Chapter 17
Seventeen
Iplop down in my seat in the changing room at TT’s, ready to wipe off my makeup, and my stomach rumbles something fierce.
“You’d better feed that thing,” Trina says, walking past.
I chuckle and pick up a makeup wipe, but my phone rings from inside my locker, so I set it down and get up to answer. It’s not often that my phone rings—I don’t know that many people.
When I look at the screen, it’s Lisa.
“Hey, girl, shouldn’t you be in here already?” I ask, knowing she has the night shift while I worked this afternoon.
“Cinder, I’m so sorry, but I’m desperate.”
I straighten. “What’s wrong?”
“My sister was supposed to watch the kids, but she went on a bender today. There’s no way she can drive here to the motel, let alone watch the kids.”
“What can I do to help?” I pull my street clothes out of my locker.
“Is there any chance you can come watch the kids while I work? They’ll only be awake for another few hours, and then you can just watch TV until I get back.”
“Of course. I’ll leave now. Just text me the address.”
She sighs with relief. “Thank you, you’re a lifesaver. I owe you.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m happy to. I’ll see you soon.” I end the call and shove my phone in my locker while I quickly get changed. I don’t bother removing my makeup. I’ll do it at the motel.
My phone dings with a text. Must be Lisa giving me the address. But then it dings a second time.
Once I’m changed, I grab all my stuff from my locker and rush out the back door to my vehicle, waving at Aiyden over my shoulder.
When I’m seated in the car, I pull out my phone and see a text from Lisa and one from my stepmother. I ignore Louise’s text demanding to know where I am as I’ve done for a month straight. After mapping out the motel’s location, I drive away from TT’s.
I’m disappointed there’s no chance I’ll see Nero tonight since I won’t be home until really late. He was here earlier to watch me dance, and as always, he left before I came out onto the floor.
A few days have passed since I bowled with Anabelle and Rapsody, and I’ve decided to take their advice and just be patient with Nero and hope that they’re right. If that doesn’t work, I’ll figure something else out, but I’ve been able to save some money at least by staying there and not having to give everything to Louise and my wicked stepsisters.
I arrive at the motel and park my car, then rush to room number three, knocking on the door.
Lisa whips open the door. “Thank you so much!”
She hurriedly waves me in, and I step inside to find two little girls sitting on one of the two beds, wide-eyed and staring at me. I know from Lisa that they’re six and four years old.
“Hi, girls!” I smile and wave, but they just look at me nervously.
Poor things. I’m not quite sure that they’ve been privy to the dynamic between their parents, but if I had to guess, I’d say they’ve seen some shit.
“Dahlia and Rose, this is my friend from work, Cinder. She’s going to keep an eye on you while I work since Aunt Sheila isn’t feeling well, okay? You be good girls for her.” Lisa gives them both a quick kiss and a hug.
“We’re going to have fun, aren’t we, girls?” I give them a big smile, but neither of them says anything. Tough crowd.
Lisa hugs me. “Be back as soon as I can. Thank you.”
“We’ll be fine. See you in a while.”
Lisa walks out, and I lock the door behind her. I turn around and survey the motel room. It’s dated, with condensation rings on all the furniture from drinks left on it over the years. The bedding looks as if it’s probably about forty years old, and a faint musty odor permeates everything.
I can’t believe they’ve been living like this for months. This is no place for these girls to grow up, though it’s better than watching their father abuse their mother. I have to figure out some way I can help them get somewhere better.
These sweet girls are obviously a little wary of me, so I sit on the other bed and turn my attention to the TV. “What are you girls watching?”
Neither of them answers me. I don’t want to push them, so I arrange a pillow that feels as if it’s no thicker than a piece of cardboard behind me and lean against the headboard to watch. After about ten minutes, one of them asks me a question.
“Are you a dancer like my mommy?”
Dahlia, the oldest, is looking at me, and that’s when I remember that I still have my makeup on. Lisa has told me that her girls know she’s a dancer but have no idea what she really does.
“I am.”
“Your makeup is pretty,” she says.
I smile. “Thank you. Do you like to dance?”
She frowns, and her eyes grow sadder. “I don’t know how.”
Finally, some common ground and a way to have fun with them. “If you want, I can teach you something. I started taking dance classes when I was really little.”
A spark of happiness grows in her eyes. “Okay!”
I look at Rose, whose attention is still fixed on the TV. “Do you think Rose would like to learn something too?”
Dahlia looks at her and shakes her head. “She’s too shy.”
