Page 47 of Truth Be Told
STELLA
“Is it true you’re dating this Cohen Thatcher now?”
Lorelei has joined me on my morning walk to work. She called last night, forgoing a text probably because of what happened the last time when I missed her messages. We’re walking fast because I’m a little late, but she’s doing a good job of keeping pace with me. She always does. “What is he,” I ask, “some kind of celebrity around here or something?”
“No, it’s not that. He’s not exactly famous or anything. It’s just that people around here know their local billionaires. It’s not like there’s more than one.”
“Why did you want to get together, anyway?”
She sighs. “Sapphire has sucked royally since you’ve been gone.”
I grimace. “Really? I’ve only been gone a few days.”
“Well, a few days is enough.”
“I’m sorry, Lorelei. I really am.” I look at her, bending down a little. “But I’m not going back there. Ever.” I try to make myself sound all dramatic, like it wasn’t really that bad, but truly – it was. I have zero desire to return to that place and put myself at risk again.
She smirks at my honesty but doesn’t respond.
“Hey,” I continue, “I miss you too, though.”
She leans over and gives me an affectionate bump that sends me off balance. I’m not worried about Lorelei. She’s strong, and she’s been dancing for a long time. She can take care of herself. And if she can’t… well, I’m not sure if she carries some kind of protection on her like I do. I’ve never asked, because I didn’t want to shed light on mine.
“Here,” I say, coming to a stop at the closest bench. She follows and takes a seat as commuters continue to walk past.
“What is it?”
I swing my bag down off my shoulder and set it next to her. She watches as I swift through it, shoving contents every which way inside the large opening. At last, my hand comes to rest on what I was looking for – my blade. I’ve stopped carrying it around in my sock the last few days, although I can’t quite say why. I think it has to do with Cohen, the distraction of something new with him and the fact that he makes me feel like I have my very own protector.
I open my fingers, the familiar, compact chunk of stainless steel resting calmly in my palm. I hold it out to her. “I want you to have this.”
She takes it from me. “What is this?” She examines it and then successfully flips it open, the blade taking her by surprise. She quickly tucks the blade away again so the people walking by won’t see.
I swing my bag back onto my shoulder and sit down beside her. “I carried it on me while I was working at Sapphire.”
She twirls it, noting its size. “Where?”
I laugh. “Well, not while I was dancing. I couldn’t. But every other time I could. I’d take it out in the locker room and keep it there in case I needed it, then carry it with me again.” Now that I explained it to someone out loud, I realize the flaw in my plan. I guess the blade was there to make me feel better more than anything else.
“Why didn’t I think of this? No one will fuck with me now.”
I lower my head. “It might not help. I always hoped that it would, but I guess I was wrong.”
Lorelei stills at the memory of my close encounter passing between us. She puts a hand on my shoulder. “No, you’re right, Stella. This was a good idea. Mama May always told us that the few minutes after we got off our shift were the most dangerous. Remember?”
I lift a corner of my mouth in an appreciative smile. I don’t remember. That must have been something they were told before I was hired. Lorelei always makes me feel better though, and that fact warms me. “That’s true,” I say.
“But Stella, I can’t take this from you. Really.” She tries to give it back to me.
I hold up my hand. “Keep it. Seriously, Lorelei. You need it more than I do now.”
“For real?”
“For real.”
She drops it into her own purse, and I hear it hit the bottom of the bag with a thud. “What would I do without you?”
I give her that same bump of affection, but mine is gentler. “I ask myself the same thing.”
