LA Baby ♡ Manhattan Dreams Sequel

26. The Real World

Josh had gotten up with me again this morning when I got too sick to function. He made me breakfast with groceries that he had delivered...which I've actually realized is the best thing ever, and he made me this whipped coffee that shouldn't taste nearly as good as it does. "Decaf doesn't have to taste horrible." He had said when he slid it across the countertop.

I was on my second glass and scrolling through airline tickets. "Leaving me already?" Josh teases, sneaking up on me. He had gone to take a shower after he'd cleaned up breakfast and I'd been left alone to entertain myself.

"Haha." I reply. I had just agreed to stay last night. Not forever but at least a couple weeks. I was planning to fly out on the first weekend of November which would give me fourteen more days in this small place with my favorite person in the world. And by the time I got home it would be nearly time for him to come visit me for our first appointment...which I really needed to schedule. "I'm just looking and comparing prices."

He hums, coming around to take a seat beside me on the couch. I close the laptop and look at him expectantly. "What?"

"I could pay for your airfare" he suggests. I open my mouth to protest but he puts his hand up to stop me. "Do not start. We're having a baby which sorta makes us a package deal. Which means that my money is our money. Okay?"

"Josh-."

"I'm really not asking" he replies gently but stern. "I love you and I don't want you to feel like you owe me anything but right now...you're sorta pregnant and unemployed." He did have a point. Dancing was my entire life. My dad was gracious enough to pay my way because he wanted me focus on my education but now that my education was sort of at a standstill-. "Have you talked to your dad? I mean, I know Shawn and I doubt he's just going to cut you off but-."

"I got myself into this situation and I have to find my way out of it" I say, quoting every parent that's ever walked the face of the planet.

"Well, in your defense you didn't get yourself in this situation. We got into it together. And I have quite a bit in savings but I don't particularly want to blow it all before the baby even gets here. Especially because neither of us will be working for a while after it's born."

He had a point. Which meant that I really needed to find a source of income. "Do you think the club back home is hiring?" Farkle's dad owned it which could give me an in. It wasn't a terrible idea and it must pay alright since he and Smackle were surviving on his salary alone.

"The club? With vaping and drinking?"

"Josh." I roll my eyes, moving position and lounging back with my feet on his lap. "We need the money and if they're hiring I'm basically a shoo-in what with my connection to Farkle. And it's not like I'll drink anything and I doubt that Farkle will put up with people blatantly smoking in front of the pregnant lady."

He sighs, throwing his hands up in defeat. "Yea. Okay. But you can call him when you get back to New York. There's so much I want to show you here in the meantime. The Hollywood sign, the Walk of Fame-." He goes off on a list of places and I listen excitedly. For the next fourteen days I would be on Josh's arm and going to the most famous places that LA had to offer.

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Josh's phone keeps ringing. I've watched him no-so discreetly decline about a dozen calls and I'm really trying not to be that girlfriend but it was getting a little suspicious. We're in line at a food truck selling what Josh promises are the best tacos this side of the country, when his phone rings again. I can tell because he doesn't quite pull the phone all the way out of his pocket but just enough to slide his thumb across the screen.