Kissed (The Thorn Chronicles) (13 page)

By the time we were done, Ginny had spent over ten grand. But, I had quite a wardrobe and three new purses. Mother would never let me keep all of this. Not that she’d ever see it. I liked a lot of the clothes Ginny picked, but I knew that I could never go shopping on my own. There were far too many choices to be made.

#

When we arrived home that evening there was a letter for me sitting on the table. My heart leapt for a minute thinking that it was from Kai, but the handwriting was all wrong. When I opened the envelope a fifty-dollar bill fell out with a small note.

Got your fifty bucks back.

Have your aunt teach you some street sense.

-Puck

I rolled my eyes. Ginny came up behind me.

“What’s that?” she asked.

I told her the story of what happened the night I arrived.

“You could’ve been killed. Or worse. I don’t understand how you could be so ignorant.”

My cheeks reddened. It’s not like I wanted to be stupid.

“I’m sorry,” I replied and headed to my room. Ginny stopped me.

“No, wait. That came out wrong. You’re just so different. I don’t know how to fix it. And sometimes it feels like you don’t even want to fix it. I know this is hard for you, but it’s hard for me too. Two days ago I had a blissfully quiet life, and now I have to try to figure out how to raise my niece who doesn’t even know how much a cab ride from the airport should cost or that she shouldn’t get into a car with boys she just met. Or for pity’s sake, Naomi, why didn’t you call me?”

“I didn’t have your phone number.”

The tears came without warning. I wanted so badly for her to like me, but I wasn’t doing anything right.

She stared at me, pity in those soft brown eyes. “Come on, let’s see how your room turned out.”

The clothes had all been cleared away. Along the back wall, black wallpaper with red roses hung. The rest of the walls were painted stark white, with a few scattered vintage photos of girls holding a single red bud. The bed sat in the center of the far wall, low to the floor with a soft white duvet. Red throw pillows adorned it.

Three dressers, all black but each a different height sat along another wall.

Ginny surveyed the room. “Looks good. Do you like it? I took a chance after Alejandro gave you that rose.”

I nodded. Ginny confused me. It was like she wanted to do the right things for me, but she wasn’t sure how. And, I didn’t know how to get Ginny to relate to me. Shopping, clothes, celebrities. They meant nothing to me. The evidence of our shopping day had already been hung in the closets and put into the drawers.

I sat down on the bed and Ginny stood in the doorway, looking drained.

“Good Night,” she said and shut the door, leaving me alone to wonder how I would cope in this brand new world.

Roses are entirely feminine. Yet scattered across my garden are Barry Stephen, Daniel Boone, Frederick Keeling, Hector Deane, and Jason. Having boys in my garden seems as strange as having boys as friends.

Mornings seemed to take the sting out of evening calamities. I awoke feeling optimistic. I didn’t have a window in my room so I scurried out to the living room balcony to watch the sun rise. Change was such a funny thing. Six months ago, I had no idea my life would take such drastic turns. Now, I was living in Vegas and had green hair. Would Kai like the green hair? In a few months when he came for me, he’d have many things to say about it. He’d say it was cool and that I could do anything to my hair and still be beautiful. My insides warmed at that thought. His reaction would be a far cry from Dwayne. He would probably beat me. Then he’d have the Master punish me. Although, if the Master ever got his hands on me again, I’d have a lot more to answer for than just the hair. Even my thoughts would damn me. And I kissed Kai. I wondered if there was any hope for me.

Ginny joined me about thirty minutes later with a cup of coffee in her hands.

“You like it outside better, don’t you?” she asked.

“Yeah, especially in the morning. Do you think I could get a few plants? I grew roses at home and I miss them.”

She paused for a few seconds, and then shrugged. “Sure, here’s Ricki’s number and Alejandro’s assistant, Jo. She’ll be able to tell you where Ale gets his roses. When you’re ready, go down to the desk and ask Princess to order you a car for the day and bill it to my room.” She stopped talking and thought for a moment.

