by Cooper, Doug
Dow Jones Close: Closed
Chapter Forty-Four
Date: Sunday, May 11, 2014
Dow Jones Open: Closed
Predawn morning light soaked through the curtains. Summer was approaching. The days were starting earlier, which made getting up and, more importantly, waking everyone else up much easier. Les’s first thought wasn’t what day it was so he would know what to prepare for dinner. It was the other way around. Since last night was spaghetti, tonight was sloppy joes, which meant it was Sunday. Other than that, his days were all pretty much the same. He went down and showered in the men’s locker room, which consisted of three stalls, two sinks, and four showers. A similar setup existed for the women, and surprisingly both got a lot of use. Most might think cleanliness isn’t a high priority for the homeless when they’re just going to be out schlepping in the sun all day. But it was one of the things the guests always said they appreciated most about the Oasis. Martin had told him that both locker rooms were added ten years ago, when the laundromat that had shared the building closed down. When that happened, Martin applied and was awarded a grant from the state to expand and do the renovations. It also allowed him to increase from twenty to forty people occupancy and upgrade the kitchen.
After his shower, Les relieved the security guard and proceeded to the kitchen to start putting out breakfast. He passed by the door to peek outside and check how many he might need to cover for breakfast in addition to the twenty-nine who had slept over. A shadow from the building across the street, which still concealed the sun, covered the five people camped out and sleeping on the sidewalk. He looked down the desolate street in both directions. A girl on a bike was riding in and out of the shadows from the south. As she got closer, he could see it was Crystal. Steering the bike onto the sidewalk, she wore the same baggy pink velour hoodie and sweatpants with the green cap he had seen her in at the El Cortez so many times with the addition of vintage bug-eyed sunglasses even though the sun was just coming up. He opened the door and spoke in a whisper. “Surprised to see you here so early.”
She walked her bike up onto the sidewalk. “Actually late. I was on my way home from work and remembered you said you could always use volunteers. I just live around the corner, so it’s on the way.”
“Well, come on in.” Les opened the door further so she and her bicycle could squeeze through. The man stretched out on the sidewalk at the front of the line stirred, then rolled over, pulling the black plastic that was covering his body over his head. In the hallway with the door closed, Les spoke in his usual tone. “I’m just about to start breakfast. It’ll be nice having some company. Most volunteers don’t show up until later.”
She leaned the bike up against the windows and followed Les down the hallway. “Well that’s good. It usually takes me a few hours to fall asleep anyway. Just tell me what you need done. I’m not much of a cook, but I can clean or whatever.”
He led her to the kitchen. “Breakfast is easy. No cooking required. Just have to fill the tins with all the items and mix up the juice. Stripping, changing, and cleaning the bedding once everyone is up and out the door is where the help is really needed.” He got the bag of bagels that were delivered earlier in the morning and showed her where the bananas and yogurt were. “Fill each one of the tins on the serving line with forty of each, bagels first, then bananas, followed by yogurt. I know, you’re probably thinking, What does it matter? But a lot of the people have been coming here for a while. The slightest changes send them into a tizzy.”
Crystal nodded, finally removing her sunglasses and putting them in her pocket. The florescent light from above reflected off the glitter makeup around her eyes. “Got it. Bagels, bananas, yogurt.” She carried the bag of bagels over to the first tin. “So are Penny or Bill coming this morning?”
Les poured juice concentrate into a yellow five-gallon Igloo cooler. “Bill usually comes by around seven-thirty and helps me with the linens, and we grab breakfast afterward.” He carried the cooler to the sink and turned on the cold water. “Penny said she was coming, but I never know who will show. I just always expect no one and am pleasantly surprised when anyone comes. Just like today. Never expected to see you when I looked out there this morning.”
“Me either, to be honest,” she said, arranging the bananas in rows of eight to keep count. “Ride by here all the time. Was thinking about what you said at the El Cortez and saw you so figured I’d pitch in this morning.”
“Glad you followed your instincts,” Les said. “Just let me know if any of our visitors give you any trouble. They’re used to looking at me every day. Not sure how they’ll respond to such an upgrade.”
“I’m sure I’ll be fine. Can’t be any worse than what I deal with at work.” She shifted back and forth, uncomfortable acknowledging to him what she did for a living.
Les fastened the lid on the cooler and carried it to the end of the serving line. “And how is work these days?”
“You do know what I do, right?” Crystal asked, rearranging the yogurts.
“I remember.” Les walked over and inspected her work. “This looks good.”
“I wasn’t too good the other night though.” Crystal looked down, recounting the items in the bin.
Les remained quiet, allowing her to proceed at her own pace. He could tell there was something she wanted to talk about. The timing of her visit was no coincidence. He was never a person to pry or push though. He let people reveal things on their own timetable.
“Penny and Bill came to my work Friday night after the El Cortez, and I didn’t handle it very well.”
He offered a comforting smile. “I’m sure their intentions were good.”
“That’s just it,” Crystal said. “I’m not used to people helping me. I always expect them to want something in return.”
