Chapter Six
Warmth enveloped Matty as she slipped a black hoodie over her head. Spring had taken a cold turn overnight, and her usual work T-shirt wasn’t cutting it. Luckily, she kept a spare hoodie in the backpack she brought to work every day.
The walk to Main made her lungs burn from the cold but sent a shot of energy through her.
Today had been pretty easy so far. She and Grady had spent the morning changing spark plugs, oil, and any other things needed to ready the lawn equipment for the summer.
They would need to start regularly mowing soon.
She nodded to people as she entered the building. The building was always bustling with energy at lunchtime. A few clients looked her up and down, usually out of curiosity. It was something female staff, even the masculine-presenting ones, had to put up with.
Heads turned to look at her. She ignored them, getting in line to get a plate. Technically, because she was staff, she could go directly into the kitchen to ask for a plate, but she wasn’t in a rush.
As she was almost to the front of the line, the room went almost silent, prompting her and everyone else to look at the door.
Reese Lloyd.
The woman’s eyes darted around before locking on the kitchen door. The chatter resumed, but most of the eyes stayed on the auburn-haired woman until she slipped behind the kitchen door. Even Matty’s.
Matty hadn’t been able to get Reese out of her head since their last encounter, which was odd to Matty.
She had kept her head down as far as attraction went since becoming sober.
It was recommended that individuals who were not already in a relationship avoid one for the first year of recovery.
It was hard enough to focus on yourself, let alone trying to date someone new.
But there was something about the icy woman that kept her popping up in Matty’s mind.
She had been a complete ass to Matty. There had been no excuse for it, but Matty could practically feel the frustration that had been rolling off her.
She was obviously upset before Matty arrived, but their first interaction didn’t help matters.
She had felt bad about surprising Reese, causing her to hit her head.
Matty had acted on instinct when she leapt to make sure Reese was okay.
She hadn’t hesitated for a second to put her hands on her head, making sure there was no blood.
That had really surprised her. Matty was not the touchy-feely kind.
When was the last time she had run her fingers through another woman’s hair? Three years, maybe?
“Hey, Matty,” greeted one of the kitchen workers. She recognized him from The Church. Sometimes she had to wait for Kerrie to finish up work, so she would talk to the clients here and there.
“Hey. Something smells good.” She avoided saying his name. His badge was covered by an apron and she couldn’t remember it.
“Beef and noodles today. Not a bad one. You want the whole plate?”
She nodded, not picky at all and appreciative of having a warm meal that was also free. “Yep, whatever you got.”
Meals from the cafeteria were always a gamble.
Sometimes it made sense. Sometimes it was like a yard sale in a to-go box.
They used whatever they had, oftentimes getting creative.
Today was egg noodles in a brown sauce with three meatballs, a pasta salad with three different types of noodles, and canned mandarin oranges plus two slices of white bread.
It was a pretty good meal for the cafeteria.
Her favorite day was Tuesday, which was some version of taco salad.
There was always an option of tea, water, and some flavor of Kool-Aid available, so she grabbed a cup of Kool-Aid, whatever flavor the blue was, and headed out the door.
She never ate with clients. On her way back to the Fire Station, she passed by the office of Elsie, Main’s coordinator, and paused. Should she?
With hesitant steps, she knocked on the partially opened door, careful not to spill her drink.
“Yes,” a gruff voice sounded.
She pushed the door further open, greeted with the sight of Elsie, bright thinning orange hair and red-rimmed glasses coming into view. “Hey, Ms. Elsie.”
Her perpetually stern face lit up as she swung her desk chair around.
Her legs barely touched the floor. She was a small woman, but she was not to be underestimated.
Matty had personally seen her make big, burly men cry for not doing their chores.
“Matty, what a nice surprise. What do you got there?”
“Lunch.”
“What are they having? Is it good or should I eat the tuna packet and crackers in my desk?”
“Their take on beef and noodles. Definitely one of the better plates. Uh, am I interrupting you going to get a plate?”
“Not at all. Have a seat. I’ve got time.”
Matty tucked herself into the small chair next to her desk.
Elsie’s office was originally a copier room, about the size of a walk-in closet.
