“I promise. Now leave it alone, please,” she added in a softer tone, pulling her skirt down.
Rhia didn’t want to do any such thing, but she could see the other woman shut down. Left with little choice, for now, she poured them another drink and passed her the freshly filled glass. “What are you going to do when you get back home?
“Who says I’m going anywhere? I can’t leave you all alone.” Maya winked at her. “You need me too much, and I’m sure my parents are much happier without the wild child muddying the family name.”
“Maya, be serious.” To loosen the atmosphere she worked a little laugh into her tone.
Maya nursed her drink. “Who says I’m not? What do I have to look forward to back there? Boring dinners, tennis-playing pansy men that wouldn’t know how to spank my ass when I need it, and a mother that would try to put me away if she discovered what her perfectly fucked-in-the-head daughter really likes behind closed doors? I’d probably off myself by the time winter rolled around. The only thing that could make going back even remotely worth it is my little sister. I remember being a teenager with our mother lording over us like some perfectly poised nightmare.” Maya shuddered, sloshing her drink over the rim.
Rhia grabbed a towel from the kitchen counter, tossing it over to Maya. Pitcher in hand, she padded barefoot to the small windowless kitchen that had enough counter space to fit a blender and the small toaster oven. She’d needed a place where no questions were asked, which meant fewer amenities like a working oven. At least there was hot water.
“Maya, don’t talk like that.”
She pursed her lips and scrunched her brows with worry. “Be careful what you say. You never know what kind of juju you put out into the universe.”
“Juju. I know what kind of juju I want.” Maya worked her mouth over the end of her finger and winked at Rhia. Serious one minute and all jokes the next.
“God help you, child, no wonder you’re here instead of some Ivy League program or carted off to an arranged marriage to some foreign dignitary or something.” Everyone had that one friend that would sure as hell embarrass you and make you laugh at the same time. Like in some alternate universe she now had Maya. Or at least for now. A lump the size of a walnut formed in her throat. She either choked up or drank up. Since she couldn’t explain the teary eyes, Rhia opted for the latter, hoping her weak moment went unnoticed.
“What about you? Is Haven where you want to be?”
“I mean I can’t see myself working as a hostess forever, but the money is damn good.”
“Can’t argue that. Maybe I’ll put in an extension and see what happens after that.”
Rhia hit pulse on the machine. “You’ve been at Haven longer. Have you noticed anything out of the ordinary? Odd people gathering for meetings? Have you been approached by anyone, you know, looking for more?”
“That’s several loaded questions, why do you ask? You’re not still tripping out about those girls, are you? I told you to forget about that.” Maya sat up and placed her margarita glass on the table and planted her feet on the floor with a loud thud. “You need to get that out of your head. Seriously, Penny. Let it go.” A sharp look took over her expression. “Let it go.”
Where did that outburst come from, and what had her so worked up? The last time she’d mentioned the missing girls, she had the same reaction.
Interesting.
“How will the parents take you not coming home?” Rhia had to work the dismay and disappointment from her words at Maya’s sudden eruption.
Maya exhaled a delicate snort. “Never mind that.” She waved a hand between them as Rhia rejoined her in the living room, fresh pitcher in hand.
Maya sat back up. “You know what is really keeping me here?” Maya wagged her brows in unison at her, her tone sultry with a heavy dose of conspiracy. All the annoyance from just a moment ago dissipated as fast as it had come on.
Whiplash. This woman gave her whiplash. She shifted between moods and topics so fast Rhia had to wonder about her.
Rhia caught on quickly. “Me?”
Maya nodded. “You bet your pretty, perky ass.”
“Oh, this ought to be good.” Rhia had to hear this one.
“What kind of friend would I be if I left you a virgin?”
Rhia could feel the heat slide up her neck and bloom across her cheeks. “Umm…not really a virgin,” she tried to defend herself, but Maya pursed her lips and rebutted her defense with a wag of her finger.
“A quickie in the back seat of a Buick senior year of high school doesn’t come close to counting.”
Good point. There was very little she could share from her true past, but the more she could keep in line with the truth the better. Getting people to open up only worked if one did the same. Or made them believe so, anyway.
Rhia hooked a thumb at herself. “That may be true, but still...no virgin here. No matter how crappy the experience.” Not after Matteo for damn sure. More truths she couldn’t share.
“Seriously, that’s…” Maya started to tally the years on her fingers.