Chapter 9:
Back To Ordinary
Leighanne and I parted ways when we
reached the hospital and I knew that my fairy tale day had come to an end. I
could hear the screaming all the way down the hall the minute I stepped foot on
my mother’s floor. I was not looking forward to driving her home. The only
things she hates worse than me are hospitals and being sober. So unless she
talked someone into pumping vodka straight through her IV, which I seriously
doubt, chances were she was going to be a raging bitch when I found her.
Raging bitch turned out to be pretty
accurate, maybe even a bit of an understatement. The hospital figured my
mother’s wounds were abuse related… (No shit.) Anyway they called the police
and mom spent the entire morning covering for that no good bastard. They, of
coarse, saw through the bullshit and tried to convince her that she should get
counseling. As if she wasn’t bitchy enough! God! What were they trying to do,
make my life a living hell?
Well their plan worked because she
bitched at me all the way home. Mostly about the hospital and their incompetent
staff and the stale food and the weird smell. Then about the idiot police and
their bad attitudes and the nerve that they suggested she needs therapy. Shit!
That woman needs a lot more than therapy! When she didn’t have anything else to
complain about on those subjects she simply moved on to me. Not an uncommon
practice in our house. I’m usually first on her list of things to bitch about
and today there was plenty. Apparently Leighanne had turned me into a whore, or
at least that’s what my mother thought. That of coarse brought up my lifestyle
in general. My mom was sure I was fucking everyone in town and she hated my two
“idiot” best friends. Personally I think she’s jealous of them. It’s no secret
that I love them more than her, but honestly, can you blame me?
By the time I got her home I was already
late for work. When I came to get her the cops made me give a statement. A lot
of fucking good that did! I was more than happy to rat out my fucking father.
The bastard deserves to rot in hell. But, you gotta love the police! Since I
wasn’t actually there when it happened and my mother wouldn’t cooperate, they
couldn’t do a damn thing.
And the bastard gets away with it
again.
I helped my mom to the couch and
handed her the remote pretty sure that she would only stay there long enough
for me to walk out the door before finding the nearest bottle of whatever. I
used to not keep it in the house and dump it when I found her stash, but
there’s no fucking point. It just gets more expensive that way because she buys
more the minute she runs out. After all these years I’ve just come to accept my
life for what it is.
I was half way to work before I
realized that I hadn’t changed my clothes. I didn’t have time to go back but I
figured what the hell. I decided that I liked it and I was kind of curious to
see how all the guys would react. It was kind of fun to see the looks on the
city boys’ faces and they’re still strangers. I’ve known everyone in this town
my whole life and I’m pretty sure they’re all gonna fucking die when I show up
in a fucking skirt. Hal heard me come through the back door. “Hey kid! Is that
you? Where the hell you been?” he called.
“Sorry Hal! Momma spent the night in
the hospital and the police took their sweet-ass time taking our statements
before she could be released.”
I know I may have said that statement
casually as if it were something that happened every day, but shit, it didn’t
surprise me and it shouldn’t have surprised him. “Jesus honey, is she all
right?” Hal asked heading for the shotgun he kept in the back.
“Relax Hal.” I said taking the gun
from him. “She’ll get over it.”
Hal took a breath and then noticed me
for the first time. He stared at me with this look on his face that I couldn’t
figure out in the least. His mouth fell open but no sound escaped from it. He stood
there for so long barely able to blink that I thought the man was having a
fucking heart attack. I shrugged and then tugged at my outfit. “What do ya
think?” I asked nervously.
“My God Cindy, I didn’t know you had
it in ya.”
“You’re not the only one.” I smirked.
“Surprised the hell out of me too.”
Hal continued to stare at me. It’s
like he was paralyzed. He looked me up and down and then down and up. Finally,
when I wasn’t sure I could take it anymore, his mouth curved into a tiny smile.
Seeing his approval I was able to relax. “I kind of like it.” I admitted. “You
think Danny and John will like it too?”
“Shit honey! There’s not a goddamned
guy in the world that wouldn’t like it.”
Hal and I looked at each other and
then I laughed a little as I hugged the man. The hug surprised him as much as
the new look but he didn’t protest. He returned the hug as if he’d been waiting
his whole fucking life for it. He pulled away from me and rested his hands on
my shoulders. I could tell he was truly concerned as he stared me down. “Are
you sure everything’s all right?”
