Between a Rock and a Hard Place

by Bohannon, Hipsy

  He wasn’t stupid, though, he knew a day would come when he couldn’t just drop by for breakfast, or kiss her cheek on his way out the door. He wouldn’t be able to call her at three in the morning or sneak into her bed after a horrible day. Everything would change one day, and he never knew when that day might be. It could be never, but then again, it could be tomorrow. The thought left him cold.

  He, so badly, wanted the life that she was gonna end up having with some other jackass. He wanted her, and everything that came along with her. He didn't like the idea, of some other dude getting the privilege of watching her grow older. He didn't like that they would be the one that she clung to when she was cold or the one she would call out for when she was in need. That person, was always, supposed to be him.

  Cole couldn’t help but to grind his jaw as he watched Penny walk off the stage, heading down to the main floor. He didn't wanna see this part, he never did. Lap dances and flirting, little winks, and dirty money, being slipped back and forth. It was torture to lay witness to. The real torture, though, was knowing that he had enough money for them both to be living the high life, yet, she would rather do this, rather degrade herself to a bunch of strangers than to allow him to take care of her.

  The only reason, she even allowed him to pitch in with T.J, was because she was a good mother, and wanted what was best for her son, even if she couldn't personally provide it. So, he was allowed to pay for his schooling, but nothing more. Cole still went beyond that but he had to keep it on the down low. He snuck in new clothes for the kid, filled the kitchen with groceries, and always made sure that anything T.J. wanted, or needed, was there. He hated that Penny wouldn't let him do the same for her. She was too damn good for the life she was leading, too good to work a pole, and have to do what she did, just to survive, yet, she was too strong willed to just give in, and let him finally provide her with the life that she had always deserved.

  Cole gave her, one last longing look, as he headed for the door, knowing, Able had been right. The story did deserve a better ending. Something had to change and soon before it was too late and the book closed on them forever.

  Penny found Ace’s office empty, as she pushed open the door, but instinctively, she pressed on, heading for the window that looked down on the club below.

  Cole had been here, standing right here in this spot, she was sure of it. The comforting scent of his cologne still hung in the air.

  "Everything okay, darlin’?" Ace questioned, with concern, once again making his way into his office. It seemed it was a busy place for the broken hearted, tonight. He didn’t mind, though. He had been there himself, more than a time or two.

  "Oh, yeah, everything’s fine. I just thought…,” Penny started, her eyes darting over to Ace. “never mind. I’ll get out of your hair." She said, already making her way toward the door.

  "Ya know, most of the girls that work in here, do it because

  they have to, they do it because they don’t have anyone who's willin’ to help em out. They come from bad homes, bad lives, bad addictions, but with you, I don’t think that's the case." Ace mused, taking a seat in his large leather chair, before leaning back to eye Penny from across his desk.

  "Oh yeah, and why is that?" Penny question, stilling in her place by the door.

  "I'm an old man, girl. I've seen a lot over the years, which makes me, a pretty damn good judge of character. I can read people pretty well, and I can tell a man who’s in love when I see them. I can also tell when he’s hurtin’ inside, something fierce. Just like I can with you, Miss. Penny Lane.”

  “Ace, please don’t,” she refused, shaking her hand, trying to stop him from going on. His fatherly speech hurt to hear. It sucked that the only father figure, still looking out for her, was the owner of the strip club that she worked at. It was pathetic really and more than a little sad.

  “No, hear me out girl, because I also know, what a woman scorned looks like. One who can't seem to let go of something that’s got one hell of a hold on her. Truthfully, I think you work here, out of pure spite. The only thing, I'm not really sure of, is who you're trying to punish, him or yourself. Either way, you're both suffering, when ya ain't got no reason to be. I don’t know how ya got here Darlin’, but I know this ain't where ya belong. And, so does Cole."

  Penny eyed the floor, hating how wise the older man was.

  "I can't let go of it, I just can't. So for now, you're stuck with me, rather I belong here or not. Sorry for your luck." She winked, trying to smile away the depth of the conversation.

