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The Deal

Liam Spencer

    It started innocent enough, believe it or not.
    I was working a ton of hours at work and had little time for much else. It had been a long road since losing my girlfriend and most of my social life due to work injuries with my former employer. I still missed the her, my ex-girlfriend. She was with someone else now. There was a giant hole left. Whenever there was some time in my schedule, when I wasn’t exhausted, I would converse either online or over the phone with online friends. It was a way to ignore the hole in life.
    There was a woman I spoke with once in a great while from Twitter. She was not my favorite person, but she seemed sincere and sad. Melinda was stuck in rural Kentucky. A dry county. Terrible.
    She had hinted many times about moving to Seattle. I wasn’t biting. I had done the whole “roommate” thing before. It was disastrous. I wasn’t interested.
    It was November. There was a lull at work. The calm before the holiday storm. I grew bored and tired of long nights sitting at home. Going out was too pricey, generally, and would usually lead to some trouble. So I went online to chat. I hadn’t been on Twitter in nearly a year.
    Melinda immediately sent a DM (Direct Message). She excitedly announced that she was moving to Seattle. She had met some guy out here that would let her move in. She wanted to know if we could all get together for drinks. It seemed harmless, so I agreed. The conversation shifted to all the things to do in Seattle. I was happy to share what I knew.
    On and on we talked. Slowly, she began expressing reservations about the guy she was moving in with. She already quit her job and bought airline tickets, but...
    The deal. The deal was that, on nights that he wanted to fuck her, she could stay over. Otherwise she would be at the shelter.
    As I sat stunned, soft sobs were on the other end of the phone. It was her only chance of escape. Her one and only chance. Twenty four years old and at the biggest crossroads of her life.

    You already know what I did. You already know how stupid I can be.

    Our deal would be drastically different. I would let her stay, and help her get a start in Seattle. However, I was not going to support her so she could party, date, and fuck. The emphasis had to be getting a job, saving money, and getting her own place. The faster, the better. I was not going to pay for some guy’s girlfriend. No.
    She agreed. Readily.
    “Melinda, don’t make me regret this.”
    “I won’t. I swear...I won’t.”

    The day came. I had arranged for friends to pick her up at the airport. I couldn’t get off work. I gave them a key.
    I worked later than usual, of course, as the holiday panic season was coming up quickly. My truck had broken down again. Buses were crowded, of course, and the bottles of wine clanged together in my backpack as people muscled through the narrow isles.
    Finally. The lobby of my building was empty except for parcels dropped off by my mail carrier. It was the last thing I wanted to see, as I had delivered three hundred of those myself that day. I would be dropping off even more in a matter of hours.
    I unlocked my door, and tried to step inside. My nose hit the door. It was chain locked from the inside.
    “Hello?! Hey! Melinda, can I get in?”
    “Ok. Just a minute.” She drawled.

    The door finally opened. Only the kitchen light was on. Melinda stood in the darkened bathroom, her hands covering her mouth.
    I marched in, happy to be home. Happy to have company. Long days and short nights can be lonely too.
    “Care for some wine? We gotta celebrate! It’s your first night in Seattle!”
    A mere whimper came from the darkened bathroom. Melinda continued to stand there, hands over mouth.
    “You can come out from there. Make yourself at home.”
    She slowly came into the light. She was shaking.

    I’m not exactly sure how to say this. Believe it or not, I had not thought of Melinda sexually, despite her being twenty four and my being forty. I already knew I was not drawn to her. Our friendship was mostly over my feeling sorry for her. We were not a match.
    What I am about to say had to do with everything but attraction or lack thereof.
    Melinda was well over four hundred pounds.

    The first thought I had was that I was fucked. How would she be able to get a job? That kind of size could be an asset if the person walked like they owned the place. Being that huge and being so bashful and humiliated about it would only lead to rejection. I feared that I would be stuck supporting her for a very long time. There was no way I would have the heart to throw her out.

    We settled in and began drinking. Might as well make the most of it. We laughed and sipped and talked and smoked. It kind of felt good to have company. It had been a while. Soon it was time to nap before work.
    I worried the entire next day about how this could be brought to an end. What possibilities could there be for employment?

    My sit/stand desk was put to good use. Melinda was chatting with men online and chain smoking. The desk was all the way up so all the guy on the other end could see was Melinda from the neck up.
    She got off the chat as soon as I came in, right before the guy could hear my voice. I unloaded my twelve pack of beer. My body was killing me. It had been a long day. The holidays were just beginning. The conversation was light as I sipped beer. Nothing much happened. It was her first day in a new land, a new life.
    Melinda wanted to explore the city, but was far too afraid to go alone. I showed her around the neighborhood. She gasped in excitement. It was only four blocks. Start slow. Don’t overwhelm. Melinda needed breaks from walking. Five minutes was her limit. Patience would be needed.