There was just enough room to put her cup down.
She balanced the plate in one hand and popped it open with the other, which was also holding a fork.
The smell that hit her nose made her belly grumble.
“Oh, that does smell good. Just a second.” She reached for a walkie-talkie on the corner of the desk. “Hey, Sam, would you get me a plate of lunch?”
The walkie crackled, then a man came over the little speaker. “Yes, ma’am, I will.”
“Thank you.” She set the walkie down, then turned to Matty, her eyes questioning. “So to what do I owe this visit?”
Matty shoved a bite of noodles in her mouth before glancing up at a promotional poster for GED classes. “Um, I...” she trailed off as embarrassment took over. Heat assaulted her cheeks, making her feel as if the little closet were an oven instead.
“Matty, you know you won’t get any judgment from me, right?”
She did. She really did. No matter how hard her exterior shell was, Matty knew the older woman was filled with warmth and caring.
But she couldn’t help but feel embarrassed by being in her mid-thirties without a high school diploma or GED.
She knew she was smart. Calculating math in her head was something she did often.
She read a lot of books. Her Kindle was one of her most prized possessions.
She devoured sapphic fiction. She was already looking forward to reading the latest release in the Hotel Bombshell series by Adrian J.
Smith. Book three was practically calling her name.
However, she still held some doubt in the back of her mind. Was she able to actually pass the test?
“Yeah, I know. I just, I don’t know.” She glanced at the poster again, avoiding looking at Elsie. “You do those GED classes, right?”
“Oh, so that’s what this is about. I do.”
“I think, um, I think I’d like to know more about the process if you wouldn’t mind? I mean, I know I’m not a client, so feel free to tell me no, but—”
She halted at Elsie, throwing her hand up. “No need to worry. I like to help anyone with these things.”
She blew out a breath as some of the heaviness on her shoulders lifted. “That would be really nice. I mean, I’m not sure I want to even do it, but I’d like to know a little more about it.”
“What do you want to know?”
“I haven’t been in school for a long time. How hard is it?”
“It can be hard for some, but there are practice tests, and I have a study guide I can give you. It will help get you prepared.”
Matty tore off a piece of bread, dipping it into the sauce. She needed something to do with her hands. “It costs money, right?”
She nodded as she tugged open a drawer to her desk and produced a leaflet.
“Here’s the prices and the four subjects that are used for testing.
It’s $36 per subject and $7.99 per practice test. You can take them online or come here on the third Saturday of the month.
I host the test-taking in the computer lab. ”
Gently taking the leaflet as if it would start throwing judgmental harassment her way if jostled too much, she tucked it into her hoodie pocket without looking at it. She wanted to be at home and alone to properly take it in. “Thanks. I’ll look it over.”
A knock sounded on the door, then was followed by a man popping in with a plate of food. “Here’s your food, Ms. Elsie.”
“Thank you,” she said before turning back to her desk and looking at Matty. “I think I’ll join you.”
“Please do. Did you hear we’re getting a new weed eater?”
Matty purposely changed the subject.
***
Later that day, she was trudging her way up to The Church.
Her back was sore and her shoulders tight.
All she wanted to do was go home to soak in a bath and read.
She fully intended to order a pizza for dinner.
Normally, she didn’t like to spend money on convenience foods, but today, she would make an exception.
As she entered the back of The Church, she noticed Kerrie’s door was shut.
“She’s not in there.”
Reese’s voice echoed down the long hall. She was halfway out her door with her arms crossed. Matty couldn’t help but take in her silhouette clad in a form-fitting cream sweater and plum pencil skirt, all curves and hills that, if she thought too hard on, she could definitely imagine exploring.
Maybe she needed to take the edge off a little when she was in that bath later.
“Uh, where is she?”
“She got a call about ten minutes ago that her fiancée was in a car accident.”
“Oh shit,” she blurted out as she became more alert. “Is Bette okay?”
Reese nodded. “She is, but the car isn’t, and she sounded panicked. Kerrie asked if I could give you a ride home and to see if you’d mind letting someone, uh, Mildred or something like that, go home. I’m not sure I understood that part well. I assume you know?”