by Bill H Myers
I got out of the car and took a seat at one of the picnic tables, wondering what Raif had said that helped her decide to let me take her to dinner. I'd have to ask him about it.
Ten minutes later, she closed the overhead panels and locked up the truck. She walked over to me, carrying a black gym bag.
I didn't ask her what was in it.
I should have.
Chapter Twenty-One
She smiled when she saw me and gave me an unexpected hug. Then she asked, “You have a shower at your place?”
I did and I wondered why she was asking. Maybe she thought I needed a shower, even though I had just taken one. Whatever her reason, I said, “Yeah, I have one. Why do you ask?”
She came up close, so close that I thought maybe she was going to give me a kiss. But she didn't, instead, she leaned in, pointed to her shirt and said, “Smell.”
It was a strange request, but I didn't see any reason not to follow through, so I sniffed her shirt. It smelled like beef tacos. She had been stuck in the taco truck most of the day and it would be expected that she might smell like one. It didn't bother me. I was glad to be with her, taco smell or not. But she wasn't having it.
She said, “Take me to your place. I need a shower.”
She walked over to Raif's car, put her gym bag in the backseat and sat down on the passenger side. Had I been quicker, I would have opened the door for her, but she was in before I had a chance.
When I got in on the driver's side, she said, “Raif told me you are staying in Shady Haven, a few doors up from his place. He also said if you got out of line, just tell him and he'd do something about it.
“Just so you know, I'm going to your place to take a shower. Nothing else. So don't get your hopes up.”
I couldn't help but smile. I was with a good-looking woman with a voice that could melt men's hearts. She wanted me to take her to my place. I couldn't think of any way the day could have gotten better.
When I pulled out the parking lot, I almost went the wrong way. My mind was on the woman sitting next to me, not on the road I needed to take to get back to my RV.
Seeing that I'd almost missed the first turn, Erin gave me directions and we arrived at my place eight minutes later. I got out of the car first, and, like a gentleman, opened her door for her.
She held out her hand, and I took it as she stepped out of the car. It was soft and warm and I felt good holding it. But it didn't last long. She let go, opened the back door of the car and pulled out her bag.
I watched as she did, again wondering what might be in it. Like the time before, I didn't ask, I just watched her.
We were still standing outside of my motorhome when she asked, “Are you going to invite me in or are we going to stand out here all night?”
I invited her in.
As usual, Bob met me at the door. When he saw the red-headed stranger, he looked at her, meowed softly and, instead of running away like I thought he would, he rubbed up against her ankles. He followed her and meowed softly as she walked over to the couch. I'd never seen him act that way around strangers. Usually, he'd run and hide until he was sure the new people weren't a danger.
But not this time. It was almost like she was covered in catnip and he couldn't get enough of her. I kind of felt the same way, minus the catnip.
She stood in front of the couch with Bob at her feet and said, “This is nicer than I'd thought it'd be. Lots of room to move around. I like it.”
Still holding her little black bag, she asked, “Where's the shower?”
I pointed down the hall. “The door on the left, just before you get to the bedroom. There's a clean towel. If you need anything else, just let me know.”
She nodded, pulled out her phone and punched in a number. When the call connected, she said, “I'm here. If there is any trouble, you know where to find me.”
Before I could ask who she'd called, she punched in another number and said, “This is Erin. I need a to-go order. A large veggie pizza and two house salads. My friend Walker will be there in ten minutes to pick it up.”
She ended the call and turned to me. “If you don't mind, while I'm in the shower, could you go over to the Mellow Mushroom and pick up our dinner?”
The question of where we were eating had been answered. It would be takeout. That sounded pretty good to me. The only problem was I had never heard of the Mellow Mushroom and had no idea where it was.
She was waiting for my answer, so I said, “Just tell me how to get there.”
She smiled and said, “Turn right out of Shady Haven, go three miles, and the Mellow Mushroom will be on your right. The food will be ready when you get there.”
I nodded and headed for the door, but she stopped me with a question. “You have any wine in here?”
“Yeah, Black Box Chardonnay. In the fridge. Will that do?”
“Perfect. Now go get the food. I should be out of the shower when you get back. But if I'm not, no peeking.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
It took me less than twenty minutes to get to the Mellow Mushroom, pay for our food, and get back to the RV. Erin was out of the shower and sitting on the couch, Bob at her side. She had changed into black shorts and a white tee shirt. She had one of my towels wrapped around her head. Presumably to help dry her hair.
I put the pizza and the two salads on the kitchen table, went to the fridge and got the box of wine. I poured two glasses and said, “Dinner is ready.”
Erin joined me, and we started in on the salads. Five minutes later, we attacked the pizza. While we were eating, I tried to make small talk but wasn't doing a very good job.
One of the questions I came up with was, “Are you a vegan?”
In my mind, it sounded like a reasonable thing to ask. She had ordered a veggie pizza and veggie salads. There was no meat on the table.
She laughed at the question. “No, I'm not. It's just that I've been cooking meat all day, and I needed a break. So it was salads and veggie pizza.
“Give me a day or two and I'll be back on the meat bandwagon.”
After I poured her third glass of wine she said, “I'm celebrating.”
