“Well shit, definitely a small world in this town. Say hi to Effie for me, I’ve been trying to ask her on a date for the last five years.” Ander’s grin turned sheepish. “Anyway if you need anything give me a holler. Feel free to use any of the gym’s amenities, our hot tub is to die for.”
With one last wave the cyclops went back inside of his office.
It was still early afternoon, so the gym was empty save for a few people using the machines and Stacy furiously wiping down a treadmill.
The locker rooms were clearly marked on the back wall of the gym and I headed for them, ignoring Stacy’s glare as I passed by her.
She could throw a fit all she liked, but this gym was going to be my saving grace for showering for the foreseeable future, so she’d just have to get used to me.
The locker rooms were fancy with several shower stalls and changing rooms. The showers even had shampoo, conditioner, and body wash dispensers so I could stop using the cheap stuff I’d picked up at a truck stop in Utah.
Humming to myself, I got to work washing myself.
The water was blessedly hot and I let it pound out the stiffness in my neck and back from driving all night. I stood for too long under the spray, letting the burning water rain down over my body.
My hair was the first thing I needed to tackle. I kept it up in a braid for most of my travels so that it wouldn’t be too tangled, but my scalp ached from keeping it up for so long.
Undoing the pink braid I washed my hair twice, scrubbing with my finger nails until the strands no longer felt greasy. Then I lathered it in the conditioner and let that soak in while I washed the rest of my body.
By the time I was finished with my shower my limbs felt like cooked noodles, but I was clean and feeling human again.
Pulling on a fresh pair of leggings and a t-shirt, my dirty clothes went into the plastic bag I’d brought in with me and I was ready to head back to Peep.
Stacy was back at the desk when I passed by again and I couldn’t help but shoot her a cheeky grin as I left the gym.
Crossing the street, I sat on the bench in front of Peep for a long time, staring at the ocean. The ocean in California was a completely different one from the one I’d grown up with in Massachusetts. Everything from the sound of the waves, to where the sun sat in the sky was unique.
But even still, watching the ocean made me think of my mom. I hoped that wherever she was, that she was proud of me for finally getting out.
While I may have been living in my broken down car, while I may have only had seventy-five bucks to my name, and while I may be starting my life over completely from scratch…
Things were finally starting to look up for me.
* * *
Why can’t you ever do anything right? Mike’s voice echoed through my mind as a hot flash of fear skittered across my skin.
A hand gripped my arm in the darkness, twisting the skin so hard that an animalistic scream tore its way out of my mouth…and then I realized the scream wasn’t my own.
I awoke with a jerk, sucking in a lungful of stale car air as the sounds of seagulls screaming outside filled my ears.
It took a few moments of ragged breaths to reorient myself. I was safe. Mike was on the other side of the country and couldn’t get to me anymore.
Stretching with a groan, I used the front seat to pull myself up into a sitting position. Every bone in my back cracked as I straightened my limbs, still stiff from the fetal position sleeping in the backseat had forced me into.
When I was preparing to sleep in the car the night before I’d put sunshades in the front and back windows. Then I’d put towels, which I had stolen from the few motels I’d stayed at on my journey, up in all four of the windows.
It was about as private as living in a car could get.
What I hadn’t been counting on was how cramped my five-foot-eight frame would feel in the little Bug.
“That’s going to take some getting used to,” I whispered to myself as I checked the time on my phone. It was still early and I had two hours until I needed to be back at the shop for my first day.
I took my time getting dressed. I’d forgotten to ask Effie what the dress code was like before I left yesterday, so I was taking my best guess.
A pair of jeans and a white t-shirt seemed safe enough, and if they weren’t I could come back out to Peep and change during my break. I also pulled out a thick cardigan in case I got cold.
Effie had been wearing a t-shirt of some band and a pair of ripped black jeans. It looked rock n’ roll, but in the effortless way that many people spent a lot of money trying to replicate.