I knew he was talking about more than
just mamma, I know I’ve been acting crazy lately. I thought about today before
answering him. Sure momma ended it on quite a pleasant note, but before that, everything
I’d done with Leighanne? God, today had been unusual, but it had also been
relaxing and fun and fucking enlightening. I thought of Howie and the smile on
his face when he saw me today and I couldn’t help the smile on my own face.
“You know Hal?” I said, “I really think I’m gonna be ok.”
That was the honest to God’s truth. I
was in the middle of some crazy identity crises, but after today I saw light at
the end of the tunnel. Things were looking up for me. Leighanne and Brian were
going to be great friends and maybe, just maybe I had a shot with Howie. If I
manage not to screw it up, I couldn’t help but hope that I might find love
after all.
I’d never seen Hal smile at me like
that before. He was so proud, like I was his own fucking daughter. I didn’t
mind though. It felt kind of good to know that someone cared a little how I
turned out. I smiled back but then realized what a fucking awkward moment it
was. “Sorry I was late.” I said and then hurried out of the room before things
could get any weirder.
Other than Hal and I there were only 4
people in the bar, all regulars. Chuck was perched on a stool chowin’ on
peanuts and enjoying a drink after a long day. Then Rick and Steve, a couple of
younger guys, farm hands, they were playin a game of pool while Guss starred
mindlessly at the TV. It was on some random NFL game but Guss didn’t really
care. He was out of work at the moment and trapped in a shitty marriage so he
spent most of his time at Hal’s, whether he was drinking or not. I went around the
corner bracing myself for the comments I knew were coming my way. I stepped
behind the bar and Chuck choked on his whisky the instant he saw me. “God damn
Cindy!”
“Nice to see you too Chuck.” I
laughed.
Our conversation caught the attention
of Rick just as he was about to take his shot. One look at me and he missed
sending the 8 ball into the corner pocket. Steve laughed pocketing the 20 bucks
they had riding on their game. “Nice shot dumbass.” He laughed but Rick didn’t
respond. He was still in shock. Steve followed his gaze and his jaw hit the
floor. “Holy shit!” he yelled, “When the hell’d you get so fine?” he said
climbing up onto the stool next to Chuck.
Steve’s kind of hot and despite the
fact that he’s only 22, he could have his pick of most of the women in this
town. I felt kind of special earning his attention. I smirked, enjoying the
moment a little and then took a spin. “So you approve?” I asked playfully.
“Hell ya we approve.” Rick said
finally joining us at the bar.
“Good, but put your tongue back in
your mouth. I may be wearing a skirt but I still won’t hesitate to kick your
ass.”
“Who’s wearing a skirt?” Guss asked
looking up from his game.
He looked at me and smiled. That poor
guy really is a sweet man. I don’t know how he ended with that crazy bitch of a
wife. Pickins are slim in this town I guess. “Well, well, well, Miss Cindy.
You’re looking mighty perdy this evening.”
Guss took a seat and suddenly I had
four men watching me curiously and waiting to hear the explanation. I looked
into their expectant faces and smiled. “Can I get ya’ll something to drink?”
“Come on Cindy.” Steve said and the
others shook their heads along with him, “What’s with the… change?”
“What? It’s still me.”
“Except you’re dressed like a girl.”
Rick argued.
“And your hair’s down.” Chuck added.
“And is that lipstick?” Steve asked.
“It’s lip gloss.” I corrected with a
laugh remembering the lecture I received this afternoon from Leighanne on the
importance of shiny lips.
“Now, see, that’s what we’re talking
about.” Steve said eying me skeptically, “Our Cindy doesn’t know the difference
between lipstick and lip gloss.”
“Can’t a girl learn a thing or two?”
“We’re not complaining. You’re
business is gonna double you keep coming to work looking like that.”
These guys were cracking me up and I
was kind of having fun keeping them in the dark a little. To be honest though,
I didn’t know how to explain myself. “You know what I think.” Chuck said
finally voicing his opinion on the matter. All of us turned his direction half
expecting something totally profound to come out of his mouth. “I think it’s
them city boys.” He said with a smirk, “Cindy’s always had a weak spot for city
boys.”
