“Hello?” a gruff voice answered the number she punched into the phone.
“Is this,” she checked the name in the ad, “Quality Guard Services?”
“Yeah? Who is this?” he asked.
“Um, my name is Joy and I was wondering about hiring a bodyguard?” she said, feeling intimidated already and wondering if she had made a mistake in calling the number.
“What do you need?”
“Well, I need to go to my apartment and retrieve some things.”
“Yeah, like what?”
Joy was not liking this conversation. The guy on the other end of the phone sounded unprofessional and rude, and she didn’t like the questions he was asking. “Well, it’s personal.”
“Well, I got to know so I know if I need to be ‘packing’. What is the value and is there going to be the need for more than one bodyguard?”
“Um, I think I called the wrong number,” she said and hung up before he could say any more. She really felt dirty after that call. It was obvious she didn’t know what she was doing, but she took a deep breath and dialed another number listed in the yellow pages.
“Discreet Protection, how may I direct your call?” a kind voice answered the phone.
Joy felt relieved. At least this one sounded professional. “Hello, I need to know about hiring a bodyguard?”
“Have you worked with us before?” the voice asked.
“No…” she answered, starting to feel a little intimidated again.
“That’s fine, do you know what kind of bodyguard you are looking for?”
“No…” she drew out the word, feeling like she had failed a test of some kind.
“Will the work be dangerous or just for appearances or…?” she let the question hang.
“I don’t know. I just need to retrieve some things from my apartment and I want someone to make sure no one stops me.”
“Oh, this is a domestic case then,” she decided, obviously writing something down. “Will this be ongoing protection or…?”
“I don’t think it will take more than a few hours.” It shouldn’t, she just had to go in and get the stuff.
“Could I get your name?” she sounded kind, so Joy gave it to her. “Hello, Joy. Our rates are nine hundred a day plus expenses. It sounds like you are just retrieving your belongings?”
“Yes,” Joy sounded shaken by the price, but she swallowed her sticker shock and continued. “How soon can we arrange this?”
“Do you have a credit card?”
“Yes.”
The woman’s attitude became professional once again as she realized that Joy could afford their services. “Do you know if you would like a man or a woman?”
Joy hadn’t thought of that. She had just assumed a bodyguard would be a man. “Um, I think a man would be fine.” She realized that whoever might be waiting there would be more intimidated by a man than any woman. Now that she thought about it, it was always young guys waiting for her or trying to pull stuff that were the problem. Rarely had she seen women behave this way.
“Do you know the body type you would prefer?”
“Body type?” she asked, bewildered. She hadn’t considered that.
“Yes, some clients prefer big beefy men for intimidation. Others prefer a more unnoticeable type for discretion. Do you want it to appear to be your boyfriend or your companion, or do you want it obvious that he is there to protect you?”
Joy hadn’t thought of any of that. She knew some of the guys in the neighborhood wouldn’t be intimidated by a man that didn’t look tough. They wanted visible signs that the guys could protect themselves. At the same time, she didn’t want them to know the man was there to protect her.
She thought about it too long as the woman continued, “Do you want the bodyguard to be carrying a concealed weapon?”
“Is that extra?”
“No, ma’am. The law varies from state to state of course, but we can accommodate your needs. If you are traveling outside the state, we need to know this so our employee is certified in that state for your protection.”
“It will be in Milwaukee,” she felt relieved to be able to offer some answers. “I think it would be better that the man carry, but keep it hidden, and I don’t want bulky.” She thought she herself might be intimidated by a bulky man. She was already shaking at the thought of what she was trying to do. She just wanted her things back, that was all.
“Do you want him to have any special skills?”
Joy was back to feeling intimidated. “Special skills?” she felt stupid asking, but she really didn’t understand.
“Do you want him to have been a member of the US military Special Operations Force, like the Army Special Forces, Green Beret, US Army Ranger, or Navy Seal?”
“I don’t know,” she admitted honestly.
“Do you know if you need only one bodyguard. Would you require him to do anything special for you?”
“I just want him to keep people from trying to stop me from getting my things.”
“Is there any legal impediment to you obtaining your things?”
“Huh?” she asked, not understanding what the woman was asking.
“Are you legally allowed to get your things?” she reworded her question.
“Yeah,” she answered, wondering if, after all this time, she could be stopped from getting them.
“Will you require any special driving skills?”
“Could he pick me up in his car?” Joy didn’t think taking the bus would be a good idea and she didn’t want to use a taxi. She seriously considered buying a car, but as her future was not decided yet, she was not going to do that. No point in wasting any money.
“Absolutely,” she said, sounding chirpy as she made a notation. “Do you require any specific mode of dress?”
“Dress?” Her mind envisioned a Scottish kilt at that question.
“Yes, is it casual, formal, or…?” she let the question hang.
“Oh, casual will be fine,” she nodded. She hadn’t realized that this would be so involved.
The woman had some other questions for her and Joy was quite tired by the time she finished.
