Fragile Hearts
What I'm Here For
Kasey groans as the fuzzy grey tabby cat winds itself through her legs, making it impossible for her to maneuver around it without tripping.
"Really Tex? I had a long day, not tonight." She sighs, looking down to see the cat's big blue eyes widen at her attention. He meows, begging to be picked up.
"You should be grateful, you know," Kasey's room mate, Tess walks into the kitchen in nothing but a tank top and pajama bottoms. "He doesn't even like me that much and I bought him." She scoops the wriggling feline up into her arms. "Isn't that right, Tex?"
Kasey safely continues to rummage through the fridge for dinner.
"There's leftover Chinese you know," Tess suggests, making Kasey cringe. Lord only knew what Tess's definition of left over meant this time.
"I'm good, thanks. I'll have cereal."
"Suit yourself." Tex lets out a squeak, forcing Tess to put him down. "So how was your date?" She asks curiously.
"Like all the other ones," Kasey says, clearly unimpressed as she pours the carton of milk into a bowl. "Dealing with heartbroken schmucks and pretending to be their new girl gets old after a while, barely worth the money." The last poor bastard had even gotten a little attached, which was about the worst offense in business according to Kasey. She had to cut the deal off early before the guy got any ideas.
"Yes, because you only get paid thousands of dollars each date, Kase. You poor thing."
"You're an ass, Tess," Kasey smirks, shoving a spoonful of milk and Cheerios into her mouth.
Suddenly, the sound of Cyndi Lauper's Girls Just Wanna Have Fun fills the room and Kasey scrambles to swallow her food and catch her phone at the same time.
"Hello?"
"Hey, is this Kasey Ferris?"
Kasey clicks her tongue, tempted to hang up on the guy. She knows what he wants. Most of her male calls include business interactions. The rest are just wrong numbers. Or her father.
"Yes, this is her."
"This is going to sound really awkward, but... I- I need you for a bit. To be my girlfriend."
"It's what I'm here for," Kasey rolls her eyes, just wanting to get the conversation over with. Her Cheerios are getting soggy. "Just name a time and place to discuss the basics."
"Alright, sure." The guy grasps the fact that she means business quickly. "The Starbucks at Newland Center around two? Huntington Beach?"
Kasey nods, recalling a chain there. "Alright cool, see you then." She hangs up before the guy can get another word in. When she turns to look at Tess, her friend has an eyebrow raised.
"Shift or Schmuck? Somehow, I don't recall Nico's Diner being all the way out there."
"Yeah," Kasey sighs, the sudden need for sleep overpowering her hunger.
"Dude, you seriously need a break from all those pathetic losers. They're starting to bring you down too. Why'd you say yes?"
"He sounded depressed." Kasey just throws the now soggy Cheerios out.
"Don't they all? Look, I'm just saying, no amount of money is worth dealing with people in this state all the time. You need to date a real guy, sometime in the very near future."
"I know, I know," Kasey yawns. "Last schmuck for a while, I promise."
Tess pulls her 'I know you're lying to me' pout.
"I promise!"
Kasey stomps off to her room, Tex scampering along after her. Once the door is closed behind her, she allows herself to flop face down on the bed. Five seconds later, a pair of paws are kneading her back.
"Tex," she groans into her pillow. "Why don't you love Tess more?"
Tess has a point though. Her part-time job is getting to her. At one time, making money pretending to be some guy's girlfriend sounded great. Now, Kasey dreads every time she gets another call.
"Last schmuck," Kasey promises her pillow, letting Tex fall asleep on her back.
"Really Tex? I had a long day, not tonight." She sighs, looking down to see the cat's big blue eyes widen at her attention. He meows, begging to be picked up.
"You should be grateful, you know," Kasey's room mate, Tess walks into the kitchen in nothing but a tank top and pajama bottoms. "He doesn't even like me that much and I bought him." She scoops the wriggling feline up into her arms. "Isn't that right, Tex?"
Kasey safely continues to rummage through the fridge for dinner.
"There's leftover Chinese you know," Tess suggests, making Kasey cringe. Lord only knew what Tess's definition of left over meant this time.
"I'm good, thanks. I'll have cereal."
"Suit yourself." Tex lets out a squeak, forcing Tess to put him down. "So how was your date?" She asks curiously.
"Like all the other ones," Kasey says, clearly unimpressed as she pours the carton of milk into a bowl. "Dealing with heartbroken schmucks and pretending to be their new girl gets old after a while, barely worth the money." The last poor bastard had even gotten a little attached, which was about the worst offense in business according to Kasey. She had to cut the deal off early before the guy got any ideas.
"Yes, because you only get paid thousands of dollars each date, Kase. You poor thing."
"You're an ass, Tess," Kasey smirks, shoving a spoonful of milk and Cheerios into her mouth.
Suddenly, the sound of Cyndi Lauper's Girls Just Wanna Have Fun fills the room and Kasey scrambles to swallow her food and catch her phone at the same time.
"Hello?"
"Hey, is this Kasey Ferris?"
Kasey clicks her tongue, tempted to hang up on the guy. She knows what he wants. Most of her male calls include business interactions. The rest are just wrong numbers. Or her father.
"Yes, this is her."
"This is going to sound really awkward, but... I- I need you for a bit. To be my girlfriend."
"It's what I'm here for," Kasey rolls her eyes, just wanting to get the conversation over with. Her Cheerios are getting soggy. "Just name a time and place to discuss the basics."
"Alright, sure." The guy grasps the fact that she means business quickly. "The Starbucks at Newland Center around two? Huntington Beach?"
Kasey nods, recalling a chain there. "Alright cool, see you then." She hangs up before the guy can get another word in. When she turns to look at Tess, her friend has an eyebrow raised.
"Shift or Schmuck? Somehow, I don't recall Nico's Diner being all the way out there."
"Yeah," Kasey sighs, the sudden need for sleep overpowering her hunger.
"Dude, you seriously need a break from all those pathetic losers. They're starting to bring you down too. Why'd you say yes?"
"He sounded depressed." Kasey just throws the now soggy Cheerios out.
"Don't they all? Look, I'm just saying, no amount of money is worth dealing with people in this state all the time. You need to date a real guy, sometime in the very near future."
"I know, I know," Kasey yawns. "Last schmuck for a while, I promise."
Tess pulls her 'I know you're lying to me' pout.
"I promise!"
Kasey stomps off to her room, Tex scampering along after her. Once the door is closed behind her, she allows herself to flop face down on the bed. Five seconds later, a pair of paws are kneading her back.
"Tex," she groans into her pillow. "Why don't you love Tess more?"
Tess has a point though. Her part-time job is getting to her. At one time, making money pretending to be some guy's girlfriend sounded great. Now, Kasey dreads every time she gets another call.
"Last schmuck," Kasey promises her pillow, letting Tex fall asleep on her back.
