Magnolia Blossoms (12 page)

“No?” Jace asks. “Not one positive thing in the whole messy mix?”

I know he’s hinting about the kiss, and my cheeks turn crimson. “Maybe one positive,” I say nervously.

“How positive?” Jace teases.

“You’re embarrassing me!” I fuss, anxiously gnawing at my thumbnail while looking out the passenger window. “It was the most positive thing to ever happen to me,” I spit out before losing the nerve. I’m not sure what his reaction is because I refuse to look his way, and he remains silent until we reach the hospital.

Honey’s awake when they pull her from the back of the ambulance. “What the fuck happened? Where am I? Why is the world spinning so fast? I feel…” She projectile vomited right on the ER ramp.

“It’s the hospital’s problem once the patient’s out of the ambulance,” Jace’s partner points out while stepping over the puddle. Jace and his partner have to leave the hospital quickly because of another emergency call, so Honey is put in one room, and I’m escorted to another by an admin clerk. A couple of hours later, each sporting fresh bandages, we meet in the waiting room.

“What’d they tell you?” Honey asks.

“Minor scratch. Eye drops three times a day. The eye patch is temporary, but the puffiness might last a bit. You?”

“He set my nose and said I can expect black eyes and to keep this splint thingy in place for a couple of days.” With my one good eye, I try to convey sympathy. I don’t think it works. “What’s wrong with you? Are you trying to fall asleep on me or something?” Honey asks. Nope, the sympathetic look doesn’t work with just one eye.

“No, I’m not falling asleep on you. I know what it’s like to wear one of those nasal splints, though. I’m sorry.”

“Eh, it is what it is. Good thing some of my regulars are scheduled the next couple of days. No need for me to try to solicit business on the streets. No telling what kind of pervs a beat up face will draw in. Come on. Let’s head back to my house. I’m wiped.”

“Agreed, but how do we get home?”

Honey gives me a look. “You seriously have no clue of how to survive in this world. Zero. Zilch. Nada.”

I’m not sure whether or not to be offended.

“We’re going to call a cab to take us home. Come on and pay attention. You don’t know if you’ll need to do this for yourself sometime in the future,” she says, shaking her head as she walks down the hall.

Big Daddy asks me to meet him at the courthouse for eight o’clock. I’m on time; he’s not. I take a seat just outside the courtroom on a long empty wooden bench that lines the corridor. I nervously run my hands through my hair, which is finally long enough to lie semi-flat. Honey says it looks like a pixie cut, and that my short dark hair makes my green eyes pop. I’m still not sure about it. She also suggested my wardrobe, a white and green dress that came with a bolero jacket. She wanted me to wear heels with it, but I know better. I need lots more practice before donning heels in public. I have on no makeup, first because I wasn’t sure how much to use, and second, because my eye is still pretty darned puffy and crusty. It’s embarrassing, but Big Daddy said that a crusty eye wasn’t reason enough to reschedule the trial.

Honey wanted to be with me, but I let her sleep because her late night visitor didn’t leave until the wee hours of the morning. He tried to sneak by the sofa I was resting on, but his patent leather shoes made this funny squeak/fart sound that prevented a quiet exit. He departed around five, so I didn’t dare wake Honey for this.

My head is in my hands when I feel someone sit beside me. I slowly straighten, and I’m dismayed to see Nick the Dick dressed in a perfectly pressed uniform and sporting a shit-eating grin that rivals the Cheshire cat’s. He looks beyond handsome now that I get the chance to see him in the daytime, and I begin to feel the butterflies fluttering in my stomach—until he opens his mouth.

“What happened to your eye? Catch some kind of cooties from your hooker friend?” he asks.

“That’s just mean, and totally uncalled for. If you must know, I hurt my eye while trying to figure out how to use mascara. Isn’t it illegal for you to harass me before the trial or something?”

“I asked a question about your wellbeing. That’s not harassment; that’s courtesy.”

“I have enough going on today without your
courtesy
. Feel free to find someone else to inquire about.” A loud ruckus echoes down the corridor as Big Daddy heaves his girth through one of the double doors at the end of the hall. He has his briefcase and several large posters under one arm, and a cup of coffee with a donut precariously balanced atop in the other.

“Daughter, please come help Big Daddy with his things,” he requests, and I instantly jump up to take some of the load from his arms. I’m on the verge of tears when I realize that the posters are huge, blown up headshots of me before my facial surgery.

“What are these for?” I ask, choking back the emotions racing through my body.

“This, my dear, will help to prove to the judge that your ‘never been kissed’ story holds water. One look at these and it’s likely he’ll find it absolutely plausible that you were merely searching for legalized affection.”

“So, you plan to humiliate me to win the case?” I ask.

“Would you prefer to sit behind bars for a few months?”

