by A M Jenner
When they reached the busy downtown region, Anders finally stood and they exited the train. Before they left the platform, however, he walked her all the way to the far end, showing her the artwork that had been placed there.
“Every station has artwork, all from different artists. It’s pretty cool, really. I spent a whole day once, getting off at each station and looking at the art. Some of it’s pretty strange, but most of it is beautiful.”
The deli was only a short walk down the street from the station, and Anders had been right about the ham and cheese “sandwich” wrapped in the tomato and basil-flavored tortilla. It was heavenly.
As they left the deli, the conversation turned to her current difficulties.
“Have you found a new apartment yet?”
“No. No one will rent to me unless I’m employed or on welfare. They want a guaranteed source of income.”
“Well, I can understand their position, even though it makes it harder for you. Most people aren’t unlucky enough to lose their home and job in the same week.”
“No kidding.”
They entered a small park which stood between them and the return train route. The one-way streets in the downtown area forced the train tracks to split and run a block away from each other. The park full of sculptures offered an easy path between the stations that was relatively well lighted.
“How goes the job search, or dare I ask?”
“It doesn’t. The place I just got fired from is really the only job I’ve had since I left college. I can’t give them as a reference, obviously, because Miss Jacobson is conducting a one-woman campaign against me. When I went into the office Friday to get my final paycheck, Miss Jacobson wouldn’t give it to me. I finally ended up forcing my way into the owner’s office and threatening to bring a wrongful termination suit against the company before they would pay me. Apparently Miss Jacobson hadn’t told them she fired me. She didn’t say anything, and when I didn’t show up for work three days in a row, they decided that I had quit in shame over what had happened at the Christmas party.
“When I told them I hadn’t come in because she’d fired me Sunday night, they called her into the office and she denied it. She said she couldn’t possibly have fired me on Sunday night, because a Christmas party gone wrong, while sadly disappointing, wasn’t grounds for firing someone. They believed her rather than me, because she’s been with the company forever. Of course, I had no proof she’d fired me, since no one else heard her say it, so we ended up that they gave me the wages I’d already earned, and I agreed not to sue for wrongful termination.”
“That’s terrible!”
“It is, but without proof, I can’t really take them to court anyway, where it would just be my word against hers, and she’s already showed she’ll lie about it. So I took my money and got out of there. I cashed the check immediately, before they could put a stop-payment on it.”
“Good thinking.”
“You told me Thursday that you had an idea for me.”
“I do, but I’m not sure you’ll like it. Do you have any dressy clothing?”
Sheila laughed. “The velvet pantsuit I was wearing Sunday is the dressiest thing I own, and between the blood and the punch, it’s ruined.”
“Hmmm. Well, that puts a damper on things, but still, there’s likely to be some dressy clothing you can pick up cheaply at Good Will or other second-hand stores.”
“Why would I need dressy clothing?”
Anders stopped and pulled her toward him, sharing another kiss.
“I’ve been absolutely unable to get you out of my head. You’re such a beautiful woman; you’re kind and gracious even when others are rude to you. I saw that at the Christmas party. Everyone there treated you unkindly and made snide comments about your home and your beautiful home-made Christmas decorations, and ignored all the effort you went to in hosting the party. You didn’t even go crazy when that girl attacked you after the punch spilled. You didn’t say anything about the broken television, and I know you haven’t got the money right now to replace it.
“I’ve been so caught up with falling in love with your beautiful personality that it wasn’t until the middle of the day on Thursday that I suddenly realized how beautiful you are on the outside, as well.”
He kissed her deeply, and she responded enthusiastically. He’d fallen in love with her, and he was more interested in her insides than her appearance. Surely, with everything that had gone wrong for her in the past year, Anders’ love was her reward for hanging on to life and sanity. This love was the most wonderful thing that had ever happened in her life, and she intended to grab on with both hands and not look back. Nothing could spoil how she felt for him.
It was quite a while before she became aware of anything existing in the world other than Anders’ kiss, and his strong arms pressing her tightly against him.
When sanity and thought returned, she realized she had questions about what he’d been saying before he’d melted her bones with his kisses.
“I’m a little confused, though. What has being attractive and fancy clothing got to do with getting a job?”
“Well,” Anders said, “I thought I could probably get you on where I work. It’s evening hours, so you can keep looking for another position, if you want. The work is easy, and pays well. You’d need to get some dressy clothes for work, but between your wonderful personality and your very attractive exterior, I’m sure you’d get a lot of work, and be able to afford not only rent in a good place, but start getting some furniture, too. Like a bookcase for your medical texts. You might even be able to go back to school and finish becoming a doctor.”
“Actually, I was planning to become a pharmacist, then move into naturopathic medicine. There aren’t many naturopathic practitioners who also understand the chemistry side of traditional western medicine, and there’s a lot more science involved in herbistry than most people realize.”
“That sounds like a very well-thought-out plan to me.”
