One by one she removed three bobby pins held loosely between her teeth, and with several quick twists of her wrist transformed the unruly chestnut ponytail into a smooth bun.
“Nikki, come on! You're going to be late for work. If you want me to take you, let's get going,” yelled her stepmother from the bottom of the stairs.
“Coming,” Nikki said. She grabbed her purse and flew down the stairway, barely brushing the banister on the way. As she landed on the ceramic tile in the entryway below, she thought about how much simpler her life would be once she turned sixteen. She would work all summer to save enough money for a car; then she wouldn't have to depend on Sheila for transportation. Sheila was just too unpredictable. She might decide at the last minute not to give Nikki a ride just because she had broken some stupid rule. Sheila's refusal meant having to call a cab, or walking five miles along the boulevard and down side streets. Each time Nikki took a cab meant less money she could save. So Nikki tried her best to follow the rules, to play the games Sheila required in order to keep peace at home. At times it seemed like a losing battle because nothing Nikki did ever seemed to please her. Nikki's father was no help because he travelled during the week, so all daily decisions were made by Sheila. This summer would be different from last year.
Nikki had saved babysitting money all winter and when Sheila suggested she get out of the house and have some fun, Nikki was expected to pay her own way into the pool. If she wanted to eat during the long day, she also had to pay for that. In the beginning, it was fun, but by the end of the summer, Nikki was looking forward to rainy days. It wasn’t that she had anyone at home she enjoyed being with. It’s just that she enjoyed being in her room alone. She either read books in her room, talked to friends on the phone, or visited friends at their homes. It was a rare occasion for Nikki to bring anyone home with her. She didn't want her friends getting that close to Sheila. Sheila could find something wrong with anyone. Nikki was a bit unusual in that she looked forward to going to work. She was away from home and she was making money. Although she resented the fact that her parents expected her to pay her way, she liked the fact that she could earn money for herself. Although it wasn’t much, it was something she could call her own. With nothing else to do in Independence, Missouri, on a summer’s day, Nikki figured the best thing she could do was be at work.
Once downstairs, Nikki saw that Sheila was already out the front door and walking toward the car.
Sheila stood several inches taller than Nikki, and at 5'8” she was the perfect height for a former flight attendant. In the 1960’s there were stringent height and weight requirements for the stewardesses, or flight attendants. Sheila was an attractive woman once she tamed her brittle carrot-colored hair into a French roll and applied the necessary makeup to cover her fair but freckled skin. She didn’t leave the bathroom in the morning without first applying black Maybelline™ pencil to enhance her faded eyebrows, and Revlon's™ True Crimson lipstick to accentuate her full lips. Her slender figure didn't seem to require anything special to keep it that way, but then she wasn't old enough to have to worry about that middle age stuff. Sheila was only twenty-seven, just twelve years older than Nikki.
Nikki’s dad and Sheila were introduced to each other by a mutual friend in a bar. They only dated for a couple of weeks before they got married. Nikki thought life was going along just fine with her grandparents until the day her father announced he was bringing home a “new mother” for her. Nikki cried when he told her, but quickly lied and told him she was crying because she was happy. Nikki might have been able to tolerate her father having a new wife, but she definitely didn’t need a new mother. Nikki had been living with her grandparents ever since her parents divorced and was happy with the arrangement. She saw her mother on weekends and always enjoyed having her mother all to herself. Her father could have gone off to start a life with Sheila, but why did he have to destroy everything that felt like home to her? She didn’t want to live with him and Sheila, but Nikki had no say in the matter. She remembered her grandmother crying in the driveway the day that he took her away. It broke Nikki’s heart to leave them behind, but she honestly tried to have a good attitude about it. She tried to obey Sheila’s rules. She even tried to love Sheila, but it didn’t take long to see that Sheila had no intention of trying to be her mother.
“At least today I won't have to stay inside and work,” Nikki said once inside Sheila's black Pontiac Firebird. They're having a sidewalk sale down at the shopping center and Mr. Hampton is putting up a grill out in front of the restaurant. One of the guys is going to cook hot dogs and hamburgers, and I get to fix drinks. I just hope that it's a pretty day outside; maybe I'll be able to get some sun!”