Les poured two glasses of juice and handed one to Crystal, her hand shaking slightly as she reached for it. Les noticed but didn’t say anything. Crystal steadied the cup with her other hand and lifted it to her mouth. Les said, “Accepting help from people is a sign of strength, not weakness. You’re recognizing a need in them and allowing them to fill it. They cared enough about you to come see you in an environment that I’m guessing neither of them frequent very often.”
Crystal sipped the juice, chewing on the rim of the plastic cup, considering his words. “I guess I can see that now, but at the time I just felt violated, like they were spying or checking up on me.”
“I can see that being quite a surprise. They didn’t tell you they were coming?”
Crystal shook her head. “Not at all. Can you believe that? At least give me a heads-up. I could’ve gotten them a booth or a round of drinks on the house.”
“So it really wasn’t that they were there? It was just coming without asking you?”
“I guess. I mean, I don’t know.” She looked down into the plastic cup while talking through her thoughts. “It is a public place. Anyone can come there, and Bill is so nice. I can’t be mad at him. He doesn’t have an evil bone in his body. It’s more Penny. I know she means well, but come on. Just stop pushing so much.” Crystal looked up from the cup. “I’m sorry. Don’t know why I’m telling you all this. Should probably just talk to them.”
“It’s fine. I think you’re all pretty terrific.” Les looked at his watch. “But it is seven. Better get things rolling before the natives get restless. I’ll wake everyone. You just stay here and make sure each person only takes one of each. After that we’ll open up to the people outside.”
Les left, and minutes later, still sleepy and scruffy, the overnighters trickled in from the billet to collect their breakfast. Crystal offered each a smile and a good morning wish, answering their questions about who she was and why she was there. Catching one person trying to palm two bagels at the same time, she said, “Ah, ah, ah, just one of each.” He grinned playfully, as if he were testing her more than ac
tually wanting the extra bagel. After everyone from inside was fed, they opened the door for those on the sidewalk, which had increased to ten, leaving one extra serving.
After everyone had been fed, Les said, “Why don’t you take a break and have what’s left before we start cleaning? Don’t feel obligated to stay though. You’ve already helped so much. I’m sure a few others will come along.”
Crystal glanced at the food and frowned. “Thanks, but I don’t want to take food from someone who needs it. I have plenty at home.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Everyone has been fed.” Les walked over and tore the bagel in half. “How about we split it?” He took his half and refilled her juice. “Come on, let’s sit down and take a break for a few minutes.”
Crystal took the bagel and banana and left the yogurt, following him over to one of the long cafeteria tables. Voices blended with the shuffling of feet in the hallway. Les stood up. “Probably some late arrivals; I should probably lock the door.” He had gotten halfway across the room when Bill and Penny breezed through the doorway. Both were laughing but looked extremely tired. The bags under Bill’s eyes were swollen and extended the whole length of his eye with creases on the outer edge. Penny was wearing jeans, a red sweatshirt, and a St. Louis Cardinals baseball cap. For once, she appeared not to be wearing any makeup. The early wrinkles around her eyes and mouth, which she usually so expertly hid, were accented by the laughter.
Crystal looked at them, then down at the table, tearing the bagel piece in half and biting off a mouthful, chewing slowly. Penny and Bill stopped in the middle of the room, obviously surprised to see Crystal.
Les filled the awkwardness. “What a nice surprise. Perfect timing actually. We were just taking a break before we clean the billet. Sorry I can’t offer you any food this morning. They wiped us out. We were actually splitting the last bagel and banana.” He picked up the banana off the table. “You’re welcome to this, though, to hold you over until after.”
Bill held up his hand. “No, you guys have it. We haven’t done any work yet.”
“I wasn’t sure I’d see you today,” Les said. “I heard you had a late night Friday. Thought you might need the weekend to get back on schedule.”
Penny walked toward the table. “That’s what we were just laughing about. I woke up Saturday afternoon facedown on top of my bed with my clothes and shoes on. Didn’t do a darn thing the rest of the day. Had to get out of the house today and do something productive. Was getting sick of myself.”
“I won’t even tell you where I slept,” Bill said. “At my age, it takes a few days to recover from a night like that. I still don’t feel right.”
“This one over here,” Les pointed to Crystal, “came right after work and has been helping me all morning.” He peeled the banana and gave half to Crystal. Everyone just nodded and smiled. Les popped a bite of the banana in his mouth. He motioned toward the billet, speaking while he was chewing. “Sounds like the best thing for everybody is some work to get the blood flowing. Bill, you and Penny strip, and Crystal and I’ll come behind you with fresh linens.”
With four of them working, it took less than an hour to finish the twenty-nine beds. There was minimal talking, except for polite requests and thank-yous. Les always considered the simplicity and repetition of the work a meditation, even more so that morning. It redirected their focus from the trivial distractions to a unitary objective. No longer were they thinking about the other night or what should or shouldn’t be said. They were all just there, helping each other.
