by Coco Holland
"The casino guy?"
"Casinos, hotels, small businesses, he's got a finger in every pie."
"You don't like him..."
"No, I don't," I agreed. “Let’s just say James’s not a good guy.”
“I see…” she trailed off.
“I wasn’t always rich,” I said quickly. I felt a strange urge to defend myself. “I suppose we were what you’d call middle class.”
Mom was a single mother, but my grandparents had helped us out a great deal. I didn’t want for much, and as an only child, I was a little spoiled.
“Middle class is still rich…” she mused as she twisted a paper napkin in her hands. “So… What’s it like having everything you want?”
“I wouldn’t say I have everything.”
“What?” She furrowed her brow. “You want more?”
“Money can’t buy everything, Leah.” I shrugged.
“I’m pretty sure it does,” she scoffed. “What do you want then?”
I rubbed my hand across my jaw and felt the prickly stubble.
“Something different,” I said finally. “I wanted this life so badly I didn’t think what I’d do once I got it. I guess I’m just restless.”
“You’re unhappy?”
“I suppose that sounds stupid to you,” I cringed.
“I guess I always thought money would take away all your worries…” Leah trailed off, ripping the napkin in her hands into tiny little pieces.
“But no, it’s not stupid,” she continued. “Everyone has their burden to bear. I can’t judge you for yours. I don’t know what it’s like to be you.”
The silence that followed wasn’t uncomfortable. I felt like I could talk to this woman for the rest of my life. I never knew I wanted something like this. Just the quiet, simple comfort of being in her presence.
“Do you worry a lot, Leah? About money?” I asked. “Is that why are you working at that place?”
“Of course,” she laughed. “Do you think I like making coffee with my tits out?”
“There are better things to do, you know.”
“You’re probably right,” she conceded. “But it’s what I have, and it pays the bills at home.”
“You deserve better,” I said carefully. “I could help you. Find another job that is…”
“That’s…that’s kind of you,” Leah shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “You’re a nice guy, Callum.”
“There you go with the nice again,” I said with a frown. Being called nice by a gorgeous girl was never a good thing. “I wasn’t very nice when we first met. I seem to remember we were both pretty bad.”
Leah bit back a smile.
Yes, remember that? Remember how I made you moan?
“Listen, I have to tell you something—” she began.
“Yeah?” I moved my seat closer to hers. I thought of all the ways I’d banish the word nice from her vocabulary. With my fingers. My tongue. My cock.
“What’s that noise?” she turned behind her toward the sound of cheering.
A small crowd of people trailed behind a bride and a groom. They walked as a group toward the water.
“They have wedding ceremonies on this beach,” I said. “Sometimes they book the upper level of the restaurant for their reception. The brides love the view over the water. It’s good business.”
We watched a photographer and his assistant running behind the bridal party furiously taking photos.
“They don’t usually do it during this time of the year,” I said peering up at the overcast sky.
“They look happy,” Leah said with a sigh. “It’s an amazing dress. She’s like a fairy tale princess.”
“I didn’t think you were the fairy tale princess type.”
“Oh, what little girl doesn’t think those kinds of things?” Leah shrugged and took a sip from her glass.
“So you like guys in tights, huh?” I joked.
“Maybe.”
“On a white horse?”
“A pink Cadillac,” she laughed.
“A pink Cadillac?”
“A pink Cadillac,” she repeated. “To ride off into the sunset in style, of course.”
“Of course,” I agreed with a smile. The waiter arrived and placed out plates in front of us.
We continued to watch the bridal group from the deck as we ate our food.
“Have you ever been married?” Leah asked.
“No,” I thought of Natalia and our broken engagement. “I never found the right person.”
I touched her hand.
“I have to head home soon,” Leah said suddenly. She put her hands in her lap. “I’ll be missed at home.”
“Oh, right, sure,” I placed my cutlery down. It was abrupt but our plates were almost empty. I tried to hide the disappointment in my voice. “I’ll drop you off home.”
“I can call a taxi from here,” Leah said, grimacing.
I gestured to the waiter for the cheque. He shook his head and nodded toward Silvia who stood near the bar pretending to be busy. Silvia gave me a quick mischievous wink.
“No, I insist,” I said. “Besides the taxi ride from here to anywhere will cost about as much as what you earned working today.”
I opened my wallet and slid money underneath my plate.
Leah bit her lip.
“Ok,” she said finally.
“Let’s go then,” I said getting up. I gave Silvia a wave goodbye as we made our way back up the stairs.
“Where to?” I asked, getting into the car.
“Just near Main Street in Culver Valley will do.”
I frowned at the thought. There was no way I was going to drop her off on Main Street. I let it go for the moment.
The drive back to Culver Valley was long. The roads were congested. They were full of people who commuted from Culver Valley to work in Chaswick and in Blue Pointe, all traveling home at the end of the day.
When we finally arrived in the center of town, Leah pointed out what seemed to be an arbitrary stop.
“I’ll take you all the way home, Leah.”
“This is home,” she said stubbornly. “Pull over.”
“You live here?” I asked skeptically. “At this deli?”