    I tried for another week. Melinda was just not willing to overcome her fears and embarrassments. She spent all day, every day chatting with men online and by phone. Every evening had her needing to be walked. Then we would settle in and sip beer and wine.
    Melinda would sit on my couch sipping wine and chain smoking. She held her lighter between her toes. The image reminded me of an orangutan. She talked endlessly about men. That was the entire focus of her existence. She chatted on and on, and would numb my brain until sleep would hit me hard. It was no longer nice to have company. I grew increasingly worried about not being able to get rid of her. That worry consumed my days.

    I arrived at work one day. Tension and panic filled the station. Something was very wrong. We all clocked in and went for vehicle checks. Everyone looked like they had seen a ghost. I had no idea what was going on.
    I went to my case. I saw it. I stood in complete shock. I couldn’t move. My eyes and mouth hung open.
    A few regulars laughed.
    “One hour at a time, man. One hour at a time.”

    When I snapped out of it, I went into panicked maniac mode. There was no way in hell I could make it by six. Volume was already very heavy. Now it had quadrupled!
    Soon a supe walked up. He showed panic too.
    “Mercer! Curtail everything you can. We need you to carry an extra two hours!”
    My eyes nearly flew out of my head.
    “Two hours?! Huh? Look at this volume..I mean...how? how? How?”
    “Make it happen. Curtail what you need to.”
    “But...but...well, how much time?”
    “Be back by six.”
    “That’s impossible. This route is to take me til five fifteen with usual volume. Now I’ll have forty five minutes to do two hours plus travel time?! How?”
    “You better get moving.”

    Cusses flew faster than mail. I tore through everything. It was the start of the holiday season. The new norm.

    I dragged myself home. Melinda sat there as usual. She began talking about her guys. She had done nothing else all day, it seemed.
    I went to put beer in the fridge and start the usual pizza roll dinner. My body screamed at me. I looked at the sink. My new plates had been chipped terribly. They were still wet.
    “I did dishes. You can thank me later.”
    I just grabbed a beer and finally sat down in my usual office chair. Melinda gabbed on and on. Twanging about what the guys said to her.
    “Did you apply for any jobs?”
    Silence as her face went white.
    “Melinda, you’ve been here two weeks now. All I hear every night is what this guy or that guy has said to you or about you. What I am not hearing is what jobs you’re applying for. Remember our deal.”
    “Yeah...”
    She looked blank.
    “I can understand needing some time to settle in. It was a huge move, but I don’t see that you’re doing anything here that you couldn’t be doing in Kentucky. I mean, what was the point of moving?”
    “Well, I did the dishes...”
    “There weren’t dishes in Kentucky?”
    Silence.
    “Did you at least take a walk today? Get out of the apartment for a little while?”
    “No. I just.. I might get lost.”
    “Walking around the block?”
    Silence. I drank my beer down and grabbed another. I hated having to be stern, but this was too much. I had to do something.
    Being that exhausted and sipping beer on an empty stomach had me pleasantly intoxicated. It was the only good feeling I had enjoyed in weeks. I kept it going for just a while longer. Conversation went gentler as I felt better. Soon I was buzzed and made some jokes. I knew I would be asleep as soon as I ate. I prolonged the buzz, not eager to snooze and race to work again.
    We talked and drank. There was some laughter. The mood lightened.

    Melinda brightened up. Ideas circled her large head.
    “If only Stephanie were here. You’d love her. She is so motivated. Went to college. Sharp wit like you. She would make me get out there and find work. She would love you.”

    People should not make decisions when they’re buzzed and feeling good.
    Now you know how truly stupid I am.

    The very next night Melinda was dolled up. She said I was right, that she should get out of the apartment. She was meeting a friend for dinner. I was relieved to have some time alone. No drawling about this guy or that for the evening. It would be me, beer, internet, and pizza rolls.

    Work got even worse. I got more exhausted. Work got worse still. I was on the verge of collapse.

    One night Melinda drawled on and on. I dozed off. I seem to recall her saying something about liking some guy.

    The day had been like a scene from the Wizard of Oz. Swirling wind drove rain into my sweating body. The high was thirty six. I had to run my route, carrying eighty pounds. I got screamed at for being late. The bus home was too crowded to sit. My legs trembled from exhaustion.
    I grabbed my beer and headed for my apartment. Melinda was incapable of running any errands. It was my show. I found myself actually praying that Melinda would not be there. I wanted to relax, sip beer, eat, and sleep. My face was drawn. I had aged twenty years that day.
    There was some guy sitting on my couch.
    He and Melinda jumped up as soon as they saw me. Before I could hang up my raincoat, they surrounded me. He began chatting excitedly about his job. Fedex. Part time.
    They followed me to my kitchen, him yacking. They don’t appreciate him. Some days he even works six hours. On and on.
    I cracked a beer, chugged it, and opened another. The guy looked sad. I wasn’t in the mood to be nasty. I had made it through the day, and had to prepare for the next.
    “If you want a beer, there’s some in the fridge.”
    He brightened up and went into the fridge. He stayed there for a while.
    “Is the opener in here too?”
    “Huh?” It’s here.” I handed it to him.
    Melinda looked embarrassed.
    “Oh, he’s just nervous.”

    He went on chattering as we sat. I finished the beer and grabbed another. How do I get rid of them?

