by Judy Nickles
****
She caught the early-morning downtown bus and let herself into the building with the key she’d meant to get rid of but was glad she hadn’t. In the employee lounge, she set the coffeepot on the gas ring and curled up on the shabby couch to wait until she could clock in. Veda found her huddled over a cup of coffee gone cold.
“Celeste, honey, what happened?”
“I’d rather not talk about it.”
Veda sat down beside her and pushed her hair back to inspect her face. “You’ll have to do some fast talking when Mr. Thomas sees you.”
“I was wondering…you know a lot about makeup. Is there anything I could put on this?”
“I think that black eye is beyond hiding, kid, but I’ll see what I can find on the floor. Does it hurt?”
“Some.”
“It was your father, wasn’t it?”
Celeste put her lips together.
“Oh, come on, Celeste, everybody knows about him.”
The words jerked Celeste from her apathy. “How do they know?”
“He’s a bigwig at the bank. People know him. They know what he does.”
“You never let on to me.”
“Of course I didn’t. Why would I want to hurt your feelings? Listen, you’ve got to move out. I wish I still needed a roommate, but I’ll ask around and see what I can turn up. Does Kent know?”
“He came over yesterday afternoon. I thought…Veda, I really thought he was going to kill Daddy.”
“Any man who’d beat up on a woman, much less his own daughter, would’ve deserved what he got, but it wouldn’t have done Kent any good. I’ll go see if I can find something to patch you up a little, but you’re not going to fool the boss.”
A few minutes later, Paul Thomas walked into the lounge behind Veda. Her mouth twisted. “Sorry, kid, he saw me poking around behind the cosmetic counter.”
“Let me see your face, Miss Riley.”
Celeste turned her head away. “I’m all right, sir.”
“Your face, Miss Riley.”
She complied.
“I want you to go over to my doctor’s office in the McBurnett Building. I’ll call and tell him you’re coming.”
“No, please, I’m all right. Really I am.”
“I can’t force you to go, but…your father did this, I presume.”
Celeste glanced at Veda and frowned. She threw up her hands. “I didn’t tell him anything.”
“Why did he do it? Not that there’s any justification for physical violence against a woman.”
“He found out I was seeing Kent.” It’s only half a lie.
“I see. Does Kent know?”
“He came over yesterday.”
“Well.” The man seemed to be considering his next words. “I’ll drive you home after work. My wife will go in with you and help you pack. You can stay in our guest room until you find something.” He held up his hand as Celeste opened her mouth to protest. “And if I have to make that a condition of keeping your job here, I will.”
****
Kent called at noon. “I’ve only got a few minutes, Velvet. Are you okay? I hope I’m not getting you into trouble calling you at work.”
She told him about Mr. Thomas’s edict.
“That takes a load off my mind then. You didn’t run into Claudia this morning, did you?”
“I don’t want you to say anything to her, Kent. It won’t help.”
“Somebody needed to take a strap to her years ago, but I guess it’s too late now.”
“I’ve been thinking about how mad you got at Daddy.”
“I admit I lost control for a second.”
“It was more than that. I thought you were going to kill him.”
“I thought about it.”
“You don’t mean that…do you?”
“Well, not literally, but I was so mad when I saw what he’d done to you.”
“I never thought I’d see you act like that.”
“What did you want me to do, Velvet?” The fury in his voice came through the phone. “Smile and shake hands with him?”
“No, but…”
“Look, I told you, I’m a man, not a kid like you dated in high school. And if you knew much about them, you’d probably find a fight or two in their backgrounds, too.”
“You think I’m still a little girl.”
“Are you trying to pick a fight with me?”
“No. But what you did yesterday scared me as much as Daddy did.”
“I’m not sure I like that comparison.”
“I’m not… I’m sorry… I just meant…”
“I’ll try to get a pass sometime this week. Things are winding down a little now that we’re getting ready to take exams. I’ll call you again tomorrow, if it’s okay.”
“Mr. Thomas went home to lunch. He’s probably telling his wife about this mess. I’m so embarrassed.”
“It’s a mess all right, but it’s not your fault, and you’re going to get out of it pretty quick. Listen, I’ve got to go. I love you.”
Celeste made a sound of what she hoped signaled agreement and said goodbye.
****
At three-thirty, Coralee burst into the office, with Ben following, and wrapped Celeste in her arms. “Oh, sweetie, oh, what did he do to you?”
“Mary and I discussed everything at noon and made the decision to call your sister,” Paul Thomas said. “We felt it was best.”
Coralee patted and caressed Celeste like she would a child, murmuring reassurances and reproaches in the same breath. “You should have called us when it happened.”
“We’re taking you to the ranch for a few days,” Ben said.
“I have to work. You know that.”
Mr. Thomas shook his head. “You have some time coming, Miss Riley. My wife can help me with the books. She used to do it before our family came along.”
“But the payroll’s due.”
“Mary was doing payroll before you were born.”
“You’re coming home with us tonight,” Coralee said. “That’s all there is to it.”
“I want you to leave now,” Mr. Thomas said. “Go home and pack before your father gets there.”
