“What are you doing here, Valo?”
“I want you to come with me.”
Her eyes narrow. “Where?”
“Only one way to find out.” I walk to the passenger side of my truck and open the door, looking at her expectantly.
Jade stares at me for about two seconds before she sighs and gets into the truck. We don’t say anything on the drive to a twenty-four hour diner, which is fine with me. However, Jade keeps the silent treatment going as we enter the diner and take a seat at a booth in the back. Once the waitress takes our order, I clear my throat.
“I’m sorry,” I say.
Jade looks confused. “For what?”
“For overstepping, for trying to help when maybe I shouldn’t.”
“Jeez, thanks for make me feel like a bitch,” she mumbles. “Valo, you’re too damn good for your own sake. I was mad that night because she got fucking picked up again. Then I was worried someone would see you with me, and your career is more important than some fucking lay. Well, you’re not having sex with me, but you know what I mean.”
“I can take care of myself, Jade. You worry more than you need to. As long as I stay out of legal trouble, don’t do drugs, and play good hockey, my career is fine.” It seems that simple to me.
“Finny, you’re so full of shit. What would happen if your photo were on the front of every headline in Maine that you bailed out a convicted prostitute? Do you think parents are going to buy your jersey for their kids? You think the owner is going to let you visit sick kids at the hospital? Words hurt just as bad as drugs, legal troubles, and all that other shit. Trust me, I know better than you. I won’t stand by and let you do this. You’re a good person, Valo, and I refuse to let my life taint yours.” Her words hang in the air between us.
I take a deep breath. I never planned on being the one to bail her mom out if someone was going to do it. This conversation needs to change course before she gets too riled up and I lose her. How am I supposed to continue seeing her if she’s too wrapped up in somehow messing up my life? Before I can think too much about it, I say, “Fine. Let’s leave your mom out of it. You, Jade, are a good person. If you’re that worried about your life tainting mine, then leave it. Let me help you leave it.”
“What are you? Some knight in shining hockey pads? Valo, I can’t leave. You want to know why? I made thirty bucks tonight. That’s it. I have no water in my apartment because I can’t afford it and I’ve been bathing at the club, which is beyond disgusting. I can’t make my rent and the landlord is already on the verge of giving me an eviction notice. Where, in all that hot fucking mess of my life, do you see an escape?”
She alone can’t do it; I know this. I give her a small smile. “You’re looking at it. I’m not trying to save you, just giving you a way out.” She deserves that and if I can help her, then why shouldn’t I?
“What the fuck are you talking about? And why hell do you want to help me? I’m not fucking you. I’m not a relative. Hell, I’m not even sure I qualify as a friend at this point. I mean, is this some type of good deed the hockey league makes you do or something?” Jade is clearly skeptical as she leans back in her seat, watching me with carefully masked purple eyes.
“Have you not been listening to me, Jade? I want to help you because you deserve the chance, because you have a good heart. Move in with me. There’s even an extra bedroom you could have, and you can figure out what you really want to do, and I’ll help you make it happen.” I want to do this so damn badly, it’s overwhelming. We can make this work, if she’ll let me help.
“And do what? Be your personal fuck doll or something? I don’t take charity. Well, I did as a kid, but not now. I have to work.”
All the words she needs to hear to do this start leaving my mouth. “Then work. You can waitress in this very diner if you want and doing the housekeeping can cover your expenses at the house. Just quit and get the hell out and find out what your dreams are.”
Jade stares at me for about a minute or so. “Valo, you don’t know anything about me. I could be conning you and then rob you blind.” Because that’s what a con man would say. “How can you know I’m even trustworthy?” She’s worried about me trusting her. “And what about Gus? I mean, he should have an opinion too since it’s partly his place.”
“If you’re conning me and planning to rob me, then you need to work on your skills. I know you wish you had more, had the opportunity for more.” Here’s her opportunity. “You go to the park for peace and quiet to get away from it. My house can be like that, and don’t worry about Gus. He’ll be fine with it.” I hope so, but I really don’t have any clue.
She crosses her arms on the table and drops her head. “Valo, I can’t take this offer.” She looks up at me. “What if my mom comes to your house? Well, she’ll be in jail for a while now, but what if someone else figures out what you’re doing, like the hockey league? How do you explain who I am?”
That can be figured out later. “Give me one reason why you can’t take this offer for yourself. Not why you think you can’t because of me. Tell me how this will hurt you. If you can’t think of any reason, then you can take it. For fuck’s sake, Jade, just say you will.”
For the first time, Jade looks like a lost twenty-one year old girl. I can see the fear, the worry, the uncertainty all pass over her features as she thinks it over. “I’ll be your employee,” she begins firmly. “You have to let me earn my keep. I’m not lazy, but I’ve never been a maid before, so I’m not sure I’ll do it correctly. You can tell people what you want about it. I’ll go with whatever story you make up, but there’s one major thing you still have to let me do. You can laugh if you want, but it…it…” She swallows hard with some emotion overwhelming her. “I need it and I have to have it to stay sane, okay?”
“What is it?”
“My nails. I have to keep getting my nails done. I can’t stop that. I know you don’t understand, but I have to keep that up.”
“Okay. I’m not going to stop you from that,” I pause, confused. “Why is it so important?”
Jade watches me, debating. “I’ll tell you, but please understand I’m not normally a liar. I mean, I have to get by, but this…this is different. You promise to not judge me?”
“If I didn’t judge you because you’re a stripper, I doubt I’ll judge you for this.” How bad can it be?
“Well, you just wait until I tell you.” She leans in close across the table and speaks in a lower voice. “There’s a high end spa downtown called the Love Spa. Only the rich people go there and they would never allow someone like me there. I go at least once a month and…pretend. I pretend I have this great life, fancy cars, and I travel. I don’t have to worry about not having heat or water, or the fact that I haven’t eaten in two days.
“I go in there and pretend I have this perfect life and a perfect future. I lie the entire time I’m there. I lie for that whole hour. But I get to be in there with the rich people and see how the other half lives.” She drops her head with shame.