Offside Read Online Free PDF Page A
Author: Kelly Jamieson
daughter. Honey had recently ended up spending
“girls’ days” with Mia, when Farrah had no child care and Honey
hadn’t started her new job yet. Honey wasn’t sure why she’d made
the offer, but Farrah had been so grateful and Mia was a good kid,
just not quite ready to be left on her own.
A few hours later, Honey looked down
at the small toenails she’d just painted Strawberry Margarita pink.
“There,” she said, screwing the cap on the bottle tightly.
“Beautiful.”
Mia sat on Honey’s couch, thin little
legs stretched out in front of her, feet on the coffee table, pink
foam spreading her toes. “I like it.” She flashed Honey a smile.
“Thank you, Honey.”
“You’re welcome.” Honey smiled back.
She cast a quick glance at her own toes, which Mia had painted
Cha-Ching Cherry, and tried not to wince. The polish had wandered
off the nail onto her skin in more than a few places, and her left
big toenail was bumpy. Not like the salon pedicures she used to
get. Ah well. She’d wear closed-toe shoes to work
tomorrow.
Honey liked kids, but didn’t know much
about them and somehow she and Mia always ended up doing manicures
and pedicures and facials to pass the time. Which probably wasn’t
doing Mia any real good. Why that mattered, Honey had no idea. She
was just helping out a very new friend, really an acquaintance. Why
did she have this feeling she should be taking Mia to museums and
art galleries, doing crafts or something educational and mind
expanding? Mia wasn’t even her kid.
“Next weekend we’ll go to the
Aquarium.”
“Yes!” Mia bounced on the couch. “The
pier!”
Oops. That was probably a wrong move.
Mia was undoubtedly thinking about the Ferris wheel and roller
coaster and junk food at the Santa Monica Pier.
Whatever. Kids needed to have fun too.
Right? Right.
“I want to shave my legs,” Mia
announced.
Honey blinked. “Oh.
Really.”
“Mom says I don’t need to, but I want
to. You’ll show me how, right, Honey?”
Honey pursed her lips. “Um. That’s up
to your mom, sweetie. If she says no, then I’m not going to go
against that.”
Mia gave her a pout. “I thought you
were cooler than my mom.”
“Are you kidding me? Nobody’s cooler
than your mom!” She leaned over and gave Mia’s waist a tickle.
“Moms are the best!”
Mia giggled even as saying those words
made Honey’s chest hurt, but she kept her smile firmly in place.
God, she wished she had a mom like Mia’s, a mom who loved her so
much she’d do anything for her, who loved her no matter
what.
But that was all old shit in Honey’s
life. She was starting over.
“My mom will let me shave my legs if
you ask her,” Mia said with a sly smile.
Honey had to laugh. “It’s a good thing
you’re cute.”
Mia grinned.
A loud knock on Honey’s door had both
their heads turning, and Honey hopped up to answer the door. “Hey,
Farrah,” she said, letting Mia’s mom in. “How was work?”
“Hell.” Farrah shoved her long dark
hair back off her face. She looked at Mia and smiled. “Hey baby,
how’s it going?”
“Good! Look at my toes! We did
pedicures.” Mia lifted her feet and wiggled her toes.
“Nice!” Farrah shot Honey a grateful
glance. “Get your stuff and let’s get home. It’s past your bed
time.”
Mia and Farrah shoved a few things
into Mia’s backpack and Honey stood in her open apartment door
watching as they let themselves into the unit across the hall. She
gave them a wave and a smile then closed her door.
She moved back into the living room
and gathered up the things they’d used for their pedicures, her
manicure set and bottles of base coat and polish and top coat. Mia
had hobbled across the hall still wearing the toe separators, but
she’d get those back. She put things away in her bathroom, the only
bathroom in the small apartment.
She should get to bed too. But the
tightness of her stomach and the way her mind kept replaying things
told her she wasn’t going
“girls’ days” with Mia, when Farrah had no child care and Honey
hadn’t started her new job yet. Honey wasn’t sure why she’d made
the offer, but Farrah had been so grateful and Mia was a good kid,
just not quite ready to be left on her own.
A few hours later, Honey looked down
at the small toenails she’d just painted Strawberry Margarita pink.
“There,” she said, screwing the cap on the bottle tightly.
“Beautiful.”
Mia sat on Honey’s couch, thin little
legs stretched out in front of her, feet on the coffee table, pink
foam spreading her toes. “I like it.” She flashed Honey a smile.
“Thank you, Honey.”
“You’re welcome.” Honey smiled back.
She cast a quick glance at her own toes, which Mia had painted
Cha-Ching Cherry, and tried not to wince. The polish had wandered
off the nail onto her skin in more than a few places, and her left
big toenail was bumpy. Not like the salon pedicures she used to
get. Ah well. She’d wear closed-toe shoes to work
tomorrow.
Honey liked kids, but didn’t know much
about them and somehow she and Mia always ended up doing manicures
and pedicures and facials to pass the time. Which probably wasn’t
doing Mia any real good. Why that mattered, Honey had no idea. She
was just helping out a very new friend, really an acquaintance. Why
did she have this feeling she should be taking Mia to museums and
art galleries, doing crafts or something educational and mind
expanding? Mia wasn’t even her kid.
“Next weekend we’ll go to the
Aquarium.”
“Yes!” Mia bounced on the couch. “The
pier!”
Oops. That was probably a wrong move.
Mia was undoubtedly thinking about the Ferris wheel and roller
coaster and junk food at the Santa Monica Pier.
Whatever. Kids needed to have fun too.
Right? Right.
“I want to shave my legs,” Mia
announced.
Honey blinked. “Oh.
Really.”
“Mom says I don’t need to, but I want
to. You’ll show me how, right, Honey?”
Honey pursed her lips. “Um. That’s up
to your mom, sweetie. If she says no, then I’m not going to go
against that.”
Mia gave her a pout. “I thought you
were cooler than my mom.”
“Are you kidding me? Nobody’s cooler
than your mom!” She leaned over and gave Mia’s waist a tickle.
“Moms are the best!”
Mia giggled even as saying those words
made Honey’s chest hurt, but she kept her smile firmly in place.
God, she wished she had a mom like Mia’s, a mom who loved her so
much she’d do anything for her, who loved her no matter
what.
But that was all old shit in Honey’s
life. She was starting over.
“My mom will let me shave my legs if
you ask her,” Mia said with a sly smile.
Honey had to laugh. “It’s a good thing
you’re cute.”
Mia grinned.
A loud knock on Honey’s door had both
their heads turning, and Honey hopped up to answer the door. “Hey,
Farrah,” she said, letting Mia’s mom in. “How was work?”
“Hell.” Farrah shoved her long dark
hair back off her face. She looked at Mia and smiled. “Hey baby,
how’s it going?”
“Good! Look at my toes! We did
pedicures.” Mia lifted her feet and wiggled her toes.
“Nice!” Farrah shot Honey a grateful
glance. “Get your stuff and let’s get home. It’s past your bed
time.”
Mia and Farrah shoved a few things
into Mia’s backpack and Honey stood in her open apartment door
watching as they let themselves into the unit across the hall. She
gave them a wave and a smile then closed her door.
She moved back into the living room
and gathered up the things they’d used for their pedicures, her
manicure set and bottles of base coat and polish and top coat. Mia
had hobbled across the hall still wearing the toe separators, but
she’d get those back. She put things away in her bathroom, the only
bathroom in the small apartment.
She should get to bed too. But the
tightness of her stomach and the way her mind kept replaying things
told her she wasn’t going