Tammy was touched by his offer. “Thanks, Paul. I’ll keep it in mind, I promise.”
After seeing the rage in Steven’s eyes, Paul was concerned for her safety. “Make sure you do, okay? We’re here for you. All of us. Why don’t you take a ten-minute break? I’ll have the other girls cover your shift.”
“Thanks, Paul. I think I will,” Tammy said before giving him a hug.
When Tammy finished her shift, Paul reminded Tammy to come back to the restaurant if Steven gave her any trouble.
She picked up Donna from the club on her way home and listened patiently as she dominated the whole conversation, giving Tammy no chance to tell her about Steven. “Guess what?” Donna asked.
“What?”
“Jason has asked me to move in with him! Can you believe it?”
Tammy faked her happiness. After seeing Steven’s outburst, the thought of being alone terrified her. “That’s great. When are you moving?”
“I haven’t given him an answer yet. It’s all happening too fast, don’t you think?”
Tammy released a subtle sigh of relief, knowing she was going to be around at least a little while longer. “Yeah, you’re probably right. Don’t rush into anything,” she said as she pulled into her parking space. “Hey, I gotta pick up Matt from the sitter. I’ll see you at the room, okay?”
“Okay. Love you, sis,” Donna replied as she skipped out of the car and blew her a kiss.
A few minutes later, with Matt in her arms, Tammy headed back to her room. As she neared the apartment, she could see the door was wide open and she could hear Donna yelling from inside. “What the fuck?” she mumbled to herself as she tightened her grip on Matt and hurried toward the door.
Rushing inside, she gasped. Tammy couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Her room had been trashed. Everything that could be broken, was. Dishes, chairs, the table; even the mirror above the sink had been shattered. Any items of value had been stolen. The toaster oven, the microwave, and the radio were all gone. She noticed the TV was still there, but only because it belonged to the motel and was bolted to the wall. Tammy stood in the doorway in disbelief, looking at all her wrecked belongings. Donna was knelt on the floor next to her open suitcase.
“Oh my god! What the hell happened?” Tammy cried.
“I’ll tell you what fucking happened. Some motherfucker broke in here and stole all my money. Six hundred fucking dollars! It’s all gone.”
“Oh my god, no! It can’t be.” Tammy panicked and began scouring the piles of clutter around the room while still holding Matt. “It must be here somewhere.”
Donna slammed the suitcase shut and jumped to her feet. “Nope, it’s all gone. What the fuck am I going to do now? That was all the money I had.” Stepping over broken toys and dishes, Donna sat on the edge of the bed. “Who would do this to you? You have a child. Couldn’t they see all the baby things around? And another thing, what the hell does everybody do around here? Didn’t anyone see someone break in? Didn’t they hear anything when the place was being turned upside down?”
Tammy went silent for a moment, on the verge of tears. “I don’t think anyone thought we were being robbed, Donna.”
“What do you mean?”
“Think about it. There was no sign of a break in. No windows or locks were broken. Whoever came in here knew how to pick a lock and has been seen here already…they weren’t a stranger. I bet you Steven knows how to pick a lock and break in without causing suspicion. People have seen him here before, so why would they suspect anything?
“And you think he did this?”
“No, I don’t think he did this. I know damn well he did this.” Tammy sat of the edge of the bed with Donna and placed Matt between them with a few unbroken toys. She stared in disbelief at the mess surrounding her. How could he do this? she thought.
“He’s a drug addict, Donna. He’ll do anything for a fix. Doesn’t matter who he hurts…his mother, me, you, even Matt. He’s out of control. You’ve been around them, so you know. Today, he came by my work, which he has been doing all week, by the way. He usually corners me and demands I give him some money. He knows I’m not going to cause a scene and that I’d rather cower and give it to him so he will go away. Well, today, my boss intervened. He stopped him at the door and wouldn’t let him come in the restaurant. In fact, he eighty-sixed him and threatened to call the cops if he ever showed up again.”
“Wow! You never told me he was harassing you at work.”
“I tried to on the way home today, but you were so excited about Jason I didn’t want to put a damper on your mood. Anyway, I saw the anger in his eyes when he left. He looked directly at me and stared me down. It scared me, Donna. He came here in a rage and stumbled on your six hundred dollars in the process. I plan on paying you back, by the way.”