“Oh and you’ll need this.” She handed me a credit card. “I don’t think I need to lecture you on abusing the card, but I do expect you to use it. Buy as many roses as you like that will fit in the space. Anything I’ve ever tried to grow dies in days. It will be nice to have plants. I’ll order you your own card this week. You should be fine at the nursery, but if you try to use this card at the mall they will ask for ID.”

“Also, make sure you eat.” She handed me a hundred dollar bill. “And don’t get in a car with anyone except the car Princess orders for you.” She looked at the clock hanging on the wall behind my head. “Gotta run, is there anything else you need?”

I shook my head and tried to think of something that would please her. “Wait, I know you have to go, but could you show me what I should wear today? I don’t want to mix anything up.”

She grinned and I breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, something that she could relate to. She picked out a pair of dark denim shorts and a lavender tank top that had a silvery flower pattern on it.

“Don’t wear a dark colored bra or it will show right through. Any of the sandals we bought will work. Take your small purse. Your hair. It actually looks kind of hip on you. If you wash it, use conditioner and blow-dry it, it will be fine. I’ll teach you how to use the straightener and curling iron this weekend. You should be okay with your make up. A little powder and mascara will do fine.” She looked at her watch. “Now I’m really late.” She leaned over and kissed me on the cheek. Her kiss was cool and pleasant. The fact that her touch didn’t burn me surprised me once again. “Have fun today. I’ll see you tonight.”

She left in a flurry, her heels clicking on the floor. I would never be able to wear shoes like that. I’d look like a goose. After my shower, I dressed and tried not to feel self conscious in shorts. They were longer than was fashionable but I still felt exposed.

I put the phone and money in my new purse and headed downstairs. In the elevator I couldn’t help but stare at myself in the long mirror. My green hair stood out, but mostly I looked cool. And cool was something I’d never looked before. At home I’d stick out, but not here. Home seemed so far away, another universe almost. And although I missed it, Vegas was growing on me.

At the front desk I sought out Princess. She terrified me and I hadn’t seen or spoken to her since that night she refused to call Ginny for me. She eyed me cautiously as I approached her.

“Ginny asked me to have you order me a car.”

She sneered. “Why would Ginny want you to have a car?”

I stared back at her puzzled. Surely she wouldn’t refuse me again. She knew I was Ginny’s niece.

“I’m Naomi, Ginny’s niece.”

“You are not Naomi. Now get out of here before I call security.”

When I walked away from the desk, I wondered if there was anything I could do. Obviously she didn’t recognize me. Would my own mother recognize me? Probably not. Would Kai?

I’d have to wait for Ricki to get up before I could go rose shopping, but the day was gorgeous and warm. No way would I stay inside. Plus I was hungry.

When we got home yesterday, Ricki had pointed to a shop a few doors down and commented that they made the best coffee and bagels.

It didn’t take long for me to realize that a short distance by car was much different than a walk. Things looked different on the ground and I was going in the opposite direction of the salon, so nothing looked familiar. I kept looking at the buildings hoping to find something that resembled a coffee shop, but all I ever found were casino entrances. No way would I go in there, I didn’t need yet another reason for the Master to punish me. Gamblers had their fingers cut off.

I reached a street corner and pushed the button to cross.

As soon as I crossed the street I spotted the shop. It was warm and inviting. I ordered the daily special to drink, so I didn’t have to decide from the huge menu, and a plain bagel with cream cheese. We had those at school sometimes and I liked them.

Taking my food I found an empty table and sat down. The place was packed. I felt a little guilty taking a whole table with four chairs to myself, but there wasn’t anywhere else.

“Nice hair,” said a deep voice.

I looked up and found myself looking into the warm brown eyes of a familiar face, but I couldn’t place it. His face was the color of my coffee and he had a wide smile, something about him oozed friendliness.

“Thank you.”

“Do you mind if I sit? There’s no other place.”

“Go ahead.” He had a tray full of food and a huge drink. He spread out so that he took most of the table.

“I’m Jason, what’s your name?” He took a big bite of a sandwich.

Jason. Holy smokes. He was the boy that was with Puck the night I arrived. It seemed like ages ago.

“Naomi. But we’ve met before.” I brushed my hair back behind my ears.

He paused mid-bite.

“No way, I’d have recognized that hair.”

