"Just throw them in the trash," I said.
"I’m talking about the ones I just put on," she said. "The clean ones. They stink." She lifted the shirt she'd just put on to her nose and gave it a big whiff. "All our stuff smells terrible compared to this place. I think we need all new stuff."
"It's just smoke," I said. "It'll be better once we wash it a few times. There's a washer and dryer downstairs in the garage. We'll wash everything in the morning."
"I can't believe we live in a clean house," she said sitting next to me.
"Speaking of clean," I said, standing. "I think I'll switch places with you."
She nodded. "They left us a bar of soap under the bathroom sink. I washed my hair with it."
"I guess we need to pick up a few things," I said, making my way to the bathroom. "You can make a list while I'm taking a shower."
"On what paper?" she said.
I laughed. "I guess we need to put that on the list."
The next couple of days went by quickly. Our neighbor in the other apartment was a young guy named Andy who was going to college. He was a little nerdy and liked to laugh and joke around a lot, but seemed really nice. He laughed about how we drove a "cable truck", but said he was glad to have two cool girls as neighbors.
We ran into Ken and Kathy, our landlords, a time or two. They were both very nice as well. It seemed like an ideal living situation. I was extremely grateful for this because I was still carrying a heavy load as a result of the incident on the way there.
Lexi was definitely still on edge in spite of her refusal to talk about it. She'd lost the cheerful side to her personality that I desperately hoped would resurface. I did my best to act unaffected, but she could probably tell I was faking it.
I never did tell her what I did to that man. I had no good reason to keep it secret, but I also had no good reason to tell her, so I just remained silent. I kept thinking about how things could have turned out differently. I thought if we'd taken the Greyhound then we'd never have stopped at that truck stop. I thought about how I could have said no to the chicken fried steak, or how I should have gone with her to the bathroom.
I analyzed everything over and over again, until I finally realized that was pointless. There was nothing I could do to change what had happened. I had no other choice but to move forward. That was easier said than done, but all I could do was hope it would get easier as time went on. I had to believe it would.
Getting settled in our new place turned out to be a pretty good distraction. We had a lot of things to do. We went to the store to buy food and basic everyday items like shampoo and laundry detergent. It took about five trips through the laundry to get the smoke out of our clothes, and even after that you could still faintly smell it if you stuck your face in it and sniffed real hard.
Lexi and I didn't talk about Mom much other than mentioning how weird it was to not have cigarette butts and vodka bottles lying everywhere.
After we'd been there getting settled for a couple of days, I thought it was time for me to look for a job. I still had a good bit of the five thousand dollars I came with, but I realized based on a few trips to the store that it would be gone before I knew it.
I had plans to meet with Peter Craig the following week, but thought I might go pick up a few job applications before then. There was only one issue. I was going to have a hard time letting Lexi out of my sight. I knew I couldn’t stayed glued to her forever, but geez, I just didn't feel ready to be apart from her—at least not yet. I hadn't asked her about it, so I wasn't sure how she felt, but I had to imagine she was as reluctant to leave my side as I was to leave hers.
We were sitting on the couch when I first brought it up. "What do you think about picking up a few job applications tomorrow?" I asked.
"I think we should," she said.
"We can try to get a job at the same place," I said.
"Why do you want to do that?"
I was taken aback by the question. "I guess I just thought you'd want to."
She smiled at me as if she knew what I wasn't saying. "I wouldn't mind working at the same place, but not because I'm scared or anything," she said.
"You're not?" I asked.
She shrugged. "I mean, I guess I am—a little anyway. But I can't let it control me. I can't let it rule my life. You're not gonna be able to be with me every second of every day, and that's okay."
I was stunned by how strong she was being.
She shrugged. "You've got your stained glass thing starting next week. I'm not gonna be able to tag along with you to that. I might as well get used to the idea of being by myself sometimes."
I just stared at her. I honestly didn't know how I felt. I hated the idea of leaving her alone, even for something I loved like stained glass.
She must have seen the reluctance in my expression because she said, "It's okay, Laney. Everything's gonna be okay."
Chapter 7
There were tons of businesses within walking distance of our apartment. It wasn't necessary for us to get a job so close, but I knew it'd make things easier if we found something nearby.
Lexi and I picked up applications at more than ten places, but only one of them needed help bad enough that they were willing to hire both of us. It was a busy restaurant named Miller's, and not only were they willing to hire us, but they were also willing to work with us so that we worked the same shifts. I would work as a waitress and Lexi would be a hostess.
I was the one who was adamant about sticking together. Lexi insisted she would be okay working different shifts or even working at different places, but I just couldn't do it—especially when Miller's was willing to accommodate us.
We were supposed to start training the following Tuesday, which happened to be the day before I was scheduled to meet Peter for the first time. We had nearly a week to get settled in our place and get to know San Francisco before beginning our job. At first, that seemed like forever, but the time flew by.
We heard from Aunt Barb and Mrs. Williams during that week, but never from our mom. I called and left a message on her machine telling her we made the trip, but she didn't call back. Aunt Barb and Mrs. Williams, however, were both curious about how things were going.