“Aw, come on now Chuck! Play nice.”
“No, no.” Steve said pondering the
possibility, “I think he’s on to something.”
“Yeah after the other night? Shit!”
“Now that’s not fair! It was my
birthday. You know as well as I do that I don’t remember what happened the
other night!”
“You were all over them boys like
flies on shit, that’s what happened.”
The room practically shook, those men
were laughing so hard. God I wish I knew what happened that night. I wasn’t
amused at all but I guess the fact that I was annoyed was amusing in itself
because those motherfuckers couldn’t stop laughing. “The flirting was shameless
Cindy.” Rick laughed shaking his head.
“And the dancing!” Steve said making
Rick nearly fall from his stool. “I never thought I would see the day.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Dancing? What the
fuck are you talking about, dancing?”
The guys just laughed harder. That was
it! I had to know what the hell happened that night. I pounded my fist down on
the bar. “Free shot to the first one who tells me what the hell happened the
other night!” I said.
Immediately all four men began
spouting crazy stories. They were all talking at once and it was giving me a
fucking headache. “You can’t trust a damn one of them.” Hal laughed joining the
party. “They were all wasted after that game. Not a one of them probably really
remembers much more than you.”
“So how about it Hal? Since you were
probably the only sober man in the house the other night, care to shed some
light on the subject?”
“Not much too it Honey. You were
plastered like every year. Ya’ll talked with them city folk for a while. Then
you danced with one of ‘em. You and Danny got into it.”
“What do you mean we got into it?
About what?” I didn’t remember fighting with Danny? Then again, I haven’t
actually talked to him or John since that night. I think that’s a record for
us.
“Hell if I know kid.” Hal continued,
“You know how you two get anytime you’re both drunk.” I shrugged. The man had a
point. Danny and I both have pretty short tempers. I swear if John weren’t
always there to step in, we’d have killed each other ages ago.
“Well you too were definitely heated
over something and he stormed out. That’s when you got really drunk. You and
that tall kid ended up in some kind of drinking contest.”
“That blond fuck?” I practically
shouted becoming instantly angry as I remembered our last encounter. That guy
is such an ass hole. Hal nodded. “At least tell me I drunk him under the
table.”
“I don’t know Cindy, that boy could
really hold his liquor.”
“You mean he out-drank me!” That
motherfucker!
“Actually nobody won.”
I felt relieved but then confused.
I’ve never not finished a challenge. I never lose either. “What happened?”
“Eddie showed up.”
“Deputy Dumbass? What’d he want?”
He came to tell you that they had to
release Hank on some technicality. Apparently he’s not enough of a threat to
keep locked up yet Eddie felt the need to warn you not to cross his path for a
few days.”
“God damnit those idiots! I swear!”
“Calm down kiddo. No use stressing about
it now. Anyway, after that you were pretty pissed and you and John and those
two city boys all left. End of story.”
Damn. That still didn’t explain how I
ended up in Nick’s bed the next morning. On the bright side it looks like
nobody knew that fact. That is, if Howie really didn’t tell anybody. “Well that
doesn’t sound so bad.” I said ignoring the whole dancing thing. (I really don’t
dance.) But I was curious as to which one I did dance with. “A lot less
eventful than last year if you ask me.”
“Last year you came back to work
wearing stitches, not a skirt.” Chuck argued.
“The skirt looks better on ya though.”
Rick said.
The guys all toasted my new skirt and
then became quiet for a minute sipping down whatever miscellaneous drink I had
set in front of them. After that Steve looked at me with a wicked grin, “So how
bout it Cindy? Since you’re a girl and all now, you gonna dance with me like
you did that city boy the other night?”
“Hal!” I yelled, “I think this boy
needs to be cut off! He’s talking crazy shit now.”
The guys all had a good laugh but then
went back to their various activities. After a while it got really quiet. After
all the excitement I’d had the last couple of days I was kind of glad for it
but at the same time I couldn’t help feeling that things were back to ordinary
now. (Aside from the skirt of coarse.) And after everything that happened it
made me a little said, I think the last couple of days had changed me and I wasn’t
sure if I could go back to my same old shity life now. Not now that I know it
could be better. I was desperate for a change. I needed something drastic to
happen, and I needed it fast.
***