“No you will not!” Donna insisted. “You didn’t steal it. It’s not your responsibility. It’s my own fault for leaving it here. You kept telling me to put it in the bank. I should have listened to you.” Donna picked up Matt, who was beginning to fuss. “But what are you going to do? This was your home. It’s destroyed. I can go live with Jason, but I can’t leave you here like this.”
Tammy squeezed her sister’s hand as tears rolled down her cheeks. “I’ll be fine. My boss said he would help me. I’ll go talk to him in the morning. It’s over between Steven and me. I’ll never forgive him for this. For what he did to our home and even more so for what he did to you.” Tammy’s crying intensified. “I’m so sorry, Donna, please forgive me.”
Donna wrapped her free arm around her baby sister and let her cry. “Shh, it’s okay. It’s not your fault. Come on, it’s almost dinner time and Matt’s hungry. Why don’t I take you guys out for dinner and we can figure out what we’re going to do about this mess, hmm?”
Chapter 48
Over dinner, Donna called Jason and told him what had happened. He insisted they all stay at his place for the night. Not wanting to go home or be alone with Matt, Tammy gladly accepted his offer.
After a sleepless night of worry, wondering what on earth she was going to do, Tammy woke early, bundled up Matt, and left before Donna and Jason appeared. She left a thank you note on the kitchen counter and wrote that she’d be in touch soon.
Her first mission was to find a phone booth and have it out with Steven. Within two minutes, she spotted one on her right and pulled up alongside it. She turned to check on Matt and saw he was sound asleep and opted to leave him in the car while she made the call. Reaching over, she pulled Matt’s blanket up under his chin, grabbed her keys, and stepped out of the car. After entering the call box, she peered through the glass to check she could see Matt clearly. With nowhere else to go, Tammy assumed Steven would be at his mother’s and dialed her number. A sleepy male voice answered the phone. “Hello?”
Hearing him made Tammy cringe. “You fucking bastard!” Tammy screamed down the phone. “You destroyed the only home Matt and I had, and you stole from my sister.” She didn’t need to wait for a reply, she knew he was guilty. “How could you do this? I fucking hate you!” Tammy hollered in a rage.
Steven didn’t even try to deny what he was being accused of. “Well, what was I supposed to do? I have no money. You know damn well I need a fix every day so I don’t get sick. My mother won’t give me any more money. Your stupid boss banned me from the restaurant. Who the hell does he think he is anyway? Your sister shows up in town and you kick me out. So, yeah, I went over to the motel to see what I could find. I was sick, Tammy. I came across your sister’s money and yeah, I took it. I needed to get well, but you just don’t understand that, do you?”
Tammy was furious. She couldn’t believe he felt no remorse and truly believed he had a good reason to do what he did. “You make me sick, Steven. I never want to see you again. That was your son’s home. It wasn’t much, but it was all he had. All I had. How could you do this to us?”
“Oh, come on, Tammy, I’ll make it up to you. I was desperate. I wasn�
�t thinking straight. You’re just upset and acting irrational. Everything’s going to be okay. You just need to stop acting silly and saying stupid things. Things you don’t even mean.”
She didn’t want to hear any more of his excuses or listen to him trying to make amends. Deciding she was done with him, she slammed down the phone, got back in her car, and drove to her work.
Tammy arrived at the restaurant during the busy breakfast shift in floods of tears. She stood helpless in the doorway, holding Matt tight, unmoved by the many eyes looking her way. From across the floor, Paul spotted her and immediately walked away from his business, shattered by Tammy’s distraught demeanor.
“He destroyed our home. I have nothing. I don’t know what to do,” Tammy sobbed.
Holding out his arms, Paul embraced Tammy in a tight hug. With Matt sandwiched between them, he tried to console her. “Shhh, it’s going to be okay. We’re family here. We’ll get you some help.”
“Thanks, Paul. I’m so sorry, I didn’t know where else to go. I can’t believe he did this.”
