"You know, Leah," she said swiping mascara onto her impossibly long lashes. "If a boy really likes you, he'll make sure he takes care of all of your needs before he takes care of his own."
"Like giving you the last sip of soda?" I asked as I bounced up and down on her bed.
"Something like that," she smiled. "Just remember when you get older and you want to kiss boys, that they're good if they make sure you feel good first."
"Ewwww," I said, sticking my tongue out and scrunching up my face. "Why would I ever want to kiss a boy?"
"Someday, you might," she said as she dabbed lipstick on and pressed her lips together. "Just promise me you'll remember."
"I promise," I said as I watched her run a brush through her long, dark hair. She was the most beautiful girl I knew, and I absorbed every one of her actions, trying to memorize them so that I could repeat them later.
Molly smiled as she stood up, straightened her shirt and smoothed her skirt, and then patted me on the head before dropping her lipstick into her purse and tossing it over her shoulder. She headed down the hallway and out to the front porch.
"Where the hell are you going?" Mama yelled as Molly and I walked quickly past the family room where Mama sat smoking and watching television.
"Out," Molly called without stopping.
"Well, don't do anything illegal, and for God's sake, don't get knocked up, girl," Mama called after her.
"Understood," Molly said in a clipped voice before yanking open the front door and stepping out onto the porch. She swore under her breath, "Stupid bitch."
"You're not supposed to swear," I said quietly. "Honor your mother and father."
"Yeah, well, sometimes they don't deserve it," Molly replied. Her mouth was set in a tight line as she looked up and down the street to see if her date was on his way. She added, "Just don't say it to her face, and you'll be okay."
I nodded as I looked u
p at her in awe. Molly was the most beautiful girl I knew, and the only one who was strong enough to stand up to Mama. I watched a smile spread across her face as her date drove down the street in a bright yellow sports car with fins on the back end. He revved the engine, and Molly ran down the front walk and hopped into the front seat. She waved goodbye to me as they took off down the street.
It was the last time I'd see her sober.
As I tossed and turned in bed, I wondered where Molly was right now. I thought about the fact that if I got a raise and sold the house, I could afford a small place for Riley and me, as well as maybe hiring a detective to try and track Molly down. Patrick had said he'd tried to find her, but I never quite believed that he'd done more than check local hospitals and morgues. I wanted someone to trace her steps and see if they could figure out where she'd gone, and if they couldn't bring her back. At least we'd know where she was.
I couldn't continue having sex with Jack if I was going to keep my job. That much was obvious. But as I recalled Molly's advice, I wondered if maybe she'd been right and that Jack Yates really did feel something more than just sexual attraction for me.
I fell asleep hearing Molly's words reverberating in my mind.
*
The next morning, I woke up determined to give Jack a fair chance. It wasn't every day that someone like Jack came along, and after yesterday's events, maybe it was a good idea to just stay put. I steeled myself as I got ready for work, adding mascara and a little lipstick to the mix. I'd chosen a tight fitting pair of jeans and a shirt that emphasized my figure a little more than my normal work clothes. It made me feel a little vulnerable, but it also made me feel more feminine than I had in a long time.
"You're hopeless," I said to myself as I looked at my reflection. Then I shrugged and went down to breakfast. Jack wasn't at the table. I asked where he was, and Betty said he'd gone into the office early but had sent Jimmy back to pick me up.
I ruminated about my attraction to Jack on the drive in, and then pushed it all aside as I got to work organizing my new office and moving my things into it. The workmen had fixed the lock, and they assured me that I'd not get locked in the office again. I felt a little disappointed, but brushed it off as I sat down and took care of the day's orders.
Around nine, there was a knock on my door. I called out that it was open and was surprised to see Sloan on the other side.
"Good morning, Leah," she said as she confidently walked across the office and put her purse on my desk. "I thought I'd come down and see your new digs."
"Good morning, Ms. Morgan," I said, unsure of how to address her. I wanted to yell at her and tell her what a horrible person she was, but I knew that if I did that I'd risk ruining Jack’s plan, and I certainly didn't want to give it away. "What can I do for you?"
"I wanted to talk about the warehouse business with you," she said with a rather reptilian smile. She was dressed in a moss colored suit that was molded to her body like a second skin. She reminded me of a snake slithering through the grass.
"Oh? Did Jack send you down to talk about it?" I asked as innocently as I could. "He didn't mention anything about a meeting this morning."
"No, there wasn't one scheduled," she said slowly. "This is more of a personal discussion, so I didn't want to bother him with it."
"Personal? About the warehouse?" I said suddenly confused as to where this was headed.