Vince's Place

by Sandra R Neeley

  “You’re already helping, just by holding me, letting me get it out.”

  She turned her head into him and tried to arrange her body, but the steering wheel was in the way.

  “I can take you home if you want. Or anywhere else you want to go. Just tell me — where do you want to go?” he asked.

  “Don’t care,” she answered as tears fell steadily down her cheeks. “But not home. I just want some place quiet. I stay with a friend here, and I don’t want to have to deal with him, too, tonight.”

  His Lion sat up at her words. Him?

  Vince ignored his Lion — he had also noticed the word him. But now was not the time to question her about a male she shared living space with.

  “Restaurant? Hotel? Out by the lake for a quiet walk in the moonlight?” he asked.

  She was quiet for a few moments, before she finally spoke in hushed tones. “Hotel.”

  Natalie slid off his lap and started to move toward the passenger side, but he pulled her back to the middle of the cab. “I want you close,” he said, as he reached across her to grasp the shoulder safety belt and buckle it at her hip.

  He fired up his truck and slowly pulled out into traffic on Prytania Street. He drove until he got to Antoine Street, then followed that to St. Charles until he saw the Hampton Inn St. Charles and pulled in.

  “Is this okay?” Vince asked.

  Natalie didn’t look up. Her head was leaning against his shoulder, and she didn’t even open her eyes, she just nodded.

  He drove up into the parking garage until he found a place to park, then he opened the door. “You want to wait here?” he asked.

  Natalie looked up at him and shook her head. “No.” She slid to the edge of the seat in his truck and allowed him to help her down out of it. Vince closed and locked the truck then helped her slip into her jacket, put his arm around her and together they walked toward the elevators that would take them down to the ground level so that they could check in.

  As soon as they entered the lobby of the very impressive hotel, Vince realized her scrubs were covered in blood, and she was most certainly out of place. He looked around, finding her a chair to sit in within his line of sight, then headed to the front desk.

  “Hello, sir. May I have your reservation number?” the girl greeted him.

  “I don’t have one. My fiance’ phoned me from work,” he indicated Natalie sitting in the chair staring off into nowhere. “She’s a nurse at Touro, and they lost one of their patients today. It’s really hit her hard. So I figured I’d come to the nicest place I knew and see if you had a room we could decompress in for the night, maybe the weekend if you have the availability. Just give her a change of scenery, you know?” He flashed her that smile that could light up any room he walked into, and the girl responded by involuntarily grinning back at him.

  “She’s really had a hard day, just needs a hot shower and mindless T.V.,” Vince said, again indicating Natalie sitting in the chair he’d left her in.

  The girl looked over at Natalie and back at Vince. Her brow creased as she looked at Natalie again taking in all the blood on her clothes. “Sir, I’ll have to see some I.D. for both of you, and her Touro I.D. if she’s got it with her.”

  Vince smiled. This was their way of confirming his story and making sure they didn’t just kill someone and were looking for a way to lay low. “Of course, just one minute.”

  He walked over to Natalie and reached out a hand so she’d stand and take his hand.

  When she looked up at him, he smiled at her warmly. “They want to see your I.D. from the hospital. I’m sure it’s because you're covered in blood, and they want to be sure we didn’t just commit some atrocity,” he chuckled.

  “Okay,” she said, following him over to the front desk. Natalie dug into her purse and produced her Touro Infirmary I.D. and handed it to the girl working the desk.

  Vince flipped open his wallet and slipped his driver’s license and his American Express Black out of it and handed them both to the girl as well.

  “Oh, we don’t see many of these anymore,” she said, indicating his limitless American Express Card.

  He simply smiled and waited for her to run the information and assign them a room.

  “All I have is a suite, sir. It’s got a hot tub and its own wet bar.”

  “That’s fine, we’ll take it,” Vince answered.

  “That’s going to be too much,” Natalie said, looking up at him.

  He cupped her face and looked down into her eyes intently. “I’d pay ten times as much just to spend an hour with you.”

