Underestimated (8 page)

man said, and I was in panic mode. I wasn’t about to take

my jeans off in front of either one of them, let alone let him

touch me.

I looked at Drew, and he stood in his fancy suit

and tie wearing a smirk.

“Why?” I managed to say.

“We just want to make sure that you are not

damaged.”

“I’m not,” I all but yelled.

“Take your pants off, Morgan,” Drew said with his

dark eyes that scared the hell out of me.

I didn’t know what to do. This was going to

happen whether I wanted it to or not.

After not moving and staring at the two of them in

shock, Drew finally squatted to my face and put both of his

hands on my knees. “We have a plane waiting on us,

Morgan,” he smiled.

“I don’t want to go with you,” I demanded.

He grabbed both my ankles and pulled me flat on

my back. I could only stare in total shock. He unbuttoned

my jeans and slid them off with my panties in one swift

move. I crossed my ankles and covered myself with my

hands.

“Spread your legs, Morgan,” Drew spoke while

the doctor or whatever he was removed a light and some

sort of silver tool.

I couldn’t even cry. I didn’t know what emotions

were transpiring as I lay there and trembled.

“Now!” he demanded.

I slowly opened my legs and squeezed my eyes

shut. I didn’t know which one of them was even touching

me. I thought that Drew had been the one who pulled my

knees up, exposing my very personal sex. I jumped when I

felt the instrument penetrate me and then felt the warmth

from the light between my legs.

“Her Hymen is fully intact,” the man examining me

said, pulling the tool from my vagina. I jumped again.

He stepped out leaving me alone with Drew.

“Get dressed, we have to go,” he said, and that

was when the tears started.

This was really happening. My dad was really

going to let this man take me. Drew squatted down to me

again and placed his hands on my bare knees after pulling

me back to a sitting position.

“No tears, Morgan. I am doing you the biggest

favor of your life. You are going to live like a queen and

all you have to do to earn it is listen to me. Now get

dressed. We are leaving,” he demanded with a clinched

jaw and a look that frightened me to the core. He moved

my knees apart and looked down. I quickly snapped them

back together. He snickered.

I dressed quickly and pulled on my sneakers.

My dad never said a word as I was led from the

trailer. He was too busy counting the dollar bills and

anticipating his night at the bar.

I rode in the back seat with Drew, and the two

other men sat up front. We drove in silence other than

Drew being on his phone talking business and getting mad

because of the poor reception. We were driven for almost

two hours, and I wondered where I was going. Where was

I going to be living? He said we had a plane to catch, but

we kept driving and driving. Finally, we arrived at a small

airport and Drew led me by my elbow to the private jet.

I looked around, wondering if I could run, knowing

that I couldn’t.

“Bring us back some refreshments once we are in

the air,” Drew told the man that didn’t exam me. I would

soon learn that this man was around a lot.

I was now nervous about flying. I had never been

on a plane. Hell, I had never been out of the mountains.

Drew directed me to the leather seat and told me

to put my seatbelt on. The white leather was the softest

thing I had ever felt in my life, and although I was scared

shitless about my future, I couldn’t help but to be a little

excited about the flight.

Drew sat beside me and buckled in, as well. Once

we were up, I looked out the small window and was in

awe of gliding through the clouds. He touched my hair and

smiled at me. I flinched and pulled away.

“Where are we going?” I asked.

“Las Vegas,” he answered.

“Las Vegas?” I asked.

“Did you not hear me the first time?” he snidely

remarked.

I didn’t know how to respond. He obviously

expected some other reply, but I didn’t know what it was,

so I didn’t say anything. I stared out the window,

wondering what lay ahead.

I wasn’t a dummy. I knew the distance between

West Virginia and Las Vegas. I couldn’t believe that I was

going that many miles from the only home I had ever

known. Would I ever see my brother again? How would

my mom ever find me? My dad could rot in hell. I didn’t

care if I ever saw him again.

The man brought two glasses of wine along with

some cheese and crackers. Drew handed me the glass of

wine, and I sipped it. I didn’t like it and thought it was

bitter and sweet. I of course drank it, and the cheese and

crackers helped settle my stomach. I had never tasted such

rich cheese in my life. If I did eat cheese it was the

wrapped imitation kind with not much flavor at all.

I was brought back to current when I sipped my

empty cup of tea. It was a lot easier to tell myself that I

was going to move here and never think about my previous

twenty five years on this earth than it was to actually do it.

Maybe I should seek counseling. No. No. I just need to

occupy my mind and stop thinking about the past. I liked

my job. I loved Lauren, and my house was perfect for me.

I even loved the rough terrain beach.

I woke in a panic once again, too early. I sat up

and calmed my speeding heart. I was getting used to

talking myself down. I thought about the dream and

wondered why it always went back to my childhood. I got

up and looked out the window. The moon was full and had

a misty halo circling it. I could see Justin screaming for

me not to let the social worker take him. He was so little

and scared. All I could do is watch them take him. They

didn’t take me because the lady explained that nobody

would want a seventeen year old girl and that I was old

enough to take care of myself. She promised that I could

see him, but every time I called, she had a different excuse

as to why I couldn’t.

