Hot Southern Mess (Hide Your Crazy)

by Hardenbrook, T. A.

Letting my head smash against the door, I silently mumbled a few choice words. How could I have been that stupid to think he had already left? Knowing my luck he would stay out there for hours and I would be left sitting here naked, in my closet, all day long.

  “Well I know you are in here…………..somewhere. Last night was great, but, yeah, um………..I’m going to go.”

  “Last night was great,” I mocked. Of course it was great; when is sex ever bad? Well, there was that one time with the drunk who could only rock a halfie and still tried to smash the E.T. looking thing into my vagina. That time was a total bust.

  The front door closed in a sudden thud, and I released a long sigh. Throwing the closet door open and slinking out, I couldn’t help but laugh. I seriously just sat naked in my closet, panicking about what I was going to do because I was naked. Really, Molly? I was in my closet of all places, full of clothes. Idiot.

  The warmth of the cup sent shudders down my body; the heat scorched my lips as I took small sips of the liquid goodness. I was addicted to coffee, black coffee. I loved the smell of it brewing, the heat that rolled off the top, and the strong taste that slid down the back of my throat. It was like a little piece of heaven in a damaged and broken world. My phone started to blast Audioslave’s “Like A Stone” from the end table by the window. I already knew who it was this morning; my boss. She probably had a million and one errands for me to do today, since it was clean-up day after the big wedding extravaganza last night.

  “This is Molly,” I answered with as much enthusiasm as I could muster this morning.

  “Of course it’s you, Molly; why do you answer that way? Never mind. I need you to head over to your sister’s bridal suite and pick up her wedding dress and take it to get cleaned and steamed. Then bring it to me a.s.a.p.; it needs to be stored properly so it stays fresh.”

  “Is that all, Cynthia?”

  “Of course not, but that should have been done last night. I’ll see you soon.”

  The line went dead and I set my phone back down. One night wasn’t going to kill the damn dress. Shit, for as much as my parents dumped on that dress it should fucking hold up forever. Money was everything in this damn world. With money came status, and that basically got you a one way ticket into heaven. At least that’s what everyone in this stupid town thought. This place wasn’t me. I didn’t care that my bank account had only a few zeroes in it; money couldn’t buy true happiness. I was finally happy with who I was, now I needed to find a place that helped me deepen that love.

  Grabbing my keys from the counter, I headed over to the door, stopping just before my hand reached the knob. On the wall was my framed SPIN magazine cover of Kurt Cobain standing on Pier 39 in downtown Seattle. It was that moment that I realized that was where I was meant to be. The freedom of a big city that was a melting pot of cultures, and not the southern grown type I had been suffocated daily with while living here.

  “Siri, connect me with Southwest Airlines.”

  Dropping my purse on the counter, I ran to the bedroom and pulled a couple suitcases from the closet. This was it; I was getting out of here.

  There was something liberating about sitting in the airport, knowing that this was the start of something amazing. I had no clue what I was going to do when I got there, other than I just knew deep down that this was the right thing to do. There was never anything keeping me here in Athens, nothing that I wanted anyway. Seattle offered a fresh start, new possibilities, and more people that viewed the world like I did. No longer would I be trapped in a world of glitz and glamour. I wouldn’t be the social outcast that dyed her hair funny colors and had piercings that ‘ladies’ shouldn’t have. I could be free to live my life the way I saw fit; this was going to be fucking fantastic!

  “We would like to now call passengers boarding in zones one and two to approach the gate please,” a ladies voice came over the speakers. Smiling down at my ticket in my hands, I stood and headed over to the gate. Taking one last look around the airport, I reached into my pocket and grabbed my phone. There were eight missed calls, and I’m betting the majority of them were from my former boss, since I sent her a text to pick up the dress for herself, and I quit. Powering the phone down, I slipped it back into my pocket and grabbed my carry on. This was it, I was really doing it. See you later Georgia, hello Washington!

