How to Date a Dragon(41)

Bliss leaned away and eyed her roommate. “How personal are we talkin’?”

“Don’t worry. I don’t want to know what brand of tampons you use or anything…”

“Since you can just look in the bathroom vanity, that would be a waste of a personal question.”

Angie chuckled. “Yeah. And believe me, I don’t give a rat’s ass about that. What I really want to ask you has more to do with work.”

“Okay. Have at it.”

“You seem to be a really good cocktail waitress. Since you get to live and work with wonderful me, why are you slaving so hard to get your other business off the ground? You seem to spend every free moment on the computer.”

Bliss worried her lip and thought about how to word it for a moment. It wasn’t as if she hated waitressing. In some instances it could be a lot of fun. But working in a bar for the rest of her life wasn’t her idea of fulfillment. How could she say that to Angie without hurting her feelings?

“Well, it’s like this… I used to work at a job I hated. The pay was okay, but my boss was mean and the work was boring. Yet, I continued to work there simply to make the rent. And I should let you know that rent is absolutely essential. If I lived with my parents for one more flippin’ day, I’d have wound up in an asylum.”

“Ah. So you’re not making enough money at the bar?”

“Huh? No, that’s not it. The money is fine. I need a place to live and enough money to pay the bills while I get my portfolio back on track. The waitressing is great for that, and even though my diplomatic skills are tested from time to time, it’s not like being president of the United States.”

“But why is the card business so important?”

“Other than the fact that I love doing it? Well, there’s my sister.”

“Your sister? I didn’t know you had a sister.”

“Yeah, she’s in India. My big sister went and fell in love with a guy from West Bengal. Now she lives there.” Bliss stifled a sigh. How proud would she be at this moment, watching her little sister take her original idea and catapult it into the spotlight?

Bliss didn’t even know if India would see the show. It hadn’t aired anywhere yet, of course. The whole thing was taped first and released soon afterward—and did the orphanage where her sister worked even have a television? Her village barely had electricity.

“So what does she have to do with the card business?”

“Oh! Yeah, I didn’t quite connect the dots for you, did I? She started the business. When she decided to move to India permanently, she offered me the gig. It was her baby and I don’t want to let her down.”

Bliss finished drying and putting away the last of the clean dishes and folded the towel. “My sister may have started it, but it’s turned out to be more than that for me. I found it’s a great way to express my snarky sense of humor and stay independent. I love being my own boss. It was such a happy day when I could give my nasty old boss a big raspberry.” She grinned, thinking about the day she quit her boring, frustrating, sometimes revolting tax job.

“Okay, I get that, but you seem so driven. How are you having any fun? I haven’t seen you with Drake in days.”

“Drake’s been crazy busy at work. Haven’t you noticed all the fire engines whizzing past and sirens blaring lately?”

“Yeah… Hey, if you need someone else to hang out with, we could do something together.”

Crap, how can I make her understand?

“I have an important deadline. I’ve got this huge finale coming up. When my building burned, all my work went up in smoke. Actually, it melted, but that’s beside the point. I still have a contract with the show, and if I don’t make good on my promise of delivery, I’ll screw up their ending, lose all credibility—and probably have to pay back the advance money they gave me to produce the designs.”

Angie shrugged. “Okay, I guess I can see what you’re up against. If I can help out in any way… take over some of the chores or anything…”

“Aw, that’s sweet of you, but I’d never take advantage of a roommate that way. I need to pull my weight.”

“Well, it seems like you’re pulling a lot of weight everywhere. You’ll burn out if you don’t give yourself a break.”

“Actually, there is something you can do.”

“Really?” Angie perked up. “Name it. I’d love to help.”

“The producers are coming to check up on me in a couple weeks. A little less than two weeks, actually. They like to meet the important people in the finalist’s life. That’s usually the people they’re living with.”