A new life begins

Max was not surprised to find Chloe waiting for her as she left the building. Even if she had not been the one to drive her to the appointment, Max knew that the blue haired trucker would not have missed this for all the gold in the world. And there she was, leaning against the body of her parked truck.

"So, did you get it?" The girl asked, flicking her cigarette to the street as she spotted Max.

"Oh… I don't know." Max teased a bit before displaying her newly issued Commercial Learner Permit. "What do you think?"

The bluenette pounced on her and ruffled her hair. "You little shit! See if I keep helping you!"

Max laughed at the antic. It had been a few weeks since their trip that ended with Max attempting to drive a truck for the first time – an attempt that ended up with both girls looking down meekly while a white faced Victoria cursed at them for treatment they subjected the brand new transmission to – and they had become closer.

Max was not sure she would call it friendship yet, not so soon after so many years of getting herself burnt by one betrayal after another. But she had to admit the punk had only shown support so far. She had kept to herself the events of that night at the Californian Truck stop, had not pressed for answers Max was not ready to give. All she had done was to be there to talk when needed and hold her tight when the nightmares became too much. And there had been a few nights when they had been so bad as to have her scream in her sleep.

The first time had been rather embarrassing too, and it had been difficult to avoid giving out an explanation to the man who had come charging into the room with his gun ready after her screams had woke him up. Once again, the punk had been helpful in deflecting the Policeman's interrogation by pointing out that a half-naked, still mostly asleep, panicking girl was in no state to face a police investigation. The man had blushed, apparently just realizing Max had only been wearing her panties and a tank top, before retreating to his own bedroom.

But as days passed, Max became more and more relaxed in Chloe's presence. If the playful banter and friendly contact would once have made Max pull her trusty knife to poke at the impudent, now she just went with it. Well, she did not react the same way with everyone, even Victoria who had once been her girlfriend for months could not touch her without invoking the battling part of her fight or flight instincts.

But here she was, able to let Chloe wrap an arm around her so casually without a hint of a panicking thought or anger. Well not much of one. Her first instinctive reaction still was to try to get away, at least until she realized who was touching her; but it beat having the first instinct she had for other which was to stab them.

Things might be changing in her life after all. And maybe they were changing for the best if it looked like she was making a real friend she could trust. That and she might get a real job.

Well, that had certainly been a weird discussion!

It had taken three more days for Max to finally decide to give being a trucker a try. Once she did, she had needed another for her second round about trip with Chloe to take her back to Arcadia Bay. But once it did, she just went to Victoria's offices with decided steps and knocked on the door to announce her decision.

"Are you serious?"

That had been the first reaction from the blonde after she spent a couple of minutes to retrieve her jaw from the floor.

Max had not been sure whether Victoria had been surprised at her choice to take her up on the offer or at her choice of career - at least, until the next words.

"I could offer you much better positions, Maxi- Max. You don't have to be on the roads all the time, driving ten hours a day."

Max had nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure. And what if I want to do just that? I saw how it was in those two trips and I like it."

Victoria had pursed her lips at the response. "But… It's so dangerous! I… I don't want you to get hurt again! I got much safer position to offer!"

Max had frowned, her face turning stern. "Safer for who? For you? What is it that you fear Victoria? That me having a bad past would look bad if I drive one of your truck? Or is it that you are so afraid to see me disappear again that you'd rather lock me up in one of your offices."

The blonde had paled at the accusations, probably because parts of them were true. It was not as if Max ignored that Victoria did not want to see her leave again – not that she had a choice the first time.

"No! That's… That's not what I – "

"Then what is it?" Max interrupted. "I thought you offered me a job and the training to do it. 'Any position you want' you even said. All this to make me stay when all I ever wanted was to be on my own and go my own way. Now, I said I'd think about it and I did. And I choose to take your offer and become one of your drivers. Or were you not serious about it?" Max asked before pointing at the door. "Because, if you were not, I can always pack up my stuff and go."

"NO!" The panicked shout had shown Max she had won, more than the next words Victoria would say. "I just wanted to offer you better positions," she began, trying to salvage her pride, "but if you are sure this is what you want… Of course I'd be happy to pay for your training and hire you."

"So do you feel up to drive this bitch back home?" The punk finally broke her woolgathering.

"What?" Max interjected with surprise and disbelief. "I'm not sure that's a good idea. By the time we make it home your transmission will have coughed its gears all the way up to Vancouver."

Chloe barked a laugh. "Yeah, I figured. It's a bit early yet, but now you got the right to train. So I figured we could detour to a spot I know so you can do just that. Climb on rookie, today you learn how to drive bobtail! And maybe tomorrow you'll learn how to do it like Pruitt!"

Victoria had not been able to enjoy her lunch that much; despite her best efforts and the company she was sharing it with. It was not that the day had been bad or that there had been a lot of problem to deal with. Nor was she expecting any. But she knew Max was scheduled to take her physical examination and if she was cleared, continue with the theoretical test in order to get her Permit; and it stressed her a bit.

Would the Medical Examiner clear her despite her recent injuries? Did she pass her test? What if she had not? Would Max leave again?

