Page 3 of Protecting Her

He took my guitar in one hand and my hand in the other, and off we went. He didn’t torture me by asking what I wanted or passing by a dozen shops before he found something suitable. He took me into the first restaurant we came across. Luckily, it was one of the new buffet-style restaurants, and the smell of food made my knees weak.

The man took me to a table, sat me down, and was soon back with a plate filled with food. “I didn’t know what you’d want, but everyone likes salad, right? And, if you’re a real American, you love Ranch dressing, so I put some of that on it. Here’s some bread.”

A waiter came by to ask what drinks we wanted, and the man ordered two coffees and two colas for us. I was too busy eating to worry about drinks.

“My name is Kevin, by the way,” he said with a soft chuckle after I’d eaten enough to swallow some of the cola.

“I’m Bridge, uh, Ember.”

“Bridge Ember?” he asked, perfectly shaped dark eyebrows knotted at the bridge of his nose.

“No, Ember, my name is Ember,” I said with a grateful smile. I’d at least managed to clean my teeth in the bathroom at the train station. I didn’t have a toothbrush, but some rough paper towels had done the trick. For now.

His green eyes lit up as he watched me eat, and I felt strange when he didn’t join in the free-for-all I’d partaken in, but I didn’t care. I had food and lots of it. I passed different stations and saw one that was lit up with light that spelled out American cuisine. I went over and found fried cheese sticks, hot dogs, with coleslaw and chili for condiments, hamburgers, pot roast, and several other dishes. I filled my pockets with cheese sticks and didn’t care who saw me. I also didn’t care if the oil from the sticks stained my coat or made me fat. It was something I could eat later. When the man was gone.

I made my way back to the man and sat down with a hot dog covered in coleslaw and chili. I was a glutton with that much food available and didn’t care. It occurred to me the man might want something in return for this treat, but at that moment, I was still too hungry to worry about it much. I had gained a bit of weight since we came to England. I’d learned to drink a lot more beer here, but I could still outrun him if he tried to get pervy with me.

“What was that song you were singing? Is it one you wrote?” He didn’t appear to be in a rush to get me back to a hotel room; rather, he looked as if he never wanted to leave the place, although he hadn’t eaten a thing.

“It’s a song I wrote for my grandmother.” She’d had a wild heart that longed to be free, but she’d married young, been widowed young, and had tried her best to raise my mom alone.

“I love your voice. It’s like a young Stevie Nicks, but you have your own sound. It’s enchanting, really.” I studied him shrewdly, looking for a tease or bullshit, but nothing pinged on my radar.

“Thanks.” I glanced out the window when I saw a familiar red flash, but it was a woman’s scarf, not Graham’s red hat. My heart had thumped in my chest when I saw that flash of red, but now it calmed down. “Um, do you mind if I get something else?”

“No, it’s all you can eat, and you are obviously hungry.” He gave me a subtle wink, and I slid out of the booth I was in.

I went to the desserts, found some chocolate cake and put some on my plate. I saw some hot fudge sauce and went wild as I poured it over the cake. I just didn’t care, I had been hungry for too long.

“Tell me about your problems, what’s going on with you?” He waited until I’d slid the empty plate away from me to ask the question.

I’d inhaled the cake, and at some point, I might be embarrassed about the amount of food I’d eaten, but for now I just sighed happily. I felt warm, at last, and sleepy as the food stretched my stomach.

“Oh, I’m just the typical stupid woman. I let my boyfriend talk me into coming to a country I’ve never been to before, without money of my own, or a way to work because I don’t have a visa, and I’m about to overstay my welcome. Oh, he kicked me out when I refused to deal drugs for him.” It wasn’t like I’d ever see this guy again, so I spilled it all out. “I don’t have the money to get back home, or a home to go to once I get back to America. It’s all a giant shit storm, really.”

“Wow. Yeah. It is. I think I might have a solution though, if you’re willing to listen?” Kevin sat back in his booth and looked at me with that steady green gaze of his. I wanted to squirm under that gaze because I knew he had a bullshit radar as good as mine.

“I don’t have sex with strangers for food,” I said immediately, just to get that out of the way.

“And none is expected,” he said with a rueful laugh. His eyes raked over me, and I pulled my coat tighter because I still had on the clothes I’d worn three days ago. I might look clean, but I didn’t feel it.

That wasn’t what he meant though. He seemed to be a genuinely nice guy, and for now I’d buy the story he was selling. I was desperate. Not desperate enough to traffic myself, but desperate.

“Look, my family owns a hotel nearby. That’s all. I might be able to get you some help there. Obviously, you can’t work here, but you can take the room I have to offer. And some food. So you can take those cheese sticks out of your coat pocket.”

My face flamed bright red, I could feel it, but I did as he’d said. I didn’t even know he’d seen me do that. I was so embarrassed, but there was nothing else I could do. I mulled over his offer and decided that if he was really an altruistic soul, then I’d take him up on that offer. A couple days was better than nothing.

“What do you want for that?” I asked finally. I had to know, right?

“Nothing, Ember. Just a thank you.” He looked like the kind of guy who didn’t usually have to ask for one, but this was new to me. I’d learned in my youth that men could be dangerous creatures.

More recently, I’d learned they could be heartless too. Tears stung my eyes again, and I scrunched up my nose as I tried to fight the sting away. Here I was, in a foreign country, with no home, unless you counted that dark room with no light and no heat, depending on the kindness of a total stranger. A handsome one who obviously had money to burn, but still a stranger. A male one.

I studied him deeply. His eyes were amused, but there was a kindness there that I didn’t think he could fake. There was also curiosity. I took a deep breath as I looked down at his hands. Soft, without many callouses, his hands were clean, the nails manicured, and skin had a slight tan, as if he played outdoor sports, rather than the afterglow of a tanning bed or a vacation. Holiday, as the English called it.

He didn’t look like a rapist, but then, what did I think they were supposed to look like? Looks could be deceiving, and I knew it well. My head said to run, to just go back to the cold, dark room and try to figure out where the American embassy was. Maybe they could help me? I wasn’t sure, but as I looked into Kevin’s eyes, something told me I could be sure about him.

I took a deep breath and nodded my agreement. “Okay, I’ll go.”