Chapter 10
Max walked towards Jake's Bar. It was after 11 pm at night and he had just gotten off work.
He saw a purse lying on the ground by a dumpster and went to pick it up.
"Hey, back off, that's mine." said a female voice from the shadows.
Max looked around the dumpster and saw a young woman sitting on the ground, her knees bent, her blonde hair a mess. She sounded slightly drunk and very pissed off.
"Miss Jones?"
She stood up and peered at him. "Oh yeah, I know you. You're one of Sonny's gaurds, right? Mark? Mick?"
"Max. Are you okay Miss Jones?"
"No, I'm very far from okay. But don't worry about me. I have survived worse than an alley outside of a dive bar." Maxie said " I was just taking a breather before I walk home."
Max studied her face, the anger mixed with sadness, the bitterness in her eyes, the don't mess with me tilt of her jaw.
This girl is in trouble, he thought
"Do you need help? A ride home?"
She looked him up and down and then said, "Why the hell not?"
He lead her to his car, opened the door to the passenger side and said, "After you, Miss Jones."
She slid in and gave him directions.
When they starting driving she asked "What is up with the Miss Jones stuff?"
"Just trying to be polite."
"Oh you are one of those. One of the so called good guys. Great." Her voice made it clear that those type of men bored her to tears. "Could you cool it with the Miss Jones? It makes me sound... respectable. And I am not that by a long shot."
"You're too young to be so..."
"Jaded?" she asked
"And bitter."
"Don't kill me with compliments, Max. I can take the truth."
"Truthfully, then, you should lighten up on the beating yourself up. It must be tiring."
"You don't know the half of it."
They drove in silence for while. Finally Max asked, "So did you go away to college? I haven't seen you around town for months."
"College?" Maxie laughed. "You must be thinking of Georgie. The studious smart Jones girl. No, Max, I wasn't at college. I was at... life. And it sucked big time."
"Sorry to hear that, M. J."
She smiled at him. "Nickname number two?"
"You like it better?"
"Yeah."
He smiled at her. They rode in silence for a while longer.
She said, "You can let me off here."
Max pulled the car over and looked out the window. "There's nothing here but an empty rail yard."
"I can walk the rest of the way." Maxie climbed out and then, looking back in, said "Thanks. It was cool of you to do this."
Max got out of the car. "Hey, let me get a hotel room."
Maxie's heart dropped. He was just like the rest of the men she ever met. Except Jesse.
All men want from me is sex, she thought
"I don't think so." she said stiffly
He said, "Please. I won't be able to sleep if I think you are out her alone. You don't have to pay me back for the hotel. Or I could take you to your parents house. How about that? Just don't sleep on the streets."
Maxie sighed. He's sweet, she thought
"I'll be fine on my own. I always am." she said and then walked away.
Max watched her slip through a slit in a broken chain link fence and disappear into the shadows of the darkened lot.
Robin carried her daughter into her apartment for the first time. Neither Kelly nor Lainey were home.
Robin looked around and realized she didn't have anything the baby needed. Even though she was normally so organized this becoming a mother overnight had thrown her for a loop.
She called Anna.
"Mom, I'm sending out a S. O. S. Can you rally the troops and come to my place right away?"
"Of course. Are you okay, baby?"
Baby, Robin thought. I'm my mom's baby still yet I'm holding my own baby.
"You remember that infant that was abandoned a few days ago? Guess what? I just started proceedings to adopt her. She's here with me right now."
Anna squealed happily "I'm a grandmother!"
"Yeah and I am a mom . But I don't have anything. I am blowing it already."
"You are not. Your family is on the way. It's all going to be okay."
Robin smiled and started to feel a little better. She didn't have to do this alone.