baseball
uniform, way back in ninth grade, she’d longed for him. When his
gaze finally landed on her at a New Year’s Eve party, she hadn’t
stopped herself then either. She’d raced headlong into his arms to
live out all the fantasies she’d had of him over the years. But the
reality turned into a nightmare faster than she could have said ‘3,
2, 1 … Happy New Year’.
She didn’t truly think Trent would
pull a Jekyll and Hyde on her, but she’d been wrong before. Sure
Trent was charming, good looking, and a great kisser – Lord, she
couldn’t leave those lips out - but she had to wonder what he would
be like after the newness wore off.
Noelle felt something deep inside her
say he would be all he was and more if she just gave him time. Her
heart, her mind, her body, wanted his touch so much, wanted his
attention.
The alarm clock buzzed next to her,
breaking up the vicious cycle of questioning. Noelle shut it off
and threw back the covers. The hot shower felt good, but it made
her think of other hot things – Trent’s kisses, Trent’s hands, and
that smoldering look he seemed to have only for her.
Noelle planted her hands against the
wall and let the water cascade over her head and down her body. The
stream caressed her curves and she imaged Trent in its place. For
seeming so pompous, he was gentle with her, as if she were a rare
gem. He made her feel precious.
Something in that thought, something
about a man making her feel so valuable, brought tears to her eyes.
For so long Noelle had felt worthless. She had allowed Lenny to
make her feel that way, but never again would she have to deal with
him. From now on, She wouldn’t deal with any man who made her feel
like less than she knew she was.
Noelle felt a fire come to life in
her, it had begun the moment she put the car in drive and left
Arkansas and it had only grown since then. At first she didn’t know
what to call it, it seemed so foreign to her, but now she knew it
was confidence – self-confidence.
She smiled and remembered an old
gospel hymn her momma would sing to her about letting her lil’
light shine. This was her time to shine.
That thought had her humming the tune
all morning, to the point that Delphine started eyeballing
her.
“You know you’re gonna get that damn
song stuck in my head.”
Noelle smiled over her shoulder from
where she was changing the bed sheets in Room 12. “I can’t help it.
It seems fitting today.”
Delphine laughed. “He must really be
doing something to you.”
Noelle thought about it for a moment
and shook her head. “No. I mean, Trent is great and I love spending
time with him, but being away from the life I left is really
starting to pick my spirits up. I can’t remember a time when I was
so happy.”
Delphine smiled. “That is good to
hear. I bet your momma is looking down on you with a grin bigger
than yours to hear you say it.”
Noelle grinned bigger. “Oh, I know she
is. I just wish she was still here to see it. I miss her so much.
And I miss her friend LuAnn. She helped me get away and I wish I
could call just to say I’m okay.”
Delphine set out the little bottles of
shampoo and conditioner and shrugged. “Why can’t you call
her?”
Noelle shook her head. “I’m scared
Lenny or his daddy would find out and track me down. I don’t want
LuAnn to be in the middle of this any more than she has
been.”
“Well what if I called her for
you?”
Noelle paused. “Really? “
Delphine nodded. “Sure, it’s no
trouble at all. You know we could get you a cheap pre-paid phone
and then you wouldn’t have to worry about anyone tracking you down
from the phone number.”
Noelle laughed. “Geez Delphine, you
sound like you’ve done this before.”
Delphine waved her off. “Nope, just
watch a lot of cop dramas on television. And it was just a plot
line on my favorite soap.”
They both laughed. Noelle was the
first to recover. “My life has been a soap opera. I bet I could be
a
uniform, way back in ninth grade, she’d longed for him. When his
gaze finally landed on her at a New Year’s Eve party, she hadn’t
stopped herself then either. She’d raced headlong into his arms to
live out all the fantasies she’d had of him over the years. But the
reality turned into a nightmare faster than she could have said ‘3,
2, 1 … Happy New Year’.
She didn’t truly think Trent would
pull a Jekyll and Hyde on her, but she’d been wrong before. Sure
Trent was charming, good looking, and a great kisser – Lord, she
couldn’t leave those lips out - but she had to wonder what he would
be like after the newness wore off.
Noelle felt something deep inside her
say he would be all he was and more if she just gave him time. Her
heart, her mind, her body, wanted his touch so much, wanted his
attention.
The alarm clock buzzed next to her,
breaking up the vicious cycle of questioning. Noelle shut it off
and threw back the covers. The hot shower felt good, but it made
her think of other hot things – Trent’s kisses, Trent’s hands, and
that smoldering look he seemed to have only for her.
Noelle planted her hands against the
wall and let the water cascade over her head and down her body. The
stream caressed her curves and she imaged Trent in its place. For
seeming so pompous, he was gentle with her, as if she were a rare
gem. He made her feel precious.
Something in that thought, something
about a man making her feel so valuable, brought tears to her eyes.
For so long Noelle had felt worthless. She had allowed Lenny to
make her feel that way, but never again would she have to deal with
him. From now on, She wouldn’t deal with any man who made her feel
like less than she knew she was.
Noelle felt a fire come to life in
her, it had begun the moment she put the car in drive and left
Arkansas and it had only grown since then. At first she didn’t know
what to call it, it seemed so foreign to her, but now she knew it
was confidence – self-confidence.
She smiled and remembered an old
gospel hymn her momma would sing to her about letting her lil’
light shine. This was her time to shine.
That thought had her humming the tune
all morning, to the point that Delphine started eyeballing
her.
“You know you’re gonna get that damn
song stuck in my head.”
Noelle smiled over her shoulder from
where she was changing the bed sheets in Room 12. “I can’t help it.
It seems fitting today.”
Delphine laughed. “He must really be
doing something to you.”
Noelle thought about it for a moment
and shook her head. “No. I mean, Trent is great and I love spending
time with him, but being away from the life I left is really
starting to pick my spirits up. I can’t remember a time when I was
so happy.”
Delphine smiled. “That is good to
hear. I bet your momma is looking down on you with a grin bigger
than yours to hear you say it.”
Noelle grinned bigger. “Oh, I know she
is. I just wish she was still here to see it. I miss her so much.
And I miss her friend LuAnn. She helped me get away and I wish I
could call just to say I’m okay.”
Delphine set out the little bottles of
shampoo and conditioner and shrugged. “Why can’t you call
her?”
Noelle shook her head. “I’m scared
Lenny or his daddy would find out and track me down. I don’t want
LuAnn to be in the middle of this any more than she has
been.”
“Well what if I called her for
you?”
Noelle paused. “Really? “
Delphine nodded. “Sure, it’s no
trouble at all. You know we could get you a cheap pre-paid phone
and then you wouldn’t have to worry about anyone tracking you down
from the phone number.”
Noelle laughed. “Geez Delphine, you
sound like you’ve done this before.”
Delphine waved her off. “Nope, just
watch a lot of cop dramas on television. And it was just a plot
line on my favorite soap.”
They both laughed. Noelle was the
first to recover. “My life has been a soap opera. I bet I could be
a
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