“Okay, Kyle will be there tomorrow at nine a.m. in a nondescript black sedan. I’ll have him wear a casual suit and, he will be carrying for your protection. I will have him present his driver’s license to you for identification. I’ll also have him sign a nondisclosure paper for you. I’ve got your confirmation code here if you are ready?”
Joy scrambled to open her purse and write the code on the palm of her hand. She’d given the woman her credit card number and all the information she asked for. It really was intimidating, but she was determined to get her things and this was the only way she could think of. She was not doing anything illegal, just retrieving a few personal items. She hoped no one had found them.
They soon rang off and Joy felt drained. She had never thought about hiring someone before and if it was not for watching TV shows, the idea would never have occurred to her.
* * * * *
Kyle picked her up the next day. Joy was already up, dressed, and waiting in the lobby. She used her new camel coat and she saw the described sedan pull into the parking lot, turn around, and wait under the overhang. She walked out and the window rolled down.
“Joy?” he asked as he looked out the window.
She nodded and asked, “Kyle?”
At his nod, he pulled out identification and showed her his driver’s license, the address on it covered up. He also held out a paper for her and she quickly read it. It was a signed nondisclosure. “Is this satisfactory, ma’am?”
She nodded and he indicated she should get in the car. Carefully, she opened the front door.
“Would you be more comfortable in the back?” he asked, noticing her hesitation.
“N…no, this will be fine,” she answered nervously.
“Okay,” he said in a kind voice, trying to put her at ease. “Where are we going?”
Joy
gave him the address and his facial expression didn’t change at all. He knew where that address would take them and his assignment was to keep her safe. He drove carefully.
“Is there anything you would like to tell me specific to this job?” he asked, trying to fill the silence.
Joy was not sure what to tell him that she hadn’t already told the woman on the phone. “Um, I’m just going in to retrieve some of my stuff.”
“Was it stolen?”
“No, I just left it because some people were after me. They showed up at my work and then I saw them at my apartment building too, so I didn’t go back,” she explained in a rush.
“Will there be a problem getting in?”
“I still have my key.” She had found it in the bottom of her shoe and kept it along with the driver’s license, one of the few things that had lasted all this time.
That seemed to satisfy him and she was relieved he didn’t pry too much. Then he asked, “Will any of those people be there?”
“No, I don’t think so. I don’t know. I hope they didn’t hurt my roommate.”
“Do you know why they were looking for you?”
She’d had plenty of time to think about that and she answered honestly, “I think because I was a woman in the wrong place.”
He nodded as he maneuvered through the morning traffic.
Joy looked around at the nice sedan, wondering if it was his or the agency’s. It was a nice car, warm, and she was happy that she had a nice coat to wear. She was wearing casual clothes under it, but the coat itself seemed fancy to her. She saw he had on chinos and was wearing black sneakers and a leather jacket. She kept looking out the window so he wouldn’t see she was studying him.
Kyle did see though. a lot more than Joy realized. He knew who she was, having seen the newspapers and the news. He knew the agency hadn’t known the name on the credit card, but once they did realize who she was, they would hope for more business from her. The driver’s license picture didn’t do her justice. She looked like a scared teen. Not much was known about her and he would be discreet. He was contractually bound by the nondisclosure, but he was also a decent guy and wouldn’t carry tales. The kid deserved her win as far as he was concerned. He wondered what was so important that she needed a bodyguard, but he wouldn’t ask. She hadn’t been specific and he hoped she didn’t want him to move furniture for her.
As they pulled down the street, he could see reporters in front of the address she had given him. “Is there a back door?” he asked.
Joy looked up, saw the reporters, and swore under her breath. “Yeah, there is,” she told him, pointing at a street he could take. She knew they wouldn’t readily recognize her, but she couldn’t be too careful and she wondered what the people living around here thought of all the commotion. She hadn’t been here in a long time and how they had tracked her down astounded her.
“Let’s park here,” he pointed and she nodded. “Stay in the car until I have a look around,” he ordered her and she was stunned to hear the authoritative note in his voice. He turned off the car and got out, locking it behind him as he looked around. As he walked around the car, he saw no reporters and no one else that caused him concern. He signaled to her and she unlocked the door. He opened it for her and stood between her and the back door of the apartment building. He shut it, locking it with a key fob. He quickly stepped in front of her and opened the apartment door, poked his head inside, and then allowed her to go in, keeping one pace behind her.
Joy was unnerved by him keeping so close to her. She supposed he was doing his job, but this was a little unsettling. They made their way up the seedy and unkempt steps until they came to her landing. He again poked his head around before letting her go onto her floor. She produced the key for her door, hoping her roommate hadn’t changed the locks, an unlikely occurrence, but one never knew. She was relieved that the deadbolt unlocked under her key.