  Before Natalie could answer, the girl was handing them back their I.D. and Vince’s credit card. “Here you are, Mr. Nobles. Two door keys, the wifi password, and we’ll validate your parking tab when you’re ready to check out. I’ve left your reservation open ended, you can check out whenever you like.”

  “Thank you. Do you offer room service?” he asked, tucking his card away and slipping the door keys and Natalie’s I.D. into his wallet.

  “Yes, sir. There’s a menu in your suite. Just dial three and tell them what you want.” The desk clerk glanced at Natalie’s scrubs. “There’s also a boutique right down the street that will bring you a selection of clothes to choose from if you would like to get something else for your fiance’ to wear.”

  “Thank you, but we’ll be fine,” Vince said, steering Natalie toward the elevators that led up to the top floor of the hotel.

  Natalie looked at him funny as he guided her along with him. “Fiance’?” she asked, finally.

  Vince smiled down at her. “Figured a little white lie wouldn’t hurt and it would make them feel better about renting us a room.” He looked around the lobby as they waited for the elevator. “Place like this can be careful about their clientele, and we have no luggage and you’re still wearing your work clothes.”

  Natalie looked down at herself. “I guess I should have just had you drop me off at home.”

  “No way in hell I’m dropping you off in the state you’re in.”

  “But I’m a little better now,” she said, hesitating to step into the elevator.

  “But I’m not,” he answered, crossing the threshold of the elevator and holding his hand out to her.

  Natalie looked at his hand, held in the air waiting for her to take it. He had beautiful hands — masculine, strong, yet graceful, suntanned hands. She looked up at his face. She wanted to be with him. She never did a damn thing for herself. Everything was always for her parents, her patients, even her friends — but never herself. She needed a little pamper Natalie time, and this male, this beautiful male, seemed to want to do that for her. She reached out her hand and placed it in his. Without a word he pulled her into him and held her tightly as the doors closed behind her, and the elevator took them upstairs.

  <<<<<<<>>>>>>>

  Goldy pulled the Suburban into one of the spots over at Joanne’s Books and Goodies. He got out and waited for Ms. Sadie to slide across the seat to him. Then he held her hand as she climbed out of the truck.

  She pulled her coat tighter around her, then smiled at him when she flicked on the flashlight.

  “You do know he may not want to even speak to us, don’t you?” Goldy said.

  “I know. And if that’s the case, I’ll give him money and blankets. I can’t just lay my head down tonight and go to sleep wondering if this poor boy is out here freezing.”

  “Sadie-girl, he’s not a little child,” Goldy said.

  “I know, but he’s somebody’s child, and he’s too young to be sleeping in alleys.”

  “Well, if he’s here, we’ll try. Just don’t get your hopes up, though. Okay?” Goldy asked.

  “Okay.”

  Goldy took her by the hand and together, they crossed the street through the sleet and headed toward the entrance of the alley. Goldy led her a short way down the alley before switching on his own flashlight and shining it around, looking for the boy. Sure enough, he was there, huddled benea
th his blanket, shivering.

  When the light fell on him, he jumped to his feet.

  “Hey, now, it’s okay. Take it easy,” Goldy said, trying to calm the boy.

  “What do you want? What are you doing here?” he asked, looking back and forth between Goldy and Sadie.

  “My name is Sadie. And this is my husband, Goldy. We were having breakfast this morning and saw you come out of the alley with your blanket.”

  “So?” he asked. He wasn’t belligerent, just sounded afraid.

  “So no one should be out here sleeping in an alley at any time, much less a night that’s promising nothing but sleet and freezing rain.”

  “Why don’t you go home, boy? I’m sure your parents would be glad to have you home,” Goldy suggested.

  “Don’t have any parents.”

  “What about other family?” Sadie asked.

  The boy shrugged. “Just a brother, and he’s at the house, but I don’t want to be there.”

  “Why?” Sadie asked.

  The boy directed his comment at Goldy. “They’re doing things there that I don’t want to be a part of. Rather sleep in the alley than have to live with him and his friends. They’re always there with him.”

