Saint or Sinner

Chapter Four

Rising from the floor I flipped on the light switch for the main room and kitchen. The light momentarily blinded me as my eyes adjusted. The walls were painted a dark green shade, a small fireplace stood in the corner of the living room with a TV resting on top of it. The fireplace needed to be cleaned as the last time it had been used was the last Christmas before my dad passed away. There were bookshelves along the walls filled with medical text from when my dad was a well-known surgeon. A grey sectional filled up the remainder of the room facing the fireplace and TV.

Turning my gaze over to the right a modestly sized modern kitchen stood. With white cabinets and granite tops, stainless steel appliances, and a large island with 3 barstools in front of it. I dropped my bag onto the middle barstool and hung Levi’s coat behind it on the chair. Riffling through my backpack, I pulled out my uniform, taking it down the hall to the laundry room and tossing it into the washing machine on the express wash cycle with some laundry soap.

After starting the wash, I walked back into the main room and took the stairs up to the second floor, I tiptoed in the dark to my room careful not to turn on the lights or make too much noise, so I didn’t wake up my mom. My mother was a nurse at the local hospital, that’s actually how my parents met. Since he passed, she’s been working double shifts and only takes the weekends off to rest and spend some time with me when I’m not working or studying.

Closing the door softly to my room I flipped on the bedside lamp. Glancing around my room it was the same as I had left it this morning. My walls were painted a lavender shade with white wainscoting, my favorite color. A large window stood facing the backyard over my desk covered with my laptop, papers, and assignments. The wood floors were littered with random clothing items I had yet to pick up. On the other side of the room, my double bed was unmade. I read an article once that making your bed causes dust mites to get trapped and linger in your mattress since then I have used that as an excuse to never make my bed, much to my mother's dismay.

Picking up the clothes on the floor I toss the dirty laundry into the hamper, making a mental note to do my laundry when I get home from work tomorrow. I grab my pajamas and a towel hanging over the closet and leave my room closing the door softly behind me. I tiptoe a few feet down the hall and into the bathroom. Flicking on the lights, and starting the shower, letting the steam fill the room. I turn to the mirror glancing at the marks Levi left on my skin, small love bites trail from my jaw, down my neck, and partially over my chest. Slipping off my long sleeve and undoing my bra I drop them on the ground and look at the gouge marks from Natalia’s nails on my shoulders. I’ll need to clean the wounds and make sure to put some Polysporin on after my shower.

Slipping out of the remaining clothes I step under the showerhead. Washing my hair under the hot stream of water spraying above me. Lathering up soap on a loofa, I cringe at the stinging feeling as I wash over the wound on my shoulders, strangely though, the marks from Levi don’t sting at all. I wonder if it’s just because he didn’t break the skin. Rinsing the soap off my body I turn off the tap and step out. Drying my body and applying lotion before putting on my comfy pajama bottoms. I leave the top off so I can clean out my wound with alcohol and rub a generous amount of Polysporin over top before slipping my pajama shirt on. Flicking off the lights I turn on the fan, before grabbing my dirty clothes and tiptoeing back to my room. I toss the dirty laundry into the basket, and head back downstairs to the laundry room and take my uniform out hanging it on the clothes rack to dry overnight.

I head back to the kitchen and sling my bag over my shoulder, wrapping Levi’s jacket over my arm, before turning the lights off and heading upstairs to my room again for the night. I glance at the clock on my bedside, it is still early on 2:16 in the morning. Normally we would just be closing up the club now and tidying everything up. I toss my bag next to my desk and leave Levi’s jacket hanging on the end of my bed. I guess I have some time to work on the assignments I have due for Monday before bed.

Two hours later my eyes are straining as I struggle to focus on the computer screen in front of me. I save my work and turn off my computer, I crawl into bed and pull the covers over me before turning off the lights. I lay in my bed for a while staring at the ceiling before thoughts of Levi flash before my mind. His eyes staring into my soul, the way his hand felt in mine, how dominant his kiss was. I am utterly consumed by thoughts of him keeping me from sleep, and I suddenly realize I miss his presence. I reach down to the end of my bed and grasp his coat. Slipping my arms into the sleeves I lay back again and this time I drift off into a dreamless sleep with his scent wrapped around me.

