CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER TWO

“You did

what

?” Otis exclaimed.

He stared up from the couch at Ali standing in the doorway of their living room. His pale green eyes registered shock and disbelief.

“I quit,” she repeated, adding more triumph to her tone. “Well, technically I was fired before I could quit, but the outcome is the same.”

Otis ran his hands through his short Afro. He was wearing black sweatpants, the ones Ali joked were his uniform since he wore them as often as she did her apron. An apron she’d never have to wear again, she realized with borderline hysterical glee.

“Ali…” Otis said. “Please tell me this is a prank.”

“Nope,” she said jovially. She flapped a hand to get him to move over. “Scoot.”

But Otis didn’t move an inch. He was sitting completely still, frozen like a statue. “Are you honestly telling me you just quit your job?”

“Yes,” Ali said, getting a little exasperated.

She’d been expecting more of a celebratory shock from him. Instead, his handsome features had become drawn. His milky brown skin had gone somewhat gray. Maybe it would just take a little while to sink in.

She wriggled her backside into the gap that Otis had failed to make bigger for her, and readjusted her thick golden braid over her shoulder. Feeling carefree, she stretched her legs out in front of her onto the coffee table, languorously crossing one over the other, and took a swig of beer from the open bottle on the table.

“I’m finally free,” she sighed with a contented breath of fruity hops.

Otis flopped back against the couch and chucked his gaming controller into his lap. He tipped his head back and turned his gaze to the ceiling.

“Ali!” he moaned.

Ali was perplexed by his reaction. “What? You always complain we never get to spend much time together because Russell works me like a dog. Well, now we can. Speaking of dogs, we should get one! I’ll have the time to walk it now and—”

“Ali!” Otis exclaimed, turning to face her.

“What?” Ali cried, exasperated. “Why do you keep saying my name like that?”

Her boyfriend drew in a long, slow breath, as if ready to launch an attack. “Have you lost your mind? How are you going to pay for everything? The rent? The gas bill? The electricity?” He pointed to the lightbulb as a visual aid.

Ali felt her defenses go up. This was so not the congratulatory celebration she was expecting. She thought Otis would be happy for her for finally quitting the job that had made her miserable for so many years, but instead he was huffing and puffing away like a frustrated toddler.

“Well, why don’t you get a job?” she countered. “You haven’t been able to keep a full-time job since I’ve known you.”

He narrowed his eyes. “That’s not fair. You know it’s impossible to work full time while auditioning.”

Otis had been chasing his dream of becoming an actor for three years now, a pursuit Ali had pretty much been financing.

“You only care about electricity because of that thing,” she countered, pointing to the paused computer game on the television screen—the object of most of the couple’s arguments. “We could have a broken air conditioning unit and you wouldn’t even notice the sweat as long as your game was working.”

“You’re changing the subject,” Otis said, thinly.

Ali huffed. “Fine. To answer your questions. One: have I lost my mind? Nope. I’ve saved it. Because I was one crème brûlée away from a nervous breakdown. And we’re talking Hannah Sweet–level breakdown.”

The eldest of the Sweet siblings had taken the whole corporate path in life, and seemed to think periodic breakdowns were just part of the job.

Ali continued. “Two: how am I going to pay for everything?” She tapped her chin. “That’s a good one. How am

I

going to pay for

everything

?” she repeated, with extra emphasis on the key words. “How about this? I won’t! My days of paying for

everything

are done.” She pinched one of his milky brown cheeks. “It’s about time you pulled your weight around here.”

Otis brushed her hand away, his brow deeply furrowed. “We had a deal. One year for me to see if I could land an acting job.”

“I remember,” Ali said. “And it’s been exactly…” She gazed at an imaginary watch on her wrist. “…three years! Well, what do you know? The cash cow’s run dry.”

She dropped the jokiness and looked him dead in the eye. Otis looked distinctly unimpressed. He was an exceptionally handsome man but Ali found this expression of frowning distaste quite unattractive.

“I just landed a role,” he stated, without emotion.

His statement knocked Ali off guard. Her big blue eyes widened. She was stunned into silence. She put the beer bottle down carefully on the coffee table, feeling her hands shaking a little as she did.

“You—you—” She couldn’t get the words out. “Really? Otis? You got a role?” The excitement started rising in her chest, making her voice higher and higher pitched. “Congratulations!”

She threw her arms around him. It was what they’d been working toward for all these years. What they’d been hoping for. All the sacrifices she’d made had finally paid off. And what perfect timing. She wouldn’t have to stress even half as much about her temporary unemployment now that Otis had found work.

But beneath her embrace, Otis was stiff.

Puzzled, Ali drew back and regarded him with querying eyes. “What’s the matter?”

Otis rubbed his forehead, looking uncomfortable, not meeting her eyes.

“Otis?” Ali pressed. “Why aren’t you celebrating? What am I missing?”

“It’s a TV show,” he said, sounding far from thrilled. “A sitcom.”

“And that’s… bad?” Ali guessed, feeling more confused by the second. “I thought you wanted a sitcom. You always said landing a sitcom was gold. The most regular paycheck in the business. I mean now really isn’t the time to be picky.”

“It’s not in LA,” Otis said simply.

“Okay…” Ali said, still not getting it. “Where is it?”

“New York,” Otis told her. “For six months.”

Was that the reason for his hesitancy? Because the job would be on the East Coast for half a year? Well, he needn’t worry. With video calls and cheap domestic flights, going long distance for a few months was hardly a catastrophe.

