by Love, Sandra
Chapter Three
Toria
The sun shone in my face as I woke, yet I felt extremely cold. At first, this confused me. But then I remembered that I had slept underneath a bridge just like I had for several years. I shivered. I really needed a cup of coffee, but that wasn’t going to happen. I really missed laying in a soft bed at night, getting a shower every day, and brushing my hair. I moaned to myself and sat up. Mitch was nowhere around. He usually cuddled up to me so I was not cold in the morning. I hated mornings when he wasn’t around.
“Rise and shine, baby girl.” I smiled to myself and turned to see that Mitch was walking my way, and he had things in his hands. I looked a little harder and it looked as if he had coffee.
“Tell me that’s for me.”
“You bet your sweet ass it is.” I felt bad as he handed me the cup. I knew what he did to get this and it broke my heart.
“Mitch, you’ve got to stop doing that to yourself. I can live without coffee or Adderall. Speaking of that, did you score any from Jason?” He smiled and handed me the cup and a pill. I swallowed it like it was candy. I had so much stuff I wanted to do today, and I needed the pick me up.
“Also, I have some good news for you. Last night I was talking to ole boy—yes, I forgot his name. But he said that you and I could shower and eat breakfast at his house this morning.”
My eyes bugged out of my head. “No way. Really? Are you sure it will be safe?”
“Yep, he and I have been meeting up like three times a week, and last night all we did was talk. I told him about you and how you wanted to get a job.”
“Wow, but what use will a shower do? I have no clean clothes, and the Goodwill is sick of me always trying to get clothes from them.”
He grabbed my hand as a stray tear rode down my sunken cheek. “Baby girl, he has a sister your age and he said he will talk to her about getting you some clothes.”
I leapt into his arms and started to sob.
“Mitch, what would I do without you? But wait a second, what about you?”
“Please, I am so old, and I love not having a job. I’ve been homeless for so long, I am used to it. But you, missy, are young and you need this.”
I looked up to Mitch, and he looked so tired. “Mitch, you have really been like a father to me. Thank you.”
He helped me stand, and we finished our coffees. “He said he will pick us up around nine, and last I checked, it was a little before eight, so let’s start walking to the park.”
As we walked to the park, the streets were getting busy with people, which meant the people would stare. It was a Thursday, so people were getting ready for the weekend. That meant the stares weren’t as bad as on a Monday. We make it to the park and sit on the bench.
“Tony!” Mitch yelled out the name and it made me jump.
“Huh?”
“That’s his name. Now, don’t judge him when you see him. He has got some gray hair going on.”
“Why would I judge him? I mean, come on, I leave on the streets. And I can’t function with my daily dose of Adderall.”
“I know I know. He is younger than me by five years, but he looks older than me.”
I smiled at Mitch. In the two and half years I’d known him, I’d never seen him that happy. I put my head on his shoulder and sighed. I wanted to be that happy again. I really missed my little sister, Brianna. She really looked up to me and I let her down. She was five years younger than I was. When I left, she just turned thirteen. The age she was going to need her big sister. I remembered the look on her face when she found out I had to leave. Her beautiful blue eyes were bright red from crying. And I remembered the harsh words she said to me.
I stood at the front door, high as a kite. I just got done hanging out with Sean, and we both took two pills each. I had just got home and my parents and sister were sitting on the couch. Brianna was crying. “Bri, why are you crying?”
“Stay away from me; you are nothing but a druggie.” It felt as if she had punched me in the face. “I wanted to be just like you; popular, pretty, smart. But now I wish you were never my sister.”
“What are you talking about?” I tried to play dumb, but my heart rate was sky high. How did they know about the drugs? I hid the bottle so well.
My mother stood up, and she was sobbing. She threw the prescription bottle at me and it bounced off my arm. I leaned down to pick it up. “Out of my house right now, Toria. And never come back.”
“But, Mom, where will I go?”
