“It doesn’t have to be one night. I feel wrong dropping you off in your clubbing clothes and then leaving you to make your way home on your own. Please let me drive you. I won’t try to come inside. But if you give me your number, I will call you to see you again next week.”
“I um…” God, just say it Paige! I yell inside my head.
“You what?” My mouth opens, and I don’t know how to say it. This is the first time I’ve actually needed to say it. Everyone else I’ve told my story to, already knew I was homeless. I’ve never had to blurt it out before. It makes me feel like I’m begging.
When I don’t respond, he takes a step back and spins his car keys around his finger and catches them with a loud clink. “Just forget it then,” he says, looking away.
“No. Ed!” I call out, grabbing his arm. “You can’t take me home.”
“Why? Why can’t I take you?”
“Because… because I don’t have one ok?!"
“You what?”
“I don’t have a home! So you can’t take me there. I’m homeless! Are you happy now?” I cry, turning away and covering my face with my hands.
He places his hand on my shoulder. “I’m sorry. I knew something was wrong. Don’t cry. Please.”
“It’s fine.” I wipe at my tears and turn back to him. “Just let me get my stuff, and I’ll be on my way.”
“Where will you go?”
“I don’t know. I’ll figure something out. I always do.”
“Don’t go off on your own Linda. Come back with me. You can spend another night, and maybe we can figure something out together?”
“Really?”
“Well, I can’t leave you knowing you have nowhere to go.”
I wrap my arms around his neck gratefully. “Thank you!” I breathe.
With his hands on my waist, he pulls away from me a little and looks into my face, his eyes lingering on the bruise. I can tell he wants to ask me what happened, but he just nods toward the club entrance and tells me he’ll wait for me while I get my stuff.
When I go inside there is a young guy manning the coat check desk. His name tag tells me he’s ‘Braden’.
“Hey,” he nods at me. When he smiles, his cheeks produce two sideways dimples. Which in turn makes me want to smile right back.
“Hi, I ah, left my bag and jacket here last night.”
“No worries. Do you still have your token?”
I hand him the little disc and pin, and he takes it from me then turns around to look through the shelving. I like watching him. He’s probably around the same height as me, but his movement is very fluid. It’s almost graceful.
He has light brown hair that’s shaved close to his scalp on one side and flops straight down to the base of his ear on the other side, which really suits his fine features and dark eyes.
“Here you go,” he says handing me my backpack and jacket. “Must have been a fun night last night if you forgot all this.”
I laugh. “It was alright. Thanks Braden.”
“Any time. See you next time you forget your stuff.”
Nodding and smiling, I walk towards the exit and wave good-bye. I overhear Ed on the phone. “Well deal with it!” he says before realising I’m walking toward him. “Listen, I have to go.” He disconnects the call and stuffs the phone into his pocket. “You got everything?”
“Yeah. Thanks for waiting,” I say, as I walk around to the passenger side of the car. “Thanks for this as well Ed. I know we just met. But this is huge.”
He nods, and we get into his car.
“So how long have you on your own?”
“About a year and a half now,” I tell him, explaining briefly that I didn’t get along with my parents, and they kicked me out because of it. I don’t want to tell him the whole story. He still thinks I’m Linda.
“Really? Where have you been staying?”
“Well, first it was friends, then it was wherever I could find, and then with more friends. When I have some money I stay in cheap motels.”
“What about that bruise on your face. Do you want to tell me who hit you?”
“Not really.”
“I wish you would.”