“Hold it,” he said quietly and stuck his head into the apartment. He gave it a quick look and wrinkled his nose at the mess it was in. At first, he thought it had been ransacked, but then he saw the mound of dirty dishes and realized the place was simply a pigsty. That she had escaped from this place, must be a relief. He went in, holding Joy close behind him as he surveyed the place. There were two doors directly opposite the kitchen that were closed. Joy indicated the second one on the right and he went to open it for her.
“What the hell?” a voice said as her roommate pulled the sheets up, seeing the strange man. Seeing Joy, her eyes widened. “Joy! Where the fuck have you been, girl? People been lookin’ for you for months!”
“Hey, I’m just going to get some of my things…” Joy began, but she was interrupted.
“I done threw your shit out. You didn’t come back and I ain’t runnin’ no charity!” She went to get up out of the bed, but it was obvious she was naked. She looked at the man with Joy and asked, “Who’s this? Your man?”
Joy ignored her, looked around the room, and saw that the woman had moved into her old room. The room was now as bad as the rest of the apartment, a disgusting mess. She used her foot to move aside some of the debris.
“What you doin’?” the woman demanded.
“I told you, I’m getting some of my things…” Joy said and was relieved to see the wooden floor under the mess. She cleared a long swath through the crap.
“Don’t you mess with my…” she began and then stopped when she saw Joy pry up the floorboard.
Kyle watched the woman in the bed as his client pushed aside the mess, not in the least worried about her state of undress. He glanced down only once and then watched the woman in the bed as well as the door they had left open. He hadn’t liked not knowing who was in the other room behind that closed door or that he hadn’t checked the entire apartment.
Joy quickly pulled up the floorboard and reached for the slim bag inside. She already knew what was inside the brown nylon bag, her most precious treasures: pictures of her mother and father, pictures of her, a few dollars, her social security card, and her birth certificate. Not of much value to anyone but herself. She opened the bag to quickly take a look and glanced up in time to see her roommate’s covetous glance. She pulled the few dollars from the bag after making sure her pictures were there and threw it on the bed for the woman. “Here, consider that payment in full for my half of the rent,” she said sardonically. In an afterthought, she threw the key to the apartment on the bed too.
“Well, ya’ll owe more than…” she began, as she greedily grabbed the cash, but Joy interrupted her, becoming the hard street kid she had been.
“I don’t owe you jack. You threw out my stuff and confiscated some of it I see.” She glanced around the dirty room at the things the woman was using. “I won’t be back,” she told her and turned to go. Kyle kept right behind her, checking the room before she could enter it. The only thing dangerous was the mold on the dishes. He got ahead of her and checked the door to the hall before he would let her out.
“Hey, wait a minute. What’s with them reporters…” was the last thing they heard from the woman in the bed before Joy closed the door.
“Let’s take the steps, quickly,” Joy said. If she knew her roommate, she’d open a window and yell down to the reporters just to cause trouble.
Sure enough, they heard a yell from outside as they descended the stairs and hit the main floor. They flew out the back door, Kyle checking it briefly before they went through. Just in time, as the front door of the building opened and they heard, “Hey, you!”
Kyle hustled her into his sedan and ran around the back, hitting the button for the remote starter. He got in his side just as the back door of the apartment building flew open. He put it into gear and floored it. “Put on your safety belt, ma’am,” he told her authoritatively as he maneuvered the alleyway. He quickly turned away from the main street and towards a secondary street. No one was following them, but it didn’t pay to dangle their prey in front of them. He wanted to be sure of her
privacy. Whatever was in that duffle was important to her and she’d paid a lot for his services this day. The work hadn’t been strenuous, but for her peace of mind, it was important to him. “You okay?” he asked after a length of silence.
“Yes, I’m fine. Thank you,” she answered politely. She was thinking about how far she’d come. That apartment hadn’t been much and she hadn’t lived there too long, but to go from there, then to the streets, and to the hotel she was in now… She had a long way to go yet and she was not certain how to do it. She thought about it on the ride back to the hotel.
“Do you need me to see you up to your room?” he inquired solicitously as he turned around in the driveway of the hotel so she could get out in front on her side.
“No, I’m fine here,” she told him as she reached for the door handle. “Thank you so much for going with me today.”
“No problem. If you need our services again, there is a card in here,” he handed her a brochure which contained her credit card slip and more information about what they could do for her should she need them.
“Thank you again,” she said as she took the brochure and slipped out of the car.
Kyle watched as she went into the lobby of the hotel and then disappeared into the elevator. He wondered how long she would have her anonymity at this place. As he drove away, he knew that the reporters would sniff her out eventually. He shrugged. It was not his concern. His duties were complete.
* * * * *
Joy was relieved to be back in the familiar hotel room. She smiled down at the pictures of a much younger Joy Parker, a happier one, and the doting faces of her parents. She didn’t have any pictures of her siblings and she was fine with that. The few treasures she had managed to keep were her own and they couldn’t have them. They hadn’t wanted her and made that clear by taking everything they could. She didn’t need them. They weren’t her family. She didn’t have a family and she wouldn’t be bitter about it.
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