After a moment she closed the notebook and turned around to face me. “You’re really good, Ryder.”
Sanctuary
Chapter 5—Ella
Sanctuary: a place of refuge or safety
“Shift’s over, Maric,” I called to the end of the bar, where my boss sat on a stool with a shot of tequila in hand. He nodded but finished talking to one of the patrons as I cashed out my drawer.
I smiled and feigned interest as a couple of men tried to start a casual conversation with me, but my mind was lost in my own world. My imagination had become my sanctuary because it was the only place I had ever had control. I moved on to counting my tips, which were few and far between. Men saved their singles for those nearly naked dancers over the frumpy girl who poured their drinks. Maric had worked his way down the bar and was now standing across from me.
“You want to get together later?” He always asked the same question, and I always turned him down, something that didn’t happen often to him. But like any man, he was predictable and wanted what he couldn’t have. He saw me as a challenge.
“It does feel a little chilly in here. Has hell frozen over?”
He smiled, loving my unfiltered mouth, but I saw him tense as the trucker sitting across the bar laughed at him. “Something funny?”
I laughed as Maric walked me to the back door and held it open for me to exit. I wrapped my hand in my purse strap nervously. I glanced around the desolate alley as I prepared to leave the safety of the club into darkness. “I was thinking more along the lines of…a deal.”
“What kind of deal?” he asked, leaving his expression unreadable. But I could get a good sense of his mood by the tone of his voice. He was intrigued and perhaps a little amused. “You wanna be my bottom bitch? You’re gonna hafta up your game.” He slid his fingers through my hair, and I cringed at the smell of stale cigarettes. “You can’t be looking like some frumpy housewife.”
“No.” I swatted his hand away and took a step backward “I need more money. I could help you with some manager responsibilities or pick up some extra shifts.”
“A raise? For what? Raise a few dicks, and we’ll talk about money.” He was crass but that was something that didn’t faze me anymore. I wasn’t raised to be ladylike. I wasn’t raised at all, just kept alive.
“Come on, Maric. I work twice as hard as anyone here, and you know that. I’m about to lose my apartment, and you’ll just have to train someone to take my place when I’m left on the street.”
His eyes traveled down my body, and I resisted the urge to gag at his repulsive expression. He chuckled, shaking his head.
“I already gave you the extra shift tonight. I can’t afford to throw cash at you. The economy is shit, Ella. My hands are tied. Go change. Be back here in twenty minutes looking a little more human. And get something to eat! Don’t think I haven’t noticed you eating all the cherries and shit. This ain’t a soup kitchen.”
“Human. Got it.” I beamed as he shook his head, and I disappeared into the alley. The relentless heat still hung in the air, even long after sunset. I must have looked homeless, but it all helped perpetuate the image of helplessness. No one looked twice at the poor, frail girl, and I was happy to be left alone. Maric acted like a dirty old man, but he was no different from any other man. He couldn’t resist a sad pout and the opportunity to ride in and save the day. But they always wanted something in return and that wasn’t a price I was willing to pay.
I was bouncing with each step as I made my way toward my apartment until I saw the eviction noticed taped to my door and a padlock hung from the frame.
“Fuck,” I groaned as I grabbed my hair in frustration. I hurried back down the stairs and into the alley alongside my building.
After a few jumps, I grabbed onto the metal fire escape and pulled it down to the road.
I climbed it quickly, hurrying past my neighbor’s window and to my apartment. My bedroom window had several coats of paint, and the lock no longer turned. I struggled to lift it and slipped inside. I changed as quickly as possible into a short jean skirt and a tight pale-blue tank top trimmed in lace. I glanced around the small space, but there was nothing I needed to salvage. A few outfits were all I had, and they were dirty. I shoved them into an old blue backpack before hurrying back down the fire escape toward work. I didn’t have time to worry about what I would do tonight.
From behind me I heard someone catcall, his shoes fast approaching on gravel. I held up my middle finger as I continued on, struggling to walk gracefully in my wedge sandals. I was in no mood for that kind of bullshit.