  Handing over my ticket to the lady at the gate, she smiled and scanned the one way ticket. I couldn’t keep the crazed lunatic look off my face, and if I wasn’t careful, I’m betting security would be called to talk to me, because I know I look like an absolute creep-O right now.

  “Enjoy your flight, Miss. McGlenister.”

  “Will do.” I grinned. Here goes nothing.

  The air was crisp as I stepped outside after retrieving my luggage. The sheer amount of people milling about the airport was nuts. The best part about it was not a single person looked at me as I wandered through the terminals carrying Simon and my bag. People even smiled at me as we waited for our luggage on the carousal; back home that would have never happened. So here I stood, basking in the cool September air, wondering what my next move was going to be.

  “Taxi, miss?” a man asked as I came back from my staring stupor.

  “Oh sure; I mean, yes please.”

  The gentleman came over and grabbed my two rolling suitcases and headed back to his cab. I followed him as he opened the trunk and placed the bags into the back, then gesturing for my guitar case. Without even thinking, I handed the case right over to him. There was something about this city that made me want to take a risk, and letting someone else handle my precious Simon was something that didn’t happen normally. The driver closed the trunk and hurried over to open my door.

  “I could have gotten that, but thanks,” I said softly, ducking my head and slithering into the cab.

  “Nonsense, ma’am, it was my pleasure.” He closed the door quickly and sprinted around the car to his seat. “Where to, Miss?”

  “Um, well, I don’t know,” I said with a laugh. The entire plane ride to Seattle I spent worrying what I would do about just up and leaving home. I gave no thought into what I was actually going to do once I landed here.

  “How about a hotel downtown?”

  “Any particular one?”

  “Nope, hopefully one with vacancy.”

  The man smiled in his rearview mirror as he pulled off the curb. There was a huge difference between Seattle and home, and the first thing that struck me was how green things seemed. Even with the fall months upon us, things were still beautiful. Back home, things were now yellow, orange, and brown. Not exactly gorgeous like this place I was now calling home.

  “How far from downtown are we?” I asked, pulling out my phone and opening an app to find a hotel.

  “About twenty minutes miss, as long as we don’t hit traffic early.”

  I nodded my head and set out to find a place for the next couple nights. I could start on the apartment search tomorrow, and I guess a job as well. There was more than enough money in my trust fund account, since I didn’t use really any of it while working for Cynthia. Actually, I really never needed to find a job, but lord knows I needed to do something other than just play guitar. Being a music playing bum sounds enticing, but I really should do something with my life. “Can you drop me off at the Westin, please?”

  “Fine choice ma’am.”

  A smile crept over my face as I leaned back in the old worn leather seats. This was going to be an epic adventure. One I’m sure my family would strongly disapprove of, but hell, when had I ever made them happy, anyways?

  My room was on the twenty-fourth floor, and I about peed my britches when I got sight of the view. Letting the heavy door slam behind me, I wheeled my two suitcases further into the room and set Simon on the gigantic bed. “Holy fish sticks,” I whispered, stepping closer to the large glass window that stood corner to corner in the large room. The buildings were absolutely stunning in a cold concrete and steel kind of way. To the right w
as a glimpse of the Space Needle, and to the left through a couple tall high rises I could see the bay. My eyes danced back and forth, taking in the sights. This wasn’t like Georgia, hell it was the exact opposite. Looking down at the street there were tons of cars zipping back and forth, people hurrying along the sidewalks; the hustle of the city was evident. This was a place that could swallow someone whole. A chew them up and spit ‘em’ out type deal could easily happen, and I almost wish it would happen to me.

  Sliding off my thin sweater, I flopped myself into the black leather arm chair next to the window. This was going to be amazing; exactly what my life needed. “Cold As Ice” by Foreigner rang through my phone speakers, signifying my mother was calling. Gritting my teeth, I pulled it from my pants pocket, narrowing my eyes at the screen.

  “Hello Mother.”