Afterward, with all the morning work done, Les gave Crystal and Penny a full tour of the facility. Bill had seen it all before, but tagged along anyway. They ended on the roof. With it still only ten o’clock, the sun hung low in the eastern sky above Sunrise Mountain, keeping the temperatures in the mid-seventies. Wisps of clouds hovered above the ring of mountains surrounding the valley, fading into an azure sky that stretched from one side to the other in all directions.
Les said, “I mostly come up here at night, but you really get an appreciation for the desert beauty of Vegas in the daytime when all the lights are off. The whole picture changes as the light does throughout the day.”
The others remained quiet, rotating to fully enjoy the majestic 360-degree view. They were in the middle of the city, but everything seemed to be happening away from them. There was the silent, constant flow of traffic on I-15, just a half mile to the west, the outline of the office and government buildings populating downtown, the Fremont Street casinos looming in the background to the north, and the seductive skyline of the Strip, the actual oasis most seek when coming here, to the south.
Crystal walked over to Penny and Bill. “I’m sorry for the other night. You guys surprised me, and I guess I overreacted.”
Penny hugged Crystal, clearly taking her by surprise. Crystal’s arms remained by her side. It didn’t deter Penny, who pulled her closer. “No, it was our fault. We shouldn’t come without letting you know.”
“If it’s any consolation,” Bill said, “I was miserable the whole time.”
Crystal finally lifted her arms, loosely patting and rubbing Penny on the back. “I think Penny had enough fun for the both of you.” She put her hands on Penny’s shoulders and pushed back from the hug. “You’re not going to try to kiss me like you did Candy, are you?”
Penny closed her eyes and opened her mouth, pretending to move in for a kiss. Crystal put her hand on Penny’s face and playfully pushed her away. Penny said, “You know, my agent is still coming a week from Saturday if you’ve also changed your mind about that.”
Crystal thought for a moment. “Sure. That Saturday at Dino’s. I’ll be there.” She turned to Bill and Les. “You guys can come if you want. A little extra support never hurts.”
Dow Jones Close: Closed
Chapter Forty-Five
Date: Friday, May 16, 2014
Dow Jones Open: 16,447.32
Max weaved down the hallway, head down, reading emails on his phone. In the forty-five minutes he had been in the studio recording a new radio spot for the Lapkin, he had received eighty-seven new mails. Most of them he was just copied on, so he didn’t need to respond. It was merely people covering their butts since most of the news lately was bad. While the hiring, production, and financial impact had all improved since the April meeting, the forecasts still projected falling short on the McDonald’s deal. Max hadn’t figured out how or when would be the best way and time to inform McDonald’s.
Sensing a person in his path, Max veered to the right. The person moved with him. Still with his head down focused on his phone, he angled left. The person redirected toward him. He finally just stopped to stay out of the way. The person walked up and stopped directly in front of him. Max looked up from his phone, following the taupe Mary Jane pumps on her feet up to a white skirt to a simple navy button-up shirt with gold and maroon-striped colored cuffs. “Excuse me,” he said, finally seeing the person’s face. She looked familiar, but his mind was elsewhere, and he couldn’t place the face. A brown leather portfolio and matching clutch were tucked under her left arm. She had full makeup on and her hair pulled back in a sleek, low updo. Obviously a business contact, Max thought.
The person giggled. “You have no idea who I am, do you?”
“Of course I do,” Max said. “You work on my account here at Beasely.” The Beasley Broadcast Group owned over fifty stations in twelve different markets in the United States and was the receiver of a large portion of Max’s advertising budget.
“Not even close,” she said, hesitating and waiting for another guess.
Max shook his head, dropping it forward to signal his surrender. “I’m sorry. I got nothing. My memory is not my strongest asset.” He tucked his phone into the breast pocket of his chocolate suede jacket and focused his eyes on hers, narrowing his stare, almost as if drawing aim on her.
“Ah, no
w you’re going to revert to charm, or is that your intimidation face? I can’t really tell,” she said. “Well I won’t torture you any longer. It’s Penny, from the El Cortez.” She paused, allowing the reference to sink in. “We’ve played blackjack together on several occasions. Normally my hair is down.” She turned her head to the side, showing the mound of hair tied in the back.
Max banged his palm on his forehead. “God damn it, that’s it. I knew I recognized you. The different hair style and professional attire threw me off.”
“So you’re saying I normally look like shit, is that it?”
Max loved that she wasn’t letting him off easy. He said, “Quite the opposite, actually. Just wasn’t expecting to see you in this setting. What are you doing here?”
“Backpedal, backpedal, and change the subject. This must happen to you often,” Penny said, still having fun with him. Holding up the leather portfolio, she finally backed off. “Had an interview. One of the morning radio shows is hiring a person to do the news. Figured it might be a nice change from TV and a good way to ease back into the workforce. Plus, I won’t have to worry about makeup or what I wear.”
“I didn’t know you were a TV news person.” Max tilted his head to the left and looked her up and down. “I guess I can see that. You definitely have the look.” Max waved his arm back in the direction he came from. “I do a lot of business here, so let me know if you want me to put in a good word.”
Penny said, “Nah, that’s OK. To be honest, I’m not even sure I want it. Just dipping my toe in the water and tuning up my interviewing chops.”