Nikki looked outside the windows as she rambled on, thinking out loud more than expecting conversation. She didn't really care whether Sheila was listening or not. At least she couldn’t be accused of sulking if she was talking. As Sheila approached the shopping center, Nikki saw the shopkeepers unlocking their doors for the day. The parking lot began to fill with cars. It was a beautiful day, and the blue sky showed no threat of ruining it with rain.
“Your father and I won't be home this evening, so you'll have to find a ride home.” Sheila sat there in cuffed navy short shorts and a white tank top, examining fingernails freshly painted to match the True Crimson lips. She never looked directly at Nikki as she pulled the car to a stop. Sheila didn’t comment on anything Nikki had said, so it was hard to tell whether she’d heard her or not. It didn’t matter.
“Okay. Thanks for the ride,” Nikki said as she scooted off the seat. “Guess I'll see you tomorrow morning, then.”
Nikki knew it was to her advantage to get along with Sheila, but she didn't receive any special privileges for trying to be friends with her. One time, in seventh grade, Nikki’s heart had been broken by a little boy at school. Nikki came home in tears and Sheila acted sympathetic. She asked what happened, and while Nikki didn’t want to confide in her, Sheila kept after her until she finally did. When Nikki had finally wiped her last tear away, she felt better, and felt that maybe she had misjudged Sheila in the past. It had felt good to let her feelings go and to share the heartbreak with someone who seemed genuinely interested. Sheila even tried to encourage her. She said that in seventh grade, while Nikki’s heart might be broken, there were plenty of opportunities to look forward to. Some nice boy would come along and treat her right.
Nikki’s father was usually out of town all week and came home on Friday afternoons. If he got home early enough, they would all eat dinner together and then he’d retreat to his office. By then, he and Sheila were drinking beer together and watching tv. That’s usually when Nikki retreated to her room. She did have her own television, and while some of her friends were jealous of that, Nikki suspected they only gave it to her to keep her out of their way. This week, however, she went into her dad’s office and stayed for awhile. They didn’t seem to mind so much if she was there when they were watching family television shows. It didn’t take too long, though, or too many beers, before her dad found something to say that sent her running to her room. Sheila had apparently told him about the incident with the boy at school and how upset Nikki had been. The more Nikki tried to play it off as nothing, the more he joked about it.
“I hate you, Sheila. I can’t believe you told him,” Nikki said.
“You promised you wouldn’t tell anyone. I’ll never talk to you again.” With that, Nikki ran to her room and stayed there the rest of the night. She cried herself to sleep but it was hard to know whether the tears were flooding from her broken heart or just plain anger for Sheila’s betrayal. Nikki strolled easily through the restaurant and toward the restroom to wash her hands before starting to work. She heard only the squeak of her rubber soles on the linoleum floor as she walked. She enjoyed this quiet time when she came in alone to open up. At lunchtime it would be filled with construction workers who knew they wouldn't leave there hungry. This early, the booths lining the walls and the tables in the center sat empty, but Nikki knew they wouldn't be empty for long. Most days she’d be rushing from the counter to the tables and trying to do her best to get a good tip from each one of them, but not today. Today she’d be out on the sidewalk. She looked forward to doing something different, and hadn’t really thought about the fact that she wouldn’t be getting any tips out there. As Nikki washed her hands at the sink, she glanced into the faded mirror that hung above it. Her oval face was slightly rounded because of her youth, and even applying blush under her cheekbones, as she'd read about in the glamour magazines, didn't make her face look any thinner or help her to look more mature. Oh, how she dreamed of having sharp features like the models on the cover of Glamour or Vogue. She sucked her cheeks in and posed for a moment, but when she relaxed, her cheeks filled out once again. She had such a baby face! Stepping out of the restroom, she was forced up against the wall as a stocky teenager pushed his way past her on his way toward the front door.
“You're working outside with me today,” Bob said. His six-foot frame towered over Nikki. He was built like a football player with strong legs and shoulders. He might have been handsome except that one side of his face was horribly scarred from acne. Nikki liked Bob, and her kind nature made it possible for her to pretend that she didn't even notice his face. He was a year older than Nikki, but they went to different schools, and they never socialized away from work. Their association ended when the day was over. Bob went outside to stock the cooler with enough hot dogs and burgers to get started. Nikki stayed inside to load a clean bus tub with paper cups, plates, forks, and napkins. She picked up the grey tub and headed toward the front door, but as she turned to push it open with her back, she noticed a gorgeously handsome young man standing on the other side. He had twinkling brown eyes that looked like pools of melted chocolate.
