If only Donovan would learn about taking care of his shit so his legal bills didn’t keep costing more and more without him learning a single lesson. Oh well, some people don’t get it until life lands them square on their round ass.
The asshole spins his tires throwing rocks all over, Trina. He’s a lucky bastard that for me, every ding, dent, and scratch only adds character to Trina, my truck. She’s a 1976 lifted Chevy K30 Silverado. She has taken a beating more than once in her life, but keeps on kicking.
The night air is cool with a mild breeze. Turning the crank on the door, I roll down the window before I tap the gas a little and then turn the key to start the engine. Fuel injection does have its positives I think to myself as I give a little more gas. Trina is a gas hog and sometimes she gets a little greedy and floods the intake causing me to stall. It’s a reminder to treat her with a gentle touch.
A man’s best friend isn’t his dog, it’s his truck.
Trina turns over, the starter catches and she roars to life. I tap the dash, one, two, three, to give her a little loving, and put her in gear. At the exit that goes to the highway, I start to roll out my left foot coming off the clutch and right pressing into the gas when I notice a person walking not far ahead on the right. To go home, I turn left. In the distance I vaguely see my brother’s taillights. I should follow his ass home and make sure the few drinks he had tonight were all that was in his system. Only my eyes go back to the person on the right. The firm legs, the daisy duke shorts, and the boots all scream trouble. Checking my rearview mirror, I see an old busted hunk of a car in the parking lot. I can’t help but wonder if that’s her car. The bar tender for the night had my attention and I had to fight from making it obvious. Certainly, she could call someone to pick her up, right?
This is small town Kentucky no one walks the streets this late unless they have no other options. Following my gut, I make the right and coast up beside her.
Long honey blonde hair falls in a braid down her back reflecting a sleek shine off my headlights. Her head swings to my approaching truck as I lean over the seat and crank down the passenger window. Her eyes of whiskey meet mine and instantly I know this is the bartender from tonight.
“You need a ride?” I yell out.
“Nah, I’m alright, honey. Have a goodnight.” She dismisses me and turns her head back to the road in front of us.
“Okay,” I say, pausing to decide if I can pull away in good faith. The man my momma raised me to be can’t just leave her here. “Well, I’ll ride along just to make sure you’re safe.”
“No need, I’m getting in my exercise.” She raises a smart phone in the air. “You know those apps with the step counts. I didn’t make mine today.”
I laugh. When was the last time someone denied me and at the same time made me laugh out loud?
“Well darlin’, I don’t know if you realize it, but its after two in the morning, you’re on a new day. Yesterday is gone, so save yourself some time and I’ll give you a ride home. You ain’t getting to make the goal for yesterday, darlin’.”
Her mouth drops open at my comeback. She studies me hard from the side of the road. There is no traffic and will be no traffic this late in our area. Grove City, Kentucky is population nothing and over fifty percent of said nothing are senior citizens. Bedtime for the town is eight so she’s got no one to help her except me.
“What’s your name?”
“Elle,” she says still remaining outside of the truck.
“Well, Elle, can I call someone to help you?” Her eyes grow big so I explain myself. “Look it’s obvious your car is the one left in the lot. I assume it’s broken down. Let me get you home and you can get someone you trust to look at it in the morning at a reasonable hour.”
She pops her hip out to the side and rests her hand on it. “I’m fine to get home on my own and handle my car. Thank you,” she again dismisses me.
I smile at her attitude which somehow softens her features. “My apologies for putting you on edge, Elle, sincerely. I just don’t want to leave a beautiful young woman on the side of a dark highway this late.”
She tips her lip up, “I’m no damsel in distress.”
“Never thought you were, after all, it’s not you who asked for a ride, it’s me who is offering.”
There is something in her determination to be strong that has me wanting to get to know this woman. All night long, I watched as she worked and worked hard. She never let one customer go unnoticed, not one glass got dry without an offer for another, and every hour like trained, she climbed on that bar top and danced like no one was watching. She gave it her all. Here she is on the side of a dark, country road with a long walk ahead of her, instead of taking from me what’s being offered she’s trying to find a way for herself.