My sister chuckled and looked at me with a sour face. “Go live on the street and be a whore, we don’t care. We just want you gone. You have ruined this family. You had it all, Toria, and what do you do? You go and break up with your boyfriend, stop hanging out with your best friend… all for what, a stupid pill to get you high? You know what? I hate you, and I never want to see you again.”
Those were the last words I heard my sister say. “Toria, he’s here. Are you ready to shower?”
I blinked to clear my mind from the horrible things she had said to me. “Oh my god, yes.”
We got up and walked to a silver Volvo. It was a rundown looking car, but hey I am not complaining. I got in the backseat and I looked at Tony. He was definitely a handsome guy. He did look older than Mitch, but his salt and pepper hair was spiked. He was wearing a black t-shirt and a pair of khaki shorts and flip flops.
“Tony, this is my baby girl, Toria. Toria, this is Tony.”
“Oh hey, girlfriend. Aren’t you just adorable?” Yep, he was definitely gay. “My sister, Vanessa, will be over shortly. She is about your size and age. She’s only my half-sister, but you will absolutely love her. So, how old are you?”
“I am twenty. How old is Vanessa?”
“She just turned twenty-three. I talked to her last night and, girl, we are going to get you a job. She works housekeeping at the Turner Hotel. Would you mind cleaning after people’s sex-capades?”
I laughed out loud. Tony was a funny man. I could see why Mitch liked him. “I just want to work. I can clean up after people’s sex.”
We all laughed, and then I sat back and listened to Mitch and Tony chat with each other. Tony was so good with him, and that made me smile to myself. I would have to talk to Mitch later about sleeping around to get me pills. I didn’t want to mess anything up between them.
“So, Mitch never told me how you two met.”
“Well, he was walking down Broadway and he stopped to get a newspaper. I parked my car and approached him.”
“Yes, he did, and I about shit myself. He scared me to death.”
Tony squeezed Mitch’s hand. “I asked him out for coffee.”
“And how could I say no to this face?”
Aww, that was the sweetest thing ever. The story was making my heart swell. “I keep telling Mitch to move in with me, but he keeps telling me no.”
I slapped his shoulder. “Mitch, what the hell, dude?”
“He tells me he can’t leave you, Toria.”
I started to feel guilty. Mitch could have a place to live, and here I was holding him back. “Mitch.”
“Don’t. I will not leave you out there by yourself.”
“Hmm,” Tony interrupted us. “Vanessa can take you in.”
“I will not burden anyone, Tony. But thank you, though.”
“Trust me. When you meet her, you will instantly fall in love with her. She has the biggest heart. I didn’t tell her you were homeless, because she would cry and make me go find you.”
“Really, Tony, I am okay living on the streets.”
He chuckled. “Good luck telling her that. She will not take no for an answer.”
We pulled up to a rusty trailer. It was an awful yellow color, but he had a roof over his head and I didn’t, so I would not judge.
Chapter Four
Jeb
I was on the way out of the condo, but Barb stopped me. “So, baby, you have time for a quickie?”
“Actually, no, I don�
�t. I need to get to the hotel.”
She got pissed off and stomped toward the kitchen. “You are always making up excuses lately. Do I not turn you on anymore?”
I followed her into the kitchen and watched her pour herself a cup of coffee. “Of course you do. I am just under a lot of stress at work. We are down two housekeepers. Hey, why don’t you take the job?”
“Are you fucking serious? Really!”
“Yes, I am being serious. I really need the help.”
“Ha! No, I will not degrade myself like that. I come from money. What would people say when they see the great Barb Gray cleaning a room after someone? You need to stop and think before you come up with these ideas.”
God, I really hated that woman. The only reason why she came from money was my father. “Wow, Barb, can you sound any more stuck up? Also, Sean is coming up. He is getting married, so tomorrow I want you to play nice with his soon to be wife. I want to go out and have some guy time.”
She rolled her eyes. “Whatever. I will play the fiancée to the great Jeb Turner.”
