Page 7 of Give Me Perfect Love

I clear my throat, my emotions getting the best of me. “Yeah, I found a few that are available.”

She looks over at the clock and then back at me. “You got a ride?”

“Huh?”

“Do you have a ride?”

“No, I took the bus here.”

She nods like she figured that was my answer. “That’s pretty dangerous, kid. You’re young and pretty. Any creep could scoop you up.”

Now dangerous I am used to. My eyes go to the bruises on my arm from the last time he grabbed me.

Flashbacks of every moment he’s hit me and forced himself on me flow through my mind like creek water over boulders. It sends chills down my spine.

He will never touch me again.

Never.

“Look, I’ll give you a ride when I get off work if you want.”

I look up from my plate at Lucy. “Why are you doing this?”

She looks over at me for a moment. “I’ve been there. You don’t have to tell me anything for me to know you’ve been through some shit. Something not a lot of people will understand, but I do.” She shrugs. “I get off in fifteen minutes, kid.”

“My name’s Kat.”

“Kat, be ready in fifteen,” she says before walking away to refill the other patrons’ coffee. I finish my food and slide the plate closer to her side. As I count out some money, she walks back to me.

“How much do I owe you?”

“It’s on the house,” she says, taking my plate.

“Well, here, take some gas money.”

“No,” she says, removing her apron and grabbing her purse from under the counter. “Come on.”

__________

I think Lucy is God’s apology for giving me such a shitty childhood. She’s real and selfless. Smokes too much and drives an Oldsmobile that may or may not be older than my eighteen years. The seats have holes from cigarette burns, and it smells like a stale ashtray in here, but it’s a free ride and one that I’m grateful for.

The air is heavy with humidity, and I feel sweat stream down my spine as we head to the first apartment building. Lucy’s old car doesn't have air conditioning, so all four windows are down, and my long ponytail is slapping me in the face.

I hold my arm out of the window and let the wind sweep between my fingers and wrap itself around my hand. The atmosphere is thick and warm, like melted caramel, and just the same it’s Heaven on Earth to me. Because I’m looking for an apartment.

To live in.

Just me.

No monsters.

No drug addicts.

No ghost of the woman who deserted me.

Lucy pulls the car up front and yanks the big gear shifter into park. With a brown filter between her pink lips, she turns to me and inhales deeply. Smoke blows out of her nose and mouth, making me move my head back to prevent the smoke from going in my face. The woman smokes like a freight train.

“Well, what are you waiting on, kid? Get out and go see.”

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