Page 65 of Ruthless Salvation
Smitten blue eyes peered up at me as though he was happy for me. Or maybe he was just pleading for more pets. He was a hound for attention. His owner lived above me, but the cat spent most of his time at my place, even keeping me company at night.
I'd been so tickled the first time he sauntered down the fire escape and through my window. Now, I didn’t know what I’d do without him. He was even better than a tub of Blue Bell ice cream—that was how he’d gotten his name—the name I’d given him. At this point, his original owners were irrelevant. As far as I was concerned, they’d surrendered him when they stopped caring if he came home.
Home. God, I wanted a home again. I missed knowing my neighbors and hanging pictures on the walls and having friends over. Shoot, justhavingfriends would be amazing.
I’d been meticulous about keeping people at bay wherever I lived. My guilty conscience about hurting people when I left demanded I not form attachments. I desperately missed having a support network. And on top of that, I liked the job I’d found at an old-school diner, unlike the last couple of nightmare jobs. I should have known the porn shop was a bad idea. I shuddered at the memory of some of the creepers who came through those doors.
“How about this?” I asked my furry roommate. “What if we rally for one more move, but then we stay put for a few years? I could give us six more months here, then we go somewhere and stay for a while—let ourselves have a real home.”
Blue Bell purred even louder.
“Then it’s settled. Blue Bell and Stormy are one step closer to a normal life.”
My furry companion chirped.
“I agree, we should celebrate, but I don’t have time right now.”
He sneezed as if incensed by the notion.
I giggled. “Time to get ready for work. You try not to stress yourself while I’m gone.” I set him on the bed where I’d been lying. He never even budged, falling instantly asleep without a care in the world.
* * *
“That’sthe last of it. It’s a good thing we’re staying put for a while because we’ll need a moving truck next time. I seem to be accumulating more and morestuff.”
Blue Bell chimed in with a meow from his perch on the back of the tiny sofa.
“Yeah, including you. I couldn’t possibly have left you behind.”
As promised, I rallied for one more move after a year in Chicago, this time with my sweet Blue Bell. Did I steal someone’s cat? Yup. Did I feel any sort of guilt about it? Not even a little. As far as I was concerned, he’d adopted me, and who was I to turn away such an honor?
“I’m going to check out the neighborhood while it’s still light out. You be good while I’m gone.” I zipped up my jacket and headed out to size up possible jobs nearby. I didn’t like to go long without money coming in.
Not two blocks away, I came across a vibrant set of green neon lights outside a black building. The sign read Moxy, and it looked to be some sort of bar. The place would be convenient, only a couple of blocks from home, and bars tended to be ideal employers for me. They didn’t ask many questions, which was good because I couldn’t provide answers.
Social security number. Nope.
Driver’s license. Nah.
References. No can do.
Stormy Lawson didn’t have any of those. That was the name I’d chosen for myself when I started over. Stormy as a nod to my daddy, who always called me his stormy girl, while Lawson was random. I just liked the way it sounded.
The best I had to offer potential employers was a bright smile and the assurance that I would be reliable help. A Now Hiring sign was posted outside, and the green lights gave off a lucky vibe, so I decided to check it out.
I squared my shoulders, plastered on my charming Southern grin, and pulled open the solid black door. I was half right about it being a bar. To be more precise, it was a strip club. A nice one. I’d seen the full gambit, and this place wasn’t so bad. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised.
It was still early for this type of place, so only a couple of girls were dancing. An enormous bouncer sat vigil at the front door. Good to know security was present.
“Hi, there.” I beamed at him. “I saw the sign out front and wanted to see about applying.”
He gave me a tough-guy chin lift. “Let me get Jolly.” He pulled out his phone to shoot off a text, and a few minutes later, an older man appeared from the back. He motioned for me to join him at the bar. After a quick glance at the bouncer to confirm the gentleman was indeed “Jolly,” I hurried over.
“We’re looking for two nights a week right now. Can’t guarantee more, but if you’re good, it’s likely you can get more shifts soon enough.” He jumped right in without an introduction. Straight to the point. It worked for me.
Two nights wasn’t much, but I could always get another job for the other days and go from there. “When would you want me to start?”
“Well, you’d have to audition first. I’m not puttin’ you on stage until I see if you can move.”