"Wow, I still can't believe your boyfriend drives a BMW," Stephanie told her with an envious look as she shoved two large pizza's into the delivery box. "And he looks soooooo........ good!"
Cindy smiled easily at the new girl's hastily tied hair as her blue eyes shone innocently at her. Cupping Steph's chin in her hand she looked down at her and proclaimed, "A little more time with that hair and just a bit of make-up... Ohhhhhhh, you could catch yourself any man out there." Adding a stern grin, "with the exception of Chip, of course."
Stephanie's youthful features practically gleaming from the praise, she grabbed her pizza's and called back, "If you help me, I'll give you half my tips for the month!"
"YOU'RE ON!" Cindy shouted, even as the door was swinging closed.
Stephanie hit second gear out of the parking lot with sharp squeal from her tires. New friends again. Always. She had gotten very good at it, she thought as the screaming motor told her to shift, or else. Creating the illusion of a happy life, an address, parents she'd never known, and always.... Always, one step ahead of everybody else. Unknown curves appeared in the blink of an eye and were gone behind her just as quickly.
Her full attention on the road now, thoughts of moving, leaving friends behind, sleeping in her car, all the pain of never being able to enjoy things the way anyone around her did.... Vanished. Instead, there was the road. Out to kill her, the way she'd killed her mother by being born. Downshifting back to second in the middle of the curve cured that train of thought as the tires locked for a moment dragging the battered escort to the edge of the mountain road, before the abused engine could catch up with the momentum of the car again.
So consumed with keeping the car on the road, she almost missed the driveway to the house she was delivering the pizza to. Locking the tires, the car skewed perfectly into the small entrance. Long ago, she'd discovered that these small towns were some of the safest places for many reasons. Everyone knew each other, accepted what you told them at face value, and they looked after each other. The thought comforted her as the driveway stretched out further into the woods.
Stepping from the car, she marveled at the ancient house more of a mansion really. Reaching into the passenger door to get the pizza's her tight jeans strained against her youthful figure. Too youthful for her 18 yrs, she'd always thought. Grinning to herself, she forced her walk to appear uncertain and afraid. The combination had never failed to bring excessive tips.
Knocking awkwardly on the heavy double doors, her face assumed its customary innocent look. The elderly man who answered the door grinned widely saying, "You must be the new driver! I'd heard we'd soon have a new face around here. Oh, please, please, do come in. Where have my manners gone?"
Stepping into the house was like stepping into another world. Quiet, pleasant and softly lit. Beautifully framed paintings adorned every wall with golden amber hues. Every piece of furniture was of hand carved, richly polished wood. Something nagged her about the other three older men sitting just across the room at a large table apparently in the middle of a game of cards, though.
"Oh, just put the pizza's on the table here," the eldest of the four said gesturing to an intricately carved end table as he pulled a wallet from his inside coat pocket.
With moon-eyes she whispered loudly, "Wow... I've never seen anyplace sooo, wow, just incredible! You must have lots of servants and stuff just to clean up..." At the same time her quick mind solved the puzzle.
All of the others sitting at the table were on the same side away from her. And so was the last chair. Senses alert, she enthusiastically stepped up very close to him as he was taking the money out of his wallet, forcing him to unconsciously step to the side, away from the door, to hand her the money.
$25 came into her hand from a wallet filled with more $100 bills than she'd ever seen in one place. Well.... It WAS a generous tip. "Thanks mister!" Reaching for the door, she saw several hundreds land atop of the pizza boxes accompanied by the man's voice.