Crash (A Billionaire Contract Romance)

Dirty Laundry

I“Miss Aria!” Jude’s hardly through the door before he’s running across the wide cafeteria to where I’m standing. He shoves his little body through the busier than usual crowd.

It’s sad to think all these people are hurting in so many ways. That this many are so desperate and hungry. How do we still argue about something we could so easily fix? When will we realize society has so badly failed us?

When I hear Jude’s little squeaky voice, I rip my gloves off, grab the box of cookies I have set aside and walk around the counter just as Jude reaches me and throws his little arms around my legs. Clumsy me don’t do well with balance in general but when I have a forty-five-pound torpedo thrown against me, well down I go, taking Jude and the cookies with me.

My back hits the floor first, followed by the back of my skull. Thankfully I’m enough cushion to keep Mister Jude from gaining any injuries.

“Ohh, wow, are you okay Aria?” Gus, a sixty-something-year-old veteran that was waiting in line stands over us, he bends down to scoop Jude up off of me.

Rubbing the back of my head I notice a shadow fall over me, not surprised to find it’s Mason. His concern etched deep in his face. Before I can react he scoops me up putting me on my feet like Gus just did to Jude. Only Mason keeps me snug against his side.

“Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!” Jude cries, his face red and puffy, his eyes turned in. “Are you okay, Miss Aria?” He asks with a sniffle.

“I’m fine Buddy. Mason, please let me go.” My back is a little sore from the fall, but I’m okay.

“I swear Crash I think we need to get you custom-made clothes with built-in airbags.” I chuckle, he’s probably right, I fall way too much. “You sure you’re okay?” He brushes his hand across my cheek after he turns me around.

“I’m fine everyone I promise!” A concerned Sean, (Jude’s dad), makes it over for us as I’m crouching to Jude’s level. Grabbing his little slumped shoulders I pull him in for a tight hug. “Hey Little man, it’s okay. It was an accident, nothing to worry about. I’m actually pretty clumsy, falling down is kind of my thing. Guess what I have for you!”

The prospect of a gift has his eyes sparkling over, his guilt clearing away and diverted. “What is it this time?”

“Candy Cookies. Let me know what you guys think. Any requests for your next treat?”

“Daddy really likes peanut doughnuts!”

“Peanut doughnuts, I think I could manage that!” Doughnuts are a little time-consuming but they’re fun to make.

“You do not have to worry about making me anything, you already give us too much!” Sean shakes his head as Jude runs away, the box of cookies in hand.

“Just you wait Sean, they will be the best peanut doughnuts you’ve ever had!”

He chuckles, “I don’t doubt that just don’t worry about making me anything. I’m really fine and enjoy everything you’ve given us so far, so make whatever you want!”

“Well I want to make doughnuts now, I wouldn’t ask for suggestions if I didn’t want them. Honestly baking is my therapy, doughnuts are not my specialty they’ll be a challenge that I’m up for.”

“Well, thank you.” He nods bashfully.

“How’s everything going? Did he master spelling Dinosaur yet?” Sean’s been trying to keep his mind active, so he’s been giving him fun words to learn every day well they wait for him to enter first grade in the fall.

“He sure did! He’s a smart kid!” His face always lights up when he talks about Jude. It warms my heart to see such a healthy reaction from a parent.

“That’s amazing! You’re doing a great job with him.” His eyes frow wet and his smile fades at my comment.

“No, I’m not. Were homeless and broke. He wears the same four pairs of clothes, sometimes well they’re dirty because I can’t even wash them. He deserves better than I have.”

“Sean you are an amazing father. Look at him. He’s always smiling. You listen to him and treat him with respect and kindness. You go out of your way to make his day as fun as possible, keeping his spirits up. You’re an amazing Dad, stuck in a shitty situation. You’re doing the best you can, and that little boy loves and appreciates everything you do for him.”

He clears his throat while he looks away clearly emotional. “Thank you,” he whispers. Men and emotions.

“Why are they homeless?” Mason speaks low into my ear, raising my hair and spreading goosebumps.