“Those six months will fly by,” Ali said, flapping her hand dismissively. “Come on. Let’s get out the celebratory champagne.”

They’d bought the bottle the first day they’d moved into their LA apartment, and it had sat at the back of the fridge for three years, waiting for Otis to get his big break.

She went to stand, but Otis stopped her with a hand on her arm.

“I don’t want to do long distance,” he said in a small voice.

Ali felt her eyebrows pull together. She sank back down into place. “You don’t?”

Otis flashed her a pained expression. “No. I don’t.”

Ali mulled it over. If Otis didn’t like the idea of long distance, that meant she’d have to leave LA and move to New York City. It wasn’t something Ali had considered before, but Hannah was in New York, and it would give her time to spend with her niece and nephew. Besides, they’d only ever moved here to be close to Hollywood for Otis. There was no real reason for her to be in LA now she’d quit her job.

She turned to Otis and smiled kindly.

“I’ll move with you,” she said.

“Ali…”

She shook her head. “It’s okay, Otis. I promise you I don’t mind. Clearly the universe is sending us some kind of sign. Me losing my job the same day you land a role. Lady Fate must want us to be in New York now.”

Ali wasn’t usually one for “signs”—that was far more her brother Theodore’s kind of thing—but she had to admit it felt like more than a coincidence.

She started picturing it; the skyline, the snowy winter, the

bagels

!

“It’ll be an adventure,” she said, dreamily. “Romantic.”

“Ali…” Otis said again. “We’re not moving to New York together.”

Ali paused, even more confused than ever. “What? Why?”

The pained expression on Otis’s face was even more pronounced than before, and Ali felt an ominous sensation descend upon her. Her heart began to race.

“What’s going on?” she asked. “I’m obviously not getting something.”

Otis drew in a long, deep breath. “I’m breaking up with you,” he announced through his exhalation.

Ali was stunned into complete silence. She blinked. “Y—you’re—”

“Breaking up with you,” Otis repeated.

Ali’s mouth went completely dry. Her mind swirled. This wasn’t real. This wasn’t happening.

“Why?” she squeaked. “I can come to New York. I honestly don’t mind.”

“It’s not that,” Otis said.

“Then what?”

He rubbed his face. “The show is… it’s a gay sitcom. It’s a gay sitcom, for gay men, on a gay TV channel run by a gay crew and acted by…” He sighed. “…a gay cast.”

Ali narrowed her eyes as her brain tried to calibrate. “So… you’re breaking up with me because you need to pretend you’re gay?”

“No!” Otis cried, throwing his arms in the air with frustration. “I’m saying I have to break up with you because … because …” He took her by the shoulders and stared at her, pain in his pale green eyes. “Because I’m gay, Ali.”

Ali felt all the blood drain from her face. She was too shocked to speak.

Otis continued. “At least, I’m like ninety percent sure I am. Things have been weird between us for ages…”

“They have?” Ali squeaked, her voice little more than a stunned whisper.

“You’re never here,” Otis continued. “We haven’t slept together for months. I spend all my time with Colton.” He was listing his one gay friend as if it proved some kind of point.

“And?” Ali challenged.

“And I mean I spend

all

my time with him,” he said. “With him. Specifically.”

It slowly dawned on Ali what Otis was implying, but her mind just couldn’t comprehend.

“Are you telling me you’re

sleeping

with Colton?” she demanded.

Otis took a deep breath, neither confirming nor denying her accusation. But he didn’t need to. His silence spoke volumes.

“Is

Colton

going to New York with you?” Ali asked. The pitch in her voice was getting higher and higher, making her sound like a very angry Minnie Mouse.

“I don’t know. Maybe. I don’t know what I want. My head’s all over the place.”

“

Your

head’s all over the place?!” Ali cried, leaping up from the couch. “Yours? I’ve just found out my boyfriend who I LIVE with in a house I PAY for has been using me for three years so he can chase some silly dream of becoming an actor!”

Otis closed his eyes. “I knew you’d take this badly.”

“Oh, did you?” Ali cried, incredulous. “Did you really? You must be a magician! A soothsayer! How clever of you to predict that when you told me you were cheating on me I’d take it badly!”

Minnie Mouse was gone. In her place was the Incredible Hulk. Ali was just about ready to rip off her shirt and punch a wall.

Otis stood from the couch. “Why don’t we talk later when you’ve calmed down?”

He headed for the door.

“Where are you going?” Ali screeched. Her stomach suddenly flipped. “You’re going to Colton’s, aren’t you? You’re literally walking out on me and going to him!”

Otis turned the door handle and looked back over his shoulder at her. “Bye.”

And with that, he headed through the door.

Ali grabbed his discarded computer console controller and threw it at him. It was too late. He closed the door and the controller crashed into it.

The damn thing didn’t even break.

But Ali was determined to get her poetic justice somehow. She headed for the fridge and grabbed the champagne bottle stored there. There was no point letting the expensive bottle go to waste.

She held it up to the dingy lightbulb as condensation dripped down the side and onto her hand.

“To Otis!” she said, popping the cork.

It hit the ceiling with a dull thud and bounced back onto the tiled floor below. As the champagne inside the bottle fizzed up to the rim, Ali took a swig to stop it spilling over. Delicious bubbles danced across her tongue, forcing a rueful smile to inch across her lips.

She turned to the silent, empty apartment and held the bottle aloft.

“Let the commiseration party begin!”