  "Just think about what I said, okay?" Ace requested as Penny made her way out the door, pretending not to hear.

  Chapter 12

  "C

  an I have your day?"

  Penny smirked as she laid in bed, reading the latest message, sent from Able. It was around noon but she had just woken up. Working late night hours, tended to do that to you.

  "What's left of it, is all yours. ;)" She texted back, with a school girl excitement.

  "I'll take it! Be ready in forty-five, I'll pick you up at your place."

  Penny’s heart raced as she looked at her phone. She felt like a

  teenager all over again. This time was better, though. There was no one to tell her no.

  "What are we gonna be doing?"

  "It's a surprise… well, several of them, actually :) "

  "Okay… but what should I wear? I’m kinda lost over here." She pushed off the bed, heading for her closet.

  "Naked works."

  That one made her giggle.

  "Very funny, never mind; I'll figure something out."

  As soon as the message was sent, Penny tossed her phone on the bed, headed for the shower. She needed to wash off the smell of stripper, and fast.

  Walking into his mother's room, T.J. found her bed empty. “Mom…,” he called out, in the softest voice possible, hoping she wouldn’t hear as he eyed her discarded phone on the bed. “Mom!” he repeated in almost a scream.

  “What?!” Penny called out, from the shower, sounding as if she had just had the wits scared out of her.

  “Never mind, I love you!”

  “What did you break?” She called back, knowing something had to be up if T.J. was offering up, ‘I love you’s’.

  “Nothing, jeez mom, can’t I just tell you I love you?” He played it out, using a letdown tone as he walked over and snatched up her phone.

  “Yes, but,”

  “Mom, please stop talking to me while you’re in the shower. You’re naked in there, it’s weird.”

  “Sorry…, wait, you were the one that started this conversation. Was it not weird a minute ago?”

  “No, it still was, please stop talking mom; I’m super busy!”

  “Doing what?”

  “Minding my own business, you should try it sometime.” T.J. smirked, pressing the last two keys of his mother's passcode into her phone.

  “What the hell did you just say, young man?”

  “I said, I love you, and that you have pretty eyes.”

  “Oh, that’s my sweet boy, I love you too!” she yelled from the other room.

  “Naked lady, we talked about this, please stop talking.”

  “Oh, sorry.”

  T.J. rolled his eyes, scanning through his mother's latest messages, as he made his way through the apartment.

  "Great, can't wait to see you. I haven't been able to stop thinking about you ." T.J. stuck his tongue out at the sappy text from his mom’s new tool, before quickly, typing in a response.

  "Weird, I haven't thought about you at all. Your bad

  breath yes, you, not so much. #YourMouthIsGross."

  "Not even a little? And sorry about that, brushing as we speak!”

  The text vibrated back in his hand.

  "Nope! #GoDieInAHole."

  T.J. text back, making his way to the living room and plopping down on the couch before pulling out his own phone.

  Sitting at a stop light, Cole eyed the m
essage from T.J. on his phone.

  "Hey, that douche bag Holden is picking up mom in twenty minutes. Should I get rid of him?"

  "Hang back, just get a feel for him. We’ll get rid of him soon enough. Intel, is where we’re at, so get it!" Cole quickly text back. "10-4, over and out" T.J. texted before switching back over to his mother's phone.

  "Pick me up pizza, LARGE, double cheese, extra pepperoni and a Redbull… and a bag of M&M'S #BigBag #DontBeCheap!" T.J. couldn’t stop smirking as he hit send.

  "I had something in mind for us to eat, do you still want the other stuff, too?"

  "Yes, I'm a fatty! I like food, deal with it! #BigIsBeautiful #IWillEatYourWholeFamily."

  "Okay... calm down killer. What's your apartment number?"

  "112, HURRY! #MeSoHorny." T.J. text fast, hearing the bathroom door open and close.

  "T.J., have you seen my phone?" Penny called out, making T.J.’s eyes go a little wide.

