“What would I do?”
“We’ll go to that bar we passed coming into town. But we’ll pretend we don’t know each other, so you look like you’re alone. I’ll do what I usually do—cards, pool, whatever game Ican stretch long enough until everyone’s too drunk to notice I’m tipping things in my favor.”
He paused.
“Even though I’m doing my own thing, I’ll keep an eye on you. These people can get unruly, and since it’s your first time, you might run into problems. So we’ll need a signal. Some kind of code word.”
I thought for a moment, trying to follow along. “How about ‘baseball’?” I suggested, thinking of the cap. I had to hold back a small laugh at the idea of it as a code word.
“Perfect,” Erich said. “If you’re in trouble, mention baseball. If you can’t get to me, say it loud enough and I’ll find you.”
He picked at a loose thread on his jeans, which made me check mine instinctively.
“You already know how to act, so start with that. Act interested in whoever is interested in you. If they offer to buy you a drink, you can accept—but don’t drink it unless you see it made and handed to you. That’s common sense.” He shrugged. “It could be drugged.”
“Just listen until he’s stumbling over his words, then decide what you want to do. You could play the pity card—say you don’t have money to get home. You could get hands-on and take a wallet… But I wouldn’t recommend accepting payment for favors.”
My eyes widened. “What? No, of course not.”
He caught my tone and backtracked. “Not literally. I mean there are ways to fake it. Like…” He hesitated, running a hand through his hair. “I used to work with someone. She’d play the part, I’d slip something into his drink, and next thing you know, we’ve got his motel key, his wallet, and he’s out cold—either in a ditch or still at the bar.”
That was new. I didn’t fully believe him, but I didn’t have a reason not to either. I didn’t know how to respond.
“If it works,” I said carefully, “I’m willing to learn.”
His small smile disappeared. “No. It got to be too much. She liked the power. It stopped being about survival.”
“What happened to her?” I asked.
“We had our differences. She went back home.”
“That sounds… simple,” I said, unable to keep the sarcasm out of my voice.
The wind pushed my hair into my face, and I adjusted it to keep my neck covered.
Erich smirked again. “We were friends for a long time. Her mom didn’t care.”
What kind of mother lets their child seduce old men, stay in motels with an ethically unjust young man, drink at bars, and do God knows what all over the country? They weren’t even adults yet! That didn’t sound like a good relationship to me, but then again, who was I to say what a healthy relationship with one’s parents was? Erich sensed my confusion and let out a huge sigh.
“We dated,” he added. “Her mom trusted me.”
I nodded slowly, though I didn’t fully understand. There was clearly more to him than I had expected.
“So… did you steal the car too?” I asked, nodding toward the Nova across the lot.
“Believe it or not, no,” he said with a short laugh. “I bought it. Not exactly with honest money, though.”
He glanced at me. “It’s up to you what you want to do. I won’t let anything happen to you. We can use what I’ve got left from last night to get a room. It won’t be nice, but it’ll be something.”
I didn’t respond. I picked at my fingernails instead, relieved there were no more black paint chips stuck to them.
A room. With him.
The voice in my head told me he wasn’t a threat—but that didn’t mean I was comfortable.
I wondered if my family was searching for me or, if they were nervous they didn’t cover their steps concerning me. Who was to say I wouldn’t tell someone? Then again, who was to say anyone would believe me? It was a crazy story, and I was just a young girl. Legally an adult, but I had never held a job or experienced the real world.
Would they go to the news with my disappearance? Report me missing? Offer a reward? Would someone recognize me and send me back?
