"Hello, Sapphire?" The elderly woman's voice on the other end of the line surprised Sapphire.
"Hi…" she spoke hesitantly. "Is this Blanche?"
"Oh yes, I'm so happy you remembered me from my letter, dear. I have been meaning to call and invite you to come sit with me but figured you'd be tired from school and work."
Sapphire could hear the hopeful pause in the woman's voice and looked at her bathroom longingly. Today, Hayden had told Julie they both could close up early tonight and go home. He especially emphasized that last part toward Sapphire, giving her a pointed look before stalking away. Julie told her she suspected it had something to do with the huge motorcycle rally or whatever they were having at the bar later that night. That section of town had the tendency to get rowdy during the event. She had planned on following his and Herman's advice and just coming home and taking a long shower before sitting in bed and watching TV for the rest of the night.
Knowing the woman really wanted the company, Sapphire conceded to the silent request. "Why don’t we just have a small dinner this evening?"
"Oh, that would be perfect," Blanche exclaimed, happiness infused in every syllable. "You could come up here to our apartment, and I can make you some pork chops I have thawing and—oh darn."
"What is it?"
"Well, I would like to serve some vegetables or something with it, but all we have right now is a can of lima beans." Sapphire could hear the grimace in the woman's words, and she couldn't help but agree, lima beans were awful. "I should have Herman run to the store to pick up-"
"I can do it for you," Sapphire offered. She had planned on going back to the grocery store tomorrow and picking up anything other than those godforsaken microwave meals. God, how she missed her toaster oven.
"Oh, could you?" Hope sparkled from the lonely woman's words. "I could have Herman give you some money," she offered.
After agreeing to see her in a few, Sapphire hung up and rushed to grab a change of clothes out of her suitcase. It would probably be much easier if she just unpacked her clothes and hung them up in the closet. But there was something depressingly permanent about that decision. She looked around the dark wood-paneled room and felt the stirring of anger for her mother deep inside of her once more. She was stuck in this rundown place because of her!
With barely contained rage, Sapphire jerked off the shirt she had stained earlier with caramel syrup and pulled on a fresh plum-colored cable knit sweater. Taking off her black work shoes, she slipped on a pair of sneakers and grabbed her satin-lined blue pea-coat. Sapphire grabbed her backpack, shoved her phone in her pocket, and pulled the band from her hair as she walked out the door, the wind catching the long brown and gold strands as she pulled the door flush to lock.
Heading next door, she walked into the cramped front office. Standing behind his desk with his usual grim face, Herman's hard eyes passed over her. His lips pursed in disapproval.
"I don't know why Blanche needs anything else from the damn store, we got everything we need upstairs," he groused as he pulled out his wallet.
Sapphire stopped hesitantly in front of his counter. "You don't have to give me any-"
"It ain't the money, girl!" Herman snapped as he pulled out two twenty-dollar bills and thrust them in her hand. "Blanche knows that you need to be inside tonight. Hayden and Joel already called me this morning. Each one of them gave me an earful on how you ain't supposed to leave. They think I don't know that?!" His bushy brows lowered even further over his eyes, and he pointed a finger at her in warning. "Now, don't you dillydally, you hear me, girl? You come on right back when you get that stuff. Them bastards from Beaumont are coming down tonight, and it ain't no time for a girl such as yourself to be out. Now go on, and hurry back," he said, waving her out of his office.
Sapphire wasn't sure if she should laugh or be angry. Walking up the sloping gravel parking lot onto the side of the road, she held her backpack straps taut and thought about Herman's prickly mood. It was a very foreign feeling having someone fussing and worrying over her. His surly words and grouchy temperament poorly hid the genuine worry that shined in his eyes.
Stopping at the intersection, Sapphire pressed the crosswalk button and waited. Her nails zipped back and forth across the flat braided strap of her bag as she thought of Herman's concern for her. It puzzled her. It left her feeling restless and a little unsure. She hardly knew the man. Why did he care anything about her? It couldn't just be that she was a paying guest; her rate was ridiculously low.
Crossing at the light, Sapphire wove her way through the cars in the parking lot. Looking up at the dreary sky, she picked up the pace. It would be dark soon, and all the talk about the rally at the bar and the town's criminal history was really working overtime on her nerves. She went quickly down the aisles toward the produce area.
As she picked up a fresh bunch of greens, Sapphire thought of what Herman said. Did Joel and Hayden really call him? Grabbing a garlic bulb and a bag of salad, she made her way to the front as her thoughts whirled around the two men. She could not understand them. Joel was hot and cold. Sometimes he was playful and chatty, and others, he looked at her and turned away without so much as a nod, while his brother Hayden was always a grumpy, silent jerk. So why did they feel the need to look out for her? Giving her a job that clearly had no need for a second person yet, or offering her a place to stay, and now worrying Herman about her safety. It felt odd and made her uncomfortable. Almost as uncomfortable as if there was a sexual motivation behind their actions. But knowing that they considered her a kid and she was sure one of them actively disliked her, she was positive there was no sexual motive. So, what was it?
With her purchases safely tucked in her bag, Sapphire made it across the parking lot and back to the crosswalk. She checked her phone as she waited for the light. She was making good time, great time in fact.
The light was still beeping its countdown when she heard the orchestra of growls from down the road. Stiffening, she looked down the street that ran down the center of town and watched as a group of glimmering motorcycles appeared in the distance. Louder and louder, the rattling roar of their approaching engines filled the air. They were still pretty far away, and the sound was very loud. If she stood there until they approached, she could only imagine the deafening sound. Thankfully the light changed, and the crosswalk flashed for her to cross. Not wanting to be around when they pulled up to the light, Sapphire hurried across the intersection, her hair streaming behind her as the wind pushed against her.
Sapphire felt her heart lighten a bit as she watched four sheriff SUVs pull out from a narrow street that ran behind the sheriff's station. She supposed they were getting prepared for the busy night ahead.
Instead of taking the main street to the narrow highway road that led to the motel, Sapphire kept straight toward Old Main Street, where the old downtown was located, and turned left from there. Cutting across the open field and the train tracks, she was about to walk through the small line of trees that bordered the two-lane highway on the other side of the motel when she heard the first rumble of the engine. By now, the air around the town was vibrating with the sound of the engines. She could hear the loud cacophony at the main intersection even from where she stood.
In front of her, three motorcycles that were obviously ahead of the pack raced by her. Wind kicked up around them as they passed, and Sapphire's heart thrummed with the adrenaline of their proximity. Waiting only for a few seconds, she watched them disappear down the two-lane highway, no doubt toward the bar.
Quickly, Sapphire dashed across the street. She did not want to wait for the larger group to make it through the intersection and turn the corner. But with every step she took as she ran, she could hear the swarm of their loud ferocious engines come closer and closer. Her hand was on the front office door when she felt more than heard the first wave of bikes zoom past the motel. Practically falling through the door, Sapphire closed it with a ragged sigh as the rest of the horde of bikers began to trail down the road.
Looking up, she gave Herman an exhausted smile.
He only scowled. "By the skin of your teeth, girl," he said with a shake of his head before waving her to follow him through the open doorway behind his desk.
Going up the narrow flight of stairs, Sapphire braced herself. The dark wood paneling covering the walls and ceiling combined with the dank, musty air made her stomach knot in apprehension. Oh God, she made a mistake in accepting the invitation, she thought in a panic. Her mind was racing at what the condition of the place was like at the top of the stairs. But what could she do now? She was already two steps away from the top of the landing. There was no graceful way to turn back now.
Herman opened the door at the top, and much-needed light spilled into the oppressive little stairwell.