“No, up top,” she replied quickly, pointing to the apartment above.
“You're telling me you live above this deli,” I frowned. At that very moment, a very hairy bald man appeared flicking his cigarette out of the window she was pointing at. “Who’s that? Your boyfriend?”
Leah blushed caught in her lie.
“Seriously, it's late,” I continued. “I won’t drop you anywhere besides your place. Your real place.”
Leah sighed and reluctantly began giving me directions. It didn’t take long until we arrived at her house and when we did I let the car run idle. It was a rundown place. The fence was rusty, and the paint on the house was peeling, but the street was quiet, and the lights inside made it seem almost inviting.
“I had a great time, Leah,” I turned to her. Her face was red, and she sat facing away from me, primed for a quick exit.
“Me, too,” she squeaked. She reached for the door handle.
“Leah, wait,” I said, my hand gripping her arm. She finally met my gaze. “I was serious about the job. And… if you need any other help, you can call me. I can help you.”
“Help me?” she repeated. “Why? You hardly know me.”
“I'd like to know you.”
“I think that it would be best if we leave it like this,” she said with a certain finality to the tone of her voice. Her eyes were pained. “One night and one date, something nice to think about on a gray day. A nice fairy tale. Let’s not ruin it by dragging this on for longer than we should.”
I didn’t want nice memories. I wanted more time with Leah. I wanted as much time as I could have with her.
“Like I said, whenever you need help, just call me,” I said, ignoring her words. Selfishly and stubbornly sure I would eventually get my way.
“Goodbye, Callum.”
She got out of the car and entered her yard. When she turned around, I waved, and she gave me the saddest smile I had ever seen.
She’ll call, I thought. And when she does, I’ll be waiting.
Chapter 7
Leah
“What exactly are you using these photos for?” I peered over the huge DSLR camera. It was heavy as hell. Kate borrowed it from her friend Jake after I agreed to take photos of her. It was so out of my budget; I knew I’d probably never get another chance to use one again so I spent hours online learning all about the different functions. I wasn’t a pro but it wasn’t on automatic either, and I hadn’t dropped it once.
“Oh, just for some profile pics,” Kate explained as she lay on her couch. She had colored her hair black cherry especially for today. She was wearing a lacy black number that showed off her curvy frame. “A dating site. Some of the girls on there are gorgeous, and I need to stand out.”
I nodded and I took a few more photos. I was happy with the results. Kate’s studio apartment was tiny, but it had an abundance of natural light and the warm glow of the afternoon sun seemed to be doing most of the work for me. It helped that Kate was stunning too.
“Let’s take a few more and have a break,” I suggested. “The last few near the window?”
Kate agreed and walked toward the window.
“Wait,” I said quickly. “That looks good. Turn your head toward me?”
Kate looked over her shoulder and placed her hand on her hip.
“Make sure my ass looks good,” Kate slapped one perky cheek. “Make it Kardashian huge. Like it’s planet sized big. Maybe shoot upwards.”
“You’re stretching our friendship, Kate,” I laughed. I wasn’t going to get down on my knees to shoot up her ass. I loved her, but hell no. “Your ass looks great the way it is. Fuck the Kardashians.”
She laughed. I focused in on her face. She had an amazing smile.
Click.
“I think that’s a keeper,” I said looking down at the preview image, pleased that I finally captured her essence. The last photo wasn’t of her ass but a close of her face. She positively glowed in it.
“Can I see?”
I nodded and held out the camera to her so she could look at the LCD screen on the back. She flipped through the pictures.
“Oh, they’re great Leah,” she smiled brightly. “I don’t know how you got it to look so classy and sensual. Nice!”
“Really? Because I know I could do better, I mean, I read up as much as I could on portraiture.”
“You made me look gorgeous,” she said kindly. “I can’t wait to post them.”
“What kind of dating site is it again?” I was curious. These weren’t your typical profile pictures.
Don’t people usually post smiling selfies from travels abroad? Or selfies of themselves with their pets?
“Promise you won’t tell?” she whispered conspiratorially. “You’ll be the only person who knows. I told Jake we were taking nature pics.”
“I won’t tell,” I said with a frown. “But I’m not sure I want to know now.”
“I’ve signed up to a sugar baby website.”
“A sugar what?”
“Sugar baby, you know, like sugar daddies,” Kate tried to explain. “When you have a sugar daddy, you are a sugar baby.”
Like a gummy baby?
“Basically, a kept woman for some rich old guy,” she continued. “The site brings together people who want that kind of arrangement.”
“Do you have to…” I didn’t want to say it out loud.
“Fuck them?” she giggled. “Some people do, I don’t know if I will, maybe if he’s hot. If he’s ancient, I dunno... Maybe just to see how shriveled they get – ha!”
I couldn’t help but laugh along with her, even if the whole idea was unsettling.
Senior citizen penis. Gross.
“Seriously, Kate,” I frowned. It didn’t seem right… or safe. “That doesn’t sound like a good idea.”
“Don’t be such a prude!” she elbowed me playfully. “Besides, you have your own rich guy from what I remember!”