“Here, let me get that for you,” he said, pulling the door open from the other side and stretching out his hands to relieve her of the load she was carrying. Nikki turned around to see if he was talking to someone behind her, but her arms fell limp when she felt him take the load.
“Where do you want me to put this?” he said. “Ummm, over there, I guess,” Nikki said as she pointed to the table set up next to the soda fountain outside.
“Anywhere will be fine.” Her eyes followed him as he strutted toward the table, and she wondered where he'd come from. He just appeared out of nowhere, and she was afraid that if she didn't watch him, he would disappear just as quickly. He walked over to Bob, and Nikki could tell they already knew each other. The temperature began to rise as the noon hour approached and customers pushed their way through the line for food and drinks. Nikki stayed busy ringing up one order after another, trying desperately to catch bits of the conversation between Bob and his eye-catching friend.
Whenever she thought she could look, and not get caught at it, she watched them. He wasn't quite as tall as Bob, but he looked fantastic in faded Levi 501 blue jeans and a white T-shirt that accentuated his tanned, olive skin. Gosh, he was cute. Finally the line slowed down and Nikki took the chance to replenish her supplies. Wiping the sweat from her brow with her forearm, she walked over to Bob.
“Bob, we're out of cups. Can you watch my station for a minute?” She shaded her eyes with her hand as she spoke.
“Anthony will do it for you, won't you, Anthony?” Bob looked his friend's way and smiled as he jabbed him in the ribs repeatedly with his elbow. Anthony, thought Nikki. So that's his name. What a perfect name for someone who so closely resembled the Roman gods she'd only seen in her Latin textbooks.
“Sure. You go ahead,” Anthony said as he motioned her toward the door. “I'm not doing anything but standing around, anyway.” He smiled at her again, and she felt her insides begin to melt.
“I'll be right back,” Nikki said nervously. She turned and ran inside to get the cups. She grabbed them quickly so she wouldn't waste valuable time inside. The sound of his name was heavenly, and she quietly whispered it to herself when he wasn’t close enough to hear. When she returned, she found him fixing sodas for customers and ringing up sales like he worked there. Things started to slow down a little around four o'clock as people started clearing out of the shopping center, and the three of them began to carry supplies back inside. Bob took the grill to the kitchen for a thorough cleaning while Anthony lingered outside with Nikki.
“You and Bob must be pretty good friends,” Nikki said as she mustered up the courage to start a conversation with Anthony. “Oh, not really. We go to school together. I was just driving by today and saw him out there. Decided I'd stop and see what was going on,” he said. I'm sure glad you did, thought Nikki, as she tried to glance his way without being noticed. She had never been so intrigued by anyone in her life.
“I guess you guys will be going out together now that Bob's through working,” said Nikki. Once the words left her mouth she realized it sounded like she was hinting at something, but she hoped Anthony didn't notice.
“Maybe. I doubt that Bob has anything planned, though,” said Anthony as he shoved his hands into his front pockets. He looked over in her direction and grinned. She noticed that one side of his mouth curled up just a little. He was just adorable! Nikki turned to take another load of supplies into the restaurant, and passed Bob on his way out.
“See ya, Nikki. I'm outta here,” he said. He waved casually and kept walking by.
Nikki anxiously turned and watched Bob to see if he and Anthony were leaving together. They talked for just a moment, and then Anthony got into his car alone. Her heart sank as she watched him pull away. She went back to work but she couldn’t get her mind off of him. She’d hardly talked to him at all and now he was gone. When quitting time came at nine, Nikki went inside the restaurant to change into a pair of shorts. She couldn’t stop thinking about Anthony. He probably has a girlfriend, she thought. She shrugged her shoulders and tried to stop thinking about him, but when she walked out of the restroom and turned down the hallway, she was startled to find Anthony leaning up against the wall.
“Hey, I was hoping you were in there,” he said. “Do you have any plans for tonight?” He ran his right hand through his dark, coarse hair while supporting his weight against the wall with his left. The muscles showed where his T-shirt met his biceps, and Nikki found herself nervously looking away.
“Uh, no, not really. I was just going to call a cab and go home.” She fumbled with the roll of clothes she had just changed out of, and nervously twisted the tie from the apron around her forefinger.
“A cab? Why don't you let me give you a ride home?” He smiled at her and reached forward as though he were going to carry her things for her.