“Okay, no problem. If she wants to join in, she can just let us know, how does that sound?”
Dahlia nods excitedly and slides off the bed, as do I. I walk over to where there’s a small amount of room at the end of the beds. It’s not a lot, but we’ll make it work.
“Okay, the first thing I’m going to teach you is a step-ball-change. The first thing you need to do is to step out to the side with this foot.” I motion to her right side.
She does as I ask. “Like that?”
“Perfect. Okay, now take your other foot and put it behind that foot.”
She tries to do it but seems a little confused.
“May I touch your leg and show you?” Dahlia nods, so I crouch down in front of her, placing my hand on her right leg. “Put all your weight on this leg, and then move this one.” I reach for her left ankle and show her where to move it and set it behind her right leg. “Just like that, great!”
She wobbles and stumbles to the side as I stand up.
“That’s okay, it takes practice to balance like that. That’s something you can work on.” I smile, and she seems reassured by my words, which knits together something in my chest. “Just put your legs back how they were.”
She does as I ask.
I glance at Rose on the bed. She’s watching us with interest, rather than the TV.
“Okay, now your foot is at the back. See if you can put all your weight on that foot, but try to keep it on this part.” I lift my foot and point at the ball of my foot.
Dahlia shifts her weight and wobbles, sticking her arms out to the sides to balance herself.
“Good. Now lift your front foot and put it back down.” She does, and I clap. “You did it! That’s a step-ball-change.”
“Yay!” She jumps up and down and claps for herself.
I could cry from witnessing the transformation in her demeanor from when I first entered this room. It fills me with such joy.
“When you get used to the movements and do it a little faster, keeping your balance will be a lot easier,” I tell her.
Dahlia tries it again, messes up, starts over and is able to get through the whole movement.
Once she’s bored of that move, I teach her a box step and a jazz walk, all while Rose watches quietly from the bed.
I’m being silly, and the two of us are laughing when the pounding starts on the door. We both startle, and Rose makes a strangled cry from the bed, pulling her legs up to her chest.
“Lisa, you fucking bitch, you’d better open this goddamned door before I kick it down! I’m tired of this shit!”
He pounds again, and I spring into action, gripping Dahlia’s shoulders and hunching down so we’re at eye level.
“See this here?” I point at the deadbolt lock on the door. “When I go out and talk to your daddy, do you think you can flip it back this way as soon as the door closes?”
She bites her lip, tears in her eyes, and nods. “Daddy’s mad,” she whispers, and my heart breaks.
“I’m going to try to calm him down. As soon as the door closes, you flip that lock, okay? And you don’t open it for anyone except me, okay?”
More pounding and cursing erupt from him.
She nods again.
I pull her in and give her a hug. “It’s okay. It’s going to be okay. After you’ve locked the door, I want you to take Rose and go into the bathroom and lock the door. I’ll shout for you to open the door for me once everything’s calmed down.”
I have experience dealing with drunks at Black Magic Bar and guys who can be too handsy at TT’s, but my hands shake as I straighten and grip the door handle.
“Open up this fucking door!”
I look over my shoulder at Dahlia. “Ready?”
She nods, lips quivering as I unlock the door and push my way out of the room, quickly shutting the door behind me. I hear the deadbolt click into place. Good girl.
“Who the hell are you?” The man steps back and gives me the once-over.
He has on a dirty flannel shirt, splayed open to reveal a stained white T-shirt underneath. I don’t think he’s had a shower in days. Based on the smell of him, he’s been drinking.
“You must be one of Lisa’s whore friends from the club. Where the fuck is she?” He makes for the door, and I remain where I am, pushing at his chest.
“She’s not here. You should go. You’re scaring your daughters.”
He scowls. “That fucking slut thinks she can take my kids from me. Thinks she’s too good for me. I’ll show her!”
He tries to push his way around me again, and this time I push harder, standing my ground.
“You tryin’ to come between me and my girls? Bitch, you don’t wanna do that.” He grips my upper arm hard, and I cry out.
“Just leave. I’ll tell Lisa you came by, and she can call you when she gets back.”
He squeezes harder, and I wince, my knees buckling. “She busy whoring herself out, that it? That why you’re here watching my kids, and they’re not with me?” He moves me to the side and slams me against the wall, raising his fist.
I brace myself, knowing he’s never shied away from hitting Lisa, the woman he supposedly loves. I’m just some woman he doesn’t know or care about. But before his fist lands on my face, he’s tackled onto the concrete by Nero.
What the hell is he doing here?