I wake up the next morning feeling oddly refreshed from my sleep. The early afternoon light streaming into my room from behind my closed blinds. Pulling off the covers I step out of bed and my feet touch the cold wooden floors. I pad across the room to my closet and pick out a warm knitted sweater and my favorite white faded jeans. Slipping out of my pajamas, I put on my outfit for the day before slipping out of my room to the bathroom to comb my hair and brush my teeth. As I brush my teeth, I notice most of Levi’s marks have faded but are still noticeable. I guess I’ll have to cover them up with some concealer. After swiping some concealer on and powdering my neck, I decide to swipe on some mascara and a little bit of mint lip balm before heading downstairs.

“Good morning sleepyhead,” my mother calls from her spot on the sectional with a coffee in one hand and her tablet in the other. She normally spends her mornings reading the news. My mother is short like me, she has brown hair cut into a pixie cut to be more low maintenance. My mother is in her late forties, you would never be able to tell other than the minor creases next to her lips and eyes from laughter.

“Good morning mom,” I reply with a yawn stretching my arms over my head before they fall back to my sides.

“How was work last night,” she asks setting her tablet next to her and looking up at me with her crystal blue eyes.

“It was fine, I was sent home early by the boss, he actually gave me a ride home before heading back,” I said, not actually knowing what happened to Levi after he dropped me off at home. I turn into the kitchen and grab a mug down from the cupboard before pouring some coffee into it with a drop of cream and a spoon of sugar, before digging in the fridge for ingredients to make myself breakfast.

“I’m surprised Ricki drove you home, you’ve been working there for four years, and this is the first time I’ve heard of him driving you home. Normally you walk or take a cab home,” she replied moving over to sit behind the island on one of the bar stools.

“It actually wasn’t Ricki who drove me home, the owner of the club was there last night. I’ve never met him before; his name is Levi. He sent me home after I got into a fight with one of the dancers, and offered to drive me home himself, I shouldn’t say offered he more so insisted,” I scoffed at the memory.

“Oh my, how old is this owner?” she asked.

“I’m not sure,” I replied thinking, “I would say he was in his late 20s, early 30s if I had to guess.”

“Is he cute?” My mom wiggled her eyebrows suggestively as she sipped her coffee.

“Mom!” I blushed turning to the stove and trying to hide my flustered face as I started to fry some eggs and bacon.

“Just be careful Amelia, I don’t want you to get into any trouble,” she said. I continued to make my breakfast not replying to her. Soon I heard her head back over to the couch to finish catching up on the news. “I was just reading that there have been multiple recent abductions of young girls aged sixteen to twenty-five. There are ten missing girls that have been reported in the last month with no sign of them. I want you to start taking a cab home after work when I can’t pick you up. I can’t lose you too,” she whispered the last part quietly.

“We can’t afford for me to take a cab home every night,” I said turning to face her with the spatula in my hand.

“We’ll make it work, I’ll dip into the emergency savings if I have to, I just need you to be safe, ok?” She replied.

“Ok mom, I’ll try to ask coworkers if I can get some rides home occasionally, so I don’t have to waste so much money on cabs,” I replied. I grabbed a plate down from the cupboard and scooped the eggs and bacon onto the plate. Turning off the stove I placed my food down on the island before I dug into my breakfast. Mom finished her reading and went upstairs to shower and get ready for her day leaving me alone to my thoughts. After I finished my meal, I cleaned up the kitchen and washed my dishes before going to grab my uniform from the laundry room. Heading up to my room I took my textbooks out of my bag and slipped my uniform into my backpack before settling at my desk to finish up my assignments before work.

A few hours later I was finishing up my last assignment when my mom peeked her head into my room, “it’s almost time to go, I’ll head down and start the car. I’ll meet you there when you’re ready ok?”

“Ok, I’ll be right down,” I replied submitting my last assignment before shutting my laptop down and stacking up all my papers. I grabbed my bag from the floor by my desk when I remembered Levi’s coat. I should return it to him today. I rolled it up before slipping it into my bag before zipping it up and slinging it over my shoulder. As I walked down the stairs, I admired the photos on the wall as I passed them, numerous school picture days, family photos, and others were spread all over the wall. I looked at my dad's smiling face in our last holiday card. I hated the stupid holiday cards my parents would send out to distant relatives. I always hated having to wear the same outfit and take our Christmas photos in August, so they’d be ready by December. Looking back, I wish I had appreciated the time I had with both my parents while my dad was still here.

