Page 103 of Lovetown, USA
“I’m trying. It’s hard. I’m scared to be vulnerable with a man again. You know?”
“I do. But what’s the worst that can happen? You’ve already been through the worst. You’re battle-tested.”
I nod, almost feeling like I want to cry. So I change the subject. “What’s up with Ashton?”
Nadia’s face falls. “Girl, not a damn thing. He’s a brokey.”
“Um, he’s an artist. You had to have seen that coming, right?”
She shakes her head. “We went out the other night. Do you know this negro had the nerve to lie, talmbout, ‘Oh shit, I left my wallet at home.’”
“You paid?”
“I paid for mine. Left his ass sitting right there at that fucking table.”
“Dump him.”
“I know, I know.”
She waits patiently while I change back into my clothes. I make sure to hang every dress exactly the way I found it so as not to get a bad name in this town. I’ve already pissed off enough people.
“Oh! Did I tell you they have it out for me here?” I say.
“Who?”
“No idea.” I recount the story of my wayward Ubers, heckling passerby, and the librarian who apparently hates me.
Nadia is not amused.
“Do I need to take a trip down to the panhandle and act a fool?”
I laugh so hard I nearly drop the phone. “Please don’t. I can handle myself.”
“Uh huh. What did Trey say?”
I smile at that. “He rented a car for me.”
“See. That’s a man. That’s aprovider.”
“Shut up.”
But it’s a claim I can’t refute, especially when I get to the register with my dress and pull out the cash Trey gave me to shop with.
It feels easy, though, letting him take care of things. Letting him take care ofme. It almost feels like…the way things should be.
But that’s dangerous, so I brush that out of my mind.
“Nadia, somebody’s calling. I’ll call you later.”
The someone is the clerk at the recorder’s office telling me the files I requested are ready for pickup.
I hurry to the rental car, hang my dress in the back, and hightail it across town.
When I get there, the clerk greets me with a tight smile.
“I think you just called me?” I say. “Lane Washington. I requested some files.”
Her smile disappears. “Yes. I’m so sorry about that. It was an error. I don’t have the authority to release those files.”
