Story Sent in by Todd:
Jasmine was really into flamingos and so I bought her a little rubber flamingo key chain and gave it to her on our first date.
She said, "A little thing to spruce up the truck. Thank you."
I asked, "You drive a truck?"
She replied, "I sort of live in one. For now. It's one of a few abandoned rigs at a local truck stop. Only a matter of time before they're cleared out, though, so I've got to find someplace else."
"You live in an abandoned truck?"
She nodded with a bit too much excitement about it. "Yeah. My ex was abusive and so one night when he slept I cleared out all my stuff and went to live there. Just until he stops looking for me."
"You can't go live with your family?"
She replied, "No. He and I were cousins. It would be awkward. My mother's on my side. She leaves me groceries in specific drop locations that I switch up. Everyone else in the family thinks I'm being a drama queen, but in a big, Greek family, the guy's word is always trusted over the woman."
"How bad was it? The police would probably see it differently."
She said, "Three guys in my family are in the police. My ex can get away with just about anything. You done asking me personal questions, Geraldo?"
I replied, "You were the one who said that you lived in a truck and why. I can't help but be curious, but we can change the subject."
She said, "Why would you want to change the subject? You don't feel sorry for me? I don't fuckin' believe this. I live in a truck!"
"There's no need to raise your voice."
"And you just give me a flamingo key chain! I can't eat it, can I? It's not going to keep me warm at night. Here, take it!" She threw it at me from across the table, then stood up and said, "I have to get home, now. Don't want to go walking back alone to a truck stop where every guy probably wants to rape me."
I stopped myself from stopping her, said, "Goodnight," and let her go. I still stuck around the place to have dinner by myself, a sort of consolation for the craziness.
I have a feeling that in one way or another she was working up to asking for money, and if the conversation had gone on longer it would nave gone down that route.
ReplyDeleteAlso, she was probably lying about living in a truck. Truck stops tend to attract hookers and such who prey on the truckers, which is bad for business and the rep of the truck stop, so the employees tend to be pretty vigilant and cops are often around. It seems pretty hard to believe anybody could live there for any real length of time without being found out.