Chapter 1-1
2009 Words
Chapter One
Josie hadn’t noticed the under inflated tire as she pulled out of the gas station but a little while later as she jabbed the brakes just before a bend, she heard a dull thud and the ominous jarring sound of flattened rubber hitting the blacktop. Instinctively she lifted her foot off the brake and headed for a straight stretch of road, the car slowing under the increased friction.
The last time she’d seen a tire changed had been some years ago when her ex husband had done it. She sighed and stared into the trees, tendrils of mist curled lazily around the trunks a little further in although at the forest edge the mist had long since dissipated. A slight feeling of uneasiness tugged at her mind, she was all alone in a mountain forest. A few moments later she reached into a black Michael Kors bag and as she fumbled for the mace, she brushed against a photograph.
Her eyes flickered downwards as she looked at the picture briefly. It showed her arm in arm with a blonde woman, both of them were smiling. She pushed the memory away and grabbed the mace. Angie was now back with her boyfriend and she was alone, again. Angie, beautiful, confused and sultry as she wormed her way into her bed. However, Angie would no more move into her studio apartment on the Upper East side, than dance naked through Times Square. Bright red lips tightened as her eyes flickered to the photograph again.
Perhaps I should turn straight, she flicked the door handle and winced, live the ultimate lie.
Four inch Louboutins hit the dirt a few seconds later.
Perhaps I should change shoes.
The pin stripe skirt suit looked fabulous in the office, the elegantly cut jacket accentuated her slim waist, finished with a satin bow at the back. The short skirt with its deep sweeping folds afforded a generous view of her knees beneath white fishnets, the cream silk blouse was open to just above her cleavage and a pinstripe waistcoat accentuated her ample bosom. Out here in the backwoods though she looked seriously overdressed. Auburn hair tumbled past her shoulderblades in cascading waves and she flicked at it as she stared at the rear wheel.
The tire was as flat as a pancake and she could see slivers of metal poking through. After a moment’s hesitation she moved to the rear and opening the hatch, hauled on one of the suitcases. It was wedged beside another suitcase and she began working it free, suddenly aware that someone was pulling up behind her. She yanked the suitcase free catching her nail at the same time, she cursed and spun around just as the engine died. She couldn’t see the driver, but caught a flash of blonde hair as the driver ducked below the dashboard to reach for something.
Josie stared at the old Chevy pickup with its dented hood and cracked headlamp. She dropped her hand into her pocket and clutched the mace tightly as she bit her lip, her cell was in the car. She noticed a shotgun and rifle hanging from a rack behind the driver and licked her lips.
A moment later the driver sat up and she found herself staring at a young woman. A smile caused her to slacken her grip on the can as the door opened and black cowboy boots hit the road, a shower of dust drifted lazily upwards.
Honey blonde hair fell in thick silky tresses to her waist. The sleeves of the red plaid shirt were partly rolled up to show a large watch on one arm and a beaded Indian bracelet on the other. The shirt was tucked into tight blue jeans, a pair of leather braces were clipped onto a broad, embossed belt adorned with a silver wolf buckle.
“Hey, you,” she hooked her thumbs behind the braces and smiled, “looks like you’re in a peck of trouble.”
The flash of pearly white teeth put her mind at ease, as did those big brown eyes, she made a mental calculation of early twenties. With a roundish face and clean cut looks, soft complexion, slim build and long legs she could have been the girl next door.
She smiled nervously as the woman noted the tire.
“Well, your tire’s all wore out, you ain’t goin’ nowhere with that.”
“No,” she glanced up as a dog’s head poked up above the dashboard. She didn’t look like she could turn a lug wrench but any help out here was better than none, “it must have been under inflated, I went around the bend back there and she just blew on me.”
“We don’t see too many outsiders here, especially gussied up like that,” she glanced at her outfit, “great shoes but, where did you get them?”
“Saks,” she blushed.
“Well there’s nothing like that here,” she glanced at her pickup, “let’s say we get you back on the road again,” she grinned, “name’s Melanie and changing tires is easy. If you watch real close I’ll show you how it’s done.”
Melanie, she stared at her twitching buttocks as she strolled back to her truck, I don’t suppose she sings as well?
The spare tire soon lay on the ground while she jacked the car, keeping up a constant chatter that brought a smile to her face as she loosened the nuts. There was something homely about her innocent smile, cocksure attitude and easy laid back Appalachian charm. She was standing with two cans of Coke Melanie had brought from the Chevy, Josie sipped hers and kept listening to the chatter.
“Always loosen the nuts before you raise the car,” she instructed, “otherwise the whole wheel just keeps a turning,” she looked up, “okay we’re good, fetch me the spare.”
Josie maneuvered the spare tire over to her while Melanie sipped her Coke.
“There’s an auto shop in town, where you headed?”
“Spencer,” she replied.
“Now that’s a cowinkiedence,” she grinned, “lived there all my life, I could show you where it is, I know all the secret hiding places,” she positioned the tire, “so, what are you fixin’ to be doin’ in Spencer or is that a big secret?”
“Working for a few weeks,” she replied cautiously.
“Whatever,” she spun the nuts, “not much work in town now that the mill’s closing, my daddy’s the foreman there and he’s looking at early retirement.”
Josie winced.
