Page 45 of Agent Zero
The decaf came, half-burned by the smell of it.Sue shuffled away.Holly had just picked up her mug when a shadow fell over the booth.
Not Reese.It was a burly man in a flannel shirt, his blue baseball cap settled firmly enough that it might have been glued on and his beard neatly trimmed.His eyes were bloodshot, his jeans were worn, and he looked as though he was having some trouble staying upright.
“Hello there, sweet thing,” he slurred, and the intense, inappropriate desire to laugh burbled up inside of Holly.
“I’m sorry?”she managed politely, frozen with the heavy white mug halfway to her mouth.
“How much?”He leaned over a bit further; she caught a breath of unwashed, sweaty man with more fat than muscle, but still plenty of both.It wasn’t like Reese’s clean healthy haze.
I could smell it on you.What did that mean, really?“I’m sorry?”she repeated.“You seem a little confused.”
The man rested his elbow on the back of her booth, effectively trapping her, and her unease was full-blown shading into fear now.“Give you fifty for a blow,” he semiwhispered.“Pretty mouth of yours, and all.I got a nice truck.Private.”
Several pieces fell together at once.Truck stop.Motel.The waitress’s questioning.
Oh, God, he thinks I’m a hooker.“I think you’ve mistaken me for someone else,” she managed, with just the right tone—not overly amused, not overly offended—even though her heart had started hammering and sweat prickled under her arms.
Out of nowhere, help appeared.“Hey, sweetheart.”Reese, tall and a little rumpled, smiled benignly at the heavyset man, but he didn’t slide into the other half of the booth.“Who’s your friend?”
“I think he’s confused,” she began, diplomatically.
“Really.”Reese’s open, pleasant expression didn’t change, but something in the set of his shoulders made the other man straighten self-consciously, taking his arm away as well, thank God.“Can we help you, sir?”
“Just asking,” the man mumbled, darting another glance at Holly.“Pretty girl there.”
“That’s one reason I married her.”Reese’s hands were loose and easy, but she suddenly had the idea he was about to do something silly.“What did you want?”
“Nothin’.”Thankfully, the stranger backed off, albeit with one last lingering look.
Holly’s skin crawled.She set the coffee cup down carefully, as if it were porcelain instead of thick heavy industrial china.
Reese lowered himself cautiously into the other seat.“You okay?”
“I think...”Holly coughed into her cupped hand, then managed something slightly above a whisper.“He thought I was a lot lizard.”
“A...”A curious expression drifted over Reese’s face.“Oh.”His dark eyes narrowed fractionally.That was all.
Fifty for a blow.“I’m having all sorts of new experiences nowadays.”She managed a nervous half laugh.“Do I look that bad?”
“Of course not.”Bless his heart, her traveling companion even sounded like he meant it.“You’re just too pretty for a place like this, that’s all.The motel’s a dump.Rents hourly.”
“Oh.”Her skin was tingle-shivering even more now.“Reese, please.I’m not hungry.”
He was already reaching for his wallet.“I don’t blame you.We can find someplace nicer.”
“God, yes.”She all but scrambled for the edge of the seat.Sue the waitress was shuffling back, bright interest all over her avid little face.“I, um...I need to use the restroom, though.”
“Me, too.”A tight smile, and he motioned to the approaching waitress, very friendly indeed.“I’ll wait for you, okay?”
“Okay.”Holly made it down the aisle, and just as she reached the front she saw her erstwhile suitor heading into the men’s room.
Oh, God.It took a little while, locked in an indifferently cleaned ladies’ stall, for the shaking to stop.I want to go home.
She knew she couldn’t, but still.It wouldn’t be that hard to find a pay phone, would it?Reese couldn’t stay with her all the time.Just to hear Barb’s scratchy voice again, or just to tell someone, anyone, that Holly Candless was still alive, still existed.
Funny, I wanted to vanish, but not like this.
At least the water from the sink tap was hot, and there was industrial-grade soap.She scrubbed at her hands a long time, staring at the wan blue-eyed woman in the mirror, and found herself hoping Reese would leave her behind.