I showered even though I should have gone back to

bed. I pulled on my new cotton panties and fuzzy socks. I

checked myself out in the full length mirror, hanging on the

back of my bedroom door. My jeans fit much better than

the ones that I had brought with me. I wore one of my new

shirts as well, and that too looked good on me. It fit snug

and hugged my body in all the right places. I pulled a

white button up shirt overtop. I knew I should have worn

my old clothes. I was going to get dirty. I was sure of it.

I pulled up to the curb of the coffee shop, knowing

that it was closed on Sundays, I didn’t have to worry about

taking any parking spaces. I made one pot of coffee for

myself and looked around. Where do I begin? I was sure

the place had never had a good cleaning, and after a week,

my OCD couldn’t take it a second longer. I knew I could

rearrange things to make better use of the space. It was a

decent size store. It was just going to take more manpower

than me. Maybe I could talk Lauren into helping me. I

decided that I would start at the very front and work my

way back. I needed to work on the front while the store

was closed.

I poured a cup of the delicious coffee and started

on the windows. Wow. These things have never been

cleaned. I cleaned the windowsills first, using three

buckets of water to rid the wood from the dust and grime.

Starlight definitely wasn’t the cleaning type. After

cleaning the wood trim I decided that I should clean the

walls, as well. I was sure that they had never had a good

scrubbing either.

The sun was just coming up, and I was almost

finished with the front wall. I was astounded at the

difference between the front wall and the side walls. They

weren’t tan after all. They were a very unique pale

yellow. I liked it. I was just finishing up with the window

cleaner on the door when I heard the tap on the glass. I

peeked down from the chair that I had been using for a

ladder and hopped down.

“Kind of early for criminals eh, sheriff?” I asked,

opening the door for Dawson.

“Or late,” he replied, stepping in, “and I told you,

call me Dawson.”

“What can I do for you?” I asked, not wanting to

stop my task at hand. I was making good time, and I

wanted to keep at it.

“I just got off of the night shift and saw the lights

on here. What on earth are you doing here this time of

morning?”

I shrugged my shoulders. “Couldn’t sleep, I have

had this on my mind since I started working here, so I

decided to get up and get it done.”

“Wow,” he said turning to the clean storefront.

“I know. Isn’t it nice?”

“It’s amazing,” he said, not believing the

difference. “You have a cup of coffee?” he asked, walking

to the pot not giving me time to answer.

No. I don’t. I want you to leave. I don’t have time

for entertaining.

“Sure, help yourself.”

I didn’t stop to chat or entertain. I emptied my mop

bucket again and started on the next wall, hoping he took

the hint. He didn’t. He sat at the table and watched.

“You know coffee has caffeine. I would think after

working the night shift you would want to go home and

sleep,” I tried.

“Are you trying to get rid of me?”

Yes. That is exactly what I am trying to do.

“No, not at all, but if you stick around too long, I

might put you to work.”

“Let me go home and change, and I would be

happy to help you.”

I was speechless for a moment. I was joking. I

didn’t think he would take me up on it.

I laughed. “Thanks, but I’m okay. You should get

some sleep.”

“I actually won’t go to bed until tonight. I am on

days during the week, and if I sleep, I will be all messed

up and won’t be able to sleep tonight.”

“Thanks for the offer but I couldn’t ask you to help

me.”

“I don’t think you asked, Riley. I think I offered.”

Now what the hell was I supposed to do? I could

use some muscles to help me move the shelves, and I

would really like to move the cash register counter closer

to the door.

“You’ll get dishpan hands.”

“I’m a bachelor. I am used to dishpan hands.”

Great, just what I need, a bachelor.

I turned to look at him, trying to think of something

to say. I noticed how handsome he was and how nice he

looked in uniform. He had a military cut, and I could tell

that he was very well built. He was wearing a five

o’clock shadow and had the bluest eyes I had ever seen. I

wondered if they were contacts.

What the hell is wrong with you, Morgan? You

are not getting involved with a man. Forget it.

I broke our gaze and turned back to wiping the

wall. I still hadn’t said anything, and had no idea what to

say. I had never in my life said no to a man. I wasn’t

trained
that way.

“It’s settled. I’ll see you in an hour.”

Dawson left, and I sank to the floor. I didn’t want

him to help. I didn’t want him around. I jumped when my

cellphone started singing something about having a girl’s

night out. I knew it was Lauren. Every time she was

around she was changing the ringtone on my phone.

“Where the hell are you? I was going to come over

and eat your leftovers.”

“At the shop cleaning, you can go over and eat my

leftovers if you come here and hangout with me so that I

don’t have to be alone with the sheriff.”

“Why is the sheriff there?”

“He saw the lights on and stopped to make sure

everything was okay. He saw what I was doing and has

now gone home to change so that he can come back and

help me.”

“Are you kidding me, Ry? That man doesn’t have

an interest in women. He hasn’t dated since his wife left

him.”

“When was that?” I asked for unknown reasons.

“Um, let’s see. I have been here for almost two

years, and I think she left about a year before that so I

would say three years or so.”