“Me, I’m delivering pizzas,” she chuckled, “stands to reason people will always want pizza, but they won’t always need paper what with computers.”
A few minutes later she stood up and wiped her hands on an old tee shirt and looked down at her handiwork with pride.
“Okay, you’re good to go, see,” she grinned, “I told you I’d get you going.”
“What do I owe you?” Josie moved to the front of the car.
“Owe me?” Melanie stared at her smilingly, “you’re in the middle of West Virginia, we don’t charge folks just for helpin’ out, how’s about you follow me into town and I’ll show you where the auto shop is?”
“I,” she squinted, “I can do that later on or maybe tomorrow, I just want to get unpacked first, they’ve given me a house on Reynolds Street.”
“No problem, I’ll show you where it is,” she beamed.
The thought didn’t bring a smile to Josie’s face as she followed her into town.
She knew about the mill closure, it was why she was here. Maybe I should have gone to the auto shop first, she stared at the back of the pickup, why didn’t you? You like her, admit it, you’d bed her if she gave you the eye. She bit her lip, keep a low profile out here, don’t give them cause to think you’re different. She braked as Melanie clambered out and ran back to her.
“What number?”
“Six”
“Oh,” she turned to a white, weatherboard house, “wow, I must be psychic, we’re here.”
Melanie waited while Josie parked the car in the double driveway. She gathered her strength and glanced at the house, Dyson’s Mills owned it. Would she cotton onto the fact or could she get away with it? She glanced at the mirror. Melanie was talking to her dog and looking across at her.
Okay, front up, if she says anything you’re just going to have to deal with it, nothing for it.
An image pushed itself into her mind, a seductive smile and those swinging hips, she pushed it away and got out. Melanie joined her, the dog hurried towards her with his nose to the ground. Josie had the rear door open by the time Melanie reached her.
“So, did you buy it or are you just staying a few weeks?” Melanie came to a halt.
“Leasing for a few weeks until this contract is up, then it’s back to New York.”
“That’s a company house,” she frowned, “you’re with them, aren’t you?”
“Yes and no,” Josie perched on the back floor, “Dyson’s Mill is being closed down by the Alexis Group but Alexis is one of our clients. I work for Edwards Consultancy, we were brought in to counsel the employees and try to find options for them... we, well I, go through their employment history, interests, hobbies and schooling, and put them on the right track to further employment, retraining, or self employment,” she lowered her head.
“So I guess the answer is yes and no. I don’t agree with closures unless it’s absolutely necessary, but when it does happen people should be treated with dignity,” she finished suddenly.
“So,” Melanie dug her hands into her pockets, “you don’t like, lie to folks?”
“Lie?” Josie stared at her.
“I may be from the Big Apple but I don’t lie to people, unless of course they’ve told me lies and in that case I have been known to put people on the wrong track. If a guy says he’s good with computers and it turns out he spends his spare time chatting on f*******:, then what can I do about it? I just work with the information I’ve got.”
“You must meet all kinds,” she squinted, “my daddy is okay with computers but he’s always been more into gardening and he’s good with cars. He taught me and my brothers everything we know about cars, he has this ‘71 Challenger he’s been building up for the last year.”
“Well I guess not knowing much about him,” she pursed her lips, “we’d pursue options like self employment, we’d tell him how to go about setting himself up and if he takes along a letter on our stationery, it can open some doors that might have been closed before. We can’t guarantee anything of course but we try our best.”
“Short of holding their hands,” Melanie stared at her.
“Yeah,” she nodded, “no hand holding,” she ran a hand through her hair and bit her lip, “I’m sorry, I should have said something out on the road but you were being so nice and I was just too grateful for the help. You really did me a great big favor back there, I just wish you’d take something off me.”
Melanie stared at her, a half smile on her face and Josie felt her heart skip a beat. What was she doing, psyching her out? Her eyes widened and a nervous smile tugged at Josie’s lips.
“I don’t agree with the closure, it can rip the heart out of a community, I just try to put a little heart back in, I guess what you did back there is a bit like sleeping with the enemy.”
“It’s not your fault,” Melanie broke in, “no need to make excuses, the mill’s been going badly for years, they got outsiders in to try and fix it but they just left a big hole in the budget and headed on back to New York.”
“I guess,” she shifted, “do you want to come in for a coffee or something, it’s the least I can offer you.”
“Sure,” she shrugged, “you’re not the enemy,” she glanced at her dog, “you don’t mind if Dog comes?”
“Hey, I’m good with dogs, sure you can bring your dog.”
“His name is Dog,” she grinned, “I found him out in the woods, someone just left him tied to a tree and drove away, it’s an easy name to remember.”
The cocksure smile followed her as they carried the suitcases indoors. She was almost childlike, touching furniture and opening windows while Josie hunted through the kitchen cupboards. Dog padded along behind her, sniffing at her heels and eventually found a cool spot on the kitchen floor and lying down, put his head between his paws and looked at her.
“I thought they’d at least leave something,” she sighed a few minutes later, “looks like a trip to the store unless you want water,” she turned the tap, “at least that works.”
“I’ll go get us some coffee,” Melanie offered, “it’s the least I can do.”
“Okay,” Josie replied hesitantly, “I’ll fetch some money out of my purse.”
“It’s okay, I got money.”
“Melanie,” she addressed her firmly, “I’ll pay, but thank you all the same.”
- Writer
