Poppet releases me, and I suck in a breath. She straightens, and her breasts expand. She has the largest boobs of any girl her age, ever. Her hair is blond and curly and she wears glasses. She's small, with fine bones, but her voice is like crystal breaking.
"Come sit with me," she says. "I'll show you around after we eat."
I pull my chair out as Poppet eyes my green wig with obvious interest. I like Poppet. I like her too much. It's something I hate about myself. How easily I fall for people. It's why I have to keep my walls strong. It's for other peoples' safety. If they're too encouraging, I'll cling and never let go. Even after they've left me, even after they've told me I should move on too-I'll still love them.
Because they cared.
The kitchen is straight out of a County Living magazine, but in every corner there is something unexpected. A fireman's hat. An origami swan glued to a window. A rabbit mount with a lei around its furry neck.
It looks like Grandma went out of town and the grandkids threw a rager in her house. I inspect my surroundings and shove a bite of cheesy scrambled eggs into my mouth. Before I can help myself, I let out a moan of ecstasy. Everyone stops.
Cain looks up from buttering toast.
I swallow the eggs and wipe my mouth with the back of my hand. "Sorry."
Poppet roars with laughter. "It's good, right? I never had food like this before I came here. Cain can cook a mean meal. He puts cottage cheese and sweet onions in the eggs."
She's about to launch into a detailed explanation of her past culinary experiences when the back door swings open. A girl takes two steps inside and puts a hand on her hip. Her eyes roam over the girls eating, and everyone stops to look at her.
She's wearing red lipstick. It can't be later than 9:00 a.m., and she has on cherry red lipstick. "Get the other girls up. Twelve hours until doors open. We've got a lot to do in that time."
The girl glances in my direction. She takes me in, every last dollop there is, and grimaces. Her chin rises almost unperceptibly, but I catch the movement.
Know your place.
She's wearing a purple silk violet. Her eyes flick to the flower and back to me. If the flowers somehow separate the girls, I have no doubt where she falls in the rank. I'm not sure why the desire arises, but it rears its ugly head all the same-
I want that flower.
"You heard the girl," Mr. Hodge booms, appearing through the hallway again. He stands over one of the girls, his great belly pressed into her back. He isn't smiling anymore. "Eat up. But not too much. Don't need porkers around here."
"Jesus," a Carnation says loud enough for him to hear.
Mr. Hodge grabs a plate from the kitchen and leaves at the same time Violet Girl does.
"That was Lola," Poppet whispers. "She's Top Girl here, which means she makes the most money. But we do all right, too." She elbows me. "Come on. Hurry and finish. Tonight will be here before you know it, and there's a lot you need to learn before then. Madam Karina will take you through the rules of the house, and I'll tell you the stuff you really need to know." She elbows me in the ribs and winks.
Though I'm itching to learn what I'll be doing here-and wondering about that word, Madam, now that both Ms. Karina and Poppet have used it-what I'm most concerned with is this Top Girl, Lola, and exactly how much she earns. Bailing Dizzy from jail will cost a lot. Does she make that much? What about enough for a house? Could that kind of opportunity exist here? A chance to afford a safe, permanent place in this world?
Hopefulness blooms in my chest until Wilson grimaces.
It's almost all girls that work here. And it's in the middle of nowhere. You know what this place is.
If you're not going to leave, be quiet, I reply. You don't know anything.
Out of all the places we could end up, Domino, this is the absolute worst. I remember the things we did, even if you don't. And we shouldn't be here. We should be anywhere else but here.
Maybe he's right. But I can't leave.
Or maybe it's that I don't want to.
Chapter Nine
An Innocent Offer
Poppet shows me to my shared room on the first floor, but the girls already living there aren't looking for someone to take up more of their limited space. So Poppet drags me to her room just down the hall. She bunks with two others for a total of three to the small space. One of the girls, a Latina with hair so black it appears blue, stands up from a twin bed.
"This is Domino," Poppet says. "And I was wondering if maybe she could stay with us. The room she's supposed to stay in is, um, full."