  "I'm not allowed to play with phones, remember? You should really keep better track of your things. You’re an adult now, Mom." T.J. called back, quickly erasing the text he had made.

  He was smirking pretty hard when he made his way to his mother's room to find her on hands and knees, searching under her brand new bed for her precious little phone.

  "It's right there, blind lady." He informed, tossing the phone on the pillow where he had found it.

  "Jesus, if it woulda been a snake, it would have bit me." Penny laughed as her head popped up and her hand darted over to snag it.

  "Yep, you should get your eyes checked, old woman." T.J. tossed the tease over his shoulder, already making his way out of the room.

  "Hey, I'm leaving in a bit with Holden; yell to me when he gets here, okay… and don’t be an ass to him, either! I kinda like this one." Penny called out, after him.

  "Too late,” T.J. whispered under his breath with a sneaky grin on his lips. “Best behavior, I promise!” he called out, loud enough for her to hear as he made his way over to the living room window, awaiting his delivery.

  It wasn’t long before he spotted a burnt orange Volvo, and knew it must be the new guy. It was way too nice to belong to anyone who lived in this shit hole, complex. He watched like a hawk as a long, dark haired, man climbed out of the driver's side and made his way to the passenger side, retrieving a plastic bag and a pizza box.

  Just then, Penny made her way down the hall, fidgeting with her belt.

  “You’re not gonna wear that are you?” T.J. questioned, his eyes darting from the door to his mother.

  For once, she was ready on time, but that, just wasn’t gonna do.

  “Um, ya… That’s why I’m wearing it.” Penny said in an odd tone as she glanced down at her jeans and tee shirt. The tee shirt was snug and V-necked, showing off the rest of the curves that her, skin tight jeans, had missed. She thought she looked pretty damn good.

  “Please don’t, you look like a prostitute.” T.J. sighed out.

  “What are you talking about, this outfit covers everything I got to sell, trust me.”

  “Okay fine, it makes you look old.” T.J. tried again, his eyes darting from his mother back to the door.

  Any second the new guy would be knocking. T.J. had to find a way to get his mother back in her room before that happened.

  “Nice try, but this outfit, is ageless.” Penny smirked.

  “Fine, I didn’t wanna say it, but that outfit, makes you look fat.” T.J. shrugged.

  “Oh my God, really?!” Penny’s eyes went wide as she glanced down at the outfit in question.

  “Yep, totally, super fat.”

  “Shit, stall Holden when he gets here. Thanks for looking out buddy!” She called out over her shoulder, already making a run back to her room.

  “Anytime mom, I got you!” T.J. called out, just as he heard the first, light tap, on the front door.

  Making his way over, he decided he already didn’t like the new guy, he knocked like a pussy.

  "Hey buddy, you must be Trent?” Able greeted, but was met with nothing but a scowl.

  "You must be mom's new, man of the week. I thought you'd be taller… and younger. She didn't mention you were old. What are you like fifty?” T.J. questioned, still not moving out of the door to let Able in.

  "Um…, well, sorry I'm not taller.. or younger, I guess." Able offered, looking himself over.

  “Good, you should be. You’re a real let down.” T.J. informed, looking Able up and down, before locking eyes with him, once again.

  A moment passed and neither said a word, just stared at one another.

  "Can I borrow twenty bucks?" T.J. finally broke the silence, holding out his hand with a raised brow.

  "I don’t have any cash on me, so no, prolly not." Able informed, cocking his head to the side.

  "You look kinda shady; ever done anytime?"

  "No, how bout you?" Able challenged.

  "Not yet, but mess with my mom and I might still get the chance. I hear San Quentin's nice this time of year." T.J. offered with a shrug.

  Able couldn't help but to laugh, the kid was sharp.

  "No worries, I don’t plan on ‘messing’ with your

  mom. I just wanna get to know her, if that's okay with you."

  "So if I said it wasn't, you would leave?" T.J. returned, not missing a beat.

  "Yeah, I would, but I’m hoping you’re gonna give me a chance.”