It’s rare to find that in person these days. It’s commendable.
If I was anywhere else and they knew I was Sullivan Marks, I wouldn’t be surprised if a woman set me up to solve her problems. Elle, though, that’s not what happened here. She hesitates a moment more.
“Look, I’ll let you drive.”
She gives me a smirk. “You gonna ride in the back so I know you won’t pull something like a knife or gun on me?”
I look in the bed of my truck like I’m contemplating it. “Got dog boxes, Hooch, my hound, rides just fine in there when we go huntin’. Me, though, I’m six-foot-two, darlin’, I’m not sure I’ll fit.”
We both laugh and finally she climbs up in my truck.
“Where to?” I ask and she nervously rattles off an address.
The ride is silent and I imagine she’s tired. Out of the corner of my eye, I can’t help but sneak glances. Her hair reminds me of the color of wheat swaying in the summer sun. Her skin is creamy tan like the silks of a dried corn husk wreath my mother put on my front door. Her hands are small, but smooth looking. Her nails are neatly trimmed but natural with no polish. I find myself wanting to see more of her.
“You okay?” She asks me. “I can drive. I know it’s been a bit since your last drink and you didn’t have as much as your brother.”
“I’m good.”
She eyes me suspiciously, “You got a twitch or something? You keep looking at me.”
“You’re beautiful,” I blurt out. I want to punch myself in the face. Real smooth, Sully, real fucking smooth.
Before she can reply, I pull into the driveway of a smaller ranch style home. My first thought is the grass needs mowing. There are three cars in the drive in front of my truck as well as a window air conditioning unit half falling into the overgrown shrubs. Once upon a time, this was probably a nice family home.
Studying the place, I have more questions about the shy beauty beside me.
Nervously, she unbuckles her seat belt. Quickly, I hop out of my seat and round the front of the truck. There is shouting coming from the house, it puts me on alert. Before I can get to her, Elle is out of the truck.
“Thanks for the ride, Van.” She looks at her house and back to me.
“Let me walk you in.” I place my hand at the small of her back. She tenses at the same time a shoe comes flying out of the window and glass flies everywhere.
She doesn’t move as I instinctively put myself between her and the house wrapping my arms around her as I pull her to me. Inhaling, I smell the citrus of the lemons she had to cut and serve tonight as well as the clean smell of her shampoo. I feel the vibration of her voice against my chest. “Van, I think you should go home.”
“Only if you’re coming with me.”
She pulls back. “Are you nuts?”
“Nuts would be leaving you here in a house with a broken window with no car to get away. Pack a bag, you can stay at my house, I’ll crash in the barn.”
“Seriously, you’ve known me all of four hours’ tops. Van, you’ve had too much to drink, obviously. Get in your well done restoration pick ‘em up truck and drive off to the next woman who will swoon for your southern charm and chivalry. You should k
now it doesn’t work on me. Life’s given me more downs than ups, this shit right here,” she waves her hand dramatically, “is nothing knew.”
“Your family got those kind of issues?” I ask her keeping myself between her and the house. My every instinct screams to throw her over my shoulder and take her to my farm while I can sense the determination she has to get me gone.
“Got no family. I live in a room share. I have a roommate in the sense of I share my room with another chick, Melanie. There are three bedrooms and two bathrooms and six to eight people residing here at any given time. There ya have it, now I need to shower and sleep. Thanks for the ride, Van.”
A weight settles in my gut. I feel like my feet are glued to the concrete. “I can’t leave you here.”
She pats me on the chest and moves to swing around me. “It’s all good, cowboy. You’re sweet, Van really, but I’m okay. Have a goodnight. See ya around.”
“My Aunt Lou always told us boys never turn away an act of kindness and never miss an opportunity to pay one forward. Just for tonight, Elle, so you and I both can sleep easy, come home with me.”
