I dug deeper and uncovered an old lip gloss and a few more coins in the torn lining of the purse. Nothing else. My phone was gone.
“You all right sweetheart?” the cabbie glanced back at me, obviously sensing my increasingly frantic searching.
“I think I lost my phone.” I said, feeling around the back seat.
“You kids these days and your phones. My kid’s fourteen and he can’t go five seconds without looking at that thing. What, are worried that people will unfollow you on Facebook or something?” he said. The last thing I needed was this guy talking down to me. I would have enough of that when I got back home.
“Yeah, well this has important stuff on it.”
“Selfies?” he snorted.
“I don’t take selfies,” I argued. Well, mostly I didn’t. Even I wasn’t immune to the selfie bug when I was looking cute. “It’s got pictures of my family, my friends, music, notes.”
I failed to mention all of the other stuff. Nate stuff. Texts between the two of us. Pictures of the food I’d made us. Things that couldn’t get out. Things I would lose a hell of a lot of money over if they got out.
Nothing sexy of course, but intimate things. He’d snapped a picture of himself eating some cottage pie just this morning so I could show Mama how much a movie star liked her recipe.
“Listen, I didn’t mean to make fun of you honey. I get that it’s important. Why don’t I bring you back to the restaurant and we can see if you left it behind you?” he said. I was touched by his kindness.
“No, no I couldn’t possibly ask you to do that. Besides, I don’t have the fare. Straight across town is fine by me.” I said. He insisted on taking me back and turned off the meter. It was one of the first kind things anyone in the city had done for me. I couldn’t help bursting into tears.
It was to no avail. Nobody in the restaurant had my phone. The cabbie dropped me in front of Nate’s house and gave a low whistle.
“Nice place you got,” he said, “Looks good.”
“It’s not mine,” I said.
“No. No I figured a girl like you would have a guy to look after her.” he said, sounding disappointed now.
I hated the way he said it. It made me sound like a kept woman. Another girl might be happy with that but I never would be. It just wasn’t me.
“I look after him.” I corrected him. I slammed the cab door behind me.
Nate
Darcy arrived home a mere three hours after the two of them had left. She looked surprised to see me on the sofa, shirtless and flicking through the channels. Her eye makeup was smudged and she’d pulled her hair down from the updo.
Her lip wobbled when she looked at me.
“Back so soon?” I said. She didn’t smile.
“Don’t. Please don’t.”
“Don’t what?”
“Don’t make jokes or mock me or tell me you were right. I’m not in the mood right now,” she said, “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Ok.” I said. She plopped down next to me on the couch and kicked off her ridiculous heels. Her feet were small and sweet, her toenails painted with pink glitter.
“He’s a dick.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah, more of a dick than you and you’re a huge dick.” she said, giving a little giggle. I was glad I could make her laugh a little bit.
“That’s saying something.” I said. She pulled a blanket around her shoulders and rested her feet in my lap.
“You know what the worst part was?” she sighed, “I ended up ordering a salad ‘cos it was the cheapest thing on the menu and I still paid for it! I’m starving!”
“That is sad.” I said. She certainly didn’t get that round ass from eating salads all day. What kind of jerk would take her out and not offer to pay? I’d been right but I wasn’t going to be too smug about it. Even when I was broke as fuck I always paid on dates. That was just common decency, especially if you were trying to get some tail.
“Let’s go out.” I said. Her eye widened.
“Out?” she said. She looked doubtful but for once, she didn’t question me. I grabbed a shirt and she threw on a pair of sneakers instead of the same old high heels. She’d still wasn’t used to the motorcycle but it wasn’t in her nature to admit it. She clung extra tight to me when we picked up speed. I liked it. Her body felt soft against mine. Maybe I couldn’t give her the dream date she wanted but I could show her a good time.
She seemed surprised when we rolled up to a local burger joint. I don’t know what she was expecting. A drug den or a massive orgy of some kind if the tabloids were to be believed.
