Royally Whipped

AMBER POV My red floral gown move in the wind, my blonde hair also, as I stand in front of St Pete local publishing house. It's a hot Friday and like all days, I just wish I could float away on the ocean while sipping a tall glass of Strawberry Limeade. I'll be tapping my feet while I sit on those pink balloons that help learners to swim. I'm not a learner of swimming, but I've got some defaults. Something related to when I was a young girl. I shiver at the thought before pushing the door to the Publishing house and stepping in. My colleagues greeted me with such enthusiasm it made me smile. Life here on St Pete Beach, Florida, was very simple. Not everyone has anyone's time and not everyone is trying to work up their temper. Except when you have to stand in line at a public bathroom just to take a piss after you've had several shots of tequila. Yikes!...or the mailman accidentally delivers the wrong male. "You look like the Sahara desert danced on you" My best friend, Kate said to me. She was trying to shuffle a pile of books on a shelf so they don't tip over. "I was at the beach, went for a little walk. What you doing- you need to find a bigger shelf. Those things won't fit" I go to help her before two books on top could reach the ground. "Darn it! It's that Jim's fault. He told me to arrange these books" Kate grumbled. She wasn't a tolerating person, plus she's got a very bad drinking habit. I don't even know how that adds up. "Just drop it on that table" I suggest, my finger pointing to a wooden desk by the corner. Kate does as I say, letting out a sigh that sounded more like a strangled bird. "What were you doing on the beach?" "Reading a book" I flaunt the Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan in front of her face and she grimaced before taking a seat. "Sorry, I'm not sharing in your joy, the day's hot and I'm in no good mood for cherry book moments" as she spoke, her hands waved about dramatically. A smile broke out on my face. "I get it. Anyway, I'm going off work now." Kate stared at me with a pitiful smile. "I don't see why you have to work two jobs, Amber" "I love working. Besides, my rent is almost due and I got to pay it off or I'll be sleeping with the alligators at swamp river" Kate chuckled. "You live in your grandma's condo. There's no way you'll be sleeping in a swampy... swamp even though you don't work here at all" She's right. I inherited my grandmother's Condo here on St Pete's beach. It's not that much of a looker, but it's home and got everything I need. A bed, fridge, furniture, and a lovely outdoor pool. It's like being born into wealth but I won't consider it that because her huge leftover condo won't make up for my damaged car that hit her picket fence a year ago and it wasn't under insurance. Now I'm saving up to get a new car. It also wasn't covering her pile of debts. I let out a frustrated sigh. "I gotta go, Kate" I lean over the table to kiss her cheek. "See you tomorrow morning" "See ya" She cooed before I walk out of the building again, heading for my condo. The weather is honestly so hot it's like my skin is melting and my hair is sticking all over my body like sticky gum. I drive my grandma's old truck back home, my hand tapping against the steering wheel rapidly as I hum to Jimmy Rodgers on the radio. Everything seems set for me, I think. I got a house, two jobs, and a good friend (Kate). All That's remaining is paying off Nana's debts. As I walk up the beach to my condo, my feet dug into the sand and I raise them dramatically to get rid of them. My eyes set on the ocean and the way that the sun meets it in the far distance, casting an orange glow on the water. Sunsets were always blasts!! I slipped into the house afterward, feeling a bit nostalgic. There was no time to prepare dinner, so I made a quick cereal of flakes and had a piece of leftover bundt cake with it. Now, for the usually routine-ous paper that I glance through before I make any move for the day. Head to the Publishing house, work till past five(which I've committed to). I usually have a yoga stretch before I head down to the bar since I've got like two hours break before my second job starts, but I have neck cramps. My second job is supposed to be six, but my boss is too kind. Plus, he understands that I have a morning job, so I can come in late sometimes. I push the bundt cake aside when I bite into something hard, like a shell. It was like one time I did a strawberry cake mixing on the beach and at the end of the day, I had a lot of sand to eat. This bundt cake was made by the beach. With a little help from Kate, and her little boy Tommy. I squeeze past the couch and the wall like a flat pancake, so I could get up the stairs. This house needs some serious redecorating. New furniture and wallpapers. I can still a ketchup stain from when my nana was alive, on the couch. It made me cringe at the memory. My Nana was murdered on this beach, in her condo and her killer was caught and sent to Florida's Prison. Turns out, not all gardeners have only flowering skills. My favorite purple purse is laying on the bed when I get into my room. It contains my lipstick, powder, eyeliner, and of course— hair ties. While working it can get so tedious, I begin to sweat. It's then that the elastic bands come in handy. Let her go by The Passenger comes on and I grab my phone, swiping. "Hello, Kate" "You at the bar yet?" "Nope, but I'm leaving right now" I carry my purse and head out, my phone stuck between the cradle of my shoulder, and my chin, I try to fluff my hair, make it look a little bit wild, and sexy. I do hope it gives off that vibe because I've seen the hair fluff in movies. "So you have plans to come down to Lima?" That's the name of the bar I work at. "Yes but probably later. Fetcher said he wants to take me out on a date" her voice hushes a little bit like she's whispering. I get into my truck and jam the door shut. "Oh yeah?" I grin. "Well tell me how it goes tomorrow then" "I will. But I need someone to watch over Tommy. My sister Abbey is not in town and even if she was, you know how kids scare her" "Yes". I chuckle. "Good. And I don't want to carry him on the date" Tommy is Kate's college boyfriend's product. Her last boyfriend before Fetcher. Fletcher is a nice guy who owns a mechanic shop a little walk from Lima. The sweet guy pumps my tire all the time it needs pumping. And for free! I gotta hand that one to Kate though. "Ok. And I can't watch him at the bar" I try to reason. "No, God no. I won't even let him around alcohol. You know what happened with his dad" I stuck my tongue out, recalling the awful memory of Kate calling me every night, needing a place for her and Tommy to stay because her crazy college boyfriend was drunk, and beating the s**t out of her. Bye, bye College freak! "Ahh! So what do you do? I want you to have this night" "Me too," she said, then paused. "You can't take this night off?" "You know I can't, Kate..." "Cool, cool. I'll just leave him with the neighbors then. They're a dear old couple, he could learn a thing or two from them" "Yeah, like how to knit," I say with a chuckle before starting the truck. "Or how to draw sandy beach with umbrellas." "Hush up" she sighed. "Alright, I gotta go. Bye, and take care of yourself alright?" "Yeah," I say before hanging up and throwing my phone to the passenger seat, I drive away from the condo to Lima.