Liberty Begins (The Liberty Series) by Leigh James Read Free Book Online Page A

“I’ll leave it out here.” He rapped on the door one more time and then trotted out of sight in his weird shoes and biking shorts. I made sure he wasn’t coming back before I opened the door and grabbed the small package off the ground.
    I locked the door, put my toothbrush on the kitchen counter and rinsed my mouth. Then I sat down. I knew who it was from, but I had no idea what was inside today.
    I opened the package with shaking hands and pulled out a wooden ruler and a note.
     
    Good morning Liberty,
    I am very sorry about our meeting yesterday. It was worse than bad manners for me to speak to you like that. It must have been overwhelming and it was unnecessary. So, does making a mistake like that refute my theory that everything happens for a reason? No! It underscores my belief in humanity’s perfect imperfection. And it has given me the opportunity to send you another gift to apologize. The ruler should be a hit with the bachelor party crowd ... feel free to use it on anyone who misbehaves....Including me.
    I’ll be in the club tonight. Speak to me only if you wish.
    John
     
    I let myself laugh at the ruler. I hugged the note to my chest. No one was there to see, and I only let myself do it for a minute. John wasn’t giving up on me. After our crazy talk last night, and my suspicions about his motives, I was irritated with myself to find that I was very relieved to hear from him. He was still out there. He still wanted me to think about him. He might be crazy, but he was thinking about me ... and I couldn’t lie to myself, my heart felt full and happy at the thought. I was not alone today. I didn’t know how long it would (or should) last, but at least this morning, in the privacy of my beat-up apartment, I could let myself beam a little.
    I packed my ruler in my bag with my glasses tucked safely in their case. I practically skipped out to the Fiesta, heading for the urine-soaked parking lot with a big smile on my face.
     

     
    Alex let me work another double. Some of the other girls might raise their eyebrows about that, but I was the one who showed up here two days in a row, dancing during the day while guys wiped ketchup off their mustaches, and begged to stay. I ordered a burger for dinner, hoping that I could eat it quickly and then run and brush my teeth before John showed up. But dinner came and went, and there was no sign of him.
    I was applying my chunky brown eyeliner a little halfheartedly. The excitement that had been so fresh this morning had started to fade, and the memory of the package and the note had lost their urgency. He wasn’t here. I wasn’t the most important thing he had to do today. I was starting to lose hope when Alex showed up at my station.
    “Hey gorgeous,” he said, and gave me a full-wattage smile. “Your little friend is back, and he’s looking for you.”
    My heart dropped to my knees, in sort of a good way. “He’s hardly little ,” I said, unable to remove a trace of pride from my voice. He was here! He came back!
    “Oh honey,” Alex said, looking at me with a worried expression. The tone of his voice was scolding, motherly almost, and it wiped the smile off my face. “Don’t take it to heart. You’re a beautiful girl, but remember where you are. Remember, he’s a customer. And he’s here with Cruz, so I need you to be your best, most professional self.”
    Cruz was here. I’d never seen him before. Maybe that’s what John had been busy doing, catching up with his old friend. That made me feel a little bit better and I nodded at Alex. I straightened my shoulders and took a deep breath, preparing myself to see John again, come what may. “What do you want me to do?” I asked.
    “Go give ‘em a show,” said Alex, as he very kindly patted me on the shoulder instead of the behind. “We got, like, five bachelor parties, too. Go make some money!” He shooed me towards the stage.
    I was as ready as I’d ever be. I went to my locker, took my glasses