“No, Big Daddy,” I say, hanging my head.

“Darlin’, you know Big Daddy’s gonna do whatever he’s got to, and if you have to suffer through a few minutes of embarrassment, I think it’s a small price to pay.”

“Yes, Big Daddy,” I half-heartedly agree.

“Good girl,” he says, taking a bite from his donut and a gulp from his coffee. “Have a seat out here for a minute. I’m going to have a talk with the judge for a bit.” With that, he disappears through a heavy wooden door that has a placard stating “Do Not Enter.”

I plop back onto the bench and angrily toss the posters beside me. Nick nabs one, and eyes it carefully. “Who’s this?” he asks after a beat.

I turn to face him. “Who the hell do you think it is? It’s me. You don’t have to make any of your sick jokes or your rude comments about how ugly I am. My father will be doing it in front of a packed courtroom, so you can save your breath.”

“Why do you look so different now?”

“My face was reconstructed after an accident,” I answer with tears welling in the corners of my eyes. Not wanting to give Nick the satisfaction of seeing me cry, I quickly dash them away to stare out of the window across the hall. It’s not long before he’s standing behind me. I feel his hand on my shoulder, and it takes him hardly any effort to spin me around to face him. He’s holding one of the posters in his other hand, and he looks from it to me several times before he speaks.

“I want you to look me in the eye. No bullshit; no lies. Is this you?”

“Yes,” I answer. “That picture was taken about six months ago.”

“And in your entire life, you’ve never been kissed? Ever?”

“I thought I had once, but it turns out he was just licking my face. I finally had a first kiss, but it didn’t happen until after you arrested me.”

His eyes rapidly dart back and forth as they search mine for the truth. “How is that possible?”

“I don’t know. Look at the picture. Isn’t that answer enough to your question?”

“You look a little… But seriously. Not one person.”

“Would you like for me to take a polygraph? No. No one.”

He shakes his head from side to side as he strolls off mumbling to himself. He comes back to stand before me. “Do you know what sex is?”

“I’m ugly, not stupid,” I snap.

“No, Magnolia. You’re far from ugly. The crusty eye isn’t all that attractive, but you have lots of potential beauty. You really should quit being so hard on yourself.”

“Whatever,” I say, turning away from him.

“Stay here. I’m going to find the DA. I believe you, Magnolia, and if I can convince him that your story is legit, maybe he’ll drop the charges.”

“Really?” I asked, suddenly perking up.

“No promises. I’m only agreeing to talk to him.” I throw my arms around his neck and hug him so tightly he can barely talk. “Okay, that’s enough. For goodness sakes, let go. I have a reputation to uphold. Can’t let people know that I’m secretly a softie.” He gives me a quick wink before disappearing behind the same door that Big Daddy went through. After about ten minutes, he pops out long enough to grab one of the posters then ducks back inside the door. The next time I see him, my fingernails are chewed to nubs. Big Daddy is right behind him, a huge grin plastered on his face.

“You’re free to go home, Magnolia. The charges have been dropped, but you’re forbidden from frequenting that part of town again. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir. Thank you.”

“The thanks go to Sergeant Ferrera,” Big Daddy corrects.

“Thank you, Sergeant Ferrera,” I say, shyly.

“You’re welcome, Magnolia. I believe your story, and despite the fact that you’re living with a known prostitute, you’ve been given a second chance. Don’t make me regret it.”

“You won’t. I really want to hug you, but I know you don’t like that, so would a handshake be okay?”

Nick gave a sort of half-smile that left my knees wobbly. “A handshake is fine.” I thrust my hand out towards his, and in a move that astounds me, he twists it to place a gentle kiss on the top of my hand. “Take care, Magnolia.”

I’m still stumbling for words when he walks away. As I watch him strut confidently down the hall, I get the overwhelming urge to do to him some of the things I’d seen in the porn movies I used to watch. I fantasize about ripping his shirt open to expose his hard, chiseled chest, and a shudder runs through my body. Deciding to save the rest of the fantasy for later that night, I rejoin Big Daddy at the end of the hall.

He tells me that he’ll be returning to his office to tie up a few loose ends, and then he and Sunny are off to Key West. Nice to know he was so confident that the trial would go well! Or, maybe he didn’t really give a patoot if I was cleared or locked up? Either way, it’s over, and I’m suddenly exhausted. I call a cab to bring me back to Honey’s, and then I sleep for the rest of the day. Well, I sleep until Honey decides it’s time for me to wake up.

“What happened? Why didn’t you wake me up! I wanted to be there with you. Are you okay? Tell me!”

I slowly edge my way upright and let out a huge yawn while rubbing my eye. By doing so, I notice that the puffiness is gone from my eye. Honey must notice too because she comments about it.