I bit my lip. I spent all week trying to forget about Callum and the time we spent together. Not because the memories were horrible but because memories of him, every kind word and every warm look reminded me of Tom, what I had tried to do and what a terrible person I was. I swallowed the lump in my throat.
I find a great guy, and I screw him over. Just my luck.
“You ok?” Kate’s face was concerned. I nodded. I turned my attention back to Kate’s predicament.
“Just tell me you’ll be careful,” I insisted. “Call me before and after you meet these guys and arrange to meet them in a public place.”
“Yes, mom,” she said breezily. “Lemme take the SD card out before we forget and old Jake gets the shock of his life.”
I gingerly handed the camera over.
The left side pocket of my jeans buzzed.
“I’ll have to take this,” I said. “It might be Ollie.”
Kate nodded as she fiddled with the camera. I pulled out my phone and walked toward the bathroom. It was Ollie. My heart sank.
I knew what it was going to be about. Today was the day of his chess match, and Mama had promised that she’d pick him up. But something always came up with Mama. Always.
“Hey dork,” I tried to say cheerfully.
“Leah, come pick me up...” Ollie’s voice was small and tinny over the phone line. “Mama didn’t show up.”
And there you go.
“OK, I’ll be there soon.”
“Thanks, Lee.”
I hung up and walked back to the living area where Kate sat waiting.
“Who was that?” Kate sat up from the couch.
“Ollie,” I replied. I picked up my bag. “Sorry but I gotta jet.”
“Oh, hey, no worries,” she said getting up to walk me to the door. “Is everything ok?”
“Yes,” I sighed. “Just the usual.”
She opened the door for me, and I slid past her.
“Thanks for the photos, I’ll see you at work?” Kate gave me a quick hug.
I nodded and turned to go. Kate gave a little wave at the top of the stairs as I made my way down to the ground floor. When she was no longer in sight, I sighed.
Sometimes I hated being right.
Ollie was sitting on the sidewalk outside of the Chaswick City Auditorium when I arrived, his bag between his legs and a sullen look on his face.
“Hey kid,” I said out the window. “Get in.”
“Thanks, Leah,” Ollie shoved his bag into the back seat before opening the front passenger door.
“How was it?”
“Good,” Ollie buckled his seatbelt as I started the car. “Met some cool guys.”
“I’m sorry Mama didn’t show up.”
“Yeah, she was telling me how much she wanted to see me play,” Ollie shrugged. “Maybe her car broke down. That hunk of junk is pretty old.”
I doubted it but said nothing.
“Have you told your friends about your partial scholarship?” I asked.
“No,” Ollie shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “I mean, it’s only partial, we don't have that kinda money.”
“I’ve got some money.” I knew I had to return the five grand. I couldn’t go through with it but I had some money saved in the bank. “And if you save your money from the shop, you’d have a head start on your expenses.”
Ollie had scored a job working with a local mechanic, and while he didn’t earn that much, every bit would help.
“Speaking of the shop… Reggie said that he’d be happy to train me and give me more hours,” Ollie said carefully. “He says I have a knack for it.”
“You won’t have time for more hours when you are at WSU,” I said half concentrating on the road. “You’ll need to get a job that suits your schedule better.”
Ollie stayed silent.
>
“You gotta get out of this place,” I continued. “You are so smart, and you can do anything you want. If I were you, I’d grab this opportunity with both hands.”
“Why didn't you?” Ollie interrupted. “Why didn’t you leave? You’re smart, smarter than me… why did you stay and work at that… place?”
Ollie’s face twisted. He hated that I worked at Pretty Little Thing. I had tried to keep it from him and Mama at the beginning, but this town was small when it came to that kind of stuff.
“Didn’t you want a better life for yourself, Lee?” he asked.
I sighed. I didn’t want to tell Ollie about my full ride. I didn’t want to tell him that I stayed because of him. That I couldn’t trust Mama to take care of herself or the house much less him. How the day I got that fat envelope in the mail, Mama had to go to the hospital because she hurt herself so bad drinking herself blind. I didn’t want to tell him about the decisions I made sitting in the emergency waiting room with my kid brother sleeping in my lap.
“I didn’t get an opportunity to.” I lied. I parked the car in front of our house and pulled my seatbelt off. “You have the opportunity, kid, don’t miss it.”
We both sat in the car staring at Mama’s car sitting in the driveway in the same position it had been that morning.
“We better go in,” Ollie said grimly.
As I walked to the front door, I steeled myself to what was waiting for us. As I expected, we entered the house, and were greeted with a slumped Mama passed out on the couch.
I slammed my keys and bag on the kitchen counter. I returned to the living room anger simmering inside of me as I looked down on her.
“Leah…” Ollie hovered behind us.
“Go to your room,” I took off my jacket and rested it on the couch.
“Leah, no,” he protested.
“Just go to your room, OK?” I bit out.
“She’s sick Leah,” Ollie pleaded. “She can’t help herself. She needs our help.”
“Go. To. Your. Room.”
“You go to yours!” he yelled back nonsensically.
Ollie shook his head before storming off, muttering to himself as he stomped away.
“Get up Mama!” I snapped. I shook her shoulder. “Wake up!”
