When I pictured myself getting a job, I always imagined it being at some place I'd enjoy and relate to, like a bookstore, or a publishing house, or maybe even a library.

As I sit across from a girl named Mindy, who is the assistant manager of Frenchie's Coffee House, and looks like she's actually younger than I am, I realize my expectations may have been set a bit too high.

The interview lasts all of ten minutes, set inside the dingy excuse for an office at the back of the coffee house. Most of the questions are pertaining to my ability to work mornings and weekends.

I can't say I feel a whole world of self satisfaction when Mindy boredly remarks, "We'd love to have you on the team. What day can you start?"

"Uh, as soon as possible?" I answer with uncertainty.

"Great." Mindy sticks the edge of the pen she's been clicking this entire time into her mouth as she glances at the huge whiteboard calendar on the wall, "Come in Monday morning at 7, someone will be here to train you."

It all seems a bit unceremonious, especially when she blindly digs a couple of shirts out of a box beneath the desk and chucks them at me. But hey, at least it's a job.

The great thing about living with Ghost— other than the privacy to have sex literally whenever we want— is the fact that he doesn't have a mortgage to pay. His only house expenses are the utilities and internet. Which is super cheap in comparison to what average rent would be.

Despite Ghost constantly assuring me I don't have to pitch in for any bills, I'm no moocher. So getting a job was a personal goal for me. Not only for bills but also to start up some sort of savings. That's the smart thing to do.

I walk out of the coffee shop with the work shirts in hand, trying to feel like this is an accomplishment. I can always keep an eye out for better jobs while working there. And it won't be so bad. I do enjoy the smell of coffee, and the establishment has a very chill, carefree energy to it. Or maybe that's just Mindy's energy rubbing off on it.

I begin the short drive back to Ghost's place— I mean my place— but when I come upon a familiar road I decide to take a small detour. It's been a while.

Five minutes later the gravel is crunching beneath my tires as I park beside the entrance to the pet cemetery.

I kinda wish I had thought to pick up flowers or something on the way here, but I suppose in the long run it doesn't make a difference. I exit the car and make my way up the small cobblestone path, which I've come to know by heart from my occasional visits, though they're not as frequent as I would like.

I reach the laminate, stone plaque that rests solidarily beneath the shade of a large oak tree. I kneel down in the damp grass, not really caring about the muddy stains seeping into the knees of my nice jeans.

My hand reaches out to trace the name carved into the plaque. Daisy. I miss her. I quickly blink away tears as I stare at the simple etching of a daisy flower that embellishes her name.

"Hi, baby." I greet meekly, smiling at the flower, "You still being a good girl for dad up there? Tell him I say hi."

Given that my father's grave is a good two hour drive away, I've sort of been using Daisy's grave as a means of visiting both of them. I like to think that they're together anyway, wherever they are.

"Tell him life is going pretty good right now. Though you probably both already know that. Ghost has been such a light in my life. I honestly don't know how I was living before him. But dad probably doesn't wanna hear about that." I smile to myself, aimlessly picking at the grass by my knee, "Enough boy talk, right? I, uhm, I just got a job. It's nowhere great, just some coffee place, but I'm kind of excited."

My lips tighten, knowing I'm breaching a subject that would make my dad cry, "You're, uh,  you're probably wondering why I had to get a job." My eyes well up as I stare at the ground, clenching a handful of grass in my fist, "I know how sad it would make you, dad, knowing that mom and I aren't speaking. But, I had to do it. I don't—" My voice cracks, and I clear my throat before continuing, "I don't know how you put up with her. She's always been so... cold. And you were never like that. You were always loving and gentle. I think she needed you more than you needed her."

A soft breeze picks up, raising goosebumps on my bare arms and causing me to shiver. I squeeze my eyes closed as a single tear rolls down my cheek.

"It's not right, though." I murmur softly, wrapping my arms around my middle in an effort to fight off the chill and comfort myself a little, "A girl needs her mom. Especially when her dad is no longer an option."

I stay for a little while longer, just sitting in the cold and the silence. I try to imagine what my dad would say to me. Something about forgiveness probably. Being the bigger person. But I shouldn't have to be. She's the mom. She's the parent. It's been nearly a month, and she hasn't so much as sent a single text.