“Working nights and going to school days sounds pretty attractive to me, too. If I went back to school on a part-time basis, then I’d have time for studying and sleeping as well as working. Like you said, I’m sure I can get some dressy clothing at thrift stores. Would you take me shopping, so I can get the right things?”
“I’d love to take you. Are you free tomorrow? We can go shopping, then we can drop by a photographer and get some pictures taken in your new finery. As soon as he’s processed the prints for you, I’ll take you down to the office so you can show them your portfolio and apply. I’m sure they’ll hire you.”
“Where exactly do you work? Is it a modeling agency? It might be fun to be a model.”
“Actually, it’s an escort service.”
“An...escort service. As in, you get paid to go on dates with people?”
“Yes, but—”
“So you were paid to be Miss Jacobson’s date to the party?”
“Yes, but--”
“No wonder you said you never intended to see her again!” Sheila raged, not giving him a chance to say anything. “I bet it hurt your paycheck when she didn’t give you a tip, didn’t it? How did you get home from the party, since she left you without a car? I can’t believe this! I’ve gone and fallen in love with a gigolo!”
She turned away from Anders, and he grabbed her arm, stopping her flight.
“Sheila!”
She slapped his face, and as he let go of her, she ran into the darkest part of the park she could see. He followed her, but she crouched down and hid in the shadow behind one of the sculptures.
He was easy to avoid, as continued to call her name. She slipped in silence from one sculpture to the next, keeping the large metal structures between them so he couldn’t spot her.
Her cell phone vibrated in the pocket of her jeans. Grateful that the loud ringtone couldn’t give her away, she ignored the vibrations. If she pulled the phone out, the light from the screen and the sound of her voice would tell h
im where she was hiding. She’d call whoever it was back later, once she’d gotten away.
Slowly, she worked her way toward the edge of the park, heading for the train platform. If she took the train several stops in the direction away from her home, it was unlikely that he’d be able to find her. Although he certainly had both her home address and her cell number, she needed time to calm down before she’d be able to face him again.
A gigolo! She couldn’t believe it. She’d fallen for a male hooker, and one who not only worked for some high-priced agency, but who thought she was so shallow that she’d like to work there, too. No wonder he was such a good kisser, he’d obviously had plenty of practice with his clients.
Well, he obviously didn’t know her as well as he thought he did. Her virginity was a gift she was saving for her husband. Someday. When she had one. No matter how bad things got, even if she ended up living on the streets, she would never sell herself. Never.
“Sheila, I hope you can hear me. I’m really sorry that I’ve upset you. Come out, and I’ll take you home. I can’t just leave you alone in this neighborhood, it’s...please come out and let me take you home. Even if you never want to see me again, at least I’ll know you got home safely.”
Sheila’s heart tore at the desperation in his voice. He sounded as though he really cared about her safety. She slipped off into the darkness and made her silent way to the train station. She was a big girl and could get home on her own. She didn’t need the dubious protection of a gorgeous gigolo!
Chapter Ten
Sheila’s cell phone rang as she pulled out of the driveway. She ignored it, letting the call go to voice mail. She had a strict policy of not using her phone while driving. It was turning out to be a wonderful day.
First, she’d gotten on with a temp agency last Tuesday. After a week of filling in for sick receptionists, she’d been called this morning and asked if she could start a long-term assignment tomorrow. The position might even turn into being hired by the company she’d be working for. She had agreed, especially since the work with the construction company sounded interesting.
Yesterday she’d seen an ad for a female roommate, and this afternoon she’d met with the owner of the house she’d just left. She lived there, and rented out the three extra rooms to college students. Wendy had told her she only rented to women, and that even though she wasn’t a student, she was in the right age bracket, so she would let her have the fourth bedroom. Although she would have to share the bathroom with two other girls, she had free run of the rest of the house as long as she cleaned up after herself.
She also had access to the community swimming pool which was heated and just across the street, and the clubhouse across the lake, which included a weight room. She’d have to pay the community association $50 for a key to the weight room, but it was a one-time charge for unlimited access to exercise equipment.
Not only that, but Wendy had been sympathetic to her plight, and had told her she could make payments on her deposit after she started getting her good paychecks from the new company.
Now that she had a place to move in to, she could set up a final inspection with Mr. Kooper. She still had two weeks on her eviction notice, too, so it was possible that she could get that rent back along with her security deposit.
The phone rang three more times before she got home. She grabbed her mail, then stopped in the office to make the appointment with Mr. Kooper. Climbing the stairs to her apartment, she leafed through her mail. Mostly junk. Once inside, she dumped the junk into the trash can and looked to see who had been calling her.
Anders. Again. She’d had to keep her phone on vibrate at work, because he called her at random times throughout the day. He was really beginning to be something of a pest, but she had to give him points for persistence.
She still didn’t know what she was going to say to him, and until she figured it out, she wasn’t about to pick up the phone. She knew that it would be extremely difficult to ignore the velvet tones of his voice. Maybe if she kept ignoring his calls, he’d give up. After all, he had the opportunity to meet different women all week long at work. Women who could afford to pay his rates.