She rolls up on her toes, soft lips meet the skin of my cheek. “You really are one of a kind, but I only get one day off a week between my two jobs and it’s today technically. It’s nearly three in the morning and my bed is a few feet away. Thank you for your compassion, Van, goodnight.”
She steps away staying out of my grasp. Reaching the door, she doesn’t even pull out keys because she already knew it was unlocked.
“I’ll be in my truck sleeping if you change your mind.”
Her braid whips around slapping her in the face as she turns back to me. “What did you say?”
Tossing my thumb over my shoulder to signal to my truck, I smile as I tell her. “I’ll be right here if you change your mind.” The yelling continues in the background.
Her mouth opens and closes while no words come out for a beat. “You can’t! Like you can’t plan on sleeping here,” she waves her hands wildly in the air while I simply nod my head to tell her oh yes I am. “You’re really not going to leave?”
“Not tonight, no, I’m not leaving unless you’re coming with me. Gotta know you’re safe, darlin’.” I tell her honestly. There is no way I can pull out of here and not think about her safety.
Tomorrow is a different story. Tomorrow I can figure out more about her and help her sort her arrangements out. Tonight, though, tonight I’m not budging even if I sleep in the cab of my truck.
Four
Elle
“I can’t believe you, Jeff!” Melanie screeches from just inside the doorway.
As I push against the cold metal of the doorknob I’m immediately hit in the face with a flying shoe. My eye burns from the dirt, my cheek aches, and I fight back tears of how my day is ending. I want nothing more than to crawl into a hole and hide for like forever. I feel his heat at my back and a low growl comes from him as he tried to catch the shoe but was too late.
Here the hunk of a man from the bar already had to find me on the side of the road and drive me home, but to pull up to my house only to find shit literally hitting the fan, that is beyond anything. Blinking, I watch Melanie throw papers in the air catching the ceiling fan and flying everywhere.
“Ten days! Jeff, we have no money and ten days to get out! Why didn’t you pay the landlord! Where is the money, you bastard!” Melanie screeches with her brown hair wild around her head as the messy bun she sleeps with it in flops around. Her shirt is twisted around her small frame and her eyes are full of fury. I’m trying to take in her words and comprehend what the hell she just said and what it means.
My roommate’s face meets mine as I cover my eye that was hit. “Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry, Elle. I didn’t mean to hit you.”
I wave my hand to the window just as I feel two hands rest on my hips. He really isn’t going to leave me be.
“I didn’t mean to break the window either,” Mel softens her tone with me as tears fill her eyes and she crumbles to the floor, sobbing hysterically. I should probably go to her, but I don’t. I remain rooted in place trying to figure out what I did so wrong for Karma to keep kicking me in the teeth.
Two firm hands move to grip my shoulders in comfort as Van stands behind me in silent support. It feels odd to have someone, anyone take my back both literally and figuratively. Instinctively, my shoulders shake as if to shrug off the contact. Instead of releasing me, Van pulls me closer with his arm wrapping around my collar bone while my back seems to mold to his front as if we are two pieces of some puzzle fitting together.
Breath comes down hot on my neck as the vibrations in his baritone voice send a shock through my entire body. “You okay, Elle?” He asks from behind me. His concern warms in a way I’m not used to.
I can only nod. Heat runs through my body first then embarrassment as he sees the two beds occupying the living room. The open floor plan exposes the dishes stacked so high in the kitchen sink they spill over onto the countertop. The carpet is stained and tattered. The entire space matches the worn out appearance of the exterior.
Sunday, my one day off a week. It’s the day I spend cleaning up everyone’s mess. I don’t like to live like this. Having so many people in and out all the time, trash scattered, everything in the space being tattered, it’s not how I ever envisioned my life. I try to make the best of it, though. Yet, tonight, like everything in my life, it’s all crashing around me once again.
“Where’s your room?” Van asks making the fire course through my veins.
I don’t move, I don’t blink. Mel sobs on the floor while Jeff tries to pick up the papers but never once looks at me.
