Read Online Saturday Morning by Lauraine Snelling - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Lauraine Snelling
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up and saw the girl cross her legs. “Is that your street name?” Kiss shrugged, her skinny shoulders reminding Hope of the way she’d looked at the end of her own street career. “Where are you from?” Something made Hope think the Midwest, though she wasn’t sure why.
“Just around,” Kiss said, deliberately evasive. She wiped her runny nose with the back of her hand.
Hope handed her a tissue.
A spark of anger widened Kiss’s eyes, which were enlarged by a thick line of black pencil and layers of mascara. “I don’t have to stay here, you know.” Her voice rasped, as if she had a bad cold. She ignored the proffered tissue.
Hope didn’t let the girl’s obstinacy get to her. In her own special way, she understood how Kiss felt. She tossed the tissue in the trash. “No, you don’t, and nobody will force you. But whether you decide to stay here or not, you might want to take advantage of a hot shower, a decent meal, and a soft bed—all to yourself. No strings attached.”
“King will come for me.” The tough-toned words belied the hands clenched over her bony knee.
“King—he’s your pimp?”
Kiss turned her head and stared at the gold-framed print of the San Francisco Bay.
Hope glanced at Officer Langley, who nodded and mouthed, He’s bad. Taking a deep breath, Hope scooted her chair back and stood up. “We’ve dealt with King before, Kiss. Tell you what. Let me show you around. You can talk with some of the girls who live here, then decide if you want to stay.” Please, Lord. Help us help this one.
“I’ll be on my way, then, Hope.” Officer Langley stood and shook Hope’s hand, then touched Kiss’s shoulder. “These people can help you if you let them.”
Kiss jerked her shoulder. “Fat chance.”
Hope escorted Officer Langley to her office door. “Come on by the market tomorrow, and I’ll treat you to an elephant ear.”
“Oh, thanks for reminding me. My son wants to see the clown again. He kept that balloon hat he got last time, until it shriveled down to nothing.”
“See you tomorrow, then.”
“So what now?” Kiss asked, getting up.
Hope watched her and wondered what she would look like without all that makeup, and with her hair clean and soft around her face. “Well, that’s up to you. Once we leave this office, you can either go out the front door and back to your life, or you can come with me and meet some of the other girls.” With a confidence born of experience, Hope walked out into the reception area and headed toward the shelter’s kitchen. She smiled when she heard Kiss’s spike heels tapping after her.
The J House kitchen was the heart of the shelter. Here the guests worked together, talked, and shared their lives. The walls had been painted sunshine yellow, and the cupboards were the color of light cream.
“Hi, girls, this is Kiss.” Hope motioned to the two young women chopping vegetables at the counters. Steam rose from a tall pot of some kind of soup, and the aroma of applesauce spiced with cinnamon emanated from another pot on the stove. She sniffed the air. “Whatever you’re cooking smells wonderful.”
“Thanks,” one of the girls said with a smile. “Welcome, Kiss.”
“Lunch is at noon, but if you need something now, we’ve got some of last night’s dinner in the fridge.” Hope snatched two pieces of carrot and handed one to Kiss, who shook her head and shrugged—a gesture that seemed to be her main mode of communication.
Hope kept up the one-way conversation as they climbed the stairs. “Everyone works here at J House. That’s part of the agreement for those who stay. We have schoolrooms, and up here are the dormitories and a few private rooms, where the mothers with young children live.” Hope explained each area as they passed it. “We have room for twenty guests, many of whom are out working right now, since we are sort of a halfway house for those who really want to change their lives.” Oh, my dear little one, I do
“Just around,” Kiss said, deliberately evasive. She wiped her runny nose with the back of her hand.
Hope handed her a tissue.
A spark of anger widened Kiss’s eyes, which were enlarged by a thick line of black pencil and layers of mascara. “I don’t have to stay here, you know.” Her voice rasped, as if she had a bad cold. She ignored the proffered tissue.
Hope didn’t let the girl’s obstinacy get to her. In her own special way, she understood how Kiss felt. She tossed the tissue in the trash. “No, you don’t, and nobody will force you. But whether you decide to stay here or not, you might want to take advantage of a hot shower, a decent meal, and a soft bed—all to yourself. No strings attached.”
“King will come for me.” The tough-toned words belied the hands clenched over her bony knee.
“King—he’s your pimp?”
Kiss turned her head and stared at the gold-framed print of the San Francisco Bay.
Hope glanced at Officer Langley, who nodded and mouthed, He’s bad. Taking a deep breath, Hope scooted her chair back and stood up. “We’ve dealt with King before, Kiss. Tell you what. Let me show you around. You can talk with some of the girls who live here, then decide if you want to stay.” Please, Lord. Help us help this one.
“I’ll be on my way, then, Hope.” Officer Langley stood and shook Hope’s hand, then touched Kiss’s shoulder. “These people can help you if you let them.”
Kiss jerked her shoulder. “Fat chance.”
Hope escorted Officer Langley to her office door. “Come on by the market tomorrow, and I’ll treat you to an elephant ear.”
“Oh, thanks for reminding me. My son wants to see the clown again. He kept that balloon hat he got last time, until it shriveled down to nothing.”
“See you tomorrow, then.”
“So what now?” Kiss asked, getting up.
Hope watched her and wondered what she would look like without all that makeup, and with her hair clean and soft around her face. “Well, that’s up to you. Once we leave this office, you can either go out the front door and back to your life, or you can come with me and meet some of the other girls.” With a confidence born of experience, Hope walked out into the reception area and headed toward the shelter’s kitchen. She smiled when she heard Kiss’s spike heels tapping after her.
The J House kitchen was the heart of the shelter. Here the guests worked together, talked, and shared their lives. The walls had been painted sunshine yellow, and the cupboards were the color of light cream.
“Hi, girls, this is Kiss.” Hope motioned to the two young women chopping vegetables at the counters. Steam rose from a tall pot of some kind of soup, and the aroma of applesauce spiced with cinnamon emanated from another pot on the stove. She sniffed the air. “Whatever you’re cooking smells wonderful.”
“Thanks,” one of the girls said with a smile. “Welcome, Kiss.”
“Lunch is at noon, but if you need something now, we’ve got some of last night’s dinner in the fridge.” Hope snatched two pieces of carrot and handed one to Kiss, who shook her head and shrugged—a gesture that seemed to be her main mode of communication.
Hope kept up the one-way conversation as they climbed the stairs. “Everyone works here at J House. That’s part of the agreement for those who stay. We have schoolrooms, and up here are the dormitories and a few private rooms, where the mothers with young children live.” Hope explained each area as they passed it. “We have room for twenty guests, many of whom are out working right now, since we are sort of a halfway house for those who really want to change their lives.” Oh, my dear little one, I do
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