“Just leave me alone,” Hillary rebuked.
“Oh, man, she just dissed you!” The other goon mocked.
“Shut up, Vinny!” He yelled angrily.
The riff-raff known as Pedro started inching closer to Hillary. Suddenly, she didn’t feel very tough. There were three of them and only one of her. She grew nervous as she began backing away from him. What had happened to the strength and bravery she once possessed? Had her courage merely been a by-product of the deadly weapons she wielded? Or had the voice of reason been responsible for it?
“C’mon, baby, why don’t we—”
“Hey, get away from her before I call the cops,” a tough-looking cab driver yelled to the lowlife as he emerged from his vehicle.
“C’mon man, you really wanna deal with the pigs?” Vinny the thug asked as he turned and walked toward the bus terminal. The punk named Carlos followed him.
“Yeah, whatever,” Pedro shouted, puffing out his chest and throwing his arms up in a threatening manner. “Who has time for the skank anyway?”
As the young delinquent turned and left, Hillary’s face burned with anger and embarrassment. How dare that idiot, that scum of the earth, call her a skank? More than ever she wished that she had her bag so that she could teach him a lesson. She would cut out his filthy tongue and make him swallow it. She stared contemptuously at him as he walked off. If looks could kill....
“You okay, miss?” the cab driver who had intervened on her behalf called out to her.
Hillary turned to face the man who had so kindly assisted her.
“Yes,” she shouted to him as the anger dissolved from her expression. “Thank you.”
“You should really not be standing here all alone.”
“I’ll be okay,” she said and turned away from him.
Time passed. Cabs drove off, one returned. But the one she had desperately hoped to find was nowhere in sight. She didn’t know what to do. What if Miss Billie had been right and the driver had gone back to the hotel to find them and return the bag? Or what if he had already discovered the incriminating evidence? Where should she go now? Should she really tell Miss Billie about her dilemma? Should she really get the old woman involved?
Hillary didn’t know why Miss Billie had such a powerful effect on her. She made her feel like she was back in school and the woman was her strict principal. Though Miss Billie had never been mean or strict toward her at all. On the contrary, the old woman had been nothing but kind and caring. And helpful. She seemed to genuinely want to help her. But could Hillary really trust her?
Hillary’s head was spinning with fear, worry and uncertainty when she saw Miss Billie walking toward her with a bag in her hand.
“I gots a chicken sandwich an’ some onion rings fo’ ya, that okay?”
“Yeah...that’s fine,” she said softly. She had no appetite whatsoever. She was struggling to keep from retching right there on the street.
“I take it that cabbie man di’nt come back, huh? Never saw a face so long before.”
“I don’t know what to do,” Hillary said sadly, tears brimming in her eyes. She was trembling.
“Miss Billie gonna help ya, child, don’t ya go a-worryin’ ‘bout it. Things gonna be okay, you’ll see.”
Miss Billie brushed away the tears from Hillary’s cheek then hugged the girl close. Hillary didn’t pull away. She allowed herself to be hugged. For a few seconds, all seemed right with the world. But those seconds were brief and passed all-too quickly, leaving a renewed feeling of dread. Hillary knew she had to make a decision.
“C’mon, sugar, let’s go inside an’ eat. Then we gonna figure things out.”
Hillary slowly followed Miss Billie into the bus terminal. She looked around for cops, but the coast was clear. Maybe Miss Billie really could figure things out for her. She was so tired of having to figure things out for herself. She missed the voice of reason, though she was discovering that Miss Billie’s voice was more powerful now.
They ate in silence. Miss Billie could see how distraught Hillary was. She knew it was the perfect opportunity to get through to the girl. The time was right, but not the place. They needed a nice, private place. Then maybe she could make a much needed breakthrough. If she could at least get the girl to open up, then she’d be making a lot of progress. She wanted to go back to the Holiday Inn, but for some reason, the girl seemed so put off by that place now.
“You gonna finish that sandwich?” Miss Billie asked as she eyed the chicken sandwich that Hillary had picked at.