“Don’t apologize. You came to the right place. Now, come on, let’s go in the back and get you a hot cup of tea and some milk for Matt. Then we’ll figure out what we can do for the two of you.”
Word traveled fast through the restaurant about Tammy and her troubles with Steven. Everyone pulled together to help her. Marco, the head chef, made them a breakfast fit for royalty. Louise, another waitress, held an impromptu collection and managed to collect over five hundred dollars.
After the breakfast rush was over, most of the staff joined Tammy in the break room to discuss her options and find out what they could do to help. Already feeling overwhelmed by their generosity and the unexpected donations, Tammy felt she couldn’t take any more from them. Ruth intervened her objections. Ruth was the oldest waitress—in her sixties—and like a mother to the rest of the girls.
“Stop with your protests, Tammy. I’ve thought about this, and I’d like you and Matt to come stay with me for a while.”
The rest of the staff cheered at Ruth’s invitation, but Tammy quickly silenced them. “Oh, Ruth…thank you, but I couldn’t.”
Offering a caring smile, Ruth sat next to Tammy and took her hand. “I’m not taking no for an answer. I’d love to have you. You know too well my husband passed away recently, and I gotta tell you, I’ve been pretty lonely. Having you and Matt around will help me, too. We’ll be helping each other.”
While Tammy bounced Matt on her knees, Ruth took a hold of his tiny hand and spoke baby talk to him. “What do you say, little fella? Wanna come live with me?”
“Oh, Ruth, I don’t know what to say. Thank you so much.” Tears of happiness filled Tammy’s eyes.
With the decision made that she would be staying with Ruth, Paul had some other concerns and wanted to run them by Tammy. Sending everyone back to their stations and asking one of the girls to entertain Matt, he closed the door to the break room. “I don’t want to scare you, but there’s a good chance that asshole will show up here looking for you. Even though I kicked him out, he’ll still come back. I could call the cops, but he may even wait across the street for you when you’ve finished your shift. You can’t be here when that happens. We need to be able to tell him you no longer work here.”
A look of worry crossed Tammy’s face. “Are you firing me?”
“No, no, of course not…but Steven will think you were.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You’re going to have to go into hiding for a few months. Stay away from anywhere or anyone you had in common with him, like friends, restaurants, and stores. Like I said, he’s bound to come here at some point. And when he does, I’ll tell him you never showed up for work one day and I fired you. He may come back a few times, but eventually, he’ll get the message and give up.”
Tammy shook her head in protest. “Paul, I can’t afford to take a few months off.”
A sly grin appeared over Paul’s face. “Don’t you worry. I have it all figured out. This is just between you and me, okay?” Tammy nodded her understanding. “I’m going to continue to clock you in every day. That way, you’ll still get a paycheck each week. You won’t get any tips, but at least you’ll get a little money coming in.”
“You can’t do that,” Tammy objected. “You could lose your job if you get caught.”
“You’re forgetting, Tammy, I’m the boss. My job will be fine. Don’t you worry. I’ll have you make up the hours when you return. We’ll work something out.”
She rose to her feet. “Thank you, Paul. I owe you one.”
Wanting to protect her, Paul wrapped his arms around her. “You’re going to be okay. I promise.”
After their discussion, Paul left Tammy alone to make some phone calls using the pay phone on the wall. Not wanting her sister to worry, she tried calling her at Jason’s first, hoping she was still there.
Thankfully, she was. “Hello?”
“Hey, Donna, it’s Tammy.”
“Tammy! I’ve been worried sick about you. I woke up and you were gone. Are you okay? Where are you?”
“I’m fine. I’m at work. Everyone here has been amazing. I’ll tell you all about it later. I’m going to be staying with one of the waitresses.”
“Tammy, you can stay here.”
“Thanks, Donna, but you and Jason are just starting out. I don’t want to ruin it for you guys. Having a baby around may scare Jason off.” Tammy laughed.
“Okay, if that’s what you want. But if it doesn’t work out, you’re always welcome here. Just remember that, yeah?”
“I will. Thank you. Hey, listen, I’m going to call my neighbor, Judy, and tell her what happened. I’m hoping she can watch Matt for an hour while I go and salvage what I can from the room. Do you and Jason want to meet me there so you can grab your things? I’d love it if Jason comes in case the asshole shows up.”
