“Guess what?” I gave her a big smile. “I’m going to stay here with you this weekend.”
“You are?” She immediately jumped up onto the couch, then jumped into my arms. I laughed, hugging her. She squeezed me tight around the neck. I understood how important it was for her to feel like she had a friend with her.
“We’re gonna have so much fun!” she squealed.
“We’re also going to get you caught up on the work you missed this week.”
“Erica and Traci helped me with that already.”
I smiled at the girls, who still gave me a funny feeling. I didn’t think they liked me very much. From the way they smirked, I got the feeling they thought I didn’t think they had it in them.
“Thanks,” I said, still smiling. “You’ve made my life a lot easier, then.” Their faces softened a little, like they didn’t know what to make of me. I wouldn’t push them away or alienate them—on the contrary, I needed all the friends I could get in that place. Surrounded by men.
“Do you have anything to sleep in?” one of them asked. The one who had opened the door to me.
“I don’t. But it’ll be okay. Do you need me to get a room ready?”
She smiled. “No, I can do that for you. We have lots of empty rooms. What about the one across from Gigi’s?”
I was so grateful, I didn’t know what to say. I understood how Gigi felt, having a friend. “That sounds great.” I looked down at my charge. “Want to show me the way?” I picked up my purse, took Gigi’s outstretched hand and followed her up the stairs.
As soon as we got to the top of the stairs, I bent to whisper in Gigi’s ear. “Which girl was that? The one who offered the room?”
“Erica,” she whispered back.
“Thanks.” I grinned at her as Erica followed us to the second floor.
“Here’s my room!” Gigi showed it off with a grand flourish, and I had to say I was impressed.
“You bought all of this for her?” I asked Erica, looking over the toys and books. There was even special bedding for her, unless the members of the MC liked sleeping in Disney sheets.
“Yeah, it was fun.” Erica ruffled Gigi’s hair. “We had a great time this week, didn’t we?”
“We did! We went to Target.” She pronounced it “Tar-jay,” which made me laugh.
“And you bought all these things? Erica and Traci are so nice, aren’t they?”
“They’re my best friends. Plus you, Miss Jamie.”
Erica and I grinned at each other.
“You know something?” I sat on the edge of her bed, holding a hand out to Gigi. “Just for this weekend, while I’m staying here with you, you can call me Jamie. Just plain Jamie. No ‘Miss.’”
Her gray eyes went round, and her mouth fell open. “Are you sure?”
“Well, yeah. I mean, we’re gonna be together all weekend long. You don’t call Erica ‘Miss Erica,’ do you?”
She looked at Erica. “Should I have? Was that dis-respeckful?”
Erica giggled. “No, sweetie. That’s just fine.”
“It’ll be our special secret this weekend. You can’t tell any of the other kids, though, when we go back to school. They might get jealous.” And if Vickie ever hears you calling me Jamie, she’ll have a cow.
“Okay.” Gigi nodded solemnly.
“Let’s show Jamie her room, okay?” Erica led us into the hall. My room was just like Gigi’s, without the toys and such. Erica turned to me. “There are clean sheets on the bed. Did you want to share Gigi’s bathroom, or do you want your own?”
“I have to ask, how many rooms are in this place?”
Erica smiled with obvious pride. “Two dozen. Plus a dozen bathrooms.” My face must have given away my complete surprise. The entire building seemed comfortable, modern. Not at all what I had expected.
“It used to be a warehouse,” Erica explained, pulling towels out of a linen closet. “When the club bought it, they had it completely refurbished. They really went all-out. There’s plenty of room for the club members—you know, if we ever have to stay here for some reason.”
I glanced at Gigi, who was busy bouncing on the bed. “Would there ever be a reason? Have you ever been here when there was?”
Erica nodded. “Back in the day, there was a lot of fighting with another club in the next town. I don’t even think they’re around anymore. There were a few weeks when the whole club was under lockdown. The guys, their families, everybody stayed here together.”