  “A chance at what?”

  “A chance to prove that I’m not some asshole, that’s just trying to get into her pants." Able said, thinking that being straight with the kid was the best way to go at it.

  He could already tell, that he wasn't dealing with the average child. Honestly, the kid reminded him a lot of himself. He had grown up with a single mother, and more than a time or two, had made a contact sport out of chasing away her suitors. So, he understood where the kid was coming from. Honestly, it was kind of interesting seeing it from the other side. It almost made him feel bad for all the guys that had tried and failed at dating his own mother. Almost.

  "Good, because that’s never gonna happen, anyway. She's already got someone for that and he's a real badass, so, I’d keep my hands to myself if I were you, or you might lose em." T.J. warned, as if he was just trying to be a nice guy, and give Able the heads up.

  "Noted,"

  "Is that my… moms Pizza?" T.J. questioned, eyeing the box and licking his lips.

  "Indeed, it is." Able nodded as T.J. went to grab for it. The boy was too slow, though, as Able pulled it just out of his reach.

  "Maybe you wanna invite me in, first?" Able said, with a raised brow and a smirk that had T.J. rolling his eyes, with a sigh, before stepping to the side to let him pass by.

  Able glanced around the small apartment and found that he liked it. It felt homey and looked lived in. Quickly, he made his way over to the table, placing the bag and box down before taking a step back and raising his hands in surrender. It was one thing to get between a boy in his mother but whole other, to get between a boy and his pizza.

  "Sweet, you got me the big one!" T.J. exclaimed, pulling the large Red Bull out of the bag.

  "You mean, I got your, mom, the big one, right?" Able corrected with a knowing smirk.

  T.J.’s eyes, locked with his, before a ‘fuck I’m caught’ smile broke across the boy's lips.

  "Fine, you caught me, but hey, a kids gotta eat, right? Don’t

  hate on my hustle." T.J. shrugged, pulling out a huge bag of M&M’s from the plastic bag. "You got me an already opened bag of M&M’s; that’s so creepy, dude." T.J. noted giving Able an annoyed look.

  "Well no, they weren’t opened when I bought them, but then I opened them. Because ,I wanted to do this for your mom.” Able informed, holding up a zip lock bag filled with her favorite little blue candies.

  "That, is so freaking sweet of you! You shouldn't have!"

  Both the boy's eyes darted to the kitchen door, finding Penny with a big goofy grin on her face, as she eyed
the bag in Able’s hand.

  "Wow, you look beautiful!" Able breathed out in awe, making his way around the counter just so that he could get a better look.

  She was in a little black tank top and a short flowy skirt that had a flower pattern on it, showing off her long legs. Her black, calf high, beater boots finished off the look perfectly. A look that was all her own. A look that Able, found himself drooling over.

  "Thanks, I hope this works. I wasn't sure what we were doing today. " She said, with the nibble of her lip as she looked down at her outfit.

  "It's perfect… just like you." Able smiled, stuffing his hands deep into his pocket.

  Damn it, he was killing her. Penny wasn’t sure which part got her more, the little boy smile he wore, or the fact that he was eyeing her like he was about to eat her alive. Either way, she couldn’t help but to let out a little giggle as her cheeks flushed red.

  "I think I'm gonna be sick, if you two, keep eyeball fuckin…,"

  "Trent Jonathan!" Penny scolded, her eyes going wide.

  "What, I'm just being real. If this guy, and his virgin ears, can't handle that, then maybe he needs to get out of the kitchen, if ya know what I mean.” T.J. shrugged to his mother, before turning his attention back to Able. “It was nice knowin’ ya, hippie boy, but we be keepin’ it real up in this bitch,"

  "One more word, and so help me God, I will take away your…" Penny tried to warn but came up short on her threat.

  "What, what are you gonna take away from me? The TV, my phone, maybe my video games? You don’t let me have any of that stuff. I bet you wish you did right now, though, don’t ya? I bet it burns, doesn’t it Mom?"