Even though her heart was tender where he had bruised it, and her body ached to be with him, she couldn’t stand the thought of being with a man who could simply sell himself on a nightly basis to the highest bidder.
She looked at the kitchen. Mr. Kooper had said he could come over at eight to inspect. She could either eat dinner now and then clean up, or she could take everything down to her car now, wait for the inspection, and then take herself out to dinner on her way to her new home.
She fingered the keys in her pocket. The less mess she made now, the easier it would be to pass the inspection. She went into her bedroom and stripped the bed, then pulled the plug out of the end of it, allowing the air to whoosh out under its own power. She grabbed the clothes hanging in her closet and draped them over her arm, then headed for her car. It wouldn’t take long to put her belongings in the trunk and back seat, and they would probably all fit, too.
By seven-thirty, she had cleared everything out of the apartment, and done a good job of scrubbing it, too. She always kept the place tidy, so the pre-move-out cleaning hadn’t taken much time or work.
Mr. Kooper showed up at exactly eight, and the inspection had been painless. Mr. Kooper had been amazed that the holes in the walls had all been repaired, and that the carpet had been cleaned so well. He almost seemed disappointed that she had gone to the work of repairing the damage.
She thought the apartment complex would rather have a place that could be rented again immediately, rather than one which they needed to spend time repairing, that wouldn’t be bringing in any money during the process.
They signed all the final papers, and she gave him her new address so her deposit money could be mailed to her. She had been right that the final month’s rent would be pro-rated and grudgingly returned. She gave him her keys, and their business was complete.
She went to IHOP for dinner and treated herself to French toast stuffed with strawberries and drowning in strawberry syrup, along with a chocolate milkshake before heading home to her new place. She’d start her new semi-permanent job in the morning and kiss the last vestiges of her old life goodbye. Including Anders, her heart reminded her with a pang. She steeled herself against the hurt. He hadn’t called since six. Obviously he was working tonight.
Chapter Eleven
Anders checked himself in the mirror. His nicest going-to-court dark suit looked good on him. He hoped it would lend him credibility as he argued the most important case of his life; why Sheila should give him a second chance.
On the way to her apartment, he purchased a dozen of the deepest red roses he could find. Deep red for the deep and passionate love he felt for her. Although it had been nearly two weeks since he’d seen her, not a minute had passed that she hadn’t filled his thoughts. In preparation for tonight, he’d added research into her past to his usual daily pursuit of the evidence which would clear his name and let him get on with his life.
It was just four-thirty by his watch as he walked slowly up the stairs to her apartment, using only the edges of the treads so that they wouldn’t rattle and alert her to his presence before she was confronted with his face at her door. He had the feeling he stood a better chance of getting to plead his case if she was taken by surprise.
He knocked on her door, hoping that she hadn’t moved yet. He knew there was still one week left before her must-vacate date. The door swung open, revealing a very pretty blonde woman. “Hello?” she said, confusion evident on her face.
Anders grimaced. “Sheila’s already moved out, I take it?”
The woman smiled. “If Sheila is the name of the person who used to live here, then yes, she has. I moved in yesterday.” She eyed the vase of flowers Anders carried. “Guessing from the flowers, I think she’s a mighty lucky lady. I hope you can find her and that she accepts your apology.”
“How did you know I was here to apologize?”
The woman laughed. “When a gorgeous young man shows up bearing that many roses, but he doesn’t know his girl has moved, there’s something in there he’s got to apologize for; otherwise he’d have been helping her move, and he’d know where she lives now.”
Anders saw her point, and joined in her laughter.
“You don’t happen to know where she’s gone, do you?”
She shook her head. “No, but Mr. Kooper, the manager might know.”
“Thanks, I’ll ask him.”
“You might want to leave the flowers in your car while you talk to him. He doesn’t strike me as the romantic type. But if you hurry, you might still catch him at the office. It doesn’t close until five-thirty.
Anders made haste getting back down the stairs and over to the apartment complex office. He took the blonde woman’s advice, then went a step further, acting on gut instinct. He strode across the clubhouse lobby to the office with all the confidence he could muster, and stopped at the receptionist’s desk.
“Is the manager in? I’d like to speak with him about the current whereabouts of Sheila Everett.”
“Giving out confidential information on tenants and previous tenants is against company policy. May I ask who you are?”
Anders smiled.
“I’m Anders Adamson.” He handed her a business card that displayed his name directly beneath the name of the prominent local law firm where he’d worked before joining the escort service. “I need to speak with Miss Everett about the events in her apartment on the evening of December fourth.”
The receptionist examined the card, then rose from her desk. “Just a moment, I’ll see if Mr. Kooper has time to see you.”
The minute and a half that the receptionist spent in the office was one of the longest in Anders’ life. Sheila hadn’t had phone service other than her cell, and she was obviously ignoring his calls. The utilities in this complex were included in the rent, and she hadn’t opened an account anywhere in the city, which meant that she was now living in another place where the utilities were included.