Rock Candy Kisses(29)

I'm not a very big fan either. I sign to the two of them. They have  chocolate pudding at the end of the line. If you smile real nice, I bet  they'll give you two. If not, you can have mine. We were all promised a  meal in exchange for our work, but I doubt any of us will take them up  on the offer. We'd rather they give it to those most in need, not create  a bigger need by feeding all of Prescott Hall.

"You sign!" His mother claps in relief. "He's learning in school, but  it's tough. None of the other kids understand him. It's sad. He was so  excited to be a big boy and meet all the other kids, and now he's all by  himself on the playground."

My heart breaks for him. I pull out my phone as Marley takes over my  duties for a minute. My name is Annie, and I'm deaf. I would recommend  you look into Quincy. Have you heard of that school? They have all  grades.

"Can you read my lips?" She looks puzzled by my ability to understand her.

I give a simple nod as the boy wraps himself around his mother's leg as if it were a tree trunk.

"I heard Quincy is expensive. We're trying to stretch a nickel and  things like this"-she motions around the facility-"is what gets us by on  what little we have. I'm at a battered woman's shelter with the kids as  it is."

I'm sorry to hear that, I sign. But Quincy has a policy to meet all  financial needs if the parents are unable to. I think your son would be a  perfect candidate for one of their scholarships.

"Really?" The elation she exudes is palpable. She streams out a string  of unintelligible words before signing, You don't know what this means  to my boy. This is like Christmas for us! She lunges over with a wild  hug.

I wish them well before getting back to my duties. In the meantime,  Johanna and another girl I've seen around the dorm have taken the spot  on the other side of me. Perfect. The world gives, and it takes away.  Johanna has her face spackled with an inordinate amount of makeup. Her  eyes look smeared in kohl as if she were literally trying to achieve the  smoky look by way of a charcoal briquette. Her lips are that tacky  shade of here-come-my-lips star spangled red she insists on punishing  the public with. It looks as if a child drew her out on paper-an angry  child with some serious mommy issues. I try not to make faces as I get  back to work. That's the thing with me, most of my expressions seem a  bit exaggerated, thus I'm terrible at hiding my emotions. I can't help  it. I want the world to know what I'm thinking, and, if rolling my eyes  is what it takes, so be it.

I avert my gaze to Marley. She knows all about Johanna's insistence that  I make like a plane and fly away. Marley bears her teeth, looking for a  fight on my behalf, and I shake my head because that's not what I want.  Not here anyway.

Johanna knocks into me with a violent force, pretending to have tripped while shoving her serving spoon into the stuffing.                       
       
           



       

"Excuse you!" Marley is pissed. Her face goes up in flames turning strange shades of pink then magenta.

I wave it off, letting her know it's a futile effort. We can deal with  her later. No use in ruining what amounts to the only hot meal these  people get.

Johanna starts speaking, but her head is turned half way so I don't quite catch it. Don't want to.

She pushes me in the shoulder a little rougher than necessary to get my attention.

"I said stay on your side." She chomps down on every word with a little  more aggression than I'm used to. The strong odor of vodka hits me in  the face like a slap. No wonder she's so animated, she's wasted.

She must have shouted the words because half the room has turned to look  at us. I take a full step toward Marley. I'm avoiding drama at all  costs tonight knowing Blake will be here any minute. With Johanna the  vodka-breathing dragon bearing down on me, I regret extending the  invitation.

The girl next to her grimaces, clearly embarrassed by Johanna's  behavior. That makes me feel just a little bit better. The fewer  supporters Ms. Inebriated America has the better.

"My name is Jody." She extends her hand, and I shake it quickly.

"Jody-this is Frannie!" Johanna shouts so loud I can feel the vibrations  running down my back. "Frannie is deaf!" She giggles to herself.  "Frannie is a deaf head. But she can read your lips." She turns to me  fully. "Isn't that right?" Johanna covers her mouth. I can see her  facial muscles moving, her eyes laughing right at me so I know she's  still speaking.

The familiar scent of leather comes from behind, and I cringe because I'd know that leather jacket anywhere. Blake is here.

He steps towards Johanna forcefully with his head gesticulating as he has a few choice words with her I'm sure.

I glance to Marley and mouth, "What's going on?"

She sends a lightning quick text.

He told her to take her rude, drunk ass and get the hell out.

A dark laugh escapes me. I warm from head to toe as he turns toward me.

"Hi, beautiful." He squints out a sad smile as he lands a quiet kiss on my cheek.

The organizer asks Johanna to leave the premises, and she unhappily  picks up her "drunk ass," her designer trust fund treasure of a purse,  and struts out the door. The back of her skirt is tucked into her tights  and she's inadvertently showing off a pair of granny panties to  everyone.

Marley snaps a quick picture and sends it as a mass text captioned, Her rude ass.

Classic.

Blake and I share a laugh.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that." The pain in his eyes says it all.

That's just life. There are nice people, and then there are the Johannas of the world. I win because I have you. ;)

He shakes his head. "I win because I have you." Blake both says the  words and slowly signs it out as well. My heart melts. Just when I  didn't think I could love him any more he fills me further than  possible.

Blake takes over her position, and I win twice because I get to stand  next to the most handsome guy in the room for the next hour straight.

An older gentleman in a scruffy coat and fedora comes by, and I scoop him a double heap of sweet potatoes at his request.

He gets to Blake, and they both freeze, staring at one another like lost sheep.

I tap Blake on the shoulder. His serving spoon is midair, his mouth is  open, but he's not moving. He's gone white as a sheet. Finally he dishes  the man a heap of stuffing and folds his arms across his chest with a  look of frustration.

"Annie, I'd like for you to meet Boyd Daniels, my father."

My jaw goes slack. Now I'm the deer in the headlights.

He starts to say something, and Blake holds up a hand to stop him.

"Dad, this is my girlfriend, Annie. She's beautiful, and sweet, and unfortunately she can't hear the drivel you're mumbling."

"Is that so?" He looks up at me, and I recognize those speckled  amber-green eyes. Nice to meet you, he signs. My first wife lost her  hearing. I made the effort and learned to speak her language. He gives a  dismissive wave. "Ah, I'm rusty."

No, you're good. Thank you for that. It's very nice to meet you.

"Did he just do that?" Blake inches back. "Learn something new about you  every day, Pops. Like the fact you're homeless." He gives an  exasperated sigh. "Hell, you're a mess. I think you qualify." He plops  an extra scoop on his father's plate. "You hanging out? We're almost  done."

"I'll be over there." He points to the back of the room before continuing down the line.                       
       
           



       

I tilt into Blake. I'm completely endeared by his father and saddened at  the same time. We service the backup quickly before he nods to me.

"My dad and I don't always get along. He seems to like you. You brought out the best in him."

We wrap up the end of the line, and Marley comes over and hangs off me for a second while sticking her tongue out.

"I'm beat!" She laughs. That's the thing about Marley I love best, she's  the kind of girl who smiles right through anything. Just like the pain  her boyfriend is causing her. It's becoming evident he's never coming to  see her. She mentioned that she asked to have a conversation with him  in person, but I doubt that will happen. I think she's ready for some  answers. Although I don't know how she'll get them. He's pretty elusive.  Big Foot might be easier to have a conversation with.

Blake wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me in with that deadly  grin on his face that drenches my panties. I still can't believe this  gorgeous man is all mine to do what I please with whenever I wish. And,  even more, I love that the same is true in reverse.

"You mind if we sit down with my dad for a few minutes? I'll take you back to the dorm if you like."

I shoot Marley a text letting her know not to wait up.