Her breakfast arrived. Her mouth watered as she took a bite of crispy bacon. She made fast work of finishing her meal, drinking a third cup of coffee while she perused the ads in the Fort Charlotte Sentinel.
Scanning the real estate page just for the heck of it, she saw a few houses that sounded promising, but they weren’t in Key West. One was a small beach house on Palmetto Island. “Miss, can I borrow a pen and paper?” she asked the waitress.
“Of course. Here you go.” She tore a sheet of paper from her pad and took a pen from her apron. “Keep the pen. I’ve got more where that came from.”
“Thanks,” Alison said. The pen had WELCOME TO MEL’S in hot pink cursive writing, along with the address and phone number. She jotted down the real estate agency’s phone number. Not that she had any firm intention of going there, but she’d keep her options open.
When the waitress brought her bill, Alison laid a twenty on the table and told her to keep the change, knowing how hard it was to earn tips off-season. As she was about to push the door open, someone on the other side pushed forward. Losing her balance, Alison grabbed onto the first hand she found. It was Tank, the taxi driver.
“Better watch where you’re goin’ lady,” he said.
“Kiss off,” she said, stepping away from him with her hand firmly on the door. He reeked of body odor and dead fish. Maybe he worked on a shrimp boat when he wasn’t driving a taxi.
He turned around and gazed at her, his eyes settling on her chest. He snickered, “You ain’t got nothin’ to kiss.”
“And if I did, your nasty ass would have to beg before I’d let you within sniffing distance. You’re disgusting.” She opened the door, in a hurry to get away from his unpleasant odor and attitude. Men like him reminded her of the many foster dads she’d had. Perverted and filthy, with nothing on their minds but sex. No wonder she’d never had a long-term relationship.
Inside the Jeep, she put the car into reverse, then turned the air down, as the car was now too cold, if there was such a thing in Florida. The cats were on the sleeping bag. Momma cat was grooming her kittens, so they were occupied. Alison’s thoughts were all over the place. Her experience on the island had been strange. The motel stay was unlike any she’d experienced, and now this restaurant, where Tank the taxi driver seemed to think he had the right to treat her like trash.
Instead of heading south on Highway 41, she headed back toward the shopping center she’d been walking to before Betty found her. She was going to purchase a cell phone. Alison had never needed one before. She got by using a pay phone when she found one, or she’d borrow a stranger’s cell, and most folks were happy to let her make a call. Pulling into the parking lot, she went inside the Dollar General store, surprised at the variety of merchandise they carried. Last night, she didn’t recall paying much attention to anything except cat stuff. There was everything from groceries to arts and crafts supplies. Clothes, make-up, toys, anything one could purchase in Walmart or Target, though she’d guess the dollar store items were deeply discounted.
“Anything I can help ya with, just let me know,” said a woman with a gruff voice from somewhere unseen. Alison would bet a hundred bucks this gal smoked at least two packs of cigarettes a day. The woman coughed, cleared her throat, then spat.
What kind of person does that? In public?
“I’m looking for a cellular phone,” Alison said, when she noticed a MISSING sign posted behind the register. “Do you know who put this sign up?”
More coughing, hacking, then came the gruff voice. Alison stood in front of the register and saw the woman emerge from a back room. She was probably in her forties, her skin so tanned it looked dry, like old leather. Her bleached blonde hair was short and thin, teased into the shape of a football helmet. Her hair was as stiff as a board, lacquered with hair spray. She wore thick black eyeliner and too much blush.
“Me. My kitties got out of the car two days ago when I was at the filling station, and I ain’t seen ’em since. They’re all I got,” she said, tears welling up in her overly made-up eyes.
“I’ll be right back,” Alison said. When she returned with the three missing kitties, the clerk’s eyes sparkled with delight. “Where in the name of Pete did you find my babies?” she asked.
Alison told her. As much as she hated to, she had to return the cats to their owner. The lady cuddled all three of them, then took the MISSING sign down from the wall behind her. “I wasn’t sure I’d ever see them again.”
“I stopped for gas at the exit before Tucker’s Grade and heard them crying by the gas pumps. Little momma was scrounging for food in the garbage can, and so I took them with me. I have food and bowls in my car. They’re super sweet,” Alison said.
“Ma’am, I swear you’ve made me the happiest woman alive. I’ve had Peaches, the mommy, for eight years, and these two stinkers, Lyla and Lili, are just about two months old. I haven’t slept a wink since they went missing.”
Alison felt sad at the thought of giving them up, but they weren’t hers to keep. Peaches rubbed against the clerk’s legs. Alison knew the animals were well-loved. “Just keep an eye on them next time,” she said, feeling protective of her rescues.
“I’m Tammy,” the clerk said and came around the counter to give her a hug. “Thank you for being honest. Not much of that around here anymore, and I promise I won’t let them out of my sight next time I’m pumping gas. I shouldn’t bring ’em out like that at night, anyway. I was lonesome,” Tammy explained.
“I’m Alison, and I would never intentionally steal a pet. They were lost, and now they’re not. I guess this goes down as my good deed for the day. So, I’ll leave their things with you, then you can help me choose a cell phone.” Alison ran out to the car, took the bowls and food inside. “They liked this food, and I gave them regular milk.”
Tammy placed the little fur babies in a box inside a shopping cart. “That’s fine, kid; Peaches loves just about anything you give her. I bring ’em to work with me sometimes. Now, we got a few different phones here. Whatcha lookin’ for?”
“Just a basic cell phone.”
“Yeah, but what kind? You want one of the throwaway phones, or you want one where you gotta set up a service with the phone company?”
“What is a throwaway phone?” She should know these things, but she didn’t.
“Girl, you ain’t never heard of a throwaway cell?”
Alison shook her head. “No, I never cared to negotiate the technical world.”
“Then let me hook you up.”
For the next ten minutes, Tammy walked her through the directions on how to use the phone, how to use the card to purchase minutes as she needed them. After the lesson, Alison purchased the flip phone and bought two hours of phone time with the knowledge she could purchase more through the actual phone if and when she needed to.
“Appreciate your help,” Alison said as she gave Tammy three twenties.
“No worries, it’s part of my job. You don’t need to thank me, kid, you made my day. I wish there was something I could do to repay you.”