“You and your friend Puck picked me up two days ago and gave me a ride to my aunt’s hotel.”

“The Amish girl? You’re not her.” He put down his food and studied me.

“Yes, I am. Puck gave me my fifty dollars back yesterday. What did you guys do to the cab driver?”

“No effing way. Puck’s gonna shit a brick when he sees you. He’s having a party tonight, you have to come with me. I wanna see his face when he finds out what you’ve done with yourself. How do you like Vegas?” He relaxed again and took another bite of his sandwich.

“It’s loud,” I admitted.

“That’s what makes it so great. Where you from?”

I told him about Arkansas and the quiet life I had there. He was a good listener and he asked a lot of questions.

“Why come to Vegas?”

“My parents had some things they needed to deal with so I came to stay with my aunt.”

He finished all his food and I still had half a bagel left. Most of the drink was gone and I was feeling a little jittery. I didn’t drink much coffee at home. He nodded and took another drink.

“What are you doing today?” he asked.

I shrugged. “My aunt is at work today and my friend won’t be up for awhile. I was supposed to go find some plants for my room, but the hotel clerk didn’t believe that I was Ginny’s niece so she wouldn’t order me a car and I’m scared to take another cab.”

“I’ll take you. I’ve got nothing going on today.”

Ginny told me not to get in a car with anybody I didn’t know. But I knew Jason, right? I didn’t think I could survive another day without my plants.

“That would be amazing. Thanks. But first I’ll need you to help me with something else.” I took out my phone and handed it to him. “Can you show me how to use this?”

“Sweet phone. And it has a great camera.” My ears perked up at that. I hadn’t had my hands on a camera since school. And I’d never had the ability to use it outside of school.

“A camera?”

“Yeah.” He showed me how to find the camera button and how to take a picture. I took a few goofy pictures of him. Suddenly Vegas didn’t seem so daunting. I could capture the whole thing with my phone.

When I was done experimenting with the camera, Jason helped me figure out how to make a phone call. He was extremely patient with me.

Finally, I had enough confidence with the phone that I called Jo and asked her where the nurseries were. She was cordial and short with me, but she gave me the names and addresses of three places. She said Alejandro preferred the first two, but found unique plants at the third. I thanked her and handed the addresses to Jason.

He whistled. “These are all over town. This will take us all day. Better get going.”

Jason’s truck looked more like the cars we had at home, but newer. McDonald’s wrappers littered the floor.

“Sorry about the mess,” he muttered.

We spent the day in and out of nurseries. It did take nearly all day. Not only did I spend ages at the nurseries, I also made him stop every five minutes so I could take pictures of things. I expected him to get annoyed, but most of the time he just laughed with me. It was so nice to have a friend. We ate lunch at a strange burger place called “In and Out.” Jason said they were the best burgers on the planet, but Mother’s burgers were better.

Jason pulled up to the hotel at about six thirty. I got five bushes and a couple of cuttings. I also purchased a few wide pots that Ginny would like so that the plants would blend in with her decor. Jason looked at the doors with disgust.

“I suppose I would be a total ass if I made you carry all those roses yourself.”

“You don’t have to...”

He grimaced. “Naw, I’m coming. The hotel’s a big place, surely I won’t run into
her
.”

He popped the door open before I could ask who “her” was. In seconds he was back to joking about the cupcake ottomans in the foyer. But he was still jumpy. When he spotted Ricki’s handprints all over the elevator he rolled his eyes, but didn’t say anything.

I was laughing at something Jason said when I waddled through the door with a large rose bush in my arms.

Ginny sat at the bar, her eyes red and her mouth in a tight line.

“Where have you been?”

“Getting roses. I thought you said it was okay if I did that.”

“Who drove you?”

I pointed to Jason.

“I told you not to get in any cars with strangers.”

Jason interjected. “I’m a friend of Puck’s. Naomi and I met the night she arrived.”

“How do you know Puck?”

“He’s the one who gave me a ride over here after the cab driver stole my money.”

Ginny didn’t crack a smile. She frowned at Jason. “It’s time you left. Naomi and I need to have a talk.”

What did I do wrong?