straddling the bike, and fished out a bottle of pills from his pocket. “Here, I got these filled for you while you were in your interview.”
I smiled warmly at him, feeling like a complete ass. “Thank you. I really do appreciate it.”
He flipped the saddlebag on his right side open and pulled out a Coca Cola, handing it to me after I had a pill in my hand. Shoving the pill bottle in my purse, I took the drink from him, grimacing inwardly. I hated Coke, but anything was better than my throbbing arm right about now.
“You don’t like Coke?” He asked as he saw me make a disgusted face after I drank.
“No.” I said, handing the offending drink back to him.
“Weird.” He said, taking a swig.
“When I was younger, that used to be the only thing my mother would have on hand. It didn’t take long for me to attribute starvation to the taste of Coke.” I said without thinking.
“You starved?” He barked.
I jumped at the bite of anger in his tone. “Yeah, I guess you could say that. The only time we ate well was when dad came for a visit. Things would get better for a while after that, but it didn’t stay that way. Whether it was because she ran out of money, or just plain didn’t care what my father would do is beyond me.”
He didn’t say anything, and I didn’t want him to. I didn’t want anybody’s pity. Instead of allowing more questions, I started walking back down the sidewalk. James cursed behind me and started the bike up.
The alley seemed to amplify the loud rumble of the motor, and I had to smile. It sounded like a monster.
Said beast pulled up beside me on the sidewalk. “Get on. I’ll take you home.”
“I can’t. I have to go find some appropriate work clothes. Lucky for me it’s business casual.”
“I’ll take you wherever you would like to go. Come on.”
The rest of the afternoon was spent at the Goodwill and a few consignment shops. What most people don’t realize is that there is actually good stuff at these places. Even before I was forcibly moved to Kilgore, I shopped at the Goodwill. I just didn’t have it ingrained in me to pay full price for something that I could get nearly twenty five times cheaper somewhere else.
“If you don’t mind, I need to run home real quick to make sure I get Janie off the bus, and then I’ll drop you off back at your place.”
He didn’t wait for my acquiescence though, just pointed the bike in the wrong direction and roared off.
We actually caught Janie’s bus when we were about a mile away from Free, and James and I laughed at the googly eyes that all the children were giving us. Janie waved frantically from her seat at the front of the bus, and James played the doting father, waving back to his baby while still keeping a close watch on the road.
Once we got to the bus stop, a very excited Janie, whose feet were moving faster than her mind, tumbled off the bus. James made a move to get up and help his baby up, whom was now crying, but I gave him a pat, signaling that I would handle it. He was in an awkward position with my bags, and me all on the bike behind him, and I felt it prudent to help in any way I could.
“You okay, sweetie?” I cooed as I dropped down next to Janie on the dust.
The bus driver yelled a goodbye, and pulled away, leaving us in silence, minus the soft crying coming from Janie. “Y-yes.”
“What happened, punkin’ head?” I asked, smoothing her blonde wispy flyaway hairs back against her scalp.
Tear tracks ran in straight lines down her cheeks, and she looked absolutely pitiful. The wound itself was fairly basic, scraped knees that everyone dreads, but overall she was in good health.
“I fell off the fucking bus.” She said in one of the sweetest voices I’d ever heard.
“You sure did punkin’ head. You know that’s a bad word. You really shouldn’t say that.” I scolded gently as I helped her to her feet.
“I know. I heard Uncle Max say it yesterday while he was working on the Dyna
I smiled warmly at him, feeling like a complete ass. “Thank you. I really do appreciate it.”
He flipped the saddlebag on his right side open and pulled out a Coca Cola, handing it to me after I had a pill in my hand. Shoving the pill bottle in my purse, I took the drink from him, grimacing inwardly. I hated Coke, but anything was better than my throbbing arm right about now.
“You don’t like Coke?” He asked as he saw me make a disgusted face after I drank.
“No.” I said, handing the offending drink back to him.
“Weird.” He said, taking a swig.
“When I was younger, that used to be the only thing my mother would have on hand. It didn’t take long for me to attribute starvation to the taste of Coke.” I said without thinking.
“You starved?” He barked.
I jumped at the bite of anger in his tone. “Yeah, I guess you could say that. The only time we ate well was when dad came for a visit. Things would get better for a while after that, but it didn’t stay that way. Whether it was because she ran out of money, or just plain didn’t care what my father would do is beyond me.”
He didn’t say anything, and I didn’t want him to. I didn’t want anybody’s pity. Instead of allowing more questions, I started walking back down the sidewalk. James cursed behind me and started the bike up.
The alley seemed to amplify the loud rumble of the motor, and I had to smile. It sounded like a monster.
Said beast pulled up beside me on the sidewalk. “Get on. I’ll take you home.”
“I can’t. I have to go find some appropriate work clothes. Lucky for me it’s business casual.”
“I’ll take you wherever you would like to go. Come on.”
The rest of the afternoon was spent at the Goodwill and a few consignment shops. What most people don’t realize is that there is actually good stuff at these places. Even before I was forcibly moved to Kilgore, I shopped at the Goodwill. I just didn’t have it ingrained in me to pay full price for something that I could get nearly twenty five times cheaper somewhere else.
“If you don’t mind, I need to run home real quick to make sure I get Janie off the bus, and then I’ll drop you off back at your place.”
He didn’t wait for my acquiescence though, just pointed the bike in the wrong direction and roared off.
We actually caught Janie’s bus when we were about a mile away from Free, and James and I laughed at the googly eyes that all the children were giving us. Janie waved frantically from her seat at the front of the bus, and James played the doting father, waving back to his baby while still keeping a close watch on the road.
Once we got to the bus stop, a very excited Janie, whose feet were moving faster than her mind, tumbled off the bus. James made a move to get up and help his baby up, whom was now crying, but I gave him a pat, signaling that I would handle it. He was in an awkward position with my bags, and me all on the bike behind him, and I felt it prudent to help in any way I could.
“You okay, sweetie?” I cooed as I dropped down next to Janie on the dust.
The bus driver yelled a goodbye, and pulled away, leaving us in silence, minus the soft crying coming from Janie. “Y-yes.”
“What happened, punkin’ head?” I asked, smoothing her blonde wispy flyaway hairs back against her scalp.
Tear tracks ran in straight lines down her cheeks, and she looked absolutely pitiful. The wound itself was fairly basic, scraped knees that everyone dreads, but overall she was in good health.
“I fell off the fucking bus.” She said in one of the sweetest voices I’d ever heard.
“You sure did punkin’ head. You know that’s a bad word. You really shouldn’t say that.” I scolded gently as I helped her to her feet.
“I know. I heard Uncle Max say it yesterday while he was working on the Dyna
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