When I notice rain clouds start to roll in I finally get up from the ground, wiping the strands of wet grass off my legs. I say my parting words to Daisy and dad before turning and leaving.

My mood is quiet and somber as I drive home. The small patter of raindrops on the windshield is enough to distract me from my thoughts. I hadn't meant to put myself in such a depressing mood. But here we are.

When I step through the front door I find Ghost's demeanor to be the exact opposite of mine. It gives me pause as I watch him excitedly pace the living room, with his cell phone pressed against his ear, and his other hand combing through his hair as though he can't help but release his pent up adrenaline.

I kick my shoes off and listen to the one-sided conversation.

"Holy fuck dude, are you serious?! No, I honestly can't believe this. That's insane." His eyes bounce to me in the entryway and an enormous grin splits his cheeks, "Rose just got home, I'm gonna tell her, but dude, we are celebrating! Tonight! Fuck, you did it man! I owe you big time!"

He wraps up the call, clicking off the screen and tossing the phone to the couch, all while keeping eye contact with me and that insane smile on his lips.

"What's going on?" I ask tentatively, taking a cautious step closer.

"You're never gonna guess." Ghost boasts, bouncing on the balls of his feet. I quirk a brow at him as he holds his hands up and announces, "That was Dane, he told me I'm gonna be fighting, in Vegas next month, at the Grand Garden Arena, in the prelims for a televised event!"

He's nearly screaming by the end of it and as the news registers with me, I start screaming too.

"Oh my god! Oh my god, babe, that's amazing!"

I leap across the room, meeting Ghost halfway in a celebratory embrace. He lifts me off my feet, high into the air, and spins us around, all while laughing maniacally.

"This is the biggest fight I've ever had, Rose! I can't believe Dane was able to get me in." He sets me down, my head slightly dizzy, as he explains, "Apparently the guy they had lined up got hospitalized and I was the first name on the back-up list that matched his weight range. Isn't that great?"

I grin at him, "It is great! Not the hospitalized part, that's kinda morbid, but I'm so glad you're getting your big shot!"

Ghost just bites down his grin, pulling me forward for another crushing embrace. When we pull apart his expression is still pure elation, but I watch his eyes quickly scan over my face before he's asking, "Are you alright? You look like you've been crying."

"Oh, no, yeah, I'm fine." I quickly gush, wiping at my under eyes in case there's some dried mascara streaks I may have missed. I give him a meager shrug and explain lightly, "I just visited Daisy's grave on the way home. Nothing to be concerned about." I reassure him, before adding offhandedly, "Oh, and I got the job."

His face lights up even more, if possible, and once again he's swinging me around as he praises, "That's great, babe, I'm so proud of you."

I laugh and lightly hit his arm to get him to put me down, "Thank you, but really, it's nothing. Especially compared to your big news! We should celebrate."

He chuckles as he jumps up and down excitedly. It's kind of cute to see him like this. He's like a kid on Christmas morning, just full of nervous joy and energy. "Dane is calling up everyone right now, we're all going out. Does that sound alright?"

"Yes! Of course!" I cry, reaching on my tiptoes to wrap my arms around his neck, "There's nothing I want to do more than celebrate your success."

He smirks, leaning forward to meet my lips with a passionate kiss. His arms tighten around my waist, pressing me tightly against his body which is practically vibrating at this point.

"How long until we have to meet up with everyone?" I ask, my breath fanning across his lips.

He grins, glancing to the side at the clock on the wall before shrugging his shoulder, "We've got a few hours."

"Perfect," I mutter, as he begins walking me backwards towards the hallway, "Then I'll still have plenty of time to get ready after I finish celebrating you."

His gaze turns hooded and his tone suggestive as he replies, "Rose, with you, I can celebrate all night long."

****************

I gently tug at the skirt riding up my legs as Ghost scours the streets for a place to park. We've circled the block at least three times, just hoping that someone may have left, but it's looking like we might have to trek a ways to get to the club.

Once we're walking briskly down the busy sidewalk after finally finding a spot— two blocks away— Ghost reaches out and grabs my hand, bringing it up to his mouth and kissing it gently.