By the time we got here, I had cooled down some. He had a coffee waiting in the cup holder and some bagels waiting for us. I munched and sipped while we listened to the music on low. With some caffeine and some food in my stomach, I was feeling better.

I wasn’t prepared for him to stay when we got here. I also wasn’t prepared for him to know Paul. I guess he’s a pretty big donor and works closely with Paul on some community efforts. They were excited to chat each other up while they both got their hand's dirty digging into all the work that needed to be done.

“Sean lost his job in February, his company downsized, said they didn’t need him anymore with technology that could do it instead. He’s been trying to apply to places but it’s hard. He was at the same job for Fifteen years so he has no other experience.

“I was lucky to find my job in this current market. It’s competitive and limited.” Grabbing new gloves I get back in the food line behind the counter helping serve up the food. Mason slides up right next to me doing the same.

Last night was entertaining teaching him how to mix cookie dough, watching him ball up the dough into small circles, even watching him try to perfectly place every M&M, I was fast to conclude that he’s a perfectionist after watching that one. There were many laughs, and a lot of picking on him, from both Tara and me.

“That’s brutal, where do they stay? The shelter?”

“No, they’ve been staying in their car. They go to public restrooms to shower. I’m assuming that’s where he ends up washing their clothes when he can. They come here for most of their meals. Usually, after they finish eating they end up going to the park, sometimes the creek, I see them throwing a Frisbee or passing a soccer ball a lot.”

“Hmm.” He goes quiet for a second, both of us getting lost in the work we're doing. “You sure you’re good Crash? You fell hard.” He wraps his hand around mine stopping for a moment.

“I’m good! Forgot all about it already!”

“I’m don’t know why I’m so shocked that you managed to fall again but I definitely am.”

“Someone should probably make me a medal for being the best at ending up on the ground. Or maybe Best at making a scene.”

“You’ll probably just need to get a trophy case, add Best Bake goods, and Most thoughtful.”

“I’ll take the Best Bake goods any day. Not sure about the Most Thoughtful.”

“Look around, you made all these cookies, for f*****g hours last night, spent how much of your money to do so, and now you’re here helping feed these people, and getting to know them too. That’s pretty f*****g thoughtful Crash.” He knocks his shoulder into mine, his gaze sincere, with something else I can’t read mixed in. “Did you do this in Buffalo?”

“Yes. I started a few years ago at a soup kitchen in the city, sometimes I would drop a bunch of desserts off at the food pantries in South Buffalo.”

“What made you get into this?”

“Baking? Or helping out?”

“Both.”

“Baking was all my Grandma Crawford. It was our favorite thing to do, make a mess of the kitchen, dance around to the music, eat amazing foods when were done. Baking lets us get away from everything bad, it’s everything I need to feel happy and fulfilled. I started volunteering when I was 12, sometime before that actually.

“They have this program in Buffalo Y.E.S. Youth engaged in services. You can’t sign up till you’re 12. I waited until my birthday, signed up that morning. You just went to their website looked at the month’s calendar and signed up for the events you wanted to volunteer at. It was really fun, and I enjoyed helping the community.

“Selfishly I really enjoyed how important it made me feel to be involved in the creation and success of the events. We went everywhere from Nursing homes to Putting on Haunted Forest events around Halloween. When I aged out at 18 I was kinda lost, I loved baking, too much to ever be able to eat it all anyway so it was throw it out or give it away.

“Eventually I found the Soup kitchen, these people here deserve fresh baked goods more than anyone else. They don’t ever get treats like that. It’s the least I can do and I enjoy it. I enjoy them.”

When I open Shirley’s Café I want to have an hour in the morning for just those in need, where they can come in, sit in my café use the free internet and electricity to do what they need, and feed anyone that wants some free pastries and muffins. They’ll be able to help themselves. Some free water, coffee, tea, maybe some juice for the kids.

“You’re pretty amazing Crash.” My stomach quivers. I’ve rarely received such praise, I’m used to insult and degradation. So when Paul needs my help I’m quick to follow.