She glanced at her watch, checking the time. It should be over now…

"Tori? What is going on?" The half concerned and half annoyed voice drew her back to the moment.

"What?"

Rachel frowned at her. "You barely ate and you've been looking at your watch the entire time! Are you so eager to go away from me?"

Victoria blanched – she seemed to be doing a lot of that lately – then shook her head, reaching to grasp Rachel's hand on the table. "No! Never! I… It's just Max is taking her exams today and I'm worried she might not be able to get the job she wants."

Rachel's face hardened. "You should have gone with her if you are so worried!"

Victoria sighed. "It's not like that!"

Rachel huffed and Victoria sighed deeply, her head dropping down.

"Okay… I admit a part of me is still attached to her, mainly because of the way we were parted. I thought her dead for so many years!" She shook her head. "But I don't love her as I used to do anymore. Because after those five years, I found someone else to love." She smiled warmly tightening her grip on the fingers. "I'm just trying to give one of the persons I care for, the help I could not give five years ago."

Rachel seemed to warm up a bit at those reassurances. She was about to say something when a deep voice interrupted her.

"Excuse me, Mrs. Chase. Can I have a minute?"

Victoria's shoulder dropped as she heard the request from her company lawyer, Raymond Wells. "Can't it wait? I'm having lunch here."

The man looked apologetic and stern at the same time – a feat she never understood how he managed - as he kept going. "I don't know. It is not something of vital importance, but it could be a serious problem at some point."

Victoria sighed, unhappy to have her lunch - and most importantly her time with Rachel - cut short. "Fine! Let's go to my office then." She turned to Rachel with a smile a tad warmer than a married woman should give to an employee who wasn't her husband. "Sorry about that. I hope we can finish this discussion later, it was most entertaining."

Rachel smirked. "Sure, Mrs. Chase. Anytime."

Victoria walked back to her office, followed by the tall, bald and dark skinned man she had hired to manage the legal difficulties that could arise for her company. She sat at her desk pointing at one of the guest chairs. "So what is this problem you wanted to discuss?"

The man sat down stiffly and prepared a folder he had been carrying all the time and opening it as if to prepare in case he had to show its content. "It's about that new employee, Ms. Maxine Caulfield."

"Max." Victoria corrected. "She prefers to be called Max. Anyway, is there a problem with her?"

The man shifted a bit in his seat, uncomfortable with the news he had to deliver it seemed. "Well, we received the response to our background check this morning and I have to admit I am concerned."

Victoria sighed. "If it is about her Father, they haven't talked in over five years and having been witness to their last discussion, I doubt there will be any problem there."

"Well, it is not about that, Mrs. Chase." The man shook his head slightly before he corrected himself. "Well, not only about that. Sure, having the daughter of the head of the Seattle Irish mob on our payroll would cause some questions to be asked, but as you said they are estranged and all our checks support that. Besides, we are not in Seattle, not even in the same State, so it is not like we could be accused of supporting the mob."

Victoria nodded. Although she had not thought of that particular issue, she was not blind to the problems Max's origins could bring; even if she had more concerns about what the local mobs would say.

"It is a concern that could be a problem, yes, but not the biggest one." Wells continued. "The main issue is that she has a criminal record."

"She has?!" Victoria's eyes grew wide in surprise. The Max she knew was a soft and kind girl who was totally ignorant of her father's occupation and world. Sure, the girl had changed, she obviously had lost her innocence and been through a lot; but Victoria could not see Max as a violent criminal, despite her claims of live emasculating her former pimp.

As Wells nodded in confirmation, she pursed her lips. "How bad?"

Well's tone was solemn when he responded. "She's been arrested several times near Sacramento."

Okay... Well, she's been homeless for years. I guess some petty theft is to be expected. Victoria thought. Still, she had to ask. "On what charges?"

"Solicitation." The disgust in his voice was such Victoria felt as if he considered it to be as bad as terrorism or murder.

"Solicitation?!" Victoria responded half shocked by having her lunch interrupted just for that. "All this fuss over few arrests for Solicitations? So what? She can't get a Hazmat qualification? Big Deal! We have enough standard freight we still need any willing driver!"

"But Mrs. Chase, hiring peoples with a record could hurt the company!" He began to argue. "If our cli-"

"If our clients ask any questions about that, you tell them that I don't see how helping a woman getting out of a situation that forced her – and you can fucking be certain a lesbian like Max wouldn't do it happily – to prostitute herself, is a bad thing! At least I'm helping them regain control of their life by giving them a stable and much less demeaning job! If they keep crying, then ask those assholes how giving a prostitute a real job is worse than forcing her to give them a blowjob for fifty bucks!"

Raymond Wells at least had the good sense to swallow at her response, showing her he understood her point. Still, after a few moments of silence, he started again. "It isn't only that, though. I have raised a few of my contacts to find out more and… Ms. Caulfield has been mentioned in a few incidents, even if she hasn't been charged."

Victoria's eyes narrowed. "It better not be something as stupid as that solicitation problem."

