"When do I get my money?"
"You'll get it when the truck's delivered. You're going to be the one to deliver it." Chloe wrote down 'Matthew Sharp' on a piece of paper, along with his address. "Here's my number too. You call when the truck comes in."
Chloe picked up the entry form and went back to the apartment. Hopefully Matthew wouldn't learn about his bank account balance before he got his new truck. His old Chevy was a deathtrap, and the last thing she wanted was to have him stranded in this neighborhood. The old truck didn't even have heat, which definitely wasn't good for driving in Michigan winters.
Matthew didn't show up until almost nine that night. He was totally exhausted. Chloe could tell he was struggling to keep his eyes open, but Matthew wanted to thank her.
"That lasagna dinner was great, babe, we really enjoyed it. Thank you so much. I haven't had a meal like that in a long time. Mario's is a fabulous restaurant, but they're very expensive. You didn't need to spend your money like that."
"I just wanted to do something nice." Chloe reached in her purse and pulled out the entry form. "Look what I grabbed at the grocery store. It's an entry form for a contest. You could win a huge truck!"
"What kind? You should enter it yourself, Chloe. You could use a new vehicle too, and besides, I never win anything." Matthew laughed.
"There's no way I'm driving that big of a pickup."
"Damn, I could use a new one of those. I guess it wouldn't hurt to fill it out. Where do I drop the form off at?"
"I forgot to grab something while I was out, so I'll turn it in tomorrow for you."
Matthew took a pen from his front pocket and filled it out. "Could you imagine if I won? They'd hear me howling all the way to Texas. I'm not sure if I could afford to insure it though."
"Let's just see what happens." Chloe's anxiety was rising. Losing him would be so painful, but having him walk away and return everything she'd given him would be unbearable. No one was more deserving than Matthew…no one.
Matthew was working long hours every day trying to make enough money to carry him over until next spring. His friend John worked some hours at a local hardware store when roofing season ended and only got that job because the owner was a relative. Finding employment was difficult. He'd tried on several occasions to find a job like John's, but he couldn't afford to work for minimum wage. Matthew wasn't about to let his father's roofing company go belly up. He was hoping for heavy snowfall this winter, even though plow hours were nasty. Trying to juggle crazy shifts, with caring for his father, wasn't an easy thing to do. Sometimes he worked all night and slept very little. It was grueling, but at least he could catch up on some bills. No matter what it took, Matthew was willing to do anything to take care of his father.
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
Chloe called Sherry and agreed to start her new job. She didn't know how hard the work would be, but it was a new experience for her. Becky called before her shift was to start.
"You're going to get up every morning at seven-thirty?"
"I get up at seven, but it doesn't bother me. I'm just so excited to actually have a real job!"
"I take it she knows your real name then? Did she agree to keep it quiet?"
"It wasn't much of an application. She doesn't have my real name."
"Chloe, there's a thing called taxes."
"She's paying me cash for just a couple days a week. I won't even make enough money to pay taxes. Besides, Sherry is doing the best she can. She loves her tenants, throws no one out, and works with people. She owns the building, so I'm not worried about it."
"Matthew still hasn't figured out who you are?"
"No, but that'll happen any day now."
"Let me guess, you sent him money?"
"Not quite…" Chloe explained as much as she could with the little time she had left before work.
"I'm proud of you, love. You're such a good person. If and when he does find out, I'll be behind you a hundred percent."
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
Sherry had a hot cup of coffee in her hand and held it out for Chloe. She gratefully accepted it and sat at the table with her new boss. She wrote down the tasks she had to do, then set off to find the supply closet. Being in the hallway gave her a headache at first, but after a short while she didn't notice the smells. She got to know some of the tenants when they went in and out of their apartments. They were all kind.
While Chloe cleaned, her mind churned. Even though she knew that keeping Matthew wasn't going to be an option once he found out, it hurt her just the same. Preparing herself for such a horrible loss was so hard, and just the thought of it brought her to tears.
She cleaned meticulously, and Sherry was very impressed. What she didn't know was that Chloe was trying to clean off her own black marks. That's exactly what she'd become in Matthew's eyes. A big black mark…Please, just let him get the truck before he leaves.
At the end of her day, Sherry approached her with a look of concern.
"Did I do something wrong? I'm new at this, so if I messed up, I'll go back and fix it."
"No, dear. Can you come and sit for a minute?"
Chloe sat down on the edge of her seat in the office, not because of the dirt on the fabric, but because of sheer nerves.
"What's bothering you, Chloe?"
"Nothing's wrong, I'm just tired I guess."
"Listen, no matter what it is, you can come and talk to me."
"I'm okay, Sherry. I'll keep that in mind." Chloe wasn't looking forward to the impact her deceit was going to have on these people she cared about. She wasn't even honest to Matthew about her parents or her best friend's real identity.
Chloe opened the door to her apartment and then slid to the floor. Maybe she wouldn't be able to keep the new wonderful feelings she'd gotten from people accepting and loving her, but at least she now knew what it felt like. For that, she was thankful.
Chapter 6
Matthew didn't get his lunch break until two o'clock, and he was famished. Being across town made it impossible for him to stop home, grab some food, and then be back at the job site in thirty minutes. He hurried out of the house, late again, and was unable to pack himself a lunch. His father was taking more time in the mornings to get up and take his treatment. His coughing spells were lasting longer, worrying Matthew so much. He wanted to take him to the doctors, but his father refused due to the medical bills that were piling up.
It'd be three more days before he was able to pay himself and the crew, but he needed food and his lunch break was almost over. Hopefully there're a few bucks in the account. Pulling up at an ATM, Matthew used his debit card to check his balance and pull out ten bucks if he could. Fifty thousand, thirty-seven dollars on the receipt under 'balance' made Matthew crack up. Are you kidding me?! Even though it was a rush to see that kind of money, he knew better than to touch it. The bank made a gross error and would demand every cent of it back. Man that looked amazing, even though it wasn't mine. Shaking his head, he took his ten dollars and headed to a drive-through. He wouldn't bother calling the bank; they'd be quick about recovering that amount of money. I can't wait to show this to Chloe. She'll laugh as hard as I did.