Suddenly too tired to argue, Celeste took her coat from the closet and let herself be shuttled down the stairs and out the back door. Claudia, smoking a cigarette in the alley, smirked as Celeste passed her.
****
Ben brought boxes from the grocery market. Coralee and Celeste had one left to pack when Kent showed up. “I don’t know how he did it, but your boss got me an instant pass,” he said, reaching for Celeste’s hand. “I ran into your brother-in-law outside, and he said I could bring some boxes out to the truck if you have them ready.”
Coralee glanced up. “So you’re Prince Dreamboat.”
Celeste gasped. “Sister!”
“It’s okay.” Kent winked at her and then at Coralee. “Only problem is, you’re the one carrying off the princess instead of me.”
“I’ll be back, Kent.” Celeste moved closer to him.
Coralee muttered something that sounded like over my dead body.
“Better make it soon, Velvet. Two more weeks, and I’m gone. We got the word right after I talked to you.”
Celeste blinked back tears. “Do you know where?”
“The big bombing’s going on in Europe.”
“Oh, Kent.”
He pulled her into his arms. “It’s okay. I’ll have some leave to go home before we ship out They won’t put us on a boat right off the bat. We’ll have some time together.”
“Take these,” Coralee said, indicating four soap boxes stacked on the cedar chest.
Kent let Celeste go. “Sure.”
“Be careful. They’re full of breakables.”
He winked at Celeste again. “I’ll treat them like I do my bombsite—like pure gold.”
****
Ben suggested supper before hitting the road and invited Kent to come along. “But you�
�ll have to ride in the back with the boxes.”
“No colder than a cockpit at thirty thousand feet, or so I understand.”
Coralee stuffed Celeste in the middle and crawled in after her, slamming the door. “Maybe you shouldn’t get involved, sweetie. He’s leaving soon, and what he’s going to do isn’t the safest job in the world.”
“He’ll be back,” Celeste said, though a knot of fear had formed in the pit of her stomach. “He will, Sister.”
“I hope so, for your sake.”
Ben reached across her to pat Coralee’s knee. “I like him.”
“I don’t like anybody right now,” Coralee snapped. “It’s a good thing we missed Daddy.”
****
Kent and Celeste held hands under the table while they ate supper at Twin Gables. Celeste wished her sister would warm to Kent as Ben had, but she had to settle for polite. “I can get back to the base,” Kent said as they emerged into dropping temperatures.
“You sure?” Ben asked.
“Somebody’s always going out that way this time of day. I’ll hitch a ride. Just drop me in front of Ma Goodwin’s.”
Coralee’s eyebrows went up.
“It’s an okay place,” Kent said. “And busy. Almost like a station or something.”
When Ben stopped in front of the popular nightspot, which was already filling up, Coralee let Celeste out of the truck to say goodbye.
“They’ll take care of you,” Kent said as he took Celeste far enough away so they couldn’t be heard.
“I’ve taken care of myself since I was eleven,” Celeste said.
“I know, but you need somebody. I wish you needed me.” He curled a strand of her hair around the tip of one finger.
“I do need you, Kent.”
“I don’t think you do, not yet. Not like I need you.” He kissed her forehead. “But I can wait.”
“Promise me you’ll stay away from Daddy.”
“Him and Claudia both. I sure hope you’re right about her leaving after I do.”
“She can’t do anything more to me than she’s already done.”
“Don’t count on it.” His lips drifted down past her bruises to her chin. “I promise I’ll see you before I take off for good.”
“I’m coming back before you leave the base, if I can find a place to stay.”
“That might not be so easy.”
“I’ll find something.”
“You looking for a ride, soldier?” An older man in a thick twill jacket and sweat-stained felt hat motioned to Kent.
“Yeah, thanks. Just a second.” Kent held Celeste against him. “Gotta go, Velvet. I’ll see you. I’ll see you every night in my dreams, wearing that blue velvet dress and smiling at me.” He brushed her lips gently, trying to avoid the bruise that had spread almost to her chin. “I’m meant to have you, just like you were meant to have that dress.” He kissed her again, harder this time. “You take care, you hear?”
Celeste wanted to cry as she watched him sprint for the battered truck where the other man waited. But, though it occurred to her that watching him hanging out the window, waving as the truck rattled away, might be the last time she’d see him, something inside her hurt too much for tears. She waved once more before she walked back to Coralee and Ben.
Chapter Eleven
No one talked much on the drive to Sterling City and not at all about what had happened to Celeste or about Kent. Pearl put her lips together in a tight line when she saw Celeste, but she didn’t say anything except, “Your room is ready, honey.” Coralee went up with her and saw her settled, kissed her goodnight, and left.
At breakfast the next morning, Big Ben weighed in. “You can’t go back, Celeste, at least not to live in your father’s house. We’d all like for you to stay here.”
“I have to work.” Celeste didn’t meet his eyes.
“Understood, but it’s not like you’ll go without if you don’t work for a while.”