"Well, there have been words that she assaulted her pimp." He read a few notes in the file he held. "According to the rumor, she stabbed him in the crotch and kicked him repeatedly."

"Is she being charged or is there someone looking to arrest her for it?"

"No… and the Police aren't really looking after whoever beat a pimp out, but …"

"But nothing! I'm not going to bother myself with it. Pimps are usually abusive and violent, if one of their girls had enough and decide to cut his balls off, literally, who cares? And that's even if Max really did it. All you have are rumors. Maybe the guy popped his switchblade while it was in his pocket and blamed her to avoid the shame of cutting his own dick."

Raymond Wells pursed his lips. "There also the situation with her disappearance from – "

Victoria raised a hand to stop him. "Raymond. Whatever Max might have made to defend herself isn't my concern, and it should not be yours either. If someone ever assaulted one of my employee, they'd better hope they're dead once my employee is done, because they'll wish they are when I deal with them!"

"But Ms. Chase, she is a criminal with a history of violence – "

"She's a girl, no, a woman who had a hard time to live! And if I have to keep a sadistic serial rapist like Hampden on our payroll, I can damn well hire a driver whose only crime was having to demean herself to get food and defending herself!"

She stared at the Lawyer, defying him to argue. Thankfully, he knew he could not and just nodded.

"Thanks for letting me know she can't get the Hazmat qualification. Keep registering her as one of our driver. She should get her Learner's Permit today. Once she does, I want Price to show her how to drive, so take her out of the rotation for the week, but the training hours goes into her pay."

The man nodded as he took note of what he had to do. "I'll process the paperwork and have Ms. Caulfield's logins for the loggers ready by tomorrow morning."

Victoria waved a hand to dismiss him but then paused. "Thanks for coming to me with these. The fact that Max's records aren't that bad in the grand scheme of things doesn't mean the next employee won't hide more serious stuff."

"I… I might have been fast into judging her so harshly. It's just, with so much backlash from clients unhappy about our own bad apples, I get worried about adding a new one. And seeing she has a record doesn't work in her favor." He responded somewhat apologetically. "And you are right in pointing out that her… missteps are less problematic as those of Mr. Hampden."

As if on cue, a knock on her door interrupted them and Victoria saw a grim faced Rachel through the glass. She waved the girl in and sighed in anticipation "What is it? Flood? Hunger? Plague?"

Rachel shook her head before responding. "Elliot."

"Great… what has he done this time?" Victoria asked while pinching the bridged of her nose. This day was not even half gone and it was going worse with each minute.

"He just got arrested at a DOT check point near Pendleton."

Raymond jerked his head back toward the dispatcher and grunted. "I'll go see what's going on." He told as he walked toward the door. "What was he arrested for?"

Rachel swallowed. "DUI. He got controlled at point fifteen."

Victoria palmed her face. "Shit… that's not even a light one…" She sighed, cursing internally at her fate. "Thanks for telling us, Rachel. Is the truck impounded or can we send a driver to pick it up?"

Rachel grimaced. "They impounded it until a representative from our company gets there. I guess we will have a fine to pay if we want to get it back."

"Even better…" Victoria shook her head in disbelief. I really got to get rid of that fucker! She turned to the man who had paused at the door. "Go and see if you can get our truck back. Take… who's available?"

Rachel looked at a small pad she held in her hand. "Fumi is scheduled to leave with the cargo for in Houston in four hours and Chloe is on her way back from the DMV with Max."

The last words were spoken bitterly. It was obvious Rachel still wasn't really over the fact Max existed, or that Chloe had taken to help the girl so much.

Victoria drummed her fingers on the wood of her desk as she juggled with the schedule. "Take Fumi with you. The delivery is for Newport. Have her make the drop and drive the rig back here. Then leave for Houston." She told Raymond. She turned to Rachel. "Contact our client in Houston, tell them we had a delay and we might be a bit late. Tell them we only expect it to be by a few hours but that we would like to reschedule for the next day at most. Offer them the usual discount as a gesture, but there was no rush on their cargo and we were originally planning a delivery three days before the latest requested date."

Victoria looked at Raymond Wells again. "Oh Raymond, two other things. First, tell that sorry excuse for a human being, once he is out of his cell with his License still in his pocket - as I'm sure he will be much too soon - that he is suspended without pay for the next two months. If he complains, remind him that driving under influence would usually get a Commercial Driver fired and if he prefers I could just do that. I don't want to see his face on my company's ground for two months even if I have to kick his balls out of my company so hard he'll have to reach down his throat to jerk himself off."

The man nodded. "I will. And the other thing?"

Victoria shrugged. "Have Frank check the rig fully once it's back. I want a complete check-up to make sure it's safe. Priority on the trailer, I want it out of the rotation and available for Max's training. Have him prepare the 579 day cab first, though, complete check and service on it. Max and Chloe will use that truck for at least the rest of the month. While we're at it, have him check Chloe's truck while it's available. I know she says it's all great and as good as new, but the rig is way past his service time. We're going to need to order one for Max soon anyway, so we might as well order two if needed. Maybe our broker can get us a deal."