“Well, you’re back to normal. But me, I still have a few days to go,” she says in reference to the raccoon eyes she’s sporting. “Anyway, stop with the suspense! What happened in court today?”

“Nick isn’t such a dick, although he doesn’t want others to know it. We talked for a little while before court, and he realized that it was all a big mix up. He believed that I was telling the truth, so he talked to the DA and the charges were dropped. I can’t go back to that part of town, but I’m good with that. It’s not like I went there often anyway.”

“The assholiest of all asshole cops promises to make a mockery out of you, then after a brief conversation before your trial is set to begin, he argues to get your charges dropped? Why does that sound fishy to me?”

“I don’t know.” I shrug. “Big Daddy was planning to humiliate me to win the case. He had these huge headshot posters of the old me blown up to put around the courtroom. Nick saw them and the conversation went on from there.”

“And you were told that the charges were dropped. Not that you accepted a plea? No probabtion? Nothing?”

“Nope. It wasn’t a plea; the case was dropped.”

“Well, slap my ass and call me Sally! We need to celebrate! I’m going to dress you up and take you out!” I give her a wary look. “Don’t worry! I’m sober this time. I can’t wait to doll you up! Let’s go pick something for you to wear, and then I’m gonna do your nails. After that, you’ll hop in the shower, and I’ll do up your hair and makeup. It’s gonna be so much fun!”

My enthusiasm is nowhere near Honey’s level, but I feign it for her benefit. She tosses outfits around until she comes across something she says all women must have, a little black dress. I try it on, and I have to admit that I like what it does to my body. The hem comes about mid-thigh, which makes my legs look extra-long. Between the extra boobage I’ve gained and the hips I’ve acquired, the dress accentuates my new hourglass figure. It’s a far cry from the stick figure I used to be, and I can’t help but smile at my reflection. I have boobs! Pretty boobs! My hands instinctively rise to grope them, and Honey laughs. “Still not used to the girls yet, huh?”

“Not really. Is it wrong for me to like having them so much?”

Honey laughs. “No. Nothing wrong with that at all. They make a lot of men go gaga. They want to touch ‘em, squeeze ‘em, lick ‘em, suck ‘em, even fuck ‘em. You just don’t go letting anyone have their way with you or make you do something you’re uncomfortable with, no matter how much he might beg. Understand?”

I’m still trying to process everything she’d told me about breasts, but I manage to nod my head and this makes her happy. She leaves the room for a second and returns with a mini nail salon. She gives me more pointers about sex and how men will act around me. She also tells me what to look out for, and how to get out of awkward or uncomfortable situations.

“You’re not going to send me in there alone, are you?” I ask, my mouth suddenly dry.

“No! We’re going together, but what if you get asked to dance? I can’t very well stand beside you to give advice. You’re gonna have to learn how to interact on your own. Unfortunately, you’re starting the game a little late, but it’s okay. I’m gonna keep a close eye on you until I’m sure you can handle yourself.”

Making sure I don’t smudge my nails, I lean in to give her a monster hug. “Thank you for everything you’ve done and continue to do for me, Honey. I owe you so much.”

Honey shrugs it off. “Says who? I’ll be honest; you helping me as much as I’m helping you. I been lonely for a long time, Magnolia. I might have company in my bed every night, but those guys don’t give a rat’s ass about my feelings. They don’t want to have dinner with me. They don’t want to be seen in public with me, and they definitely don’t want to hear how my day went. You the first friend I had in a long time.”

“You’re the first friend I’ve had—ever!” I say with a laugh.

“But I won’t be your last. You come a long way, and I see a lotta good things in your future. Now, let’s go find a wig for you to wear. I like your hair short, but I think it’s time to change it up a little bit.”

I follow her into her bedroom where she helps me into a long, dark wavy wig. She refuses to let me see myself in the mirror until she’s finished with me, and that means makeup, jewelry, even shoes. She makes me promise to keep my eyes closed, which I do, as she positions me in front of the full length mirror.

“Okay, open in three, two, one,” she says.

I want to cry when I see the person staring back at me, but I know it’ll ruin the makeup Honey spent so much time applying. The wig looks completely natural, with long dark brown curls that shine deeply in the light. Smoky black shadow accentuates my eyes, making them glimmer like huge emeralds. Just a hint of rosy blush gives my skin a healthy glow, and the nude color Honey picked for my lips makes them appear full and plump.

The dress, combined with the sexy undergarments that Honey insists I wear, gives my body more shape. Just the right amount of cleavage shows from the V-neck of the dress, and though the dress clings to me provocatively, it’s not too tight. Honey spends a lot of time debating about which shoes I should wear, and she decides it will be best for me to wear a pair of strappy sandals with thick heels, even though “stilettos woulda killed it.”