She wore a pretty, flowered halter dress, tied in a knot at the neck, and wedge-heeled sandals. As I approached her booth by the window, I checked out her heart-shaped face, cute turned-up nose, and full Kewpie doll lips. The sprinkle of freckles across her nose reminded me of Jack.
I managed a weak smile. “Hey, what’ll you have?”
She pointed a frosty-white fingernail at me. “Hey, I know you. You’re staying at the Plaza.”
I quickly thought, The girl in Room 8 .
“Yeah, I’m Jack’s wife, Nikky.”
“Nice to meet you, Nikky. Tell Carlos to throw one of my T-bones on the grill and add an order of fries. Bring me a Dr. Pepper and one for yourself. Carlos won’t mind if we visit for a while.”
I pinned the order on the spindle. Carlos spun the order around and said, “Yah, yah. Miss Wednesday is here. I saw her, already.”
“Hey, Carlos. Do you mind if I take a break?”
Carlos flashed a gold-toothed smile, and quietly said, “Sure, sure. Take your time.”
So far, Carlos had been a cool guy to work for. The money was good, and it gave me a break from Jack and his friends. I grabbed two bottles of Dr. Pepper and headed back to the table, hoping to make a friend of my own.
She smiled at me and held out a hand after I sat down. “Take a load off! My friends call me Wednesday, you know, like on the Addams Family?”
I laughed and took her hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Wednesday!”
“Of course, Wednesday isn’t my real name. Sometimes I’m Sunday because I like the sound of it. Sometimes I’m Tuesday like Tuesday Weld, the movie star.”
I blushed. “Nikky’s not my real name, either. I hate my real name.”
Wednesday looked me over. “You got an ID with your new name on it?”
I shook my head. “Uh-uh.”
“Hey, I know a guy who can fix you right up.”
I watched Wednesday pull a matching wallet from a large, brown leather bag inlaid with painted flowers. “Wow, what a cool bag!”
“Yeah, it set me back a piece. But I figure that I earned it.”
Wednesday spread her Social Security cards and driver’s licenses out on the table.
“I’ve got a friend that makes these for me. So if I get stopped by the cops, I’ve got something to show them. It’s all legit, no questions asked.”
Wednesday’s IDs looked as real as mine. “Oh, man! I really need one of these. I’m still carrying around my old ID.”
“Well, you just tell me when and where. I can set you up with the dude who does them. He’ll take your snapshot, and it’s done, like that, twenty-five bucks a pop.”
I smiled at my pretty, new friend. “Sure!”
Carlos brought Wednesday’s steak and fries and one for me, too. “Oh, Carlos! You didn’t have to do that.”
Carlos laughed a huge ha-ha. “Not to worry, Girlie! It’s on Miss Wednesday!”
Wednesday called after Carlos as he walked away. “Yeah, thanks a heap, Carlos!”
I looked from Carlos to Wednesday. “Are you sure this is okay?”
Wednesday waved a hand. “Sure, why not? I buy the steaks. He just cooks them.”
My mouth watered as I carved a chunk of the T-bone. “Wow, I haven’t had steak in a long time. This smells great!”
Wednesday pointed with her fork and talked with a full mouth. “I used to work here, see. Carlos is a straight-up guy. You ever have any problems, just see ole Carlos. He’ll straighten everything out.”
I hesitated and approached the subject gently. “Uh, so you don’t work here anymore?”
Wednesday waved her fork in the air. “Nah, waiting tables is hard work. Besides, I can make four times the money with a fraction of the effort turning tricks.”
I felt relieved that Wednesday’s occupation was out in the open. The mere thought of sex reminded me of the night I was raped, and I couldn’t imagine earning a living that way. Fortunately, Jack was more interested in getting high than having sex, and I really didn’t have to worry about it.
“Is that what made you
I managed a weak smile. “Hey, what’ll you have?”
She pointed a frosty-white fingernail at me. “Hey, I know you. You’re staying at the Plaza.”
I quickly thought, The girl in Room 8 .
“Yeah, I’m Jack’s wife, Nikky.”
“Nice to meet you, Nikky. Tell Carlos to throw one of my T-bones on the grill and add an order of fries. Bring me a Dr. Pepper and one for yourself. Carlos won’t mind if we visit for a while.”
I pinned the order on the spindle. Carlos spun the order around and said, “Yah, yah. Miss Wednesday is here. I saw her, already.”
“Hey, Carlos. Do you mind if I take a break?”
Carlos flashed a gold-toothed smile, and quietly said, “Sure, sure. Take your time.”
So far, Carlos had been a cool guy to work for. The money was good, and it gave me a break from Jack and his friends. I grabbed two bottles of Dr. Pepper and headed back to the table, hoping to make a friend of my own.
She smiled at me and held out a hand after I sat down. “Take a load off! My friends call me Wednesday, you know, like on the Addams Family?”
I laughed and took her hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Wednesday!”
“Of course, Wednesday isn’t my real name. Sometimes I’m Sunday because I like the sound of it. Sometimes I’m Tuesday like Tuesday Weld, the movie star.”
I blushed. “Nikky’s not my real name, either. I hate my real name.”
Wednesday looked me over. “You got an ID with your new name on it?”
I shook my head. “Uh-uh.”
“Hey, I know a guy who can fix you right up.”
I watched Wednesday pull a matching wallet from a large, brown leather bag inlaid with painted flowers. “Wow, what a cool bag!”
“Yeah, it set me back a piece. But I figure that I earned it.”
Wednesday spread her Social Security cards and driver’s licenses out on the table.
“I’ve got a friend that makes these for me. So if I get stopped by the cops, I’ve got something to show them. It’s all legit, no questions asked.”
Wednesday’s IDs looked as real as mine. “Oh, man! I really need one of these. I’m still carrying around my old ID.”
“Well, you just tell me when and where. I can set you up with the dude who does them. He’ll take your snapshot, and it’s done, like that, twenty-five bucks a pop.”
I smiled at my pretty, new friend. “Sure!”
Carlos brought Wednesday’s steak and fries and one for me, too. “Oh, Carlos! You didn’t have to do that.”
Carlos laughed a huge ha-ha. “Not to worry, Girlie! It’s on Miss Wednesday!”
Wednesday called after Carlos as he walked away. “Yeah, thanks a heap, Carlos!”
I looked from Carlos to Wednesday. “Are you sure this is okay?”
Wednesday waved a hand. “Sure, why not? I buy the steaks. He just cooks them.”
My mouth watered as I carved a chunk of the T-bone. “Wow, I haven’t had steak in a long time. This smells great!”
Wednesday pointed with her fork and talked with a full mouth. “I used to work here, see. Carlos is a straight-up guy. You ever have any problems, just see ole Carlos. He’ll straighten everything out.”
I hesitated and approached the subject gently. “Uh, so you don’t work here anymore?”
Wednesday waved her fork in the air. “Nah, waiting tables is hard work. Besides, I can make four times the money with a fraction of the effort turning tricks.”
I felt relieved that Wednesday’s occupation was out in the open. The mere thought of sex reminded me of the night I was raped, and I couldn’t imagine earning a living that way. Fortunately, Jack was more interested in getting high than having sex, and I really didn’t have to worry about it.
“Is that what made you
Similar Books