“I’ll take it to go,” Hillary said as she wrapped it up. She wasn’t about to disappoint Miss Billie by wasting it.
“How ‘bout them onion rings?”
Hillary was never a big fan of onion rings. She shook her head.
“I don’t think my stomach can handle them. Why don’t you eat them?”
“Well I guess we can bring ‘em along too,” she said, as she placed them in the bag along with Hillary’s uneaten sandwich.
“Can we find a different hotel now...please?”
Miss Billie sighed softly. The girl was taking a toll not only on her mental and physical health but on her pocketbook as well.
“Well, they was a few diff’rent hotels by the Holiday Inn. I s’pose we can find the next cheapest.”
Hillary was already shaking her head as the woman spoke.
“Let’s find a hotel somewhere else. Maybe even one here in Silver Spring.”
“But I thought yo’ daddy lived in Bethesda.”
“Miss Billie, let’s find a hotel somewhere else and I’ll tell you some things you should know about me. Please....”
“Okay child, let’s go then.”
To Miss Billie’s surprise, Hillary carried her suitcase as they walked back to the row of cars. They entered the cab that was next in line.
“Well, hello there ladies,” a cheerful old gentleman said with a smile. “Where can I take you today?”
“Are they any cheap hotels ‘round here?” Miss Billie asked.
“Cheap, but no bugs,” Hillary added quickly.
The driver snickered.
“I hear you. You don’t want any bedbugs or anything. There are some nice hotels over in Bethesda—”
“No,” Hillary said loudly. “Not by the Holiday Inn.”
“Oh, so you know the ones that I’m talking about then. Hmm, well if not any of those then I guess I would suggest the Econo Inn just a few blocks away. It’s nothing special but I think it’s critter-free. The only other lodging is the South Side Motor Lodge, but quite frankly, it’s run-down and caters to...well, let’s just say the less-desirables.”
“The Econo Inn sounds fine,” Miss Billie replied and they were off.
“Say,” Miss Billie said softly, “my friend here left her bag in a cab ‘bout an hour ago. The driver was in a dark blue car. He’s a young fellow with longish dark hair, a moustache and sunglasses.”
“Oh, that sounds like my buddy Ken.”
“Do you know where he is?” Hillary chimed in.
“At this hour? He’s off shift now. I can’t say where he is, but he’ll probably be back tomorrow.”
“I left my bag in his car....”
“Oh, Ken’s a real nice gentleman, very honest and trustworthy. How many nights you folks plan on staying?”
“At least a few nights,” Miss Billie answered.
Tell you what. When I run into Ken, I’ll get the bag from him and drop it off to you at the Econo Inn myself. Just let them know at the front desk that you’ll be expecting it and they’ll call you when it’s there.”
“I really don’t want him going through my stuff,” Hillary said anxiously.
“Well, I don’t think he’ll snoop. Sounds like you guys were his last passengers. I bet he doesn’t even realize he has it.”
Hillary wasn’t so sure about that. She was visibly distressed.
“Oh, don’t worry, he won’t take your stuff, I’m sure of it. You can trust Ken.”<
br />
“Do you have his phone number?”
“I’m afraid not.”
“Do you know where he lives?”
“No, we’re more of working buddies.”
“Child, quit yo’ worryin’ now, I’m sure you gonna get yo’ bag back and this nice gentleman here said he’d bring it right ta ya if he can get it from his friend.”
Hillary remained silent for the remainder of the short trip to the Econo Inn.
The Econo Inn looked far less inviting than the Holiday Inn had, but Miss Billie was pleased that the carfare was only seven dollars. She gave the driver a ten-dollar bill and thanked him. The Econo Inn was also significantly less than the Holiday Inn was per night. All in all, they would be saving a lot of money by rooming there.
“The Lord sure works in mysterious ways,” Miss Billie said as she sat on the full-sized bed on the left and stretched her weary muscles.
Hillary disagreed.