“Big Jim’s Diner?” she sounded amused as she read the neon sign. It was a fifties style joint with a drive through and shiny counters. The kind of place where greasers would start fights and shit back in the day. It was good food without the pretension. I loved it.
“You said you were hungry.” I said. I reached out my hand and was only a little bit surprised when she actually took it. Hunger did strange things to people I guessed.
“I am starved. Come on, don’t keep me waiting,” she said. I let her lead the way through the glass doors. The place was dead on the inside. I guessed that not many people got burger cravings at midnight. That was a surprise. I couldn’t complain. The only waitress on duty was about one hundred and two years old and she barely glanced at me. Maybe I could feel like a normal person for a little while.
The two of us sat down at a booth.
“What can I get for you?” said the waitress. She didn’t bother to look up from her notebook. Not being recognized was amazing. Even Darcy didn’t seem to quite believe it.
“Um, let’s see. I want the double bacon cheeseburger, hold the tomato, extra cheese and onion. Blue cheese fries on the side. And do you guys do onion rings?” said Darcy. The waitress, whose name tag said ‘Darlene’ nodded, “Great, I’ll have some onion rings too. And I’ll take a chocolate shake to drink please. Thank you.”
Darcy handed her menu over and looked at me expectantly. Damn it, that girl knew how to eat. The few times I’d bothered to go on dates with Hollywood types in recent years it was excruciating. I got it, in a way. Abs are made in the kitchen and all that. But would it kill those actresses to forgo the salad and mineral water once in a while and just let go? Darcy obviously didn’t fit that stereotype. No wonder she had such a fantastic hourglass figure. I hadn’t touched a real breast that wasn’t pumped full of silicone in so long. My eyes couldn’t help but wander.
“I’ll have the same, but I’ll keep the tomato and have a vanilla shake instead. Thanks gorgeous,” I said. Darlene rolled her eyes and disappeared back into the kitchen without a word, “You weren’t kidding when you said you were hungry, huh?”
Darcy scowled.
“I like my food. So what? I’m not expecting you to pay for it.”
That wasn’t what I had meant. As if a forty dollar diner bill meant anything to me. Of course I would be paying. What kind of dick would I be if I didn’t?
“Shut up, I’m fucking loaded Darcy. I’m paying and there’s nothing you can do about it.” I said. She frowned some more.
“Just because I’m Southern doesn’t mean I’m from the middle ages. Girls can pay, you know. And this sure isn’t a date. So if you thinking buying me a burger will make me wanna jump into bed with you, you have another thing coming, mister!” she said. I laughed. As if.
“I know girls can pay. I’m not a caveman. But like I said. I have more money than you could ever dream of having. My bank accounts probably gather more interest in a day than the cost of your rent in a year. This is nothing to me, baby girl. Let me get it.” I said. Darcy sure didn’t appreciate the nickname like other girls did.
“Is baby girl what you say when you’re trying to get laid but you can’t remember the girl’s name?” she asked. All right, so maybe she was on to something. Keeping track of all the girls I had been with wasn’t always an easy task. Hey, when you fucked Anna on Monday night
and Hannah on Tuesday it was hard to keep shit together. So baby girl, sweetie and honey all usually went down a treat. It was just a habit I had gotten into.
“Sometimes. But I know your name, Darcy Scott.” I said. I would remember her middle name if she had told me that too.
“You look so proud of yourself,” she folded her arms but she couldn’t keep the smirk off of her face, “Maybe I’m just more memorable than the others ‘cos I won’t sleep with you.”
“Half true,” I said, “You’re more memorable all right, but not ‘cos you haven’t slept with me yet.”
Darlene returned with out milkshakes before Darcy could say anything. She gave the two of us a warning look as she laid them down.
“Could you two keep it down? You’re bothering the other patrons,” she growled. I looked around. The other patrons included an elderly man who was on the verge of falling asleep on his hash browns and a pair of teenagers on what was clearly a terrible first date.