  “Where in the hell are you, Molly Anne McGlenister? You have some explaining to do young lady.”

  Chapter 4: If you land your dream job, make sure you wear panties.

  I had been in the city for a full week now and actually accomplished a lot more than I planned on. Okay, well maybe not really a lot. But I did have an apartment to call home, and had done a little shopping to stock up on the colder climate attire, since my wardrobe was seriously lacking in that department. This city really was perfect for me; it’s like I was meant to be here all along. No longer was I looked down upon for my clothing choices or my purple hair. My nose ring was on the tamer side of piercings I noticed when out and about, and I had only spoken to my mother once. Pretty sure that constitutes as a kickass play in my book. Seattle screamed freedom, and I was going to go right along with it.

  The sheer amount of Starbucks in an area should be alarming. But for a woman who loved coffee, I should just be thankful that I could get it really whenever the hell I wanted. The apartment I rented in the University District came partially furnished, so I didn’t really have to make any larger purchases in the furniture sense. However, I did score an epic painting of a techno colored cat, something my mother would surely despise of. Sure, there were tons of college students milling about, but none of them complained when I played Simon at midnight. As long as I didn’t whine about their raging parties, they didn’t care about me playing music. I do believe that was a win-win situation for everyone at the end of the day.

  The best news I got since the flight attendant said “welcome to Seattle” was that my beautiful car would be delivered sometime next week. It cost me a small fortune to have her brought up here to me, and I still didn’t know if I would even drive her in this crazy mess of a city. But, at least I had her here, and not in the grasp of my parents. I was terrified the first couple days of being up here that my mother would destroy the car, knowing that she was the only thing I still cared about left in Georgia. However, in between my father’s “this is absolutely ridiculous” and “you need to come home right now young lady” comments, I managed to convince him to help me send her up here. The only person who really didn’t care that I left was my sister. It’s like I fell of the face of the earth in her world, and now she had the ability to get further into our parents good graces. Not like she never wasn’t, but now they could pretend they were a happy family of three and not four.

  Standing in front of the small full length mirror on my closet door, I pulled and shuffled my shirt. I couldn’t decide if this was an appropriate look for my interview, considering I wore black slacks and white button down shirts whenever I was around Cynthia. This interview was with the NT Management Company, a big business in the entertainment industry. They were top notch management for the music industry, so I figured rocking my normal style would be okay for the job. Now, I stood second guessing myself. My black skinny jeans paired with my red chucks and matched my red and black Jane’s Addiction t-shirt that hung off my right shoulder, almost made me feel underdressed. I had pulled one side of my hair back and finished it with a little red bow, adding a softer flair to my t-shirt and jeans combo. My look wasn’t exactly business attire, but a music management company really wasn’t a suit and tie kind of place either.

  I had to be thankful that I scored this opportunity so quickly; considering I had an interview with Subway the next day and that really wasn’t my first choice for employment. I found the ad NT Management had placed during one of my countless hours stalking the “For Hire” section online. The advertisement stated they were looking for a PA, and when I sent them my resume, they immediately called to set up an interview. I did work for a crazy wedding planner back in Georgia, being someone’s bitch in a different corporate setting should be easy. Getting coffee, running errands, and picking up laundry were things I did well. Not to toot my own horn, but toot toot. It wasn’t rocket science doing simple everyday tasks. This job was going to be easy, as long as they liked me.

  I still had no sense of direction in this town, and could easily get lost if it wasn’t for my phone. Yes, Siri did try and tell me to walk off a pier the first night I was in this town, but after that little debacle, things had worked out just fine. Now, standing in front of the large glass building, was making me nervous. This was a serious company, not that I didn’t realize that before; but the beautiful location and even more gorgeous building were a quick reminder that I was nothing to this company. Fiddling with my bag, I continued to stare at the mirrored glass doors. I needed to go in, get the job, and then celebrate that I could make it here in Seattle. It was like a life or death mission, minus the death part. I needed this job to start living here, and what stood in my way were those big glass doors.