The “Lord” hates me, she thought as she plopped down on the other bed and sulked. It was already after eight o’clock. She was so exhausted, both physically and emotionally. She just wanted to go to sleep. Unfortunately for her, Miss Billie had another idea in mind. She turned to face the devastated teenager.
“Okay, child,” she said firmly, “we’s here now and it’s high time you start explainin’ yo’self. Start talkin’....”
~14~
Kenneth Dobbs loved his beer straight from the tap at Rosie’s Pub. One might say that he loved his beer a little too much. When he wasn’t working, he was patronizing the small, hole-in-the-wall establishment. The truth was, Ken loved beer nearly as much as he loved Rosie’s daughter JoEllen, or JoEl as everyone called her. The only problem was that JoEl’s husband Brian tended to get in the way of their “forbidden” love.
It just didn’t seem fair to Ken. He was a good, honest, loving man. He had known JoEl since grade school and had loved her since middle school. She had always been smitten with him too. It was her strict father, John, who always kept the spark from igniting. Ken, the school jock, was never good enough for his precious princess. Ken, the taxicab driver, was even worse.
The two had dated in secrecy for years until the affair was brought to John’s attention. Then all hell broke loose. John threatened to throw JoEl out on the streets if she so much as waved to Ken from afar. JoEl knew it was no idle threat. She had wanted to run off with Ken, head across the country and find a way to build a life together. But Ken, aside from being too scared to face that prospect, couldn’t leave his sick mother and kid sister behind. His father had passed away a few years back from a stroke and things had been hard for his mother ever since. He had taken any and all odd jobs he could find just to help contribute to the family’s overburdened finances. His academic grades suffered accordingly. He dropped out of school during his junior year so that he could work full-time and stop the bank from foreclosing on the mortgage.
One might say it was an honorable choice that he made…a true sacrifice. JoEl didn’t quite see it that way. To her, Ken had failed to prove himself. He had a made a choice and it wasn’t her. Spurned and bitter, she honored her father’s wish and stayed clear of the broken-hearted young man. More out of spite than attraction, she began dating Brian Sumptner, the popular senior whose money more than made up for his mediocre looks. Brian received John’s approval right away.
It wasn’t long before JoEl became pregnant. John was ready to bring new meaning to the term “shotgun wedding,” but before that was necessary, JoEl miscarried. She was never the same again. She set off a destructive path of drinking and drugs. Again, it was John who intervened and insisted (through more threats and intimidation) that she get her life back on track. She was barely able to graduate from high school. Then she began working at her parents’ bar. Though Rosie knew it was a mistake from the beginning, John thought it was a great idea. He’d get to keep an eye on his daughter and she would learn the ropes of bar management so that one day she could take over the family business.
JoEl continued to see Brian. She married him three years later. She even loved him, though she still retained feelings for her first love Ken, whom she saw from time to time in town. The years had softened the hurt, had dissolved the anger. On one encounter, she nodded ever so perceptibly, finally acknowledging his existence after so many years. On the next encounter, she waved. The following one earned Ken a smile.
Ken had never stopped loving JoEl. He could not bring himself to date anyone else, even when it was clear that JoEl had long moved on with her life. Even after she had gotten married, Ken always believed that he was destined to be with her. He would wait for her, until the end of time, if need be. One day, she would be his bride.
Years of loneliness marred his hope but his love for JoEl persevered. He had meaningless relations and one night stands with women just to fulfill his manly needs, but he never formed a serious relationship with any other woman. His mother had passed away several years ago and his little sister had grown up, married and had her own life in New York. She was doing well for herself. On his most lonesome and depressing nights, he would tell himself that her success had made his sacrifice worth it. And he would believe it too, with all his heart, despite the fact that his well-off sister snubbed him. She had become too good to associate with a “go-nowhere loser cab driver.” He had no hard feelings. He loved her dearly nonetheless.
A few years back, fate reunited Ken and JoEl. John Sheenan, JoEl’s father, died of a massive heart attack. Ken attended his funeral and offered his condolence to the grieving family. Later that week, JoEl showed up at his house. Ken stood at the doorway, mesmerized by the sight of her as he wondered if he was dreaming.