Pearl kept Celeste busy all day, helping with the cooking in progress, sorting quilt squares, ironing pillowcases, tablecloths, and napkins, even dusting the little-used dining room. No one said anything else about her going or staying.
Kent called that night. “I got the number from information. Hope nobody minds.”
Celeste noticed that the kitchen emptied out, leaving her alone to talk. “Nobody minds.”
“How’re you doing, Velvet?”
“Okay. How about you?”
“I found out we’ll be graduating at the Roof Garden, and there’ll be a dance afterward.”
“I wish I could be there.”
“I do, too. Maybe it’ll work out.”
“What am I going to do, Kent? I don’t want to lose my job.”
“That’s one of the reasons I called. One of the guys in my squadron—his wife came with him and has a room over on Preusser that she’ll be giving up next week.”
“There’s probably a long waiting list.”
“Well, there is, but he called his wife and sort of explained the situation and she talked to her landlady.”
“Oh, Kent, I didn’t want it spread all over town.”
“Wait a minute, Velvet, it’s not all over town. No names, no details, just that you need a place. Anyway, it’s all arranged. You can have the room if you’ll call the landlady first thing in the morning and send her the first week’s rent. Seven-fifty a week.”
“That’s a lot.” She thought of the five dollars she gave her father each week and did some quick calculations.
“Yeah, but you get kitchen privileges. You can eat cheap and not starve.”
“I don’t know.” Celeste, her knees wobbling out of control, sank into the nearest chair.
“My friend says it’s a nice room, furnished and all that, and the landlady’s friendly, too. The city bus stops at the end of the block.”
“I don’t know,” Celeste repeated.
“Velvet, it’s a sweet deal, and it’s the only one you’re going to get. There’ll be a new class coming in here right after graduation, and there aren’t enough rooms in town to hold all the wives coming along with their husbands. My friend says that women are already sharing four deep around town.”
Celeste almost dropped the phone as the necessity of making a decision, the biggest decision she’d ever made in her life, swept over her, leaving her weak.
“Look, I can give her the seven-fifty tomorrow if you want the room.”
“I…”
“What are you going to do? Sit in Sterling City for the rest of your life? Go back home and let your father beat you up again?”
“Don’t yell at me.” Celeste burst into tears.
“I’m not yelling. Well, maybe I am, but I love you, Celeste. I want you to be happy, but right now, I just want you safe. I hate the idea I can’t stay here and take care of you.”
“I ought to talk it over with Coralee.”
“Why? It’s not her life. She’s doing okay.”
“Why are you being so mean to me?”
“You think I’m being mean just because I found you a good place to stay so you can keep your job? Listen, I talked to a guy from Sterling City. He says there aren’t any jobs there. Come on, Velvet, this is a good deal.”
“It’s a big decision.”
“You’re a big girl now, aren’t you?”
“I don’t know. I guess so. I…”
“Yes or no, Velvet?”
Her breath came faster, and she could feel her heart beating beneath her sweater. Kent was right. There were no jobs here, and she didn’t know anybody except Coralee and Ben and his parents. It was a dead end, like Kent said, so why was it so hard to decide? I’ve never been on my own before, not really. Daddy didn’t take care of me, but he was there. I like my job. I’d miss the church and Veda and Marilyn and the rest. I know I’m welcome here, but I don’t want to be the poor relation. I don’t want to depend on Big Ben and Pearl for what I need.
Her fingers began to cramp from clut
ching the telephone receiver so tightly. “Okay. Yes.”
“Good girl.” The approval in Kent’s voice warmed her. “I’ll tell the woman you don’t know exactly when you’ll move in, but she won’t care, not if she’s got her money. Listen, there’s a line waiting to use the phone, so I’ve got to go. I’ll call you again tomorrow night.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “Love you, Velvet.”
“I love you, too.” She wasn’t sure she’d spoken the words aloud before she heard a click breaking the connection.
****
Only Coralee expressed reservations about Celeste’s decision. “I was counting on having you here for a little while,” she said, her mouth trembling.
“She’ll be back for Christmas,” Ben said. “Won’t you, little sister?”
Celeste nodded.
“Are you sure Kent didn’t talk you into something you don’t want to do?” Coralee said.
“He… No, it’s the only thing to do…isn’t it?”
“You know you’re welcome here,” Big Ben said.
“I know, but my job… I don’t want to lose my job.”
“And there aren’t any here,” Ben said, cutting off Coralee’s reply. “She’ll be fine, Coralee sweetheart. August Riley isn’t going to risk his job by breaking and entering. Besides, he won’t even know where she is.”
“Preusser is pretty close to Spaulding,” Coralee argued, “and who knows what he’ll do when he’s drunk.”
“Don’t borrow trouble,” Pearl said. “I think a chance to be on her own is exactly what Celeste needs. And we’re not that far away if she needs us.”
Maybe she’s right. Kent thinks I’m doing the right thing. Celeste took a deep breath. “I’ll be okay, Sister. Really, I will.”
****
“I’m proud of you,” Kent said when he called the next night. “You’re going to like being independent. It’s a good feeling.”
“It’s scary, if you really want to know.”