“Jeff,” I finally manage to choke out.
He looks at me and his eyes are glazed over. Jeff is high as a kite and probably doesn’t fully comprehend what is going on.
Ted comes out from his room with a duffel bag in hand. He’s in sweats with his shirt in his hand. Van pulls me tighter as I feel him tense behind me. Ted is fit from all his training for emergency services. He wants to make it on the paid fire department in Louisville. He has six weeks left to finish his paramedic certification before he’s out. We all know it’s coming. Jeff was supposed to be working on getting someone in his spot otherwise the rent will go up for all of us. Taking in the state of things Ted is leaving early so I don’t know what that means for all of us.
“I’m out. This is bullshit. I needed a place to crash for six more fucking weeks.” Ted’s crystal blue eyes come to mine. “Dickwad didn’t pay the landlord. The eviction notice was on the door. I just got in to find Mel going psycho on his ass. I’m gonna crash on couch at the fire house. Good luck to ya, Elle.”
He steps past me with a nod. Part of his training, he’s been volunteering with our local department to get hours in action. Well, it’s nice he has somewhere to go. I, however, do not.
“Oh my,” I gasp and find myself leaning into Van suddenly thankful he’s here to keep me upright.
What the hell am I going to do? Ted is a stand up guy. Mel and him were the only ones I even remotely spoke to. I have no place to go. I mean sure I have the lake cabin hideaway of my grandparents but I can’t get back and forth to work especially with my car broke down right now. It’s small and not meant for long term use. The one room cabin is for camping and hunting trips. My mind goes off like rapid fire with what to do next yet my body stays stock still while I try to process this information.
We are getting evicted. Every single one of us paid our money to Jeff who had the lease agreement. He didn’t pay the rent. Not only did he not pay the rent but he didn’t do so for a few months and it led to this. We are all being kicked out on our asses even though we did our part. I want to kick my own ass. I knew better than to trust anyone, but I thought this was my chance to get some money saved. I was wrong, obviously.
The panic creeps in. My heart pounds in my chest, my body sweats in a clammy way that is cold at the same time I feel hot. My head h
urts as thoughts bounce around like a Ping-Pong ball in the middle of a game.
Boing. I’m going to be homeless in a matter of days.
Boing. I have a home, a studio style cabin that is in serious need of repair, therefore I may own it, I can’t live in it. Paying the insurance and property taxes to keep the place while keeping my head above water in town has been hard enough. Hell, the shack doesn’t even have electricity.
Boing. I have a stranger holding me up because my entire world is falling apart.
The thoughts keep going back and forth in the walls of my mind, each one bouncing making my stress level rise. The seconds tick by and I can’t move. Ted is long gone. Mel is still sobbing on the floor while I stand in the entryway to the living room with Van’s arm around me while I fight back tears.
“Let me take you home tonight.” Van says with his breath tickling my neck and making my skin come alive. “Tomorrow morning you can process all of this when you aren’t getting hit in the face with shoes. You can also do so in a place with a door that locks and no busted windows. Grab some stuff. I’ll help you, Elle. I’ll keep you safe. I give you my word.”
His word. Humph, I want to laugh. I want to scream. I want to cry. I really, really want to lock Jeff’s nuts in a vice grip and twist. He gave his word too and it was shit. Just as I’m about to shrug Van off and tell him to take his word somewhere else when my mind goes back to a time with Gramps.
“Why are all these people here, Gramps?” I wonder as the house fills with person after person bringing in plates of food, plants, and cards.
“They’re here to offer their condolences.”
“Can’t we be alone?” I plead.
We’ve had a long day laying to rest Granny today and I simply want to sit in her old worn out rocker and smell the blanket that still has her scent. I want to drown my mind with all the memories of the woman who has raised me. Instead we have a house full of people trying to offer condolences. There is nothing they can say or do to bring her back so the least they could do is leave.
She is ...: I Ain’t Ya Mama Collab Page 3