't she inherit everything from your parents because she was to use it to take care of you and—" She stops as I wince. "Sorry." She throws her hands up in the air and then reaches over to hug me. “They just suck, and I hate them.”

"I was five when she took me in. She's taken care of me my entire life. That cost a lot of money."

"How did Charlotte get the money to buy this hotel anyway?" Katherine asks, her face twisted.

"She won the lottery a couple of years ago, remember? And decided to buy this place."

"Yeah, I guess she got lucky."

I stare at my two best friends. "Anyway, let's not be upset or ungrateful. We both have jobs. We run this place, and we get to be together. And we barely see either of them."

"Thank God for that," Brielle says as she jumps up off the bed. "Okay, I'm not cleaning thetoilets today." She glares at us. "I did them yesterday, and I don't want to clean shit today. I’m tired."

"I don't want to do it either," Katherine says. "I mean, honestly, I don't get paid enough to clean shit."

"Fine, I'll do it," I say, jumping up, as well. "I feel like this is going to be a really good month for us. We all have second jobs now. We will be out of here before we even know it."

"I hope so, because reservations are down." Brielle frowns. "And didn't Charlotte say in the last Zoom meeting that if we don’t start making more money, she’s going to have to lower our pay?”

“We’re not going to let that happen. This is a charming bed and breakfast, but no one knows about it," Katherine says. "She doesn't even advertise. How are people supposed to know about it?"

"Well, maybe we can market for her. I told you we should start a TikTok account,” I volunteer.

“We don’t have time for TikTok—between reservations and cleaning and cooking and just everything.”

I stare at my friends. “I know.”

“And I don’t want to say this, Willow, but if I meet the man of my dreams…” Katherine grins and dances around. “I’m out of here until we can buy our own place.”

“Me, too," Brielle says, laughing.

"Me three," I say. "But unfortunately for us, we have not met the men of our dreams, so we shall continue working at this bed and breakfast and doing our best."

“You may meet him tonight, though. Isn’t your date in a few hours?”

“It is.” I feel a warm feeling spreading through my body. “So let me clean these toilets and then go home and shower so I can be fresh and clean.”

My phone starts ringing then, and my heart races as I see the screen. "Oh my gosh. I think it's him. Is he psychic?"

"Who?" Brielle asks.

"The dude she's been chatting with, obviously.” Katherine giggles.