Part 17 (1/2)
”I'm sorry I left like that. I didn't want to.” I tried to turn and look at her, but the throbbing inside my temples forced my eyes closed and sent me back to unconsciousness.
”What the f.u.c.k?”
I hear the sound of a woman's laugh all around me.
”I've always wanted to try this. You were in the military it's just like the quarter test on the bed after you've made it up.
”What, on my a.s.s?”
”Exactly!”
The giggles are back, and they join my own laughter as Lia flings a quarter at my a.s.s over and over again. Every time she misses, it clangs on the floor.
”I can't find it!” she calls out.
I roll over to help her look, but the wooden floor of the cabin has turned to sand. As my hand reaches into the dry grains, I feel the round, metal object but can't quite reach it with my fingers. I push to the side of the bed but lose my balance and fall. Sand fills my mouth...
When I woke, I really had no idea how long I had been out only that Bridgett was still there with me. I recognized her scent immediately and found it comforting. I didn't even bother to open my eyes. My fingers twitched slightly against her side, and I pushed my nose into the skin of her neck.
Her soft voice curled into my ears. The sound was far away, muted and windy-sounding. After a minute or so, the words took form and began to make sense.
”I can't really do that...I would have to wake him up...”
My eyes opened a crack to see her with one of those cheap flip-phones held to her ear. Her expression was worried, and her fingers tensed minutely against the device as she spoke softly into it.
”You'll have to take my word for it,” she continued. There was tightness around the edge of her mouth. ”I don't know if...no, Mel, he's just sleeping...he's been using me pretty hard.”
She s.h.i.+fted a little, and her hand came up to the back of my head. Her fingers moved through my hair.
”No, I can't. I really don't think he wants people knowing where he lives...”
I ran a hand up the side of her body as I stretched and yawned. For the first time in a long time, my head was not pounding so hard that I couldn't hear anything in my ears outside of my own heartbeat.
”Is that your pimp?” I mumbled against her skin.
Bridgett's head turned to look at me, her eyes widened, and she nodded once. Her teeth bit into her lower lip as she watched me. I held out my hand, palm up, but she just continued to look at me and not move.
”Give me the phone,” I eventually said. I could still hear the pimp's m.u.f.fled voice coming from the phone in her hand.
”Okay, Mel,” she said quietly, ”he's awake, and he says he wants to talk to you.”
She moved the phone away from her head and out towards me as her teeth continued to try to pierce her lip. With an exaggerated sigh, I took it from her and held it close, but not too close, to my mouth.
”What's the a.s.shole's name?” I asked loud enough for him to hear through the speaker.
”Um...” Bridgett cleared her throat. ”Mel...um...Melvin.”
I placed the phone against the side of my face. The device felt hot, like she had been talking to him for a long time.
”Melvin, this is Evan Arden,” I said smoothly and emotionlessly. My throat was still dry, and I hoped I wouldn't actually break into a coughing fit, which definitely wouldn't help with the reputation. ”Is there some kind of problem?”
”Uh-uh-um...” he stammered.
”Excuse me?” I said in the same deadpan voice. I swallowed a couple of times to coat my throat in moisture.
”I was just checking up on my b.i.t.c.h,” the pimp said with a little more confidence. ”She's been gone for some time, and”
”Melvin,” I interrupted, ”did one of my guys pick her up and say he was bringing her to me?”
”Uh...yes. Yes he did.”
”Do you think if I kept your property for an extended period of time, or returned it damaged, that I would refuse to compensate you for that loss?”
There was a long pause before he answered. I had the feeling he was choosing his words pretty carefully at this point.
”Um...you...ah, no, I never thought you'd do that,” he said. ”You've always been a good customer.”
”Do you think I'm somehow not good for the money all of a sudden?”
”No! No, man not at all!”
”Do you think that I want to be disturbed right at this time?” I asked.
”Uh...no...”
”Do you think calling your wh.o.r.e and hara.s.sing her when she's with me is in your best interest?”
”No,” he replied softly. ”No, sir.”
”Then why are you calling and interfering with the business of my d.i.c.k?”
”Sorry, um...”
”Don't call again,” I said. ”I'll bring your b.i.t.c.h back when I feel like it.”
The phone closed with a click, and I tossed it on the floor before I wrapped my arm back around Bridgett and nestled against her soft body. That warm, comfortable feeling was all around me, and I didn't want it getting chased away by being p.i.s.sed off at her troll of a pimp.
She said nothing as I dozed a little but couldn't seem to actually get back to sleep. My hip hurt, and I had the feeling I had been lying like that for way too long. I grumbled as I rolled to my back and stared at the ceiling.
”Do you want to try to drink something?” Bridgett asked.
”Not really.”
”You should.”
”Just thinking about it makes my stomach churn,” I told her.
Again, she was relentless and eventually convinced me to drink from a bottle of water. After a few minutes, she was convinced it wasn't coming back up and made me drink some more. With the partially empty bottle sitting on the nightstand, she sat close to me on the edge of the bed as her fingers traced the side of my face.
”You don't feel as warm,” she commented. ”Will you let me take your temperature?”