I grabbed my keys and walked out of the condo. I really didn’t have time for her childish bullshit. I really didn’t want to marry her. I needed to find a way around the trust fund deal. So I could get it and not have to marry that bitch. I got in my car and headed toward my work. I really needed to find some help so I was not there every day. I pulled into my spot at work and got out.
“Good morning, Mr. Turner.”
I turned to see Vanessa. She was my hardest working housekeeper. She was cute in her own way. She was average height with long brown hair, and the bluest eyes.
“Vanessa, how are you this morning?”
“Good. I only came in to get my pay check. I am going to help my brother with a project.”
She giggled to herself. I found her a little awkward at times, as if I made her nervous. We started to walk to the elevator, to head to my office. When we stepped in, a thought entered my mind. “Hey, do you have any friends that need a job? I need two more housekeepers for the night shift.”
“Hmm, I really don’t have a lot of friends. I am going to meet a young lady today. I could ask her.”
“That would be wonderful.”
“If you need me to work extra shifts, I can. I love working here.”
“Can I ask you a personal question?” Her face turned like forty shades of red. “No, Vanessa, nothing bad.”
“Oh phew, good. Yeah, go ahead.”
The elevator stopped and we stepped off.
“Why don’t you go to college?”
“I tried to go, but I have a learning disability and it was hard for me to keep up with the work.”
I suddenly felt bad for asking her. “Oh. I am so sorry I asked you.”
“Oh, it’s okay. I learned to deal with it,” she said with a smile. “I will call you in a bit and let you know if that girl wants an interview.”
“Sounds good.”
We walked into my office and I handed over her check, and then watched her walk out the door. She was a wonderful person and I really hoped she could find me someone. I started to work on some paperwork when my cell rang.
“Hello, Father. How are things?”
“Good. Listen, your mother is driving me crazy with this wedding. Have you picked out a date yet?”
I sighed. “No, Father, I haven’t. Why are you in a rush for us to get married?”
“Because, Son, Mr. Gray is threatening to pull out on this investment and I really need this.”
“So you think he will pull out if I don’t marry his bitchy daughter.”
“Jeb, you knew what you were getting yourself into when I started this investment. This will give you over five million dollars when I die.”
“Why couldn’t Jake do this?”
“Because, Son, he was in a relationship at that time. Listen, you will only have to stay married to her until he signs the papers.”
I put the phone down and pinched the bridge of my nose. I picked up the phone and took a deep breath. “What if he doesn’t for years? I really don’t want to be with this woman that long. She is a monster, and she only wants my money.”
“Well, Son, I have it in the paperwork that Barb can’t touch that money. Not even a penny.”
I was shocked to hear this. “Does Joe know this?”
“Nope, I have a secret file with my attorney.”
This made me feel a little better. We talked for a few more minutes, and then said our goodbyes. Barb was not always a bitch. I did have feelings for her in the beginning. She was kind and sweet, until she knew I came from a lot of money. So she became scandalous and a bitch. I was pretty sure she was cheating on me. I just wanted this to be over with so I could move on with my life. In a couple of years, I would be thirty, and yet to have a wife or even children. I spun my chair so I was looking out of the windows. I really wanted a family, but not with Barb. My thoughts were interrupted by my cell phone.
“Sean, my man.”
“So tomorrow…are we on?”
“Yep, meet me at my office when you get in town. Tell Maddie that Barb will be hanging with them. I seriously need a break from her.”
“Gotcha, man. Okay, I will see you tomorrow.”
We said our goodbyes, and then I dove into my daily work.
Chapter Five
Toria
Tony had fed us a wonderful breakfast of eggs, bacon, French toast, and biscuits. I hadn’t had a meal like that in years. After we ate, I demanded that I clean. I was not going to eat free food and not do something to pay for it. After I cleaned the kitchen, I walked into the living room where Mitch and Tony were watching television.
