"Thank you, David." She put the paper in the money slot and he grabbed it. After sticking it deep in his pocket again, he waved and left.
She opened the floral box and smelled the rose. Did he know how expensive roses were this time of year? Of course he did because he paid for it.
She carried the box inside the booth as if it were a new born baby. Her thoughts were totally centered on him until Cleo came in at ten.
"I'm not feeling well so I'm going to leave early," she told her. Cleo accepted this as a legitimate excuse, but she then added, "If any one calls me, I'm busy."
Cleo smiled knowingly, "With whom, may I ask?"
"I just want to check something out, okay?"
Cleo only nodded with a wicked smile. "Leave as early as you want. If you want to leave even earlier, just call me in."
Nicole only huffed and hurried to finished several orders. With the holiday season there were a lot of orders to complete. Nicole liked to keep the regular customers happy by getting their orders done early so she was kept very busy physically and mentally.
At eleven thirty she checked out the peephole at the backdoor. Usually she got out at one, but wasn't sure if he understood that. No one was there, so she finished pressing one more load and twenty minutes later, she checked again. A black van was sitting there quietly and she hoped it was him.
Grabbing her bag, she told Cleo who was on the floor sweeping around the machines she was gone and rushed out the back door. Opening the van door, she almost smiled seeing him inside. Soon as she was seated, he took off, but he didn't head in the direction of her home.
"Where are we going?" he inquired.
That would ruin the surprise wouldn't it?" he asked.
"What surprise?"
He shrugged. "It's a quiet space I just found out about close by. I just assumed you wouldn't be able to entertain me there properly without other's knowing."
This tone of voice made her feel as if she were ashamed of him. "I'm only putting up with you because of the money," she indicated.
He nodded. "I'm aware of that."
"And once my service is done tonight, I want nothing to do with you."
"Which is why I am making it easier on you by remaining anonymous. I know it wouldn't look good for you to be seen with a white man." These words were said with a lot of frustration and she had a feeling this didn't have anything to do with her. Yet, she didn't want him to think she was ashamed of his color, it was just that if Marvin or even her mother knew or even suspected her involvement with any man, she would be in trouble. She still remembered the horrible beating she had gotten in the tenth grade when she allowed some boy to just walk her home and someone had told Marvin. He had waited until Nanna had gone shopping the following day and beat her with a thick cover over her so there wouldn't be any marks lefts, but she had been sore for days. Her uncle had made it clear that there would be no dallying for her with anyone.