“Sure, we can do that. What time?”
Tammy thought for a moment. “How about noon?”
Donna agreed to the time and told her she loved her before hanging up the phone.
Just as Paul had predicted, Steven showed up the next day, demanding to know where Tammy was. He was dressed in grunge jeans and a stinky t-shirt that clung to his greasy body. His hair was uncombed and matted and his face was unshaven. Paul felt no pity toward him, only fury. He went along with his plan and told Steven that Tammy never showed up for work and had been fired as a result. After peering around the restaurant in search for her, he bellowed a few choice cuss words and stormed off. The following day, Steven returned. This time, Paul called the cops and had him escorted off the property. After that, he stopped coming by.
* * *
Ruth was the perfect host and welcomed Tammy into her spacious three-bedroom, two-bath home. She gave Tammy and Matt their own bedroom and bathroom, situated at the back of the house, and refused to take any rent. Tammy insisted on paying her way somehow and helped with the groceries and cleaning the house.
Every room was bright and cheerful with yellow-painted walls and floral prints on all the drapes, table cloths, chairs, and couches. Ruth’s entire house was a showcase for the many framed pictures of her three daughters, one son, and eight grandchildren.
Tammy enjoyed sharing her evenings with Ruth and listening to her stories about her husband, Jack. Ruth reminisced about how they met and his time in the marines. She told Tammy she didn’t have to work, Jack made sure of that, but she still did it for the company and to get herself out of the house.
Most nights, when Matt had gone to sleep, they’d open a bottle of wine and spend the evening playing board games and enjoying each other’s company. For once, Tammy felt at ease. She’d forgotten what that felt like. Most of all, she enjoyed spending her entire days with Matt. She was around to watch him take his first steps, learn new words, and try new foods.
Donna and Jason came by frequently for dinner, and Tammy was pleased to hear that, after a month of living with him, Do
nna had quit the stripping gig and was now living the life of a happy homemaker.
Judy also visited often. Along with Ruth, she kept Tammy in the loop of any gossip happening at work, but the latest gossip was about Judy herself. Her husband had been released early from jail and took a swing at her the same day. Over money, of course. Judy had packed her bags, got a restraining order on him, and was now living at her mother’s with the kids. But she wasn’t sure how long she could last.
“Judy, why don’t we join forces and get a place together? It would be ideal. I’ve been at Ruth’s for almost two months now. Although she’s been fantastic, I can’t stay here forever and I need to get back to work. If we ask Paul not to put us on the same shift, we could watch each other’s kids. We could seriously help each other out if we did it right.”
Judy pondered over her suggestion. “That’s not a bad idea. I’m game if you are! I have some money saved. It’s not a lot, but if we’re splitting everything, I think I can swing it.” Judy raised her Coke bottle in a toast and shone a huge grin. “Sure, let’s be roommates.”
Sitting on the couch together with the kids playing on the floor in front of them, Tammy matched her grin and hugged her soon-to-be roommate. Tammy hoped this would be the last time she’d be starting over. But, with Steven finally out of the picture, everything was on her terms.
That night, Tammy told Ruth about her and Judy’s plans. Even though Ruth said she’d be sorry to see her leave, she knew it was time for her to move on. Excited for Tammy, she joined in on their hunt for a new home and insisted they use her as a reference and a co-signer to give them a better chance of finding a place.
All three women spent every spare moment of the next week scanning the classifieds and viewing rentals. By the end of the week, Tammy and Judy were holding the keys to their new two-bedroom, two-bath house in Pasadena, which was a convenient ten-minute drive from work. A three bedroom would have been nice, but with the fenced yard and quiet street, it was perfect for the kids—and it was affordable. Tammy gave Judy and her kids the bigger bedroom with the en-suite bathroom, and Tammy and Matt took the smaller one with the bathroom at the end of the hallway. The kitchen was spacious with white cabinets, a stove, a fridge, and a large dining area where a table big enough to seat everyone would fit. The living room had French doors overlooking the backyard and a cozy brick fireplace in the corner.
Reckless Beginnings Page 26