Page 22 of Guarding Glenda

“I do love a good bath sometimes.”

Staring into his dark eyes while the hot water engulfed me sent a sudden rush to all the places I was desperately trying to ignore. My fingers gave out, and I dropped the box.

“Shit.”

He grinned like he knew.

“Thanks for this. Sorry about the box.”

He shrugged. “It’ll dry. I can get more if not. Pour a heap in there with you. I’ll give you some privacy.”

He left and I poured some of the salts into the water and set the box down next to the tub.

Linny came back with some clothes, her brow cocked high. “Awkward,” she said as she put the clothes on the counter. “I grabbed your toothbrush and stuff too, and your bag is now in there.”

“Thanks. Do you think you can try to dry this off?” I asked, pointing to the box I’d dropped in the water.

She grabbed it then pulled a washcloth off from the linen closet. “So, what was that about?”

“He was just being a creeper,” I said as I used my feet and hands to swirl the salts until they dissolved. I wasn’t about to tell her he got me all hot and bothered with his roaming eyes. Why did I want him looking, anyway? Was I the creeper giving him a little show?

“Hello?”

I snapped out of it and said, “What?”

She giggled as she put the box on the counter then sat on the toilet. “I asked what he did. Why was he in here? Did he try to apologize?”

Rolling my eyes, I huffed. “Like that would happen. No, supposedly he thought something was wrong because I moaned.”

“So he was checking on you? Then gave you bath salts?”

“Well, when you say it that way…”

She stood back up and poked her head out, then shut the door and took her seat, leaning on her knees. “Okay, look. I have been trying really hard to mind my business, but from the outside, it looks like this man is infatuated with you. Sam said you’re doing well. You even said he was taking good care of you. So just…” She ran her fingers through her fading green locks. “Why the animosity towards him? It’s not like you, so there must be a story there. I am all for hating him with you, but I need to know why.”

Blowing a breath through puffed cheeks, I leaned my head against the tile. “There’s a lot of complicated stuff. But it’s his fault Reggie died.”

“I’m sorry. But what happened? How was it his fault?”

Staring up at her, I said, “I don’t expect you to hate him. But I don’t want to talk about this right now.”

She nodded, sitting up straight. “Well, here’s a clean rag. So can you tell me how you ended up in this room?”

After dipping down into the water to wet my hair, I started the process of washing as I told her the story of last night.

“I’m so sorry about the nightmare. I’ve had a few but none that have me waking up like that. I mostly just feel unsettled when I wake up.”

“I get them sometimes. Obviously for other stuff. It’s fine.”

“Other stuff? Like what you told me about the military?”

The first full night I hung out with Linny, I already knew we’d be besties. I told her how my squad leader attacked me multiple times and Reggie was the one who stood up to him. Except Reggie got booted out, so he lost his benefits. They offered me an honorable discharge with my benefits to keep my mouth shut. It wasn’t as simple as that, but in the end I was able to secure a check for myself and keep my insurance. It wasn’t as much as if I’d stayed in, but after what happened and knowing they’d let that monster go free without even a demotion and Reggie was gone, I wanted out.

“Yeah. And when I found out about him… ya know. Among other things.” Still trying to keep all that shit stuffed far to the back of my mind, I stayed vague.

“Well, I’m on your side. You know that. But maybe group therapy wouldn’t be a bad thing.”

“I’m good, love. I don’t need it.”