Lexi was in the shower when I spoke with Mrs. Williams and I came really close to telling her all or part of what had happened on the way there. I'd shared a lot of my thoughts and feelings with her during the past couple of years, and I thought if I were to tell anyone it'd be her. I changed my mind and instead decided to keep the conversation surface level. I was glad I made that choice, because Lexi happened to take a really quick shower that night and I would have had to cut the conversation short.
The incident was still very present in my mind in spite of the fact that I never discussed it with Lexi. I couldn't help but replay the scene in my head. I assumed that was to be expected since it had only been a week since it all went down.
"You're lucky," Lexi said, coming out into the living room right before our first shift at Miller's.
"Why?"
"Because you have a uniform and I'm stuck having to come up with something to wear to work."
It was her first job, and she was excited enough about it that having to choose an outfit didn't matter much to her, and we both knew it.
"You have to wear all black. That's basically a uniform," I reminded her for about the third time. She stared at her reflection in the full-length mirror on the bedroom door. I could tell she felt confident, and it made me happy. I loved seeing a hint of her old personality peek through. "Plus, you don't have to fix your hair," she said, running her fingers through her hair as if she was stressed about how it looked.
I had on black pants and a white button-down shirt with my hair in a trusty ponytail. "Your hair looks gorgeous as always," I assured her.
She turned to look at me. "I'm nervous," she said.
"Don't be," I said. I was faking confidence for her sake. I'd never waited tables and was extremely nervous myself. "Th
ey're gonna tell us exactly what to do. That's what training is."
Lexi and I got to work fifteen minutes early for our shift, which was scheduled to begin at 4pm. The restaurant was nearly empty when we arrived, but a steady stream of customers started rolling in by 5 o'clock. I was shadowing a girl named Trina. She was an experienced waitress who was thankfully very patient with my inexperience.
Lexi was at the hostess station with two other girls. I had a clear view of that area from my station, and I glanced over there frequently to make sure she was doing all right. It seemed as if she was having a good time, which helped me relax on a night when I could have easily been overwhelmed. There was so much to take in. I never realized how intense waiting tables was—or maybe it just seemed that way because everything was still so new. Either way, I couldn't believe it when I looked at the clock and saw that it was only 9pm. It seemed like I'd been there for an eternity.
I glanced at the hostess station to find Lexi standing there by herself. To my horror, there was a guy standing there talking to her. My heart sank as I watched for a few seconds. She smiled and seemed content to stand there and talk to him, but I wasn't at all comfortable with the situation.
Trina and I were just about to wrap up the last two tables in our section, and I hadn't asked for a break all night, so I told her I'd be right back and she easily agreed. I marched over to Lexi as quickly as my little feet could take me. She saw me out of the corner of her eye as I approached and turned to face me. She was smiling when she turned, but it faded when she saw my expression.
"Where are the other girls?" I asked right off the bat.
"Naomi went out for a smoke break and Maddie went to get some napkins for us to fold."
"And they just left you up here by yourself?"
Lexi laughed a little awkwardly as she glanced at the guy who was standing there. "I'm fine," she said. "No one's coming in."
"What about this guy? I asked gesturing to him. I looked at him. "Do you need a table or something?"
"I've already got a table," he said. He flashed me a smile. I could tell he thought he was real charming.
I wasn't charmed. I narrowed my eyes at him. "Why are you standing up here, then?"
He seemed surprised by the question, but he answered, "I just used the restroom."
"So I guess you'll be going back to your table?" I asked.
His eyes widened and so did Lexi's.
"Laney, I'm fine," she said. "Everything's fine here."
"Yeah," he agreed. "She was telling me she just moved here, and I was telling her some things she needed to see in San—"
"She was telling you all that, huh?" I interrupted. I couldn't believe my ears! I glared at that guy. "Do you make a habit of loitering at hostess stations?"
He smiled like he thought I was joking, but I stared at him stone-faced.
"Laney!" Lexi said.
I looked at her. "I can't believe the other hostesses just left you up here."
Lexi looked at the guy with an apologetic expression. "She's my sister," she said. "She gets a little protective."
"Your sister?" he asked. He smiled at me with that smile. I knew he thought he could win me over with it. He was young, sharply dressed and undeniably handsome, but he was not, I repeat, not winning me over. "Let me leave you my phone number and maybe you guys can hook up with me and some of my friends sometime. We can show you around."
"Absolutely not, mister!" I said. I couldn't believe the audacity of this guy.
He flinched and laughed a little as if he couldn’t believe I'd just called him mister.
"I think it's time you got back to your table," I said.
He gave me an appraising glance like he was trying to figure out whether or not I was joking.
"Shoo!" I said, flicking my hand at him.
"It was nice meeting you," he said to Lexi as he walked away.
I let out a sigh of relief once he was gone.
"What in the world were you thinking just now, Laney?" Lexi asked in a calm, measured tone.
"What were you thinking talking to him?"
"He's a customer!" she said. "I was just being nice—making conversation."
"He wasn't just making conversation," I said. "You heard him. He said he wanted to go out with you."
