The Ladybug Jinx (4 page)

He was relieved Celia hadn’t started him today. It would give him time to prepare for the role of a lifetime. He needed to dump the Mercedes, get some clothes and learn his way away around Grandberry Falls. A good actor never comes unprepared for a role.

The clean country air hit his nose. He was used to the smog from the traffic in Los Angeles. He had never smelled such sweet air. The sun beat down making him reach for his aviators hanging on the visor.

Sam loved his car. The first movie paycheck paid for his first car. He worked hard to be a great actor and his Oscars proved his persistence.

Sam remembered a “buy here pay here” lot in the town just before Grandberry Falls. He would back track. He would have to give his car title and his name would be on there. Hopefully, they wouldn’t recognize him.

“Only temporary.” Sam exhaled trying to convince himself. He rubbed his hand along the dashboard. “Only temporary. Besides, it’s time to get a new model.” He argued with himself.

Sam didn’t know how long he needed to get rejuvenated, but this seemed to be it.

Pulling into the lot, Sam didn’t see anything he wanted to drive. The salesman sauntered over and pecked on Sam’s window.

“You lost?” He questioned Sam’s existence on his lot, and pointed to the license plate. “Lexington ain’t near California.”

“It did take a few days to get here,” Sam replied getting out of the car and shutting the car door behind him. He watched the salesman’s eyes. Sam was good at reading people and if the salesman remotely knew him, he wouldn’t sell the car there. “I’m new in town and want a different ride.”

“You mean something less fancy?”

Sam made a mental note to get a plaid shirt. All the local men seemed to have plaid shirts, dark denim jeans and a John Deere cap. But he drew the line at the cap. “I guess you could say that.”

“Well honestly, I don’t know what I can give you for your car. We don’t have anyone who can service that around here.” The salesman walked around the immaculate Mercedes.

Sam could see the salesman’s chops watering and dollar signs in his eyes. Normally he would have his agent negotiating with the dealership, but he was enjoying his new found freedom.

Think movie role
, Sam repeated over and over in his head.

“Why don’t I pick a car and we say you give me five thousand for mine?” Words were flowing out of his mouth just as if he had been rehearsing with Bianca for a role.

“You didn’t steal this car, did you?” The salesman’s eyes hardened.

“No. I have proof.” Sam didn’t know how he was going to get by with this. He wanted to get this over with as soon as possible.

“If Bianca could see me now.”

“What?” The salesman asked after hearing Sam say something. Only the something wasn’t for anyone’s ears.

“I’ll take that one.” Sam pointed to the 1988 Chevy Cheyenne blue pickup that was as rusty as the day was long. It screamed good ole’ boy to him and he’d fit in perfect with the character he seemed to be creating.

“She’s a beaut.” The salesman rubbed his hand on her hood.

“A beaut?” Sam found it strange the man referred to the truck as a she.

“Beauty. Good Girl.”

Again, Sam wanted to pinch himself. He couldn’t have asked for a more amusing town if he sent his agent out to find one for research. Only he wasn’t here for research, he was here to reinvent himself, even if only for a short time. He didn’t know how long, but he was starting to like the idea.

“That settles it.” Sam waited patiently by the truck. He didn’t want to stand by the Mercedes in fear he would be drawn back into his former life. Bianca loved the Mercedes. She said he didn’t look like the Los Angeles type in it when he really wanted a Bentley. For a moment, he could picture her sitting in the passenger side, smiling through the windshield. “Yes. That settles it.” His hushed voiced had a finite sound.

*

No one looked at him driving Highway on 22 back into Grandberry Falls like they had when he drove the Mercedes. He fit in like everyone else. With a little more money in his pockets, he needed to find a cheap clothing store.

Crossing over Main Street, he found the Greenlee’s Hardware Store. Sam observed the mannequins in the front window. They seemed yellowed and old. Something he might have seen as a child, but definitely not now in today’s world.

“A little strange,” Sam muttered, and parked the Chevy in front of the store. Of course he thought it was strange. How many hardware stores sell clothes? He smiled and shook his head.

The store smelled musky and old. It completely fit in with Grandberry Falls. Every where he turned he noticed plaid shirts, dark denim, all sorts of John Deere gear and boots. The selection of tennis shoes was limited to only a few off names and colors.

“We ain’t got much to fit your height.” The blonde woman caught Sam coming in.

Sam smiled and acknowledged her presence, but refrained from commenting. He’d noticed some tabloid magazines next to the counter with his picture plastered on the front of one of them, “Where is Sam?” Another read, “Sam Barber finally fell off the deep end.”