I was about to ask where the bathroom was when the front door opened and a beautiful girl walked in. She stood a little shorter than me, her brown hair tied up in a tight bun. Her eyes were stunning, almost cat like and big. From where I stood, they looked hazel. She had her hands full with bags so I ran over to help her.
“Here, I can help you with them.”
“Why, thank you, sweetie. Yeah, I see my brother is too lazy to help his sister.”
I giggled. “Wow, this is a lot of stuff.”
“Nah, not really, but I wanted to make sure you had the things you need. I am a girl, and I know we have our needs.”
I was overwhelmed. My heart started to pound and I had the urge for another pill. I would have to ask Mitch for another one. “Well, I really appreciate this. Will it be okay if I take these to the bathroom? I really want to take a shower.”
“Of course, sweets. You need any help?”
I started to grab up all the bags.
“No, but thank you. Can you tell me where the bathroom is?”
She pointed where it was, and I took all the bags into the bathroom. When I walked in, my mouth dropped. It was a huge bathroom for this trailer. It looked as if it was recently remodeled. The counter was a deep brown tile, and the floor was a matching color. The walls were a light brown, too. It was breath-taking.
I sat the bags on the ground and I walked over to the cabinet, and I found two towels. After I opened the shower curtain and turned on the water, I went to search the bags for any razors and soap. I opened the first bag and there was some shampoo, conditioner, razors, shaving cream, and a scrubby. I grabbed them all and placed them on the ledge of the shower.
I got undressed and glanced at myself in the mirror. My ribs were showing, and my arms looked so skinny. I looked so anorexic. I looked away and got in the shower. I couldn’t remember the last time I had a warm shower. I ducked my hair under the water and watched the water turn a gray color. I watched the filth go down the drain, wishing it were that easy for the negatives in my life to not exist. I grabbed the shampoo and scrubbed my hair. It felt so good to scrub my hair. After rinsing out the shampoo, I added the conditioner, and decided that I would shave while the conditioner sat in my hair. After I shaved, I scrubbed my body with the pomegranate scented body-wash. After I rinsed out t
he conditioner, I turned off the water and wrapped my hair and body up with the towels.
I sat on the floor to go through the bags. I was so overwhelmed with how nice Vanessa was, I started to sob. I pulled out dresses, jeans, t-shirts, new under garments, socks, and a nice pair of tennis shoes. There was a note on the shoe box, so I unfolded it and began to read.
Hey,
I just went off what my brother told me. I hope these are the right sizes. If not, let me know and I can return them. So glad to meet you. Oh, and you better not try to pay me back. This is me doing my good deed for the year. Enjoy your new things.
Vanessa
The shoes were the correct size, and so were all the clothes. I wondered if Mitch told them my sizes. I decided I would wear a pair of jeans and a yellow tank top. After I got dressed, I searched the bag for a brush. I found that along with a full make-up bag. There was also a hair dryer and a flat iron. I plugged them both in as I attacked my hair with the brush. After getting all the tangles out, I blow dried my hair. The first time since the day I was kicked out of my house, I had the luxury of blowing drying my soft tendrils, and I took full advantage of it. After that, I ran the flat iron through my hair. When I was done, I looked at myself in the mirror. My hair had grown so much over the past years. It was all the way down my back. I decided I would leave it down. After I did my make-up, I put on my shoes and socks, and grabbed up all the bags and headed out of the bathroom.
“Wow, Toria, you’re beautiful.”
I felt my face heat up. “Thank you, Vanessa. Where are Tony and Mitch?”
“Tony finally convinced Mitch to go shopping for new clothes. It took so long. Your friend is a stubborn man.”
I laughed. “Thank you for the stuff. I hope no one steals them under the bridge.”
“You really think I will let you go back on the streets?”
I looked at her, confused. “What do you mean?”
“You are going to stay with me,” she said with the biggest smile on her face.
“Oh no, you don’t have to do that. You barely know me.”
“Please, girl, you are not going back on the streets. It’s dangerous out there.”