"You look amazing, Rose." He mutters against my skin.

I blush, self-consciously pulling at the skirt once again. It's much shorter and more revealing than what I'm used to wearing, but Mila had somehow convinced me to buy it last time we went shopping.

"So do you." I return the compliment to Ghost, though, admittedly, he looks better than amazing. He's downright drool-worthy.

He's dressed to the nines in a pair of fitted, dark-wash jeans, and a silk shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and the top few buttons undone. His hair is perfectly mussed and his stubble is the perfect length to give his jaw even more definition.

We both have a spring in our step as we come up to the club Dane has chosen for the night. It looks crowded and bustling, even from outside. Luckily, it seems Dane chose it for a reason, because we're let right in, the bouncer nodding his head respectfully to Ghost as we pass.

We're the last one's to arrive, I realize, when we eventually find the table that sits Dane, Mila and Tay. The moment we walk up, they all erupt into loud cheers, springing up from their seats to tackle Ghost with celebratory hugs.

"Oh my god! Ghost, I'm so proud of you!" Mila gushes, ruffling the top of his head with a bright grin.

"Congrats, bud, you did it." Tay enthuses, punching him on the shoulder.

When Dane and Ghost collide it's an explosion of loud hollering, whooping, and slapping each other on the back. Us girls stand back and watch with amusement as they shout back and forth with excitement.

"I can't believe you did this, bro."

"Dude, I can't believe you did this!"

"This is insane!"

"It doesn't even feel real!"

As they carry on screaming Mila turns to me and questions over the music, "You wanna go get a drink?"

My mouth opens to answer but it snaps back shut when someone greets us from behind, "Sorry I'm late."

Ghost and I both whip our attention over to Troy, who smiles casually at us all as he drapes his jacket over the back of his chair. Everyone else meets him with friendly greetings, while Ghost and I just blink at him, and then look at each other.

I can tell by the look on his face he had no idea Dane had called him. And judging by that fact, I'd say he never told Dane about all the things Troy has been saying to me.

I watch as Ghost's excitement drops, and turns to barely concealed irritation. My own discomfort rises as I regard Troy. It's hard to feel in the celebratory spirit when the guy who's been trying to sabotage our relationship since the start is standing two feet away.

No one else seems to notice our mood shift. They all just smile as Troy claps Ghost on the back and tells him enthusiastically, "Congrats man, you must be ecstatic."

I hold my breath as I wait for Ghost's reaction. Is he going to make a scene and start screaming at Troy? Is he going to punch him in the face? Is he going to just storm out?

I'm shocked when he forces a tight smile back at Troy, and mutters through tight lips, "Thanks, man."

My surprise is apparent on my face, but I mask it quickly. It makes sense that Ghost doesn't want to ruin tonight. He's supposed to be celebrating. He doesn't want to start drama by showing how he really feels about Troy right now.

Guess I'll have to do the same.

"Yeah, I'll take that drink now." I tell Mila, a bit of urgency in my tone.

Thirty minutes later we've all got a good buzz going, and it shows. We're sitting around the table as everyone is swapping stories about when they were all in high school, and all the trouble they used to get into. I haven't stopped laughing for a single minute.

Ghost's arm is slung around my shoulder, and every time he laughs, it shakes my whole body as well. Beside me is Mila, who keeps almost choking on her drink every time she giggles at something. My eyes glance towards Troy on the other side of the table. I made sure to sit as far from him as I could, and I've even been able to tune him out for the most part.

Just as Dane finishes up a story about them breaking into their old Biology teacher's car and filling it with dissected frog parts as an "act of protest", a remixed version of Eye of the Tiger comes blaring through the speakers and immediately everyone gasps and sits up straighter.

"Oh my god, this is a sign!" Mila cries, jumping to her feet, "We have to go dance to this!"

She's already pulling Troy up to his feet while Tay and Dane get up as well. I turn to Ghost with a sly smile, tugging on his arm, "C'mon, Rocky, let's go."