“Oh, no, I couldn't.” She stepped back and clutched the bundle tightly. Nikki wasn't used to being approached so aggressively, and even though he had consumed her thoughts all day, she really didn’t know him. Standing there with him right next to her, she was a little afraid.
“Sure you can. Just say yes.” He relaxed his posture and stretched his hand out to touch her arm. She nervously looked up at him, but even though she tried to avoid looking directly into his eyes, she couldn't help but see his smile. She was so embarrassed! She remembered how empty she’d felt when she saw him leave earlier. She knew she couldn't let him leave that night and take a chance of never seeing him again. He wouldn't hurt her, would he? How bad could he be if he was Bob’s friend? The idea made her smile. What did she have to worry about?
“Okay, but I live about five miles from here. Are you sure you still want to take me?” Nikki smiled nervously, thinking that if he refused, she wouldn't be left with the responsibility of deciding whether to go with him.
“Sure. No big deal. My car’s right out front,” he said. He put his arm around her shoulder and ushered her around the corner. At the door, he led her to his car, a 1956 metallic blue Chevrolet. This was the kind of car the guys paraded through the hamburger hangouts every Friday and Saturday night, not something he'd had to borrow from his parents. Nikki had never been in anything but a family car, and her eyes were wide with excitement as they scanned the oversized speakers and black custom leather seats. It was a nice car. Nicer than anything she ever thought she could afford, no matter how much she worked.
“So, where do you go to school?” he asked, placing his arm on the back of her seat while backing out of the parking space.
“Van Horn,” she replied. “You live with your parents?”
He looked over at Nikki each time he spoke to her, and it made her nervous. She wished that he would watch the road so that she could watch him.
“Yeah. Where else would I live?”
“I don’t know. Just asking,” he said.
“I’m only 15, and I guess technically I don’t really live with my parents. I live with my dad and his wife.” Nikki felt her neck tighten as she mentioned them.
“So how is that working out?” he asked.
“They like to make my life miserable,” said Nikki. “That's about it.”
“I guess that's normal for parents. I think it's written somewhere in the training manual,” he said. “Yeah, maybe, if there is such a thing as a 'normal' parent,” Nikki said.
“Do you have a boyfriend?”
This time when he looked her way, his eyes were fixed on her. Nikki hesitated for a moment and then turned her head away. “Well, do you?” Anthony said, continuing to watch her expression. For the first time all day Nikki thought of Joe.
“Yes, I do, but I don't really want to talk about him.”
“Is it serious?” he asked.
“I don't know. Sometimes I think it is, and then other times I'm not so sure.” Nikki fidgeted in her seat. She was surprised it had been so easy to forget Joe, because until today she had believed Joe was all she would ever want.
“So where is this hot shot tonight?” he asked. “How come he’s not picking you up?”
“For one thing, he doesn’t have a car. For another, he and his family are on vacation. They invited me to go along, but my father wouldn't let me.” She took a deep breath before continuing. “My father insisted that he was not going to have his daughter going on a vacation with her boyfriend, even if his parents were going to be there to chaperon every minute of the day and night.” Nikki pounded her fist into her lap as she imitated her father.
“So your old man wouldn't let you go on vacation with your boyfriend, huh?” Anthony seemed amused.
“No way. What would people think, after all?” Nikki relaxed and laughed as she thought about her father's concerns.
“What's so funny?” asked Anthony. “Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about how worried my dad always is about how proper things look. I wonder what he'd think if he knew I was out here with someone I just met today. He would be furious.”
“Hey, I'm a nice guy. I'm just giving you a ride to save you the cab fare.” Anthony and Nikki both laughed. Did he really feel like he was there to rescue her? “I'm a regular knight in shining armour,” Anthony said.
“Yeah, right. You just don't know my father,” Nikki said. “He complains about everything I do. He just doesn't understand me at all; and if I do anything that he doesn’t know about, my stepmother makes sure she tells him when he gets home.”
“They're all like that. Believe me, I speak from experience.” Anthony paused before continuing, and the air was filled with “We Can Work It Out,” by the Beatles, on the radio. “Say, wanna go to a show?” he said.
“When?” she asked. Bringing her arm up to catch the light from the streetlamps so that she could see her watch, she saw that it was about nine-thirty.
“Right now. The drive-in is right down the street. Come on, let's go.” Anthony leaned forward excitedly in his seat.
