Monday?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, when we were at the mall, Rod called Jessica, asking her to work on Sunday. I guess they had someone quit or somethin’. Anyway, he asked Jessica if she had my number because he wanted to move up the interview. Jessica said I was with her. We just came from the diner.” She smiled.
“What happened?”
“I got the job.” She jumped up and down, clapping her hands together. She threw her arms around him, hugging him tight. “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” she said in quick succession.
He pulled away with a grin. “Congratulations. We should celebrate tomorrow. Why don’t we go to dinner? Anywhere you want to go.”
She bit her lower lip. “We could celebrate tonight.” She sashayed into his personal space, her hips rocking back and forth. She gazed up at him, the heels on her boots putting her lips within striking distance. She pressed her lips to his, and reached down and rubbed her hand over his crotch.
James recoiled, his breath heavy. “I’m sorry,” he said. “We can’t.”
She moved back into James’s personal space, her teeth raking her lower lip. “Why not?”
James put his outstretched hands on her shoulders, keeping her at arm’s-length. “I’m too old for you.”
She scowled, her eyes watering. “You don’t think I’m pretty?”
“Of course I do, but this is not good for you. Especially …”
She crossed her arms over her chest and stomped to the love seat. She sat down and unzipped her boots. She pulled the boots off her feet and dumped them on the wood floor. “What are you doin’ with me then?” she said. “Why are you buyin’ me stuff and helpin’ me? What are you gettin’ outta this? Are you some kinda freak?”
James sat in the recliner and swiveled toward her. “Would you believe that it makes me happy to help you?”
“Then why won’t you let me pay you back?”
“Your dream job, that job helping people, do you want to do it because of the money, because of the payback?”
She was quiet for a moment. “Knowin’ that I did somethin’ good for someone is the payback.”
“If you can do it, why can’t I?”
“I’m just used to men …” Her eyes filled with tears.
“A lot of nice guys are out there. You’ll find one who’s right for you.”
“How?” She sniffled.
“You have to work on you first. Understand?”
“I think so.” She wiped her eyes with the side of her index finger, smudging her mascara. “I’m sorry. I’m just not used to this.”
* * *
James stared at the tiny wires dangling behind the porch light. Was it always cut? Did the porch light ever work? He exhaled and entered the cabin. Sunlight pierced the windows. James made coffee and sat at the kitchen table in sweats, his laptop in front of him. Brittany sat across from him, eating cereal.
“What time are you working today? James asked.
“Four to twelve,” she replied.
“We need to get you a driver’s license.”
“Jessica said she’d drop me off.”
James shook his head. “It’s out of her way. I’ll be there to pick you up. Have you ever driven a car before?”
“No,” she replied.
James rubbed the stubble on his chin. “I’m not sure you’ll reach the pedals on my truck.”
She set down her spoon. “You’re really not gonna let me drive, are you?”
“Sure. Why not?”
“Because I’ll break somethin’ or someone .”
James smiled. “We’ll go somewhere out of the way to practice.”
She stood and washed her bowl in the sink. James scanned the headlines on his favorite alternative news site.
Tensions Rise over Refugee Crisis
ACLU Accuses Biloxi, Mississippi, of Running Debtors’ Prison
The Disappearing Pension
Half of American Workers Make Less than $30,000 a Year
The Nightmare Created by Quantitative Easing
Brittany read over his shoulder. “Why do you read all this depressin’ stuff?”
“I like to be aware, to know what’s coming.”
She sat back down across from him. “What’s
“Yeah.”
“Well, when we were at the mall, Rod called Jessica, asking her to work on Sunday. I guess they had someone quit or somethin’. Anyway, he asked Jessica if she had my number because he wanted to move up the interview. Jessica said I was with her. We just came from the diner.” She smiled.
“What happened?”
“I got the job.” She jumped up and down, clapping her hands together. She threw her arms around him, hugging him tight. “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” she said in quick succession.
He pulled away with a grin. “Congratulations. We should celebrate tomorrow. Why don’t we go to dinner? Anywhere you want to go.”
She bit her lower lip. “We could celebrate tonight.” She sashayed into his personal space, her hips rocking back and forth. She gazed up at him, the heels on her boots putting her lips within striking distance. She pressed her lips to his, and reached down and rubbed her hand over his crotch.
James recoiled, his breath heavy. “I’m sorry,” he said. “We can’t.”
She moved back into James’s personal space, her teeth raking her lower lip. “Why not?”
James put his outstretched hands on her shoulders, keeping her at arm’s-length. “I’m too old for you.”
She scowled, her eyes watering. “You don’t think I’m pretty?”
“Of course I do, but this is not good for you. Especially …”
She crossed her arms over her chest and stomped to the love seat. She sat down and unzipped her boots. She pulled the boots off her feet and dumped them on the wood floor. “What are you doin’ with me then?” she said. “Why are you buyin’ me stuff and helpin’ me? What are you gettin’ outta this? Are you some kinda freak?”
James sat in the recliner and swiveled toward her. “Would you believe that it makes me happy to help you?”
“Then why won’t you let me pay you back?”
“Your dream job, that job helping people, do you want to do it because of the money, because of the payback?”
She was quiet for a moment. “Knowin’ that I did somethin’ good for someone is the payback.”
“If you can do it, why can’t I?”
“I’m just used to men …” Her eyes filled with tears.
“A lot of nice guys are out there. You’ll find one who’s right for you.”
“How?” She sniffled.
“You have to work on you first. Understand?”
“I think so.” She wiped her eyes with the side of her index finger, smudging her mascara. “I’m sorry. I’m just not used to this.”
* * *
James stared at the tiny wires dangling behind the porch light. Was it always cut? Did the porch light ever work? He exhaled and entered the cabin. Sunlight pierced the windows. James made coffee and sat at the kitchen table in sweats, his laptop in front of him. Brittany sat across from him, eating cereal.
“What time are you working today? James asked.
“Four to twelve,” she replied.
“We need to get you a driver’s license.”
“Jessica said she’d drop me off.”
James shook his head. “It’s out of her way. I’ll be there to pick you up. Have you ever driven a car before?”
“No,” she replied.
James rubbed the stubble on his chin. “I’m not sure you’ll reach the pedals on my truck.”
She set down her spoon. “You’re really not gonna let me drive, are you?”
“Sure. Why not?”
“Because I’ll break somethin’ or someone .”
James smiled. “We’ll go somewhere out of the way to practice.”
She stood and washed her bowl in the sink. James scanned the headlines on his favorite alternative news site.
Tensions Rise over Refugee Crisis
ACLU Accuses Biloxi, Mississippi, of Running Debtors’ Prison
The Disappearing Pension
Half of American Workers Make Less than $30,000 a Year
The Nightmare Created by Quantitative Easing
Brittany read over his shoulder. “Why do you read all this depressin’ stuff?”
“I like to be aware, to know what’s coming.”
She sat back down across from him. “What’s
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