  “I’m sure these doors are like a two way mirror, and I must look like an absolute nut case waiting outside. It gets even better because I’m talking to myself, and I’m sure that basically solidifies my certifiable craziness.” Shaking my head, I reached for the glass doors and pushed my way into the large building. Ready or not, here I am.

  Walking up to the receptionist desk made me want to vomit, or drink copious amounts of alcohol; not sure exactly which one. The tiny little thing behind the counter was exactly like my sister; blonde and perfect. Seeing her totally made me second guess my clothing selection.

  “Hi, um yeah, I’m here to meet with Mrs. Craft. I mean, I have an interview with Mrs. Craft.” My voice stuttered and I looked like a complete idiot standing in front of this woman. First impressions were never my thing, just like talking after sex terrified the shit out of me.

  “It’s Miss Craft, and I’ll let her know you are here,” the snotty blonde seethed at me.

  I’m sorry if I interrupted your daily horoscope reading in some trash magazine, but good lord sweetheart. Those magazines will only rot your brain out, and I’m betting you have very little left to start with.

  “Thanks,” I mumbled back, turning to the reception area to wait out Miss Craft. This place was even fancier on the inside than the pristine glass on the outside. I really should have rethought my attire, because I stuck out like a pageant queen in a mosh pit. Wasn’t this the story of my life, the moment I thought I had everything together the universe decides to do a one-eighty and I end up on my ass again?

  “Miss McGlenister?” A rushed voice behind me sounds, instantly causing me to jump to my feet.

  “Yes, it’s Molly,” I reply, quickly standing and pulling down my shirt.

  “Oh good, I was hoping you weren’t some old thing that couldn’t work fast. Not that we discriminate against age, but well………..oh forget it. Can you start now? I have so much on my plate this afternoon and not enough time to accomplish it all.”

  Well, that wasn’t the interview I was expecting, but shit, I would take just about anything that didn’t require me to wear rubber gloves. A smile crept across my face as I looked over my new boss. She was striking; long brown hair that curled past her shoulders, dark green eyes, and a body to absolutely die for. The best part about her was her clothing choice; no longer did I feel like the ugly duckling of the building. Miss Craft was rocking a red pair of skinny jeans and
a long black sweater that barely grazed her ass. Thank god not everyone in this place looked like the Barbie behind the receptionist desk.

  “Yeah, no problem. I mean, sure………….um…………..sorry, yes I can start now.” Seriously, can I get anymore pathetic?

  “Follow me.”

  Without another word Miss Craft turned on her heels and started stomping for the elevator, quietly mumbling to herself.

  “My office is located on the ninth floor; I’ll email HR to set up on the payroll and get you a key card this afternoon. For now just take mine,” she gushed, holding out a badge on a lanyard for me.

  “I completely forgot about a stupid meeting today at four, and if my father wasn’t going to be there I would say screw it, but Daddy signs my checks. Anyway, I’ll print off a copy of their rider and I need you to make sure everything is there in the dressing room before the boys arrive. If anything is missing, then find the event manager and tell them to fix it. Got it?”

  I simply nodded my head and followed her out of the elevator, down a long hallway to her office.

  “You will need the keycard to access our office.”

  “Okay,” I said quietly.

  “Molly, you have my key………….”

  “Oh, I’m sorry.” Stepping up to the door, I fumbled with sliding the key into the reader. Seriously, can I look like any more of a pathetic loser today? Get it together, Molly.

  The machine beeped and Miss Craft swung the large glass door open. The office was jaw dropping beautiful; well the whole building was. The entire back wall was floor to ceiling glass windows, showing off the absolutely spectacular view of downtown Seattle. Holy shit, I get to work here.

  “Your desk is right through those glass doors there, but you can worry about that tomorrow. Here, let me print off a copy of the rider and you can get on your way. You do know where you are going, right?”