“I really shouldn't,” Nikki protested.
“They’re expecting me to come home right after work.”
“Come on. Don't be such a party pooper. The evening's still young, and I'll make you a promise. Anytime you want to leave, I'll take you home,” said Anthony.
“Oh, I don’t know.” As much as she protested, she could find no reason to go home, and she was starting to get caught up in his enthusiasm. It was exciting to be with someone so spontaneous. “Well, I guess so. If you promise to take me home when I’m ready.”
“Promise.” Nikki watched Anthony out of the corner of her eye as he drove down the highway and pulled into the entrance of the drive-in. He seemed so much older than Joe. He had his own car, and as far as she knew, he hadn't called home once all day to tell anyone where he was. Things had never been this exciting or impulsive with Joe. Joe was a wonderful guy, but their dates consisted of going to the drive-in with his parents and little brother, meeting at the pool, or sitting at his house. He had just turned sixteen, and sometimes his dad would loan him the car to pick her up, but he expected them to return without making any detours.
Nikki knew Joe cared about her, and she truly cared about him. Just a week ago she was absolutely distraught because he was leaving for a week. She was furious with her dad for not letting her go with him. He had just refused without even talking to Joe’s parents to get the details. How could she forget all of that so easily? She'd only known Anthony a few hours, but she felt such a rush of excitement that nothing else seemed to matter. Anthony laughed and made conversation easily, Nikki thought. She started to relax a little toward the end of the night, but then he lunged at her without warning. In just that instant, Nikki felt electricity surge through her body. Without having to think, she pushed away and now sat with her back up against the door. She looked down at her hands, unable to look at Anthony, and yet worried about what he might do next.
“You're beautiful, Nikki.” “Oh, no I'm not,” she said quietly.
“You are, too. I'll bet guys tell you that all the time, don't they?”
“No. They don't,” she said.
“Well, then, you're not hanging out with the right guys,” he said with a big grin on his face. She was feeling very uncomfortable now.
“Anthony, I think I should go. It's getting late.” Anthony ran his hand through his hair and then returned his right arm to the back of the seat. “Nikki, it's only eleven o'clock. The night's still young.”
“Anthony, you said you'd take me home when I wanted to go. Please take me home.”
“Okay. I don't want to break any promises,” he said. “Whatever you say. You want to go home, I'll take you home.”
He placed the drive-in speaker back on its stand, started the car and pulled away without saying another word. He drove in silence, following Nikki's shaky directions to her house. Nikki was sure she had upset him. Now she would never see him again. Maybe that was a good thing. Something had happened tonight and she wasn’t sure what. She just knew he had frightened her. As he approached her driveway, Nikki felt a lump in her heart. As Anthony brought the car to a stop, he turned off the engine and headlights. He reached over and took her hand in his, turning in the seat to face her.
“What are you going to do?” he asked.
“I’m going to go inside.”
“That’s not what I mean. What are you going to do about the hot shot?”
He stayed behind the steering wheel. At least that was good. Why did he care what she did about Joe? She was surprised he didn’t just dump her out in front of the house.
“I don’t know. He’ll be home tomorrow. I’ll probably go over and see him.”
“Is that what you want? You want to date a guy who can’t even drive?”
“Joe can drive. He just doesn’t have his own car.”
Anthony just sat there. Finally, he said, “I really like you, Nikki. I’d like to go out with you again.”
“You don’t even know me,” Nikki said. “I just don’t know.”
“Well, we can’t get to know each other unless we go out. I want to see you again. Can I have your phone number? At least I can call you and see if you’ve changed your mind.
“Okay.” Nikki quickly fumbled for a pen in her purse and wrote her phone number on the back of one of the restaurant receipts. She handed it to him and reached for the handle on the door.
“I’m not making any promises. I don’t know what I’m going to do, but you can call,” Nikki said. She quietly closed the door and walked slowly toward the house. As she opened the front door with her key, she turned toward the car and waved to Anthony. Nikki already knew she’d like to get to know Anthony, but thinking about it frightened her more than she was willing to admit. Once inside the house she saw Sheila's purse on the dining room table where she always left it, and knew her parents were home. The lights were all off, and Nikki crept quietly to her room, grateful no one was awake. Nikki went to her room and replayed the day's events in her mind. What in the world was she going to say to Joe?