“Oh my, we’re so sorry. We’ll be sure to watch ourselves, Darlene.” I winked at her. She tutted but winked back as she padded away. Darcy giggled.
“Seriously? Do you flirt with everyone?” she said. I shrugged.
“I’m not flirting. That’s my personality.”
“So, explain yourself.”
“Explain myself?”
“Yeah,” said Darcy, a smug little smile on her lips, “Why am I memorable then. If it’s not ‘cos I won’t go to bed with you. I’m intrigued.”
She took a sip of her chocolate shake as she waited for my response. I sat back in my seat and put my arms behind my head. Should I be honest with her? No, that would only make her big headed. This girl was so uncorrupted by the vanity and emptiness of Hollywood. She reminded me of a home I’d never had, of a high school sweetheart I’d never met. Her attitude, her character, her beauty…she was just different to what I was used to. She intrigued me. Darcy was truly an unforgettable girl.
“I guess most girls in Hollywood don’t have a butt like yours.” I said. It was meant as a compliment but Darcy rolled her eyes at me.
“Gee, thanks.”
“You look great in that dress.” I said. I would have given anything to take it off of that beautiful body but I had a feeling that Darcy would not appreciate that sentiment. The way to get into her panties wasn’t through being obvious. Then what way was it? I was going to find out if it killed me.
Her cheeks flushed pink. I noticed he chest turned pink as her cheeks did. It was adorable.
“Thanks. I saved up for weeks to buy it.” she said softly. It was such a strange idea to me now. I hadn’t had to save for so long. Anything I wanted I could have with a click of a finger. Material things just didn’t have that same pull when you could have anything you wanted.
“It was worth it,” I said. I took a swig of my milkshake, “Fuck, Sheila will kill me for having all this sugar.”
Darcy snorted.
“You talk about her like she’s your mama,” she said. I stiffened up noticeably.. Darcy frowned, “What? I’m not making fun of you.”
“I know.”
She looked thoughtful. I knew what she was going to ask before she spoke and it made my heart sink.
“What about your mother? Or your parents? You don’t mention them,” she said. I stirred my drink.
“No, I don’t.”
“Why not? I miss my parents so much,” Darcy slumped a little bit, “My Mama’s cooking is incredible. My mouth waters when I think about her casseroles or her baking. And my Daddy tells the best jokes and he always makes me smile. And my pets…I just miss home. If I had your kind of money I would be with my family all the time.”
“I don’t speak to my parents.” I said. I could see Darcy almost curl up in embarrassment.
“Oh! Oh, I’m sorry Nate,” she reached out and touched my hand, “That was stupid of me. Do yo want to talk about it?”
“Not really.”
“I understand,” she gave my hand a squeeze and I felt my heart hammering. Fuck.
Our burgers arrived and we got to shut up and eat. It was great.
Darcy
It was nice to get out of the house. It was nice to get something good to eat. It was really nice just to spend time with Nate, as much as I would never admit that to him. I ate until I was stuffed and then ate some more. We even split a slice of apple pie between us. It almost felt like a date.
I’d never been on a real date before. They had always seemed so stressful. My disaster date with Tim had only furthered my suspicions. It was different with Nate. It was fun and almost effortless. Not thinking that he would fall in love with me took a weight off of my shoulders.
Nate insisted on paying once the bill arrived. I rustled through my purse stubbornly
“Please, let me at least get the tip!” I said. Nate shook his head.
“Put that away. This was my idea. I’m getting it.”
“Nate…”
“-End of story!” he said. He was so convincing that I didn’t argue.
“I’ll get it next time.” I insisted. Once I got paid for this gig I’d have more money than I’d had in forever. The least I could do was buy him a dinner. Nate ignored me and fished in his pocket. He placed a stack of hundred dollar bills on the little silver dish and popped one of the complimentary mints into his mouth.
