I watch her strides falter near where I was seated before she looks around. It’s like she knows I’m here. My heartbeat actually speeds up, which makes me stroke my chest. Sometimes, I forget that thing still thumps around in there. I pull my phone out of my pocket and hold it up to my ear, blocking some of my face and stopping the waiter heading my way from asking me what I’m doing stalking around an empty area of the dining room.
After looking around quickly, she continues down the hall. I put my phone away and drop the pretenses before walking out of the restaurant. I can wait for her in the car, or maybe I’ll just head to her house so I can be there when she gets home. I probably have enough time to install the cameras while she’s here, at least the ones in her room.
Mom is in her room.If I had to guess, I’d say she’s already asleep by now. I drop onto my bed and finally get the nerve to turn my phone back on. After the start up, I open the text messages. When I click on Winger’s name, there are two messages.
Winger:Answer your phone.
Winger:I warned you.
The second one feels ominous.I lick my bottom lip and wonder if I should call him back. After taking the risk of allowing an underage girl to work at the club, I guess I could at least give him an explanation.
I dial his number, half hoping he won’t answer so I can just leave a voicemail, but he probably doesn’t even check those. I don’t.
“Hello?” he snaps. I can tell he’s at the club, the music is loud. I don’t know what to say. “Fel, are you in trouble?” His tone shifts again, sounding concerned.
“No, I’m here,” I respond. “Sorry I missed your call.” I don’t tell him I shut my phone off because I’m a chicken.
“You quit,” he states.
“I actually thought you’d fired me since I hadn’t heard from you, but yes.”
“You working at another club? I’ve got to be honest, that won’t play out well.” The background noise dulls, making me think he went to his office.
“No, nothing like that. It’s… Well, my mom was in an accident a few years ago and she got a settlement.”
“Fuck, Fel, that’s good. Real good.” He sounds relieved.
“Yeah, I don’t have to…do that anymore. I mean, I’ll get a normal job but…” My explanation is stunted. I don’t know how much to say or if he would even care.
“I get it. You never should have been here in the first place.”
“Thanks for taking care of me while I was there, Wing. I…I hated it, but you helped make it not so bad.” My face is bright red. I’m embarrassed admitting it, even through the phone.
“Aw, Fel.” He sounds almost sad. “I ain’t never done you any favors. I should have shown you the door the day you walked in.”
“I would have just gone somewhere else,” I confess.
“That might have been better for you in the long run,” he mumbles, and I don’t quite know what to make of it, so I don’t say anything about it.
“Well, I just wanted to give you an explanation and say thank you.”
“Stay out of the city, Lucy.”
“Okay,” I breathe. It’s the first time he’s ever called me by my real name. I wasn’t even sure he knew it. The line goes dead right after. I drop my phone on my bed and stare at the screen. Why does it feel like he still thinks I’m in danger?
I thought I would feel better when I was able to quit. I mean, I’ve thought about it countless times, but strangely, I feel like I’m giving up a piece of myself. Not necessarily a piece I liked very much, but I respected her. I shake my head, getting rid of those useless thoughts.
“So, what are you going to do now, Lucy?” I don’t have an answer for myself, and that seems a little more frightening than stripping.
Chapter 9
Idon’t rush to tell Gwen, which is surprising. I spend the better part of the following week feeling lost and a little depressed after the high of finding out about the settlement. Mom is in good spirits at least. I’m also starting to think my house is haunted. Either that, or I’m losing my mind. Things keep moving around, I get random smells all the time, and I swear I’ve even seen someone outside again, but it only happens at night. I decide it’s time for a change.
Obviously, I have way too much time on my hands, and since I haven’t gotten any responses to my ads in the local feed store about boarding, I’m going to spend some time today replacing them with new ones and add riding lessons to the services available.
I call Gwen after parking in the Tractor Supply lot. “Hey, stranger,” she chirps. It’s a lot nicer of a greeting than the last time I hadn’t talked to her in a week or so. “I thought we were going to hang?”
“Sorry, some stuff came up at home. I have some good news though.” I force some cheerfulness into my tone.
