“Well, yes—on a shared account. You don’t have a shared account. At least this one is in the name of Dean Halston, and you’re listed as just a?—”
“Wife.I’m just the wife!” I cry hot tears. “Now what am I supposed to do? I’m out of town,” I repeat.
“Okay. Maybe we could get you a quick line of credit. How long will you be there? We could ship you a new card with a credit balance to the hotel you’re staying at, maybe? I’d have to get approval from my manager and then we’d run a credit check of course…”
I groan softly as I think about the mess I’m in now. If I have my bank ship me a new card, that means someone will know where to find me, and I’d rather keep to myself at the moment. Plus, I’m not even sure I’d get approved—my job isn’t as consistent as they’d like.
“How long do you think it would take to arrive?”
“Oh, well, as long as you’re in the continental US…two or three days at most.”
I imagine I could tell her to ship it to a nearby city and I could go retrieve it. I’d have to find a place, though, and then call the service line back. And if I don’t do anything, I’m destined to stay at the women’s shelter. Even the hostel is out of my price range.
“Let’s do it. Ship it to me,” I blurt. “Please.”
“Very well.” I can hear her quick fingers typing. “The application will only take a minute and I can fill in most of the information from your account. I just need your social security number and your current address.”
I switch the screen on my phone and bring up the address of the hotel I’m standing in. I quickly rattle it off to her and wait as she types something on her keyboard. A long pause lingers before she smacks her lips together and announces that I’ve been approved for a meager five hundred dollars.
“That should help for a little while at least?—”
“Great, thank you,” I cut her off quickly before hanging up. I don’t know if I’ve just saved myself or made a mistake. Either way, I face a risk.
I swallow, already uncomfortable that it’s now on paper somewhere that I’m in Tahoe. I gnash my teeth, no longer comfortable with anyone else knowing I’m headed to the women’s shelter for the night. I stand, adjust my bag on my shoulder, and then wave to the desk clerk, who is eagle-eyeing me at the moment. He gestures with his eyes to the lobby doors, and I follow his gaze, watching as a yellow cab pulls up to the valet.
I mouth the words thank you to him and then head to the cab. As soon as I’m there, I realize I have one last avenue of payment. As soon as I sit in the cab driver’s back seat, I divulge that I have no cash or card to pay him, but that if he accepts a digital form of payment, I can transfer him the cost of the cab via a cash app. He waves me off, explains that the hotel has an account of comped rides and that this one is covered.
I nearly burst into tears and then thank him profusely. Maybe Tahoe will be a good fit for me after all.
“So, where are we off to, then?” He’s cheerful, and his kindness nearly overwhelms me. After being in LA and Chicago for so long, small-town friendly chitchat feels novel.
“Is there a coffee shop downtown?”
“There is. I stop at the Drip Drop every morning and get my cup of coffee from Dottie. Got a great lake view, too.”
“It sounds perfect.” I settle into the back seat.
“Mind if I ask what brought you to Tahoe?”
“I’ve always wanted to visit, and I’ve had…some troubles lately with my ex, so I thought it was a perfect time for a little getaway.”
“I see. Well, I’ve been here all my life. I remember it when it was just a little town up on the lake. Business is booming now. Married my wife here, raised my boys in the local school system. Can’t say I’d ever want to leave.”
“Yeah?” I fiddle with the zipper on my coat. I miss my scarf. I had to throw it in a trash can in Millennium Park after I left Dean and Jesika’s garage, and I donated my neon-pink one to a homeless woman because I was so afraid Jesika might recognize it from her bedroom window. Maybe I can find a replacement here. “I’ve been in the LA area for a few years now, but after a business trip to Chicago…I have to say the mountain air is something else.”
“That it is, that it is. You plan on stayin’ a while?”
“Maybe.” I press my lips together. “I guess that depends on my ex.”
He’s silent for a while before offering, “I don’t mean to pry, but you seem like you’re going through a lot. You seem like a sweet girl, and I hate to see so much stress on your face.” He holds my gaze in the rearview mirror. “My wife and I have an extra room and take in troubled teens now and again. If you need a place to stay, well, we’d love to have you. My wife loves the company, and well, we’re discreet people. No questions asked, if you know what I mean.” He passes me a plain white business card with his name and number on it. “You just give that number a call, day or night, and I’ll come get you wherever you are.”
I nod, palming the card as my heart hammers. “Thank you. I’ve never met anyone so generous. I think I’ll be fine, but truly, I appreciate it. I think you just became my first friend here.”
“Well, I feel the same way. Name’s Rodger. What’s yours?”
I gulp, not having decided what name I would go by here in Tahoe. “Mia.” I settle on the easiest, figuring at least I have a chance at answering to that name if I ever see Rodger again.
By the time Rodger the cab driver is dropping me off in front of the Drip Drop, I’m feeling more hopeful than I’ve felt in a while. I tuck his business card with the phone number into my back pocket and step into the welcoming smell of roasted coffee beans. I locate a table and set up my laptop instantly. As long as I have internet, I think I can dig deep and find some way to pay for lodging using an online payment system that’s directly connected to my bank account but doesn’t use my credit card. Maybe I could even find a vacation rental nearby and prepay for my stay. I’ll do anything to find an alternative to the shelter or the hostel, not because I’m not too good for sleeping on a cot, but because I need wireless internet to do my business. If I have any hope of navigating my way through this, I need internet access at all times.