Turning my face away from the photos I rushed out the door, turning to lock it before heading down the driveway to my mom’s red Dodge Grand Caravan. I giggled at the fact that my mom still drove this old beat-up minivan. She had bought it when I was in my early teens for hauling me and my friends to our volleyball games and had refused to replace it even when she stopped having to cart around 5 teenage girls, she said she kept it for the memories. I slid open the back door before tossing my bag onto the bench seats, sliding the door closed and jumping into the passenger side.

“Ready?” My mom asked before sliding the car into reverse. I nodded as she pulled out into the street and out of the neighborhood. Gliding onto the traffic on the highway. It was always strange for me to head to work at a time people normally were heading home, even if it was a Saturday. I reached over and grabbed the aux cord, plugging it into my phone as I started to play some Thirty Seconds to Mars, tapping my fingers against my knee to the beat. My mom drove the twenty-five-minute commute to the bar. It was strange, last night when Levi drove me home it seemed like our drive was so much shorter. I wondered if I would see him tonight or if he had already gone over the contract with Ricki earlier today. I had hoped to run into him today so I could return his coat.

Soon my mom pulled into the parking lot of the club before she leaned over leaving a big sloppy kiss on my cheek and wishing me a good day. “Call me if you need a ride home tonight, ok? I’ll be up,” she said as I grabbed my bag out of the back and jumped out of the car.

“Ok mom,” I replied wiping my cheek off with the sleeve of my sweater, before turning and heading into the club. It was eerily quiet without the pounding music and neon lights; the bartenders were wiping down the bar and stocking it up for tonight. I could see some dancers getting their drinks from the bar before heading back to the dressing rooms. I hoped I wouldn’t run into Natalia tonight.

I headed to the back and into the staffroom where Cassandra, my friend, and another server was getting ready for the night, “Hey girl,” she called as I stepped into the room. She was a tall redhead with freckles that covered her whole body, she normally wore glasses, but switched to contacts while she worked as she said she looked too nerdy with the glasses. Cass had a perfect hourglass body, which was currently slipping into our uniform which fit her like a glove. “What happened to you last night? Ricki said he cut you early and had to call in Chantel to cover you.”

“I got into a fight with Natalia, and spilled drinks all over the owner of the club,” I replied chuckling. “I almost got fired to before the owner swooped in and saved my job,” I groaned covering my face with my hand.

“Oh my gosh, you mean the hottie in Ricki’s office?” She asked as she took her glasses off placing them into her locker and grabbing her contact case before walking over to the mirror to put them in.

I crossed the room to my locker tossing my things in before undressing. “Yea he actually drove me home last night too, I was hoping to run into him today so I could return his coat, he left it with me last night as I was cold.”

“What a hero,” she giggled before coming to sit next to me on the bench.

“Hey Cass, quick question, do you think you could drive me home from work? My mom doesn’t want me walking home anymore and it’s too expensive to cab. You’d be saving my life,” I looked at her pleading as I slipped my uniform over my head.

“I wish I could, but I can’t, my car is in the shop right now, Daniel is coming to get me tonight after work,” she replied. Daniel was her long-time boyfriend, now more recently her fiancé as they had recently gotten engaged.

“That’s ok, I’ll figure something else out,” I replied slipping into my flats. I reached into my bag grabbing Levi’s coat, before heading out the staffroom telling Cass I’d fill her in later. As I walked down the hall towards Ricki’s office, I started to feel the nervousness get to me the closer I got to the door. Raising my hand to the door, I knocked lightly before I heard Ricki’s voice, “yes, come on in.”

Stepping into the room I felt his presence immediately as he turned his gaze towards me. Today he was wearing a tight white t-shirt and a pair of ripped faded blue jeans. His hair was messy as though he had been running his fingers through it in frustration. I met his gorgeous eyes as his lips curved up into a smirk causing me to blush and drop my gaze. “I just stopped in to drop this off,” I said laying the coat over one of the chairs in the office, addressing both of them.

“Thanks, Amelia, I asked Cassandra to take the VIP rooms tonight. So, you’ll be on the floor tonight,” Ricki said before dismissing me. I turned and left the office closing the door behind me. Levi’s eyes stared into mine until the door closed blocking my view from him as I sighed in relief before heading out to the floor.