"So what? What's so wrong with that? I may not be ready for a boyfriend right this second, but I'm not going to be a nun the rest of my life. He's cuter than any guy I've ever seen in Greensboro—and nicer too. What's wrong with talking to him?"
Just then one of the hostesses walked up carrying a pile of cloth napkins. "Is everything okay?" she asked.
"Yeah, why?" Lexi asked smiling at her. "Oh, you two just looked like you were having a private conversation or something."
"Oh, no, Laney just came up here to see how I was doing."
"She's doing great," the girl said, looking at me with a huge, hostess smile. "I can't believe this is the first time she's worked in a restaurant. She has a lot of the table numbers memorized already."
"Great," I said, faking a smile. "I was just checking in."
"How do you like working with Trina?" she asked. "She's great, isn't she?"
"Really great," I said. What I really wanted to ask is if customers made a habit of asking hostesses for their numbers, but I knew that would make Lexi even more mortified than she already was. I decided I should quit while I was ahead, so I headed back to finish my shift.
I was only there for a few more minutes before Trina told me I'd done a great job and that I could go home for the night while she finished up. I was getting paid by the hour to shadow her, and she didn't have to share her tips with me, but she still gave me twenty dollars for helping her out.
The lead hostess had no problem letting Lexi go home when I got off, and we were headed home before 9:30. Miller's was only a short walk from our place, and the sidewalk was far from deserted, but it was dark, so I was cautious. I didn't let Lexi see, but I held the mace bottle in my hand with it open and in the ready-to-spray position.
"I'm sorry if it seemed like I was a little hard on that guy," I said as we walked. "I'm just still a little—"
"I know," she said. "I am too. I wasn't trying to hook up with him or anything. We were just having a conversation."
"Can you believe how many people are still walking around out here at nine-thirty at night?" I asked, changing the subject.
"I think it's cool," she said looking around. "The only problem is I'm starving and my feet are killing me."
"I'm hungry too. We'll have to eat a granola bar right before work to hold us over from now on."
"Are your feet okay?" she asked."
"No, they're hurting," I said. "I think we may need to rethink our shoes."
"Especially with the hike to and from work," she said. "I think I have a blister."
"I don't think we'll be able to go shopping before our next shift," I said, "but we'll make it happen soon."
"We don't work till four o'clock tomorrow afternoon," she said. "We can go before then."
"Yeah, but tomorrow's my first day with Peter, remember? I'll be with him until just before our shift starts."
"Laney, I can handle going to buy us some shoes."
I hadn't even considered that. I just assumed she'd wait at the apartment till I got back from Peter's.
"Did you think I was just going to sit in the apartment all day and wait for you?" she asked, obviously knowing what I was thinking.
"Sort of."
She laughed.
"What?" I said.
"I'm not going to be trapped in the house all day."
"Then I'm not going to meet Peter," I said.
"Don’t be ridiculous," she said.
"I'm not. You're too young to be gallivanting all over San Francisco by yourself. It's dangerous."
"It has nothing to do with how old I am, and you know it." She paused. "And did you just say the word gallivanting?" she asked, laughing a little.
I shot her
a little smile. We walked several paces in silence before I spoke again.
"I can't help but worry about you, Lexi."
"I'll be fine. If Andy's home, I'll see if he wants to go with me."
We'd gotten to know Andy quite a bit during the past week. He was a good guy. I trusted him and was happy with the idea of him accompanying her. It only helped ease my mind that he had a frail stature and could easily be overpowered.
"Either way, I'm giving you my mace and maybe even one of my knives to carry with you," I said. "Promise me you'll carry them in your purse."
"I promise, Laney, but seriously, you have to settle down. You're gonna make us both crazy worrying about me so much."
"I'm trying," I said. I meant it, I was trying my best, but it was incredibly difficult.
We didn't speak for a minute or so. We were almost home when she said, "I get the wooden one."
"What?" I asked.
"The one with the wood handle. That one's my favorite."
I was completely confused. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"The knife. You said I had to carry a knife and I was saying I wanted the one with the wood handle," she paused and giggled. "But I was just kidding. I know you just got that one."
"Yeah," I said. My heart fell from my chest and landed in my gut somewhere as I thought of that knife and where it ended up. "I just got that one. I'll hook you up with my silver one."
Chapter 8
Rita Williams warned me that Peter Craig was a little eccentric, but I wasn't quite prepared for the character I met the following morning.
I showed up at his studio at 10am just as he instructed. The exterior seemed like a mix of a business and a residence, and I had a hard time deciding whether or not I should knock or just open the door.
I decided to knock. I stood there for a full minute before Peter answered the door. I'd seen a photo of him on the internet, but he must have been on his best behavior when it was taken, because the man who stood in front of me was one of the wildest looking people I'd ever seen. Maybe it was that his white hair was standing on end as if he'd just been electrocuted. Maybe it was that he was wearing about five different patterns including paisley, plaid, and polka dots. Maybe it was that he stared at me open-mouthed through perfectly round spectacles.
Something of a Storm (All in Good Time Book 1) Page 5