“Let’s get out of here before she sees my tip.” he said. I gasped at the sight. There was at least a thousand dollar gratuity there. I had been a waitress back home and I would have died if someone had tipped me that much.
“Sure,” I said, trying not to sound too impressed by his generosity. Still, as we left the restaurant I couldn’t help but say, “That was really nice of you, you know.”
Nate looked surprised.
“What was nice?”
“Tipping the server like that. That’s probably more than she earns in a month,” I said. Then I added, “And bringing me here. It cheered me up a lot.”
Nate smiled and passed me my helmet.
“No worries. I don’t like seeing guys treat girls like you like they’re nothing,” he said. I’d assumed that Nate always treated women like they were nothing. That was kind of his shtick.
“You don’t?” I asked. Nate smiled.
“I’m sure you’ve heard otherwise. But it’s not what you think. There’s a difference between me and guys like that.” he said. Suddenly he was looking into my eyes and I was fixed to the spot, barely able to breathe. His eyes were so intense. All I wanted was for him to touch me, to kiss me. If he did I wouldn’t refuse. As much as my brain told me not to my heart told me to fall into his arms.
“Yeah?” I breathed. “What’s the difference? What’s the difference between you and all the other guys?”
Nate lean forward and for one magical moment I thought he was going to kiss me. No such luck. Instead her pushed my hair away from my ear. He pressed his lips to me and whispered one sentence that made my heart sink.
“I don’t make promises I can’t keep,” he said. Then he got on his bike and we didn’t speak another word all the way home.
Darcy
I had been putting off going back to work since my disastrous date with Tim. The last thing I wanted was to face him again. The awkwardness would be far too much. Especially since I knew he had my cell phone. Still, accusing people was a slippery business. Especially when they were above you in rank.
Nate saw me throwing my stuff into my handbag. He was shirtless and drinking a glass of milk after his morning workout. I did my best not to ogle his chiseled, tanned body.
“Where are you going?” he said. “You look nervous, what’s up? Another date?”
“No, of course not. I’m going to work,” I replied. Nate rolled his eyes.
“It’s not work when they don’t pay you. Why don’t you stay here? I’m giving you money, aren’t I? Do you want a raise? We can do a raise.” He said. I shook my head.
“You’re not giving me a dime. Sheila�
��s paying me,” I snapped.
“I pay her, she pays you. It gets to you eventually, even if it’s indirect. I don’t see why you’re so pushed about slaving away for a magazine that doesn’t appreciate your work,” he said. He paused and took a swig of his milk before adding, “I read that blog of yours. It’s pretty good. Makes me want to watch all those old French movies.”
I looked at him. I had only mentioned my blog in passing and I was sure that he had forgotten about it as soon as I’d brought it up. The fact that he had gone out of his way to look it up was surprising.
“You read my blog?” I said. Nate shrugged.
“Gotta read something on the treadmill. It’s good. I’m surprised you wrote it,” he said.
“Gee, thanks. And As good as you might think it is, it’s averaging on a hundred hits a day. That’s not a career. And if I have to work for free for a little while to get what I want it’s worth it. Besides, I won’t be gone for long. I just gotta hand in some photo captions I promised the boss I would do. If I email them they’ll get sent back with a million corrections. I might as well just go in and get the corrections over with and ask her if she wants anything else done. I gotta stay on her good side while I’m taking so much time off to look after you,” I said. Nate smirked.
“Fine. But I can’t promise I’ll behave while you’re gone all morning!”
I knew he was baiting me now, but I insisted on going to work anyway. It was so strange getting a cab to the building again. It was like the place of my past life. My life was so entangled with Nate’s at the moment, it felt like forever ago that I’d been without him.
It turned out to be pointless going into work after all. Elena wouldn’t even see me. Her old assistant, had seemingly moved on or been fired or whatever. She was replaced with a young, slightly effeminate guy who somehow managed to have two full tattoo sleeves and blue lipstick on and manage to look business casual. He forced a smile when he saw me.
Starring Me and You Page 8