Risk(3)

I parted it in the middle and smoothed the waves, hiding the segment above my right ear. I had impulsively shaved that area some months back. It was a rash move on one of my bad days when it had occurred to me how much trouble had come from catching the eyes of men every day since I turned thirteen. I’d chickened out though. Once the hair began piling up in the sink I had stopped and stared in horror. It seemed I had some vanity left after all.

The sound of the bathroom door creaking open startled me but it was only Saylor. She had a worried look on her face. She stepped all the way in and let the door close behind her.

“Everything all right, Truly?”

I fluffed my hair and dug around in my purse. “Of course, sunshine. Why do you ask?”

Saylor bit her lip and stared at me in the mirror. She was very pretty in a way that was natural, fresh. Of course she’d hinted often enough about what kind of dirty games she got up to with the boy standing on the other side of that door, but Saylor was still a nice girl. She was smart and she was thoughtful. It was easy to see why Cord Gentry had fallen hard for her.

Say fidgeted and seemed to be stressing about something. “I’m not good at girl talk,” she finally grumbled, crossing her arms. “Brayden was always the one I ran to and he’s not very girly so I think I just never learned how.”

Brayden was her cousin and best friend. He lived over in the Palm Desert Apartments, the same place Saylor now lived with Cord and his brothers. He seemed like a decent guy.

“I’m not real talented at girl talk either,” I said. That was a big lie and it cost me as I was engulfed by a swarm of memories. I’d grown up in a tight tribe of sisters and knew everything about clasping sweaty hands in the darkness and whispering the most secret dreams of the heart. There were other things mixed in there too, things I mostly managed to push away.

“Tallulah Rae Lee you get your loose ass out here!!”

“Truly,” said Saylor in the kindest way, “this is probably going to come out sounding all corny and shit but if you ever want to talk or just have someone stand by your side as you scream at the sky, well, you’ve got me.”

Oddly, it was the nicest thing anyone had said to me in a long time. I swallowed and took a deep breath, smothering the rise of emotion.

“Thanks Saylor,” I finally choked out. “You’re plenty gifted at girl talk.”

She grinned and quietly waited for me as I located a tube of half-forgotten red lipstick beneath all the garbage in my purse. I carefully rolled it on my lips and preened for her.

“So how do I look?”

She raised an eyebrow. “Like you’re ready to get busy.”

I laughed, feeling suddenly young, suddenly free. It was a good way to feel.

“Maybe I am.”

Ed had come crawling out of the bowels of his manager cave and he was giving Cord a hard time in the dining room. It was mildly comical considering Cord was a good ten inches taller and could have flattened Ed’s tantrum with one meaty fist.

“Told you again and again,” Ed sputtered, “not to come in here after hours.” He whirled on us as we exited the bathroom.

“How stupid are you girls? Don’t you know there are liability factors at play here?”

Saylor rolled her eyes. “Ed, what are you talking about?”

Ed advanced on her. In the background I saw Cord’s eyes narrow and could practically feel the tension gathering in his muscles. Cord had been a fighter, a good one from what I’d heard. If Ed got too close to Saylor then the night could go sour fast.

But Saylor stood tall, staring our boss down. Ed backed off with a grumbled pout. “You girls have no respect. People have families to support you know.”

I pulled Saylor away before anything ugly was said or done. “We’re sorry, Ed. We’ll see you tomorrow.”

“I’m off tomorrow,” Saylor grinned.

“Well, then I’ll be the only one seeing him tomorrow. Let’s go.”

Cord threw a steely glare in Ed’s direction before shoving his hands in his pockets and following us outside.

“You need to quit this rat trap,” he grumbled.

Saylor slipped her arms around his waist. “Everyone’s got to work somewhere. You told me that once.”

Cord kissed her forehead. “Soon I’ll be making decent cash at the shop. Then you can say Fuck You to Mr. Ed and stay home.”

“Ha! What’ll I do at home?”

“Keep my bed warm, baby.”

Saylor groaned and stretched, arching her back. Cord held her tighter and began breathing heavily. It was simultaneously embarrassing and fascinating.

She smiled up at him. “Smells like rain. Rooftop weather, you know.”