  “You can’t stay out here. Come home with us. At least you’ll have somewhere warm to be and a good meal in your belly. We’ll take care of the rest of the details tomorrow,” Sadie said.

  “I don’t even know you, not really, anyway,” he said.

  “Not really?” Goldy asked.

  “I know who you are. You’re Maia’s uncle. But I don’t know ya’ll. Why would you offer to take me into your home?”

  “I knew you looked familiar! You’re the boy that was speaking with Maia at the Lemonade stand at the Christmas Festival,” Sadie said, smiling.

  The boy just nodded and looked around himself at the sleet continually falling around him, as he held the blanket around his shoulders.

  “What’s your name, son?” Goldy asked.

  “I’m Jobe.”

  “Jobe. It’s nice to meet you. Like I said, I’m Goldy, and yeah, I’m Maia’s uncle. This here is my wife, Sadie, Maia’s aunt. And frankly, I’m freezing my balls off out here, trying to get you to a better place in all this mess of a night. So, please, come home with us, ‘cause my Sadie ain’t gonna give me a moments peace ‘til she knows you’re safe and sound.”

  A corner of Jobe’s mouth turned up just so slightly in a small grin. He looked over their shoulders at the Suburban parked across the street, then up at the sky and sleet falling from it. Finally, he shook his head. “No. I think I’ll stay right here. I’m okay. I can take care of me. I don’t need any handouts. What kind of man takes handouts? Nobody thinks highly of a man like that.” His eyes got big, and it’s like he realized what he’d said out loud. “I didn’t mean for that to be insulting. I appreciate it and all, but I just need to do things for myself.”

  Goldy knew in that moment how to get Jobe home. “You thought we were just gonna give you a room and food? I’m nice, but I ain’t that nice. I figured in exchange for room and board, for as long as you want it. You could help out around the house on the weekends. And maybe if you want to do a little more, make a little money for yourself, you could be a gopher at the job sites we work on during the week.”

  “Really? You’d give me a job?” he asked, hope flickering in his eyes.

  “Yeah. But, you’d have to keep up with school. Kaid don’t hire nobody school age without a high school diploma, unless they still working on it.”

  “I been trying to go. It’s just hard, ya know?”

  “I do know. Been there myself, son. Now, you gonna come on home with us, or you gonna make me stand out here in the freezing ass rain all night long?” Goldy asked again.

  “Is Maia there?” he finally asked.

  “No, she’s not. She went to Missouri to be with her fiance’.”

  The boy seemed to relax some. He nodded a bit. “Okay. I’ll come. But, are you sure it’ll be okay? I mean, Maia said ya’ll have a whole compound, the family all lives in the same place.”

  “We do, but we have separate homes for the most part. Me and Sadie share with Kaid and his wife. But there’s room. And Kaid would be bringing you home and giving you a job himself if he’d seen you first. So, no worries.”

  “Come on now, Jobe. Let’s get home,” Ms. Sadie said, reaching out a hand to gently grasp his arm and lead him toward their vehicle.

  He nodded. “Okay. Thank you, ma’am. Thank you, sir.”

  “Don’t thank me. You’re going to earn your place,” Goldy told him.

  Jobe smiled. “Yes, sir.”

  Five minutes later they were all in the Suburban with the heater going full blast. Goldy smiled to himself as he listened to Sadie prattle on about Kaid and Delilah and Barron, then not even take a breath as she launched into Avaleigh, Daniel and Remi and started working her way through all the family.

  “Jobe?” Goldy said over Sadie’s running commentary.

  “Yes, sir?” he asked.

  “I’m afraid you’re one of us now. You may as well get used to it. You’re gonna be mama’d to death,” Goldy said chuckling.

  “Yes, sir. That’d be okay with me,” Jobe answered, smiling.

  Chapter 13

  Vince slid the key card into the reader mounted on the hotel room door and waited for the green light to shine, indicating they could enter. He pushed the door open, and led Natalie into the suite, still holding her hand and keeping her close to him.

