Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 75833 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75833 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
“Um,” I tried to smile, “that’s great.” I wasn’t exactly sure what was so exciting about someone who went by Hacksaw taking any female out. It sounded scary if you asked me.
“You aren’t the best at convincing people, Mel.” She huffed back. “You don’t sound like you think this is a good thing.”
I shrugged. “I don’t think anything. I’m just trying to make heads and tails of what we have going on. Good for Lexi if this is what she wants.”
And truly, I meant that. I didn’t know any of the new people well. I knew Faye was my manager and she was married to someone she called Sweeper. She had schedules worked out, jobs assigned, and really took charge. There were a couple of new ones I hadn’t met yet like Maria, Tamra, and someone named Jonesy. Our shifts haven’t aligned where I had worked with them yet. I had spent some time with Lexi as she ran the laundry room and on my housekeeping days, I was constantly switching dirty linens for clean ones with her. Trinity came to relieve me from desk duty a couple of times. She seemed nice enough for the few moments we were around each other.
I looked at my cousin, my best friend. “Lyric, do what you want, babe. I’m not here to hold you back. I want you to be happy. I’m just a little slower paced with trusting people.” Her face was sad and it cut me deep. “I’m sorry, I just struggle with this new found freedom while still looking over my shoulder all the time too.”
She came closer to me. “That’s what I’m trying to tell you. We can do what we want here. No more rules. No elders watching and judging our every move. No more sneaking around to read books to simply day dream about life outside the safety net of our community.”
“Different doesn’t make any of this safe.”
Her smile faltered at my words. In a split second she waved me off. “You’re stuck in survival mode, Mel. I get it. I am too. But this place? These people, they don’t hide who they are. They’re rough around the edges, yes. But what you see is what you get. We didn’t have that at home, not even with our own parents.”
I raised an eyebrow at her. “Do you hear yourself? We’re gonna trust self-proclaimed outlaws because they’re up front about it? Yes, Lyric that sounds like a genius idea. Come on, girl, you’re smarter than that.”
She laughed. Full on head thrown back, comfortable like never before laughed. In front of me stood a woman embracing her newly found freedom. She wasn’t the Lyric who used to cry in the closet at our grandparents house wishing she didn’t have to go home. She wasn’t the girl who grew up jumping at everything from a simple handshake to a hug. No, the woman in front of me was grown and matured, hardened but still soft. More than anything though, she sparkled. She relaxed.
“Come on Mel. Take a break with me, Lexi, and Trinity. Get to know them.”
I looked at the annoying clock, the empty lobby and finally gave in. “Fine, ten minutes. I don’t want Tiny or Faye to see me away from the desk too long.”
The little courtyard behind the hotel was a patchy rectangle of dead grass surrounded in a cracked side walk. There was a picnic table under a sun-faded umbrella that was for employee breaks. Lexi and Trinity were already there halfway through their lunches.
“This is Mel,” Lyric introduced sliding onto the bench. “My cousin.” She waved a hand at Lexi, “you know Lexi, but Mel this is Trinity.”
The small framed red head gave me a soft smile. “Hey, nice to meet you officially.”
Lexi piped up, “glad you joined us.” She swung her head to look around, her giant silver hoops swinging into her neck. “We can actually talk instead of in passing.”
I smiled, “we definitely don’t have much time. The jobs are always coming.”
Another woman I had seen coming and going walked over, her curls tucked behind her ears with dark circles under her eyes as if she slept less than I did which would be saying a lot. Sleep has not come easy since leaving Montana.
“You work the desk and do housekeeping, right?” she asked me and I nodded. “I’m Tamra, I see you when I set up the coffee and morning pastries. Faye is talking to the guys about maybe doing a continental breakfast. If so, I’ll see you more because I volunteered to do set up for that.”
“I think offering a breakfast would be nice. I don’t know why it isn’t already a thing,” I remarked unsure on how I fit in with this group.
“The club didn’t take possession of the Velvet Inn until two months ago. Tiny’s been doin’ his best to handle it, but it’s more than a one man show.” Tamra explained while Lexi nodded. “Now though it seems like the whole club is getting involved.”