Stuck In The Traffic

Chapter 14

There's rumors going around about a strange client. They say that he comes in and pays for a whole night stay but won't do anything. Won't let us do our job either, he just sits there in the corner. He supposedly brings us food and money and other small things that he thinks we might need. Some say he's a spy from other places to see what we're like, others say that he's one of "them" in disguise to see how hard we'll try to do our job. One or two people have dared say even that he's a cop, come to save us all. I'm hoping that the last rumor is true.

I don't have time to question the others who have been busted by him or even to ponder about the strange man because once again it's our day off and I have to get Lana out of here. I get up at the break off dawn to wake her up. I sit on the end of her bed for a few minutes before, rubbing her back before she even stirs. She mumbles something I audible into her pillow.

"Come on, you need to get up," I say quietly to her.

"Why? There's no point. We don't have to work and I could use all the sleep I can get," she grumbles while rolling over.

"You sleep every chance you get! You don't even really eat anymore. You need to get outside. It would be good for you."

It takes a lot of coaxing to get her out of bed and into the showers. I eventually had to kiss her awake again when she dozed off. That seemed to spark something in her causing her to wake up. I know that she still loves me and I love her but there's just something about her now. Something inside her has died and even though she loves me she's having a hard time showing me. I hope that today I can spark that something in her again and give her back the hope that helped me get through my first few days here. I don't know what I'd do, where my mind would be if she wasn't there for me. It's been 24 days since I arrived her. 15 days since me and Lana have been together, 15 days that I've loved her. I can't believe that I've been here for so long. I wonder if my father or brother has noticed that something's wrong yet. I know that me and Abby were supposed to spend two months in California and its only a few days short of a month but surely they would think I would call. Have they even tried to contact me? I would never know because "they" confiscated my phone. I'm sure that they probably sold it for a few extra bucks. I miss not being able to talk to my family. I would love to just hear their voice maybe one more time. (I've gotten to where I never say I'd do anything for anything anymore).

Lana came in then with her hair damp, tearing me away from my thoughts. She was wearing the same outfit we had bought together that day a week and a half ago. I had on a different outfit but I still had on the same hat. I wore it all the time now except for when I was working. I wore it partly because I wanted Lana to remember that day. I want her to remember us then and that I will always be her superman.

"Well? How do I look? Good enough to go out and be reborn again?" she asked me while doing an exaggerated twirl.

"Of course. You always look beautiful no matter the occasion. You know that."

I stand up with a smile on my face and reach for her hand. She allows me to take it and lead her out the door but I know she's not really into this. She doesn't really grip my hand anymore like she used to. She just sort of let's it hang there. I'm the only one holding on anymore. The thought cause me to stumble but I quickly regain my composer and we reach the bus stop. We sit there, breathing in the fresh, clean air, in silence. I look at the ground and see some dandelions growing next to the bench. It reminds me of that day when Annabel, that little girl, had given me flowers. I still had them, pressed and hidden in between my mattresses. I remembered how much joy that little deed had brought me. I smile at the memory and pick a small bundle of the flowers.

I turn to Lana, "For you, my love."

I had her the flowers with a flourish and she blushes and giggles. It's a wonderful thing to hear. I haven't heard that laugh in too long of a time. I handed her the small bundle of flowers and placed one in her hair behind her ear. She hugged me tight just has the bus pulled up to the bench. I escorted her onto the bus and found us a seat on the roof of the double decker bus. I could feel people's eyes on us as we climbed to the roof. I glanced around a few times and was pretty pleased with what I saw. Most of the people looking were young men, which normally would have made me nervous but they didn't look at her like our clients do. They looked at her like she was a beautiful, delicate flower that needed taken care of her. They looked at her with admiration and wonder instead of lust. There were a few senior ladies who frowned and "tsked" at us, but I didn't care. I felt like today would be a good day. I had Lana here beside me, holding my hand tight again, and it was a bueautiful day.