    The chattering continued. It melded into one long word, just noise. No one could get a word in. On and on. His job. Part time at Fedex. What he does. Makes money. Unappreciated. He knows how I feel. Relatable.
    I just had a fourteen hour day. He called off sick to fuck a four hundred pound woman that I pay all the expenses for. Uh huh.
    The chatterer actually asked me a question about my job. I was shocked. Fourteen hours. Six of it was OT. He interrupted to mention money.
    “Well, my ex wife ran scams, partially in my name, so the IRS is garnishing my pay, wrongly. When I have time, I’ll have to get it cleared up.”
    The chatterer lit up, then ripped into his ex wife. How she had a gambling problem and ruined his finances. That’s why he lived with his grandma for now. He would take his income tax return to get an apartment to support them, including his two young children. He looked lovingly at Melinda.
    Hey, I thought, he might take her away...maybe I should encourage.

    There was silence as they looked at each other. She blushed and giggled. He glowed, all proud of himself.
    “We...we...gosh..... We went to the grocery store...” She gasped excitedly.
    “He bought eggs and bread, and margarine, and bacon, and eggs....”
    “An eighteen pack of eggs.” He chimed in.
    They looked at each other glowingly, blushing and giggling.
    “We’re going to cook you dinner!”
    They scurried out to the kitchen, and began chatting excitedly.

    Another beer opened, I sat there unsure of what the hell all of this was. Exhaustion is what screamed at me. Slowly pieces were falling into place in my exhausted mind.
    He nervously chatters about his job, being able to support a family, has a wealthy grandma, buys food...hmm...
    It hit me like thirty tons of bricks. They were treating me like I was Melinda’s father!

    Somehow I had ended up with a four hundred pound slutty daughter!

    Before long, “dinner” was served. I was starved, and ate the plate of bad southern cooking in under two minutes. Then I began falling asleep. They went outside to talk. I laid on my couch and dozed off.

    Melinda was not home the next night. I was going to raise hell over our deal. She needed to work, or at least try to find work. I was stuck.

    I came home after another hellish day. There was a young child standing in front of my TV. Melinda glowed her stupid smile. The chatterer came bounding out of the kitchen. He smiled his dumb grin. The kid looked at me innocently and smiled.

    Now I was a grandfather. At forty.

    I grabbed a beer and sat in my chair, turning my back to everyone. I played my FB football games. They got the hint. The chatterer got his child, and left. Melinda sat there, lighter between her toes, and grinned stupidly. It was time.
    “This is not a place for children.”
    “Ok.”
    “Anything on the job front?”
    Silence. Melinda’s face went white.
    “Ok. You’ve been here a month, and have made no efforts for jobs. Remember our deal?”
    “Yes.”
    “Ok. Here is what is going to happen. Tomorrow, I want you to go to Labor Ready. It’s day labor. Being the holidays, there will be plenty of jobs available. Fill out the paperwork so you can begin work the day after. Here’s a twenty. Get change for bus fare and have coffee or lunch, make a day of it if you want.”
    “Ok.” She looked away.
    “Hey. I am serious. Go fill out paperwork tomorrow.”
    “Ok.”
    She got up and went to bed. I ate pizza rolls and slept on my couch.

    The next night I came home and Melinda sat, lighter between toes. She looked upset, and wound up to start talking about men. I’d have none of it.
    “Did you go to Labor Ready?”
    “No.”
    “Why?”
    Melinda smiled her stupid smile and sighed loudly.
    “Go tomorrow.”
    “Ok.”
    I turned my back on her and went online.

    The next two nights were repeats. The third night I told her that I would wake her up and accompany her to Labor Ready if she didn’t go the next day.
    I expected the same result the next night. I braced for it.

    There was different guy on my couch. I was not amused. He squirmed as I hung up my raincoat. Melinda came bounding out from the kitchen. I looked at her as if to say, “What the fuck?!”
    “I’m goin’ back to Kentucky.”
    I tried to resist glowing.
    “Oh? When?”
    “Tonight.”
    “Sorry to hear. Everything ok?”
    “It’ll be fine. We’re going to talk outside.”
    They walked out. I settled in with my beer and silently celebrated.
    Being that we did have some laughs, I expected some sort of send off. A thank you. Some kind words. Something.
    A couple hours later, Melinda came bounding in. Behind her was yet another guy. She marched off to the kitchen and sipped heavily at her whiskey. He stood at the door sheepishly. I sat at my laptop.
    Melinda hugged me from behind.
    “I’ll miss you...” She drawled.
    She grabbed her backpack, and they headed for the door. Most of her stuff still scattered the floor.
    “What about your stuff?”
    “Keep it.”

    The door closed, hiding her giant, stupid smile. Melinda was gone. At last.

    I finished my beer and got up for another. I looked around. My once nice apartment lay in ruins. It was truly a mess. I was too tired to clean it. Melinda had been too lazy and boy crazed. Tent sized clothes littered the floor. My new plates were chipped.
    It sucked, but at least she was gone.

    And, somewhere out there was my ex. And she was gone too.

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