It was clear she wanted me to ask why, so I did. “Why? Being out with me? Is that it?”
She laughed. “No, that's not it. In fact, it should be you celebrating the opportunity to be with me this evening. I'm celebrating something else. A big change in my life.”
I waited for her to tell me more, but she didn't. I figured she wanted me to again ask about it, so I did. “Okay, tell me more about this big change in your life.”
She smiled. “As of today, I'm officially homeless and no longer work at Tina's Taco Palace. The sale finally went through.”
My first thought was Waldo had bought the business, the one he had borrowed the money for. I'd needed to ask Erin if he was the buyer. But I wanted to wait before I mentioned his name. I was enjoying spending the evening with her and didn't want to mess things up.
“So, you sold your taco truck. Did you get what you wanted for it?”
She nodded. “I did. In fact, I got more than I was asking. I'm pretty happy about it.”
“But what about the other thing? You said you're now homeless? Why is that?”
She took a sip of wine and said, “It's a long story. After we eat, I'll tell you all about it.”
Over the next half hour, we ate pizza, drank wine, and generally enjoyed each other's company, at least I enjoyed hers. I wasn't so sure her joyous nature was about being with me. It could have been, but more likely it was because she'd just sold her business. That would make almost anyone happy.
As we were finishing our meal, and after three glasses of wine each, I said, “I love your accent. Irish, isn't it?”
“Yes it is, and you're probably wondering how an Irish girl like me ended up in Florida selling tacos out of a truck.”
I nodded. “Yeah, I was wondering about that. I'm sure it's an interesting story. If you feel like sharing it with me,
I'd love to hear it.”
She pointed to the couch. Bob was curled up on it, pretending to be asleep, but I knew better. He was watching and listening to Erin. When he heard her say, “Let's move over there,” he stood, stretched and said, “Murrph.” As in, “Come sit by me. I'll let you rub my belly.”
I filled Erin's glass and joined her on the couch. Bob didn't hesitate; he curled up in her lap.
With wine glass in one hand and the other petting Bob, she said, “My mother was living in Colorado when I was born. After her divorce, she moved us back to Dublin. We were there for almost twenty years then moved back to the States when her brother was hurt.
“He lives in Saint Augustine, and that's how we ended up here. While Mom tended to him, I found a job in a real estate office filing paperwork. They put me in a cubicle with a small desk and no window.
“Even though the job paid well, I hated it. I hated being trapped indoors for most of the day. My only escape was the forty-five minutes I got for lunch. It wasn't enough time to go far, so I started eating at the nearest place. Tina's Taco Palace.
“We didn't have tacos and burritos in Dublin, at least not the kind they make here, so it was a new experience for me. After eating at Tina's every day for three months and watching the customers come and go, I decided that dishing out tacos would be more fun than working indoors hidden away in a cubicle.
“I asked Miguel, the owner of the truck, if he'd give me a job. But he said he didn't think a red-headed Irish girl would last long serving up tacos in a truck without air conditioning. He said it was hot work and I'd be on my feet all day.
“I didn't get the job. But I didn't give up. About once a week, I'd ask Miguel if he was ready to hire me. It was a running joke between us. I'd always ask, and he'd always say, 'No.'
“But one day, instead of me asking him about the job, he asked if I still wanted to work there.
“Miguel explained he was having a problem with immigration and he needed to leave the country. He said his wife and three children had already gone back to Mexico, and he wanted to join them.
“He needed to cash out quickly and offered to sell me the truck. The price was more than fair but more than I had. I could pay him half but no more.
“He had seen the Toyota truck I'd been driving and said if I didn't owe anything on it, he'd take it in trade. I could pay half in cash, and the rest would be covered by the value of the truck.
“It sounded like a great deal, so I agreed. Two days later, I was the owner of Tina's Taco Palace.
“I gave my two weeks’ notice at the real estate office, explaining that I had bought the taco truck. My manager was surprised but not all that upset. He liked the tacos he got there and was happy someone would be taking over the business.
“After buying the truck, Miguel spent two days showing me how everything worked. He showed me how to make tacos and burritos and where to get fresh ingredients every morning. I worked by his side, trying to take everything in. I wanted him to stay longer, but he said his time was up, and he needed to get back to Mexico.
“So after he was gone, I got my wish. I was selling tacos in a truck. By myself, with no one around to guide me.
“I did hire a schoolgirl to work with me during the evening shift and on Saturdays. Her being around on our busiest days gave me a bit of breathing room.
“But she got days off and I didn't. For me, it was a full-time job. Starting early in the morning when I'd go out and buy supplies and ending ten hours later after cleaning up the truck at the end of the day.
“The hours were long, and it was hot in the truck, but I liked it a lot better than working in an office. I was outdoors, met a lot of people, and didn't have to answer to anyone. If I wanted to take a day off, I could. I never did though. There were too many people who depended on the truck being open for their lunch and dinner meals for me to take off.”
She paused, took another sip of wine, and looked down at Bob who was still in her lap.
“So what is it with this cat? He's been following me around and trying to get in my lap ever since I got here. He even followed me into the shower. Does he do that with all your lady friends?”
