Billie looked over at the man walking next to her. She felt terrible for him. He had just lost his father. She remembered when her father passed away, how alone she felt. How Sean had basically celebrated the only family she had left dying. How much he hated him.
This poor guy had to walk in the desert by himself after losing him. He looked terrible. Her heart ached for him. She hoped he wasn't going to try to hurt her. She knew Max was up late at the motel so if she needed anything, he was there.
"A motel?" The man asked.
"It's like a small apartment, actually. But yes. A motel. I just got into town last week." She said. They climbed the stairs and she had him put the gas can down by the front door.
"Are you wearing underwear?" She asked before she let him in.
"What?" Has asked surprised.
"Relax, I'm not a hooker or anything. I just don't want your gas pants in the room. Do I need to get a blanket or sheet?" She asked.
"I have on shorts underneath." He said quietly. She looked at him and waited.
"Oh. Ok." He finally said, taking off his shoes and pulling down the pants. He had incredible legs, she thought. He must be a gym going kind of guy. He handed her his pants and shoes. She placed them outside the door also and let him in.
"There are clean towels. Feel free to take a shower. I am going to put your clothes in the wash downstairs. I'll be just a minute. I'll scrub your shoes, too." She said. They were his Nike basketball shoes so he wasn't too concerned if they were damaged. She closed the door behind her and went downstairs.
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Ezra looked around the room. It was small and cheap and he could tell she hadn't been there long. Where was she from? Who was she? He walked into the bathroom and turned on the water. This was the tiniest bathroom he had ever seen. There was only room enough to move around in a tight circle. The water pressure was terrible but he was thankful to get the gasoline smell out of his skin. Bar soap? Suave shampoo? The quality was terrible of these soaps and he now smelled like flowers and cheap soap. He toweled off and wrapped it around his waist, picking up his clothes and opening the bathroom door.
"Oh, I'm sorry." He heard her say. He thought she was still gone.
"No. I am. Excuse me. I wanted to hang my shirt for a bit. It was a little damp from sweat." He said, draping it over a chair. He walked back to the bathroom and put on his shorts.
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Holy hell this man was a god. Billie didn't realize how beautiful he was when he was all dirty and sweaty earlier. But seeing him clean and without a hat and clothing made her realize she wasn't dealing with an average looking man. He was like no man she had ever seen. She felt immediately intimidated and wasn't sure what to do.
"It shouldn't take long for your clothes to wash and dry. There is a high efficiency combo down there." She said.
"It's fine. I'm in no rush." He said. He looked around and saw her books on the stand.
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She reads intelligent books. He thought to himself. And she plays the guitar. She is artistic and bright.
"I have some food. Would you like a sandwich?" She asked. He smiled.
"Yes. That would be nice." He said politely. She looked embarrassed as she opened the tiny refrigerator and pulled out some deli meat and cheese. She used what she had and made him a cute little plate of food with a sandwich, chips and baby carrots with dip.
"Would you like a drink? I have diet soda, water beer and whisky." She said, blushing.
"Water is fine." He said. She took out her last bottle of water and handed it to him.
He smiled and thanked her and ate the food.
"So, what brings you to town?" He asked.
"I wanted to new start." She said, and he could tell she was holding back.
"New starts are good, but often difficult. How is it all going so far?" He asked.
She studied his eyes. Maybe wondering if she could trust him. She hesitated for a moment and then said, "It's going really well. Everyone here has been so kind and accepting. I found a job at Paula's Diner right off the bus. She took a chance on me, which was incredibly fortuitous. After getting this room and some essentials, I only had ten dollars left to my name." She said, looking down. He put down the sandwich and looked at her. She had nothing. Nothing. And she bought his gas, washed his clothes and gave him what food she had. He felt his stomach begin to turn and unfamiliar tears welled in his eyes. He didn't think people like this existed anymore. He put his hand on hers. "Thank you for your kindness tonight." He said.
"Of course. I wanted to help. I have struggled and I saw that you were too. We have to stick together, people like us. It made me happy to help. Thanks for letting me." She said. And he knew at that moment that he couldn't tell her who he was. What he had. The bond she felt with him was based on them both having nothing. He nodded and smiled. "Yes. Yes we do." He said.
"I don't even know your name."
She looked at him and smiled. "Lily." She said.
"I'm Easton. It's nice to meet you." He said. She smiled and nodded. He gave her the name of the town where he was conceived while his parents were vacationing on the Isle of Wight in England.
"Let me go check on your clothes." She said, getting up. She came back with the pants and shoes.
"I towel dried these. They smell much better but will probably need to be thrown out after you get home. The pants were saved though. They are an expensive brand so I'm glad we got them washed right away." She said. They were Fear Of God pants and although he didn't feel they were overly priced, he really had no idea. His stylist had purchased them.
"Thank you, really. I can't tell you how your kindness has helped me tonight. Not just with the pants and the food, but much more. I... I am happy to know people like you exist." He said.
"You're welcome. It was my pleasure." She said.
She opened a beer and offered him one, which he took. They sat at the table and talked a little. She had told him she had left a difficult situation and was happy she had came to Arizona. When he asked what she meant by difficult, he could see something in her eyes that made him feel uneasy. Fear. It was fear. Cold and real fear. Leaving behind whatever she did was likely the best thing for her.
They chatted about things they loved, songs, books, movies. She was a songwriter and singer. He asked her to play a little and she did. Her voice was beautiful and he could feel the emotion behind the words she sang. It was a night of laughter and escape from both of their lives for a brief moment in time.