“What do you think happened to him?” She put down the box of screws she seemed to be separating. Thank God she didn’t recognize him. She laughed, and asked, “You think he killed himself or alien abduction?”

Sam shook his bangs down into his eyes. “Don’t know.” His voice broke with huskiness as he tried to disguise it.

“You sure are a tall glass of water,” she said.

Sam became a little uneasy with her stare, and bashfully looked away. “Thank you ma’am.”

He was using all his charm to make him see a little more Southern. He had been listening to the way people talk to each other with in the community and everyone had nauseating manners.

“Ma’am?” The lady smiled. “Heck I’m ma’am to my kid’s friends. I’m Jenna Greenlee to everyone else.”

Sam tried not to give her eye contact.

Sam tried to focus on what she was saying, but was distracted by the way she chewed her gum. He’s never seen someone who was able to talk and pop bubbles at the same time.

“You got kids? What does your wife do?”

Sam started to root through the jeans. She was right. There wasn’t much in his size.

“I’m not married.”

“Here.” She held the jeans way up over her head allowing the pants to roll out. “Try these.”

Sam walked out with two pair of jeans, three pair on order, a couple plaid shirts, a couple colored shirts and some bare essentials. He was shocked at what a thrifty shopper he’d become. Not only did he get a super cheap truck, maybe not a good deal, but he did get about twelve items for under fifty bucks. Sam was used to spending fifty dollars on a pair of socks.

He put the clothes in his truck, and glanced across the street. The Thirsty Turtle would definitely quench his thirst, but alcohol wouldn’t do him any good in the state he’s in. If he thought long and hard, it’d seem he’d lost his ever living mind, leaving a world people dreamed about in the dust.

Instead of a beer, he settled for some more conversation with Mamie at The Fatted Pig.

The restaurant was buzzing with customers. He would’ve never eaten in the diner if the sun was out this morning when he pulled up. In the sunlight, the diner looked a little more dingy. He hadn’t noticed the bricks cracking and the paint peeling off.

“Cali, you still in town?” Mamie was still serving up. “You gonna have to take a seat at the bar!” she shouted over the patrons.

Sam did as he was told. The Fatted Pig might not be the Ivy, his favorite restaurant in Los Angeles, but damn the food looked good. If the lunch is anything like his breakfast, he would walk out a satisfied man.

“What you been up to, Cali?” Mamie filled the coffee cup without Sam even requesting coffee. He noticed everyone in the diner had coffee.

“Sam.” Sam didn’t like being called Cali. He wanted to forget California and everything that came with it. “Well, dear Mamie, you are looking at The Ladybug’s new delivery boy.”

“Hot dang.” She smacked her hand on the counter. “Good for you, Sam.”

Sam thumbed through the rental magazine he picked up off the counter, looking for some type of house to rent. There didn’t seem to be a ton to choose from in his price range. He didn’t realize Grandberry Falls was a destination spot for vacationers.

“What’s all this about?” Sam pointed to the picture of the lodge on the gorgeous lake.

Mamie leaned over the counter and Sam pushed his coffee aside. He didn’t want any of her hair falling into it.

“That’s Grandberry Falls State Park.” She poked at the picture. “We get all sorts of families in here during the summer paying big bucks to hang out at the beach, hike the trails for a little peace and quiet.”

Sam cocked his head to the side. “People pay this to spend one week here?” Sam realized the price he was seeing next to all the cabins was a weekly rate, not a monthly rental.

“Yep,” she said grabbing for a calculator.

“Do you know anyone needing a month to month renter?” Sam couldn’t pay those prices on what little money he was going to be making. Sam whispered, “This is going to be harder than I thought.”

“Maybe.” Mamie continued to add up a few of her tickets. “If you don’t mind living on top a diner.”

Sam’s day was coming together. “Yea, that would be great.”

“Come on. I’ll show you up.” Mamie said something to the other waitress and motioned for Sam to follow her out the door and around the building to a set of steel steps. “I’ll have to clear it with the owner, but I don’t think it’ll be a problem.”

The one room efficiency was all he needed.

Mamie waited while Sam walked around the room. The bed wasn’t the king he was used to and the kitchen sink was next to the bed, which he wasn’t used to, but it was his and nothing reminded him of California or his beloved Bianca.

“I’ll take it.” He turned to Mamie who waited by the door. “How much?”

“You pay utilities and maybe a few fresh flowers every now and then.” Mamie looked at him. “I don’t know much, but I do know you ain’t making money delivering flowers.”