had money and he didn’t need to work, unlike her.
“How about I pick you up tomorrow and we can go do something.”
“Like what?”
“Ever been inside the caves at Luray?” Nadia shook her head. “Want to go?”
“Yes.” Nadia smiled and felt an excitement building in her that was foreign and wonderful. “Here, let me give you directions.” She pulled a small notebook from her purse and wrote directions from the bookstore to her house.
“Okay, yeah, I know exactly where that is.”
Nadia opened her car door and slid inside. “What time should I be ready?”
“Eight a.m. sharp.” He said with a grin and shut the door for her. He watched her drive away and felt happy, but it didn’t last long, as he soon noticed a familiar car at the far end of the parking lot. Two shadowy figures watched him, but he pretended to not see and walked back to his vehicle, with pin pricks attacking the base of his skull.
****
At seven forty- five, Nadia was running a brush through her hair for the fifth time. The bathroom was more crowded than usual, with shirts hanging on hangers on the shower rack and a foldable drying rack halfway in the tub and halfway out, and with towels hanging at all sorts of angles from it. Her mother was banging on the door already before Nadia could get out of the shower, yelling through the thin wood that she had ‘an arm load of wet things to hang up’. Her mother returned with two dish towels, and squeezed past Nadia to hang them on the towel rack.
“When’s Dad fixing the dryer?”
“Couldn’t say.”
“Working today?”
Her mother put her fist on her broad hip and watched Nadia through the mirror. “Nope. Off this weekend and next since I will be working six days a week through the Apple Festival. This boy gonna come in and introduce himself?”
Nadia felt a moment of panic at the thought. Her mother’s horrendous grammar and the cramped state of their doublewide were not exactly things she wanted to share with Foster at this point.
“I don’t know, Mom. We’re driving to Luray.”
“Uh-huh. Well, it’s not that far and coming to the door is only right.”
Before Nadia could answer, a knock sounded at the front door. Her mother smiled sweetly. “Oh, I’ll get it!” Nadia rolled her eyes and cut the bathroom light off. She entered her room and grabbed her purse, taking a quick inventory of its contents before going down the hall to the living room. To her horror, her Dad was also there rocking back and forth on his heels with his thumbs bent over two belt loops. Her mother was smiling and nodding her head at something Foster was saying. Her parents had waited two years for her to have another date. They probably were negotiating a dowry that involved a pig and two chickens. Foster saw her and waved.
“Ready?” His manner was friendly and she could tell her parents were impressed.
“Yeah.” Nadia looked at her parents. “I shouldn’t be too late.”
“Well, we’ll just see you later.” Her Dad replied. Oh yes, they were impressed. At this point a male of any kind at the door would impress.
Foster stuck out his hand in turn to each of them. “Frank, Crystal, it was a pleasure meeting you.”
“You too!” They said in unison. Nadia was sure they were talking in slow mumbled phrases as they watched from the door. Her mother would be waiting to see if Foster opened the door for her, and her father would
“How about I pick you up tomorrow and we can go do something.”
“Like what?”
“Ever been inside the caves at Luray?” Nadia shook her head. “Want to go?”
“Yes.” Nadia smiled and felt an excitement building in her that was foreign and wonderful. “Here, let me give you directions.” She pulled a small notebook from her purse and wrote directions from the bookstore to her house.
“Okay, yeah, I know exactly where that is.”
Nadia opened her car door and slid inside. “What time should I be ready?”
“Eight a.m. sharp.” He said with a grin and shut the door for her. He watched her drive away and felt happy, but it didn’t last long, as he soon noticed a familiar car at the far end of the parking lot. Two shadowy figures watched him, but he pretended to not see and walked back to his vehicle, with pin pricks attacking the base of his skull.
****
At seven forty- five, Nadia was running a brush through her hair for the fifth time. The bathroom was more crowded than usual, with shirts hanging on hangers on the shower rack and a foldable drying rack halfway in the tub and halfway out, and with towels hanging at all sorts of angles from it. Her mother was banging on the door already before Nadia could get out of the shower, yelling through the thin wood that she had ‘an arm load of wet things to hang up’. Her mother returned with two dish towels, and squeezed past Nadia to hang them on the towel rack.
“When’s Dad fixing the dryer?”
“Couldn’t say.”
“Working today?”
Her mother put her fist on her broad hip and watched Nadia through the mirror. “Nope. Off this weekend and next since I will be working six days a week through the Apple Festival. This boy gonna come in and introduce himself?”
Nadia felt a moment of panic at the thought. Her mother’s horrendous grammar and the cramped state of their doublewide were not exactly things she wanted to share with Foster at this point.
“I don’t know, Mom. We’re driving to Luray.”
“Uh-huh. Well, it’s not that far and coming to the door is only right.”
Before Nadia could answer, a knock sounded at the front door. Her mother smiled sweetly. “Oh, I’ll get it!” Nadia rolled her eyes and cut the bathroom light off. She entered her room and grabbed her purse, taking a quick inventory of its contents before going down the hall to the living room. To her horror, her Dad was also there rocking back and forth on his heels with his thumbs bent over two belt loops. Her mother was smiling and nodding her head at something Foster was saying. Her parents had waited two years for her to have another date. They probably were negotiating a dowry that involved a pig and two chickens. Foster saw her and waved.
“Ready?” His manner was friendly and she could tell her parents were impressed.
“Yeah.” Nadia looked at her parents. “I shouldn’t be too late.”
“Well, we’ll just see you later.” Her Dad replied. Oh yes, they were impressed. At this point a male of any kind at the door would impress.
Foster stuck out his hand in turn to each of them. “Frank, Crystal, it was a pleasure meeting you.”
“You too!” They said in unison. Nadia was sure they were talking in slow mumbled phrases as they watched from the door. Her mother would be waiting to see if Foster opened the door for her, and her father would
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