The Boy She Illegally Brought To The Lavender Field (bwwm)

Chapter 15: A Working Man

Two months and Annie was growing worried. She'd started seeing Daniel less often throughout the week. Usually, once a day, typically at night, Daniel would approach Annie's house, she'd open the window, he'd climb in, they'd talk for up to three hours while Annie tries her hardest to get Daniel to stop kissing her, and he'll be sent on his way so the two could go to bed.

But recently, Annie had only seen Daniel at most three times a week. And when he did show up, he'd seem like he was dozing off.

"Daniel..." Annie called.
"Hm?" he replied. He laid on his side with his head propped up by the use of his hand. His eyes were closed but he tried opening them.
"Are you okay?"
"Yea, why?" he answered drowsily.
"Well...I don't see you much anymore. It was everyday and...now I'm lucky if it's even every other day."
"Yea, I've been busy." He laid down further in the bed.
"Busy with what?"
"Work."
"I thought you only worked at the construction site...?"
"And the lumber yard on the other side of town. And the beer factory."
"Well I just missed you is all...we don't see each other much."
"I know but I'm busy, alright? I got work to do."
Annie frowned and just looked at her lap as she messed with her nightgown. "Right..."

Daniel opened his eyes.
He could see Annie frowning as she sat next to him in silence.

He took a deep breath and sat up.

"Alright, I'm sorry."
Annie didn't respond.
"I'm sorry, Annie. I mean it." He pulled her face in and kissed her cheek. "I'm just...tryin' to get us some money. Money to leave here and when we do you can have all the attention you want. We'll talk everyday again. I'm doin' this for us, you know?"
Annie nodded.
"I miss you too. I promise I do. This is just for a little bit until I can raise enough for us to get out'a here."
"So I won't see you anymore?"
"You're seein' me right now, aren't ya?"
"And you're half asleep. This is the most we've spoken in the hour you've been here."
"Well I've been workin' from 5am to 10pm all around the city, Annie!"
"Shhh! You'll wake up my family!" she whispered.
Daniel sighed.

"How long is this gonna take?" Annie wondered.
Daniel looked at her.
"For you to raise the money. How long is it gonna take? Because...if I can't see you anymore, I'd rather we just stay here and have things go back to what they used to be. I'm okay havin' to wait a while before we can get married. I'd still be with you regardless, wouldn't I?"
Daniel looked like he was thinking.
"I get sad when I don't see you like I planned."
"I'll uh...I'll figure somethin' out, alright? Don't be sad. But we can't stay here, alright? I mean it. We're gonna leave. But I'll figure it out. I promise."
Annie nodded.

"I gotta go. I got work in six hours." said Daniel.
Annie wrapped her arms around his neck for a hug. Just because she didn't know when she'd see him again.
He wrapped his around her waist and hugged her back. "I'll be back."
"But I don't know when." she replied.

The two hugged a few seconds longer before Annie finally let him go so he could get some rest.
Daniel kissed her head before getting out of the bed and heading towards her window.

"Goodnight, darling." he said from the other side.
"Goodnight, my love." Annie smiled.
He shut the window and went on his way.

•~~~•

Since Annie was bored with no one at home to entertain her and her mind was too scrambled to focus on her reading, she decided to go for a walk.

She made it into town and walked down the sidewalk. She looked at storefronts and wondered what she'd like to come back for one day.

A beautiful red dress caught her attention as people walked by.

She walked closer to the glass window to get a better look at it.

"Did that work?" Annie heard a woman ask.
She turned around, wondering who the woman was speaking to.

There were two women standing next to the bus stop behind Annie.

"Well I started seein' him more for sure. I'd say it did." said the other woman.
"Did it hurt at all?"
"Only a little."

Annie looked around to see if other people could hear the women's conversation but it wasn't all that busy outside. Especially since it was a work day in the middle of the afternoon.

She looked back at the ladies who were still talking.
Annie took a step closer. It was finally something interesting going on.

"I hadn't seen Jimmy in some time...do you think that would work? He says his mama's keepin' him busy with babysitting his little brother but...I don't know...I miss him..."
"Maybe. I mean they aren't all the same. And what if he really is babysitting? He can't get around that."
"I guess not..."

Annie gained the courage to walk up to the women.

They saw her.

"Um...Hi." she greeted.
"Hi?" answered one of them.
"Um...I heard your conversation while I was lookin' at that dress right there." Annie pointed.
"You were bein' nosey is what you mean." said the other.
"No. You talk real loud, that ain't my problem and I got good hearin'." Annie sassed.
The girl rolled her eyes.
"Anyway...I was just wondering...what was it that you did?"
The two stared at her.
"My um...My boyfriend has been real distant lately too. He says he works all day and almost everyday, then when he does visit me, he's always half asleep. I miss talkin' to him and huggin' on him but he's too busy tryin' to doze off. It went from seein' him everyday, sometimes twice to three times a day, to only seein' him once every three days. And I miss him..."
"Hm..."
"I just want some advice is all..." Annie stated.

"What's your name?" the girl asked.
"Annie Moore."
"Well Annie Moore, I'm Lucy and this is Tina."
"It's nice to meet you both." Annie said kindly.
"You're a pretty girl, Annie, so I bet it'll work for you." Lucy stated.
"What's that supposed to mean?!" Tina asked.
"Oh hush, girl, you ain't ugly neither. Your boy just has to obey his mama's rules. That's different." said Lucy.
Tina sighed.

"Annie, do you and your boyfriend do anything other than hug?" Lucy asked.
"We kiss a lot. Sometimes I have to damn near push him off of my lips." she giggled to herself.
"Good. Do y'all do anything else?"
"Um...We talk about how our days went. And before it got too cold, we'd go to this flower field together and lay on one of my blankets to talk about my books and our future and stuff."
"Oh that's real sweet." Tina smiled.
"Yea, I wish Donald did stuff like that."
"Jimmy buys me flowers but I don't think he'd ever go to a field of one with me."
"You should ask. It's really nice and quiet. It's a beautiful feeling." Annie smiled.
"I will." Tina stated.

"Well anyways, that's nice and all, but I meant do you and your boy do any other...touchin'."
"We...hold hands?" Annie answered.
"Goddamnit, Annie, how old are you?"
"I'm 20..."
"Twenty with the innocence of a child. Do y'all have sex?" Lucy reiterated.
Annie gasped. "Oh no...No, we haven't."
"Are you against it?"
"Well..."
"That's what Lucy did." Tina interrupted.
Annie looked at her.
"Lucy gave her boyfriend her virginity last week and now he's all over her like white on rice. It's like castin' a spell on 'em."
Annie looked at the ground.
"I'm not sayin' you have to do it, but you asked for advice. I'm givin' it to you. All I'm sayin' is it works. And we got a date tonight. I'm out here lookin' for a new dress."

Annie missed having dates.

The bus pulled up to the stop.

"Well, we gotta go. It was nice meetin' you, Annie Moore. I hope everything works out for you." Lucy said as the two waved and walked towards the bus.
"Thank you..." Annie replied.

She stared back at the ground.