Page 10 of In Her Own Way
Forty-five minutes later, she escorted Kimo out the gate and locked herself in the storage area alone. She walked away slowly so she could make sure he got in his car and drove away. He did. She made a mental note of the make and model of his car and would take note of the license plate at the first opportunity. She grabbed a step stool from the office and then walked along the dimly lit rows of storage units to the back corner. She reached up and nudged camera twelve’s wire back into place. Innocent error or subterfuge? She didn’t yet know, but would be on guard, literally, to find out.
She willed herself to chill. Maybe she was seeing shadows where there weren’t any. But this was her beloved cousin’s livelihood, and she didn’t want anything to ruin it. Of all the cousins, Erin was the innocent one. Victoria? Not so much. Donny and Eddie? Not a chance.
At midnight, six hours into her twelve-hour shift, Victoria was bored out of her mind. It was Friday fucking night. By this time, she should have a woman or two in her bed. But she didn’t have a bed. And she now worked nights. She needed to check outthe scene at Venus Rising and see how much it had changed. The fact that a lesbian bar was still alive and thriving in this day and age was surprising. Obviously, there was a need for it. And she should be there, damn it.
She should do another round, but she couldn’t bring herself to actually stand up. Camera twelve was now working great. Kimo hadn’t snuck back in and tried to sleep in his unit. And he wouldn’t. Not on her watch, anyway. She pulled out her phone and logged intoKinks. A warm feeling spread through her. Madison had left her a message.
little_peanut:Hi, Daddy Vic! 1. I miss you. 2. You should visit. Come back for the Masquerade Ball in December. 3. I’m taking this course called Organic Chemistry. The professor makes it so complicated. I just read the book and it makes sense. 4. I’m also taking the most amazing course in the world called Ohio Birds. We have a field trip out in the wild soon. We’re doing this annual bird count thing. Miss Jaleesa is coming with me to chaperone (jk. She’s a bird brain like me). 5. I miss you, Daddy Vic. 6. Okay, bye for now. 7. Wait! I forgot one. Write me back. Please?
Daddy Vic:You sound exceptionally busy, Squirt! I miss you, too. I’ll think about the masquerade ball. I have a good job here and a place to live, so don’t worry about me. Did you know there’s a dungeon here in Indianapolis, too? Almost like home.
She hit send before she realized that she’d just called Denton Heights “home.”
“Shit,” she said out loud. “It’s just going to take time.” Indianapolis had been her home for eighteen years, and it would be again. Her phone dinged in her hand. It was a text message.
Rowena: Come home.
Victoria hit the call button. “What the fuck are you doing up? It’s after midnight.” she said to her best friend.
“Friday night at the opera,” Rowena said. “Puccini’sMadama Butterfly. You would have hated it.”
“No doubt. Have fun?”
“Always.” Rowena said something low, probably to her submissive Minjung, and then said, “Come home, asshole. Why’d you run?”
“I didn’t run,” Victoria said. Even she heard the defensive tone in her voice.
“Call it what you want, but if it quacks like a duck—”
“Shut the hell up,” Victoria said. She and Rowena had this bantering way of speaking to each other, especially when hard truths needed to be said. “I’m making a life here.”
“You had one in Denton Heights.”
“Who wants me there?”
“I do,” Rowena said. “Madison does. Everyone does.”
“Pfft,” Victoria scoffed. “Doubt that.”
“It’s just going to take some time for all of it to die down, I think.”
Victoria had no response. She checked the cameras. All was well.
“Listen,” Rowena said again, this time more quietly, “Madison is having a hard time over you leaving like that. I am, too, honestly. I’ve got all your shit in your room here, but not you.”
“You asking me out?” Victoria said with a laugh.
Rowena got the humor, she always did, and said, “Oh, shut the hell up, Victoria. I know you need time to gather your thoughts. So, get to gathering. See a shrink if you have to but come home.”
Victoria ignored the shrink comment and said, “Once I get an apartment, I’ll send for my shit. Or come get it. Whatever.”
There was silence on the other end.
“Hey, I’m working,” Victoria said. “I gotta go.”
“Miss you.”
“Yeah, me, too.”