I looked down at Bob. “We don't get many visitors here in the RV. And when we do, he usually hides. But with you it's a different story. For some reason, he adores you. Maybe it's your accent.”
She shook her head. “It's not the accent. It's the smell of tacos. He got a whiff of me and thought I was bringing him food. Poor thing is probably hungry. He's probably starved for affection too.”
I laughed. “Erin, he gets plenty of food. That's why he weighs almost twenty pounds. He never goes hungry around here. Eats whenever he wants. And he gets all the pets he wants.”
She looked down at him and, in a baby voice, said, “You want to come home with me, Bob? I promise to feed you better than Walker does.”
He answered, “Murrrph.” He'd follow her anywhere.
Chapter Twenty-Three
“Erin, tell me why you're homeless.”
She finished off her fourth glass of wine and said, “You first. Tell me how you ended up living in this motorhome. Maybe then I'll tell you about me being homeless.”
I nodded. “Okay, it's a deal. I'll go first.
“I was married and working as an IT manager for a big company. They downsized and I was laid off. My wife filed for divorce the same day. Soon after, I had no job, no wife, and no place to live.
“I needed a place to stay so I bought an RV. I've been living in one ever since. End of story.”
Erin shook her head. “I don't think that's the full story. I think you left out some important details. Like did you and your wife have any kids? And why did she divorce you? Were you mean to her?”
I shook my head. “No Erin, I wasn't mean to her. Far from it. In fact, I thought we had the perfect marriage. I was happy and thought she was too. At least up until the day she surprised me with divorce papers.
“When I asked her why she wanted out, she said she was doing me a favor. She was setting me free.
“At the time, I didn't want to be free. I wanted to be married to her. But, apparently, she no longer wanted to be married to me. So she filed and I signed. We didn't have any kids and we split everything down the middle. No long, drawn-out fight over who got what. My attorney said it was the easiest divorce he'd ever handled. He told me I'd be a fool to fight it, so I didn't. I signed the papers and she sent me on my way.
“Like I said, I never saw it coming. I thought she was the love of my life. I guess I was wrong.”
I took a deep breath and said, “No more about me. You're supposed to be celebrating tonight, not listening to my sob story. Tell me something about you. Something I don't know that'll make me smile.”
She nodded. “Okay, since you asked, I will.”
She pointed to her wine glass. “We Irish girls are supposed to be able to hold our liquor. But not me, not tonight.”
She was slurring some of her words when she said, “You're the kind of guy a drunk girl could get into a lot of trouble with. You probably know that, don't you? That's why you've been keeping my glass full. To get me into trouble.”
She lifted Bob up off her lap and set him in mine. She pointed to the back of the motorhome. “The bathroom is back there, right?”
“Yeah.”
She was about halfway there when Bob joined her. This time, he didn't wait to be asked. He went into the bathroom with her. I could hear him meowing and chirping and her talking to him over the sound of the bathroom vent fan.
When she came back out, Bob was at her heels. I was still sitting on the couch and expected her to sit down beside me. But she didn't. Instead, she pointed to the clock over the kitchen sink and said, “It's getting late. I need to be going.”
Both Bob and I wanted her to stay. We didn't want her to go. “It's not late. You don't have to worry about getting up and going to work tomorrow. You're celebrating. You can stay up as long as you want.
”
She reached out, took my hand and said, “Walker, if you're still here in the morning, we'll get breakfast. Around eight, okay?”
I nodded. “Yeah, breakfast sounds good.”
She headed for the door, and I said, “Wait, you don't have a car. I'll need to drive you.”
She shook her head. “No, you've had too much to drink. Neither of us should be driving anywhere. I can walk.”
There was no way I was going to let her walk home in the dark in Florida. Too many things could go wrong.
I grabbed the car keys off the counter and said, “You're not walking, it won't be safe. I'll drive you.”
She shook her head, leaned in and kissed me on the cheek. “Walker, you're sweet. Worried about me getting home on my own. But it's not a problem. I'm staying with my uncle. His place is just two doors down.”
“Your uncle lives here? In Shady Haven? Have I met him?”
She nodded. “You mean he didn't tell you? Raif didn't tell you he was my uncle and I was staying at his place?”
He had never mentioned it to me. I asked her to make sure we were talking about the same person. “Are we talking about Raif? The ex-cop who lives two doors down? He's your uncle?”
She nodded. “Yes, he's my uncle, on my mother's side, and he's the reason we moved back to the States. To be with him while he was in the hospital.”
“So that's where you'll be spending the night? At Raif's?”
“Yes, dear. I'll be sleeping just two doors down. If you're worried I might be in danger on my walk there, feel free to go with me. Just don't expect a goodnight kiss at Raif's door. He's a little protective of me.”
I could understand that. He'd set his niece up with me, a complete stranger, and probably knew she had come to my RV. He would likely be up, waiting to see if she called for help or came home crying about something I'd done.
Remembering how he had dealt with the kid in the convenience store, I didn't want to give him any reason to do the same to me.
“Erin, I've enjoyed your company and it'd be my pleasure to walk you home.”
She smiled, grabbed my hand, and we headed out.