  As they entered the room, Vince smiled, happy with what he found there. Everywhere he looked were elegant Christmas decorations of white, gold and silver. There was a medium-sized living room complete with a wide screen television, couch, a chair, a coffee table, lamps and a real eight-foot Christmas tree done in all white and silver ornaments and lights. Off to the side in an alcove was a small kitchen that included a small stove, a mini fridge, a sink, and a dining table and four chairs. The center piece was a glittering white and silver angel. As they walked through the living room, he saw the bathroom off to the right and let go of Natalie’s hand to toss his keys and his wallet on the coffee table, then head toward the bathroom. Vince switched on the lights and grinned. “Come look at this,” he said.

  Natalie followed him to the bathroom and moaned softly when she saw a garden tub, large enough for four or five, raised up on a platform, surrounded by the three stairs that seemed to lift it. There was a huge frosted glass window behind it, and growing between that window and the back of the tub were countless lush green plants — some of them even flowering. The hotel staff had placed three huge poinsettia bushes among them. The entire bathroom was done in soft beige and cream marble with veins of sparkly gold running through it. In the left corner of the room was a glass encased shower with shower heads mounted traditionally above head level and also at waist level. A toilet and a bidet were there for their use as well as a double sink vanity and a mirror encircled with large, softly glowing white light bulbs. An array of soaps, shampoos and lotions were laid out on silver trays decorated with red and green ribbon for their use as well.

  “If the bathroom is this nice, I wonder what the bedroom looks like,” Vince said, moving past her to go to the double French doors separating the sitting room from the sleeping quarters. He grasped the door handles and pushed them both open at once.

  “Wow,” Natalie said from beside him.

  “Wow is right,” he echoed.

  Before them lay a huge bed, it had to be super king sized from the length and width of it. It was on a stepped pedestal much the same as the tub was. It was covered with a brocade comforter. The comforter had a cream background with delicate white, whiskey, pale sage green and pale pink lacy, floral shaped patterns woven into it. The sheets peeking over the top of the mattress where it’d been turned down for the night, and the pillow cases themselves were white with satin whiskey colored edging. The whole room was done in matching colors. There was a mou
ntain of throw pillows on the bed as well as stacked on the love seat sitting against one wall. In the far corner of the room was a tree almost identical to the one in the living room, but this one was decorated in soft beiges and twinkling golden lights.

  The room boasted its own flat screen television mounted on the wall, and through the sliding glass door mounted in the exterior wall that led to the balcony, they could see their own private pool. Vince walked over to the sliding door and opened it, stepping out on the deck.

  “If it was warmer, we’d definitely be swimming in this,” he said, turning back and smiling at Natalie.

  She’d followed him outside and looked around herself at the white stuccoed walls and the white surface the pool was set in. There were four beach chairs set up around the pool and a table with an umbrella that fit into it if they wanted to set it up.

  “This room is amazing,” she commented.

  “We’ll have to remember to come back here when it’s summertime, so we can take advantage of the pool.”

  Natalie only offered a small smile in response.

  “Come on, let’s get you a bath run and order some food.”

  Natalie didn’t answer, but followed Vince back through the suite to the bathroom. She wasn’t quite sure how this bath thing would work, since they weren’t actually in a relationship and all, but at this point, she didn’t want to think anymore. All she wanted was to forget everything, including the reasons of why she couldn’t have Vince in the real world. This was her “me time.” And here, she didn’t have to worry about right or wrong. All she had to do was relax and allow Vince to take care of her.

  Vince led her back into the bathroom and started the water in the tub. “Do you like warm, or really hot water?” he asked her.

  “I like hot water, if I’m not pink, it’s not hot enough,” Natalie said quietly, watching the water swirl in the bottom of the huge decorative tub.

  Vince nodded and adjusted the water. He picked up the silver tray with bath bombs, bath salts and bath bubble choices on it and sat it on the side of the tub. “There you go. Choose which you want, if any, throw it in. It’s a hot tub, so you can just have the bubbling water if you want and not add anything to it.”