He smirks at me as he stands up, but I notice his eyes quickly dart to the side. I already know who he's looking at. He's been passing jaded glances at Troy all night. I can tell he feels uneasy having him here. Many of his smiles aren't reaching his eyes and he doesn't seem to be letting loose the way I expected for his night of celebration.

I try to distract him from all that as we squeeze our way onto the dance floor. It's already packed with sweaty bodies, but Ghost's size allows us some breathing room as people automatically make way for him.

The pace of the song has been sped up, with some added flair and rhythm, so we attempt to keep up as I drape my arms over Ghost's shoulder and we move in sync to the music. We jump around with the rest of the crowd, and the song builds up into the bass drop. I've never been one to enjoy club music, or remixes of classic songs, but this one is actually pretty entertaining. Mostly because when the beat does drop and the chorus of the song blasts out, the entire crowd raises their arms up and sings along to the familiar lyrics.

"It's the eye of the tiger, it's the thrill of the fight!"

The ground is practically shaking and I can't help but throw my head back and laugh, thoroughly enjoying this moment. Ghost grins down at me, leaning forward to steal my lips in a quick kiss.

When the song ends we all continue to dance. Mila steals me away from Ghost so me, her and Tay can all dance and laugh together in a circle.

As I'm jumping around I feel Ghost lean in close to me and whisper-shout into my ear, "I'll be right back."

I turn to glance over my shoulder at him with a questioning frown, but he's already disappeared through the crowd. I look around in confusion for a while until I realize that Troy is nowhere to be seen as well. My stomach sinks a little as I realize what's possibly about to go down.

Should I follow Ghost? Or should I just let him handle this on his own? I don't like Troy, but that doesn't stop me from being concerned for his safety. What if Ghost does punch him? He's a trained boxer, and Troy is, well, kinda shrimpy. At least in comparison.

My feet are moving before I even finish making a decision. Over my shoulder I quickly call out to Mila, "I'm going to the bathroom."

"Want me to come with?" She offers, already stepping forward.

I shake my head, passing her a grateful smile, "It's fine, Ghost is just ahead of me, I'll catch up with him."

She nods in understanding before she completely disappears from view into the thick crowd. I push my way through, hopefully heading in the right direction. When I finally break through the sea of bodies I find myself fairly close to a dimmed hallway leading to the restrooms. I approach it cautiously, glancing around in case Ghost may be somewhere near.

When I reach the mouth of the hallway I start to walk forward, but pause when I hear familiar voices arguing. They seem to be just around the corner, and I wait and listen. If they're just talking, maybe I don't need to interfere after all.

"—leave, and don't come around anymore." I catch the end of Ghost's sentence, his voice dripping with distrust.

"What the hell, man? Where is this coming from?" Troy demands, sounding indignant. I barely contain an eye roll. So he's playing dumb, I see.

"You know where." Ghost snarls, "All the shit you've been saying to Emerson behind my back. That's bullshit. You're lucky I haven't kicked your teeth in yet."

There's a short pause, and when Troy speaks, his tone is full of malice, "It's bullshit? I'm the one trying to protect her from the same shit you put Julia through."

My heart hammers in my chest. So we were right, he is just trying to get back at Ghost over the whole Julia thing. My fist curls at my side. It's one thing to hold a grudge, but to pull a stunt like this? It makes me sick.

"You don't know a damn thing about mine and Em's relationship, Troy. Who the hell do you think you are?" Ghost's voice is rising with anger, "I thought we were past this but you're clearly still a spineless little bitch who can't get over a girl he never even dated."

Instead of any sort of retort I hear a short scuffle between the two. I can imagine Troy made a swing at Ghost for a comment like that. They grunt and I hear Troy curse, and I almost step around the corner to intervene, but no sounds of fists hitting faces can be heard. Instead the scuffle stops and it sounds like someone shoves the other away.

"You're a real class act, Alister." Troy snarls, spitting Ghost's real name out and I visibly flinch. I can only imagine what Ghost will do to him now.

"Troy, just get the fuck out of here before I seriously fuck you up!"

"What did you tell her, huh?" Troy continues to pile on, and I gotta admire his courage. Or stupidity. Ghost's threatening tone is enough to get anyone turning and running.

"What are you