“Well, are you going to invite me in?”
Ken nodded. He was still speechless from this amazing surprise, this gift he had been given. He worried that something might be wrong as he moved aside and allowed her to enter.
“JoEl, are you okay? Are you—”
Ken’s words were lost in a passionate kiss as she vigorously pressed against his lips. Caught completely off guard, he froze in place for a few seconds before melting into her embrace and returning her hungry kiss. Years of mutual yearning poured out of that intense kiss which led to other intense activities.
JoEl would say that she was vulnerable, that she had strayed in a moment of weakness, having just lost her father. But her actions that followed would reveal that she had been waiting for such a moment since the fateful night Ken had chosen not to run away with her. Being with him was like that first breath a baby took after being born—urgent and essential. She would never let herself lose him again.
That incredible night had rekindled Ken’s hope and faith. JoEl refused to leave Brian, whom she described as cold and emotionally abusive, but she promised that their relationship would continue behind closed doors. He would have preferred to have her all to himself, but he loved her enough to accept whatever she was willing to give of herself.
JoEl visited him with increasing frequency. He began patronizing her family bar. With John out of the way, he was no longer unwelcome there. Tonight, after a long day of driving, her face was just what he needed to see.
“Hey Ken,” she said with a devilish smile.
Ken could read her like a book. He knew that smile. That smile meant, “I’ll see you tonight, baby.”
“Hi Joey,” he said, with his own impish grin.
JoEl still turned to putty when he called her “Joey.” He had given her that pet name when they were just twelve years old and he was the only person who used it. It had been several weeks since she’d had the chance to pay him a special visit. Brian had been laid off from his job which meant he was home far more often than JoEl—and Ken, for that matter—cared for.
Before Ken had a chance to even ask, JoEl had placed an icy cold mug of draft beer in front of him. It looked nearly as good as she looked to him. He took a big swig, savoring the familiar bitter aftertaste it left in his mouth. Skunk beer. T
hat’s what his good friend Todd called it. But Todd also advised him to keep away from JoEl—a married woman. Todd said he was looking for trouble. It just proved that Todd didn’t know everything.
“Rough day today?” JoEl asked, leaning forward on her elbows as she spoke to him.
The sight of her cleavage aroused him and he was glad that his jeans were as tight as they were, despite the growing discomfort between his legs.
“Eh, not too bad. Mostly uneventful, though some young girl did leave her bag behind in the car.”
“Young girl, huh?” JoEl jokingly accused, her eyes playfully narrowed.
Ken found everything she did and said incredibly sexy...every syllable she spoke, ever expression she made. He had to shove away lewd thoughts of having his way with her right there on the counter of the bar.
“You’re the only young girl for me, sweetheart,” Ken said softly as he placed his hand on hers.
The bar was seldom busy on Monday nights and this night was no exception. That’s exactly how they preferred it. There were a handful of patrons seated at a couple of the tables. Molly, the fry cook and server was in the kitchen. They enjoyed a relatively private area.
“I miss being with you,” JoEl whispered softly.
He caressed her soft hand.
“I miss you too. I couldn’t wait to get here and see your gorgeous face. You’ll be over tonight, right?”
JoEl nodded eagerly.
“But I can’t stay long...it’ll have to be a quickie.”
“I’ll take whatever I can get, sweetie.”
He finished his beer and ordered some deep fried fish and chips. He ate and drank over friendly conversation and flirty banter. Four more beers and an hour and a half later, he pulled out his wallet and handed JoEl two twenty-dollar bills. Longing to kiss her full, tender lips, he settled for a quick peck on the cheek.
Ken didn’t usually drink so many beers when he visited JoEl. He didn’t know why tonight was different. He felt the buzz hit him the minute he slid off the barstool. JoEl had glared at him reproachfully. He promised to drive safely and gave her one of those winks that always made her heart flutter. Then he was off. He wanted to tidy up his apartment before she visited.
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