finished eating, his phone chirped to indicate he had a text. It was an old style flip phone that Patti had given him from the dollar store. He figured it showed up on some inventory list as "shrinkage" meaning it had been shoplifted. But he knew that Patti gave it to him so she could call him into work when one of the other employees didn't manage to drag themselves in on time. She also gave him a sixty minute calling card every month, but he guessed that was over now - he'd have to buy his own.
The message was from a car dealer. They wanted him to drive a car to York tomorrow and then drive another one back. That was a little town west of Philly, a bit over three hours away. They would pay him a hundred bucks for the job because it was last minute, but the car had to be there before 10 a.m. He'd have to get an early start.
He thumbed his agreement and pressed the green "Send" button. Things were looking up.
He looked at the peeing girl. She was studying him, wondering what the message was all about. She looked wary.
"It's good news. I've got a job for tomorrow, but I have to leave early - like before dawn. I'm driving a car across the state. I can drop you off somewhere in Pittsburgh or along the way, I guess. Where do you want me to take you?"
He was strictly prohibited from having a passenger in the cars, but he'd just drop the girl somewhere safe and be off. No one would know.
She looked worried. "Mister, can't I say with you?"
He hadn't expected this. "Do you have relatives nearby? Parents? Friends?"
"No Mister, I don't." Her voice had a note of sadness in it, of shame.
Fallon knew how it felt to be truly alone; to have no one. He also knew how it hurt to admit it.
She crawled on all fours over to him. "Don't make me go, Mister."
She reached between his legs and started to massage him. He took her hand and gently pushed it away.
"It's okay, Mister. There's no problem." She was slurring her words.
Fallon stood up and offered his hand to help her. She took it. "I'm not thinking straight right now and you aren't either. I guess you can ride with me tomorrow and we'll figure out what to do."
***
He went into the Airstream and started to wash the dishes. He saw her peek inside from the corner of his eye. Cautiously, she entered. He'd been nice to her, but that was on the outside where she could run if she had to. This little house would be harder to escape from if he turned out to be some type of maniac. It paid to be careful with men you didn't know - she had learned that lesson well over the last few years.
Once she was fully inside, she looked over the layout. It only took a second because the place was so small. There was a couch that ran the full width of the trailer across the back. In front of her was another couch set at a ninety degree angle to the first. To her left she saw the man working in a tiny kitchen. It had a sink and a stove and a couple of cabinets. There was a door as well. It was partially open. She could see a toilet and what looked like a shower. Suddenly, she felt dirty. She sat on the couch directly across from the entrance.
He looked over at her, "What's your name?"
She started to tell him it was Rhonda or Amelia or some of the other names she gave johns, but she told him the truth, "It's Dymond."
"Diamond? Like the ring?"
"Sounds like it, but it's spelled with a "Y" instead of an "IA."
"So, do people call you Dy?"
She shook her head in resignation. "Yeah, they do." Men also called her Princess and Lady Dy and Duchess. Ax called her "your fucking highness."
She began to think he was actually harmless. "Mister, what's your name?"
"It's Fallon."
"Fallon? But that's a . . ."
He cut her off, "Girl's name. I know. However, my mother didn't know. She just thought it sounded Irish. She loved everything about Ireland even though she never went there in her whole life."
She
The message was from a car dealer. They wanted him to drive a car to York tomorrow and then drive another one back. That was a little town west of Philly, a bit over three hours away. They would pay him a hundred bucks for the job because it was last minute, but the car had to be there before 10 a.m. He'd have to get an early start.
He thumbed his agreement and pressed the green "Send" button. Things were looking up.
He looked at the peeing girl. She was studying him, wondering what the message was all about. She looked wary.
"It's good news. I've got a job for tomorrow, but I have to leave early - like before dawn. I'm driving a car across the state. I can drop you off somewhere in Pittsburgh or along the way, I guess. Where do you want me to take you?"
He was strictly prohibited from having a passenger in the cars, but he'd just drop the girl somewhere safe and be off. No one would know.
She looked worried. "Mister, can't I say with you?"
He hadn't expected this. "Do you have relatives nearby? Parents? Friends?"
"No Mister, I don't." Her voice had a note of sadness in it, of shame.
Fallon knew how it felt to be truly alone; to have no one. He also knew how it hurt to admit it.
She crawled on all fours over to him. "Don't make me go, Mister."
She reached between his legs and started to massage him. He took her hand and gently pushed it away.
"It's okay, Mister. There's no problem." She was slurring her words.
Fallon stood up and offered his hand to help her. She took it. "I'm not thinking straight right now and you aren't either. I guess you can ride with me tomorrow and we'll figure out what to do."
***
He went into the Airstream and started to wash the dishes. He saw her peek inside from the corner of his eye. Cautiously, she entered. He'd been nice to her, but that was on the outside where she could run if she had to. This little house would be harder to escape from if he turned out to be some type of maniac. It paid to be careful with men you didn't know - she had learned that lesson well over the last few years.
Once she was fully inside, she looked over the layout. It only took a second because the place was so small. There was a couch that ran the full width of the trailer across the back. In front of her was another couch set at a ninety degree angle to the first. To her left she saw the man working in a tiny kitchen. It had a sink and a stove and a couple of cabinets. There was a door as well. It was partially open. She could see a toilet and what looked like a shower. Suddenly, she felt dirty. She sat on the couch directly across from the entrance.
He looked over at her, "What's your name?"
She started to tell him it was Rhonda or Amelia or some of the other names she gave johns, but she told him the truth, "It's Dymond."
"Diamond? Like the ring?"
"Sounds like it, but it's spelled with a "Y" instead of an "IA."
"So, do people call you Dy?"
She shook her head in resignation. "Yeah, they do." Men also called her Princess and Lady Dy and Duchess. Ax called her "your fucking highness."
She began to think he was actually harmless. "Mister, what's your name?"
"It's Fallon."
"Fallon? But that's a . . ."
He cut her off, "Girl's name. I know. However, my mother didn't know. She just thought it sounded Irish. She loved everything about Ireland even though she never went there in her whole life."
She
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