Page 35 of Risking it All

I slept all night long for the first time in a long time. A full stomach and good wine seemed to be a good nightcap. I felt so good and refreshed when I woke up at seven in the morning that I showered and changed into the navy-blue scrubs that Denise had delivered to me. Once I was dressed and wearing the black rubber shoes they gave me, I took the route down to the basement and hit the button that would open the rear doors. Against her protest, I wanted to go ahead and get started. When I stepped off the elevator, the smell of heat and industrial cleaners greeted me.

“Excuse me?”

I turned my head in the direction of Denise’s voice and found her with her hands on her hips and her lips pursed as she tilted her head.

“Good morning. If you don’t mind, I would rather keep myself busy today.”

“Well, ain’t you a hardheaded little something.”

“I’m feeling much better. I didn’t want to lay around all day, feeling sorry for myself, and I’m not much of a gambler.”

“There’s more than gambling going on around here. I’m sure Sawyer wouldn’t mind helping you find something to do.”

“I’m sure I’ve occupied enough of his time. I would rather do something on my own. Besides, I miss working.”

“What kind of work did you do?”

“I was a seamstress for a tailor. We specialized in wedding dresses.”

“Oh, well you know your way around clothes. This isn’t as fancy as all that. You’ll be in the third post. When the linens are dry, you will fold and store them in the bins on the wall. There are four other girls in your post. They’ll show you the ropes. Let me walk you over.”

I followed Denise closely as she walked past a row of giant washing machines and dryers. The laundry area was a lot bigger than I expected it to be. I took a deep breath, inhaling the fabric softeners as we passed the dryers. I always loved the smell of freshly dried clothes. For some reason, it was comforting. When we made it to a row of long steel tables where a group of women were folding sheets, Denise walked over and placed her hands on the table.

“Ladies, this is Iris. She will be the newest addition to the laundry department. Iris, this is Jasmine, Kisha, Monique, and Glenda.”

“Welcome to the dungeon,” Jasmine teased.

“Don’t scare the poor child before she can get started,” Denise warned.

“She’s just kidding. Don’t take anything she says serious,” Monique advised.

I shrugged. “I get it. I mean, it kinda is a dungeon.”

“I trust you ladies will show her the ropes. Enjoy your first day, Iris,” Denise said before walking away.

“Child, it ain’t no ropes to show. The dryers bring sheets and towels over here, and we fold them,” Jasmine said with a casual shrug.

“Ropes shown.” I returned her shrug.

“See, I knew I liked you,” Jasmine replied.

“This is a boring job, but it pays well for the labor.” Glenda finally spoke up.

“We spend most of our time over here gossiping. Tell us about yourself,” Monique requested.

“There’s not much to tell. I’m an only child. I broke up with my high school sweetheart and wanted a change of scenery. So, I drove all the way across the state. I found out this place was hiring, so here I am.” It was disturbing how easy it was for me to lie on the spot.

“Men,” Glenda commented, shaking her head.

“Girl, don’t even get me started. Did I tell y’all Johnny called me on the bullshit again last night. He hasn’t paid child support in three months. Now he’s talking about how he can’t keep the kids this week because he has stuff to do. Stuff like what? The main reason we work opposite shifts is so I don’t have to worry about paying for childcare.”

“That’s the least he can do,” one of the girls said.

For the next few hours, I listened to their lively commentary while we folded so many sheets, pillowcases, and towels that I literally lost count. Mindless work seemed to keep me from obsessing over what was going on back home. Well, for the most part. I worked through lunch while they relieved themselves in the staff dining room. I felt like if I took a break, I would start to spiral. Staying busy had always been my thing. Keeping my mind occupied worked for me. By three o’clock, my feet were killing me. I was used to being on my feet for work, but standing in the same spot for hours at a time was different.

“See you tomorrow,” Kisha called over her shoulder as the four of them filed into the elevator. I wasn’t sure that I wanted them to know that I was living in the hotel, so I hung back with plans of riding up to my room alone.

“How was your first day?” Denise asked as she approached me.