Page 8

SEVEN

The sky is a dark canvas with a few stars, only the razor-sharp moon serving as a guiding light. The cool air outside bites my arms and ankles as I walk back three miles to the motel, blisters burning my feet.

The trees are thick on both sides of the two-way street. I can hardly see the flickering motel sign ahead. At least they built a sidewalk.

I sniff my shirt and scrunch up my nose at the scent of stale cigarettes and cheap perfume stuck to my clothes. I sniff a piece of my long blond hair. It smells like Randy, and I want to barf. I need a shower, fresh clothes, a toothbrush, a hairbrush, a blow-dryer, and new shoes that fit.

After about a mile, a car pulls up beside me, but I ignore it. A sense of déjà vu washes over me, but I shake it off and keep walking.

“Hey, you need a ride?”

I stop and turn my head, hearing a familiar voice. I bend over to get a favorable look at the driver. It’s the bartender.

“That depends on whether you’re headed in the same direction.”

“Where to?” she asks.

“Motel, two miles down this road.”

“I know it. Get in.” As I approach the car, I glance at the door handle, only to find it flush against the vehicle. I stare at it, trying to figure out how to pull it open. “Push the corner,” she says. I do as she says, and voilà, the passenger door pops open.

I slide in.

“Not into electric cars?” she asks.

“Never been in one,” I say honestly.

“I despise them, but it’s affordable. Anything gas these days is expensive or a classic.”

A lot has changed. QR codes are used for everything. Cash is apparently almost nonexistent. To function as a human being, you need a phone. According to the bouncer at the door, calling a taxi is obsolete; Uber is the only option, and you need the app to order a ride and have an account.

I was fucked on both counts, so I had to walk back to the motel.

“How did you do that?”

“Do what?” I ask, staring at the screen in front of me, where the passenger airbag is supposed to go.

“What you did back there. How you swindled money from Randy.”

I raise a brow. “Swindle? He was offering me money for sex.”

She grimaces. “You’re right; I’m sorry. What I meant to say is, you handled that like you’ve done it before. Where did you learn?”

“I haven’t—I didn’t do it. I mean, it was my first time.”

“No way.” She shakes her head in disbelief.

“It’s true,” I admit. “I don’t know what came over me. I needed the money.”

“Whatever it was, it was pure skill. The way you had him under your spell, he would have done anything.

“You think so?”

Thinking back on what happened and what I said—how I threatened him. I’m not sure what possessed me. It felt like I wasn’t in my body, but I was.

She raises her brows. “I know so. He was completely engrossed in your conversation. When you drew closer, I couldn’t help but stare.”

“At whom?” I ask, confused.

“You—I was staring at you with the way you had his attention. It was… amazing.”

“You sound excited,” I say, amused.

“I am. I mean, I want to thank you.”

“Is that why you’re giving me a ride?”

“Not really,” she says, giving me a grin.

“What’s your name?”

“Rose.”

“Rose,” I repeat. It’s pretty. It suits her.

“Yours?”

“Athena, but you can call me Trix at the club.”

“I like it. Athena. It’s strong, but Trix…”

I laugh. “Rose is better.” There was an awkward silence for a few seconds, which caused me to shift in my seat. “So you go to Stockbridge University.”

“How did you know?”

“I took a wild guess,” I tease. “It wasn’t me he came to see. I think you’ve been on his mind in and out of class.”

“Yeah,” she says. “He watches me in class, and it gives me the creeps. I don’t know how he found where I worked. He just showed up one night.”

“Who else knows?”

“No one I know of. My mother would lose her shit if she found out I was bartending at a strip club.”

“I take it she thinks you’re volunteering at the church?”

She laughs. “I wouldn’t say it’s a total lie, but there is no way I could correct her. I don’t think she has caught on that a church doesn’t hire employees to work the night shift.”

“The name helps, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah, I think everyone gets a kick out of it.”

She pulls into the motel’s parking lot. Weeds are growing between the cracks in the asphalt.

“Thanks for the ride.”

“You’re staying here?” she inquires, gazing at the two-story motel. The faint fluorescent lights flicker above the peeling paint.

“Yeah. Where do you live?”

“Dorm. It was the only way I could get out of the house and why I’m saved from going home and dealing with my mother.”

“Strict mother?”

She sighs. “You have no idea.”

“It’s better than one that doesn’t give a shit.”

“I guess so, but at times, she can be overbearing. Controlling is a better word. I mean, I know she means well, but...”

“You feel trapped.”

She nods.

“How come The Church?”

“The name worked out. She doesn’t go to church since my father ran off with another woman.”

“A Randy type?”

She scoffs. “At least Randy goes back home to his wife.”

I snort. “Randy is a liar.”

“Did you mean what you said?”

“Fuck his wife?”

“Yeah?” she says, curiously.

“I’ve never been with a woman,” I confess. “Besides, I’m not sure I’m her type.”

“I haven’t either,” she blurts. I raise my brows. She looks away embarrassed. “My mom wasn’t keen on me dating.”

“I bet she’s the type who would only let you invite girls to come over instead of guys.”

She laughs. “Like it would make a difference.”

“Yeah, imagine her walking in and catching a girl’s face between your thighs. She would lock you inside your room forever.”

She laughs. “Probably.”

We both knew she wouldn’t do any of those things because Rose is attracted to men. We’re just having a conversation, and I like talking to her. It was like we had been friends for years.

“Are you working tomorrow?” I ask.

“Yeah. How about you?”

“Yep, I need money, and it’s the only place that pays on the spot.” I find the button and push it to open the door. “See you tomorrow?”

“Are you doing anything before work?”

“Not really. I’ll need to find work shoes and an outfit. I’m not crazy about sharing costumes.” “Who knows where those strings have gone?” I grin, hoping she takes the bait and offers to go with me.

She laughs through her nose. “I can give you a few ideas. How about two o’clock when I get out of school? I can swing by.”

I glance at the flickering motel sign and look back. “I don’t have a room number yet, but I’ll meet you at the entrance.”

“Okay.” I move to get out.

“Wait, I’ll give you my number.”

I pause, looking over my shoulder, and watch her pick up her fancy smartphone. “I don’t have a phone. Not yet.”

I can’t tell if she finds it weird because she nods in understanding, and I’m grateful she doesn’t push for a reason.

“No worries,” she says like it’s no big deal. “I’ll meet you out front.”

“Thanks, Rose…for the ride.”

“Anytime.”

I shut the door, knowing that if she knew the truth about me, she wouldn’t feel the same way.