UNDERCOVER {Competed} 😌

chapter 21

Mercy

"Hurry," Joshua urged. The excited voices of our co- workers echoed up the side walk as I fumbled with the latch of my waste pack.

"Okay,okay," I said gathering a sweater and rushed  towards Joshua's waiting arms. With a whoop, he swung me through the door, locked it,then whisked me to the van.

Inside people crammed together,their voices cracking  with anticipation. Working six days a week left little time for play.

My own excitement teetered across the edge of anxiety. The last week with Joshua had been pure-heaven and pure hell. One minute I was caught in a whirlwind bliss,the next minute I swirled in an eddy indecision.

"Shall we get off at mid town?" Joshua asked as the van began whirling towards the town.

I shook my head." Its far from the city. I Stoll want to shop for a gift for my niece."
"Mind if I don't  tag along?" He chuckled my chin.'I'd like to find poker game somewhere."
"No problem." I meant it. I had lied to Joshua several times already and that fact weighed heavily on my mind.  Thank God he had eliminated the need to tell another.

The lying would soon be over: that was all that kept me going. If it wasn't already too late,I'd have what I needed by the break's end. Mrs David slip-up indicated that Tue wedding would be held this weekend. In fact,it might be taking place this very moment, possibly even as I planned to sneak to Jim and Laura's room.

My fluttering stomach led me to realize what would happen if I succeeded. Front page news for sure and because it would carry my name Joshua would know that I had deceived him.

Would he be furious?
Would he forgive me?
Would he turn his back and walk away?
The answers were too vague and frightening to dwell upon.

"Hey Pepper?" Called Manuel from the driver's sit.
"How did you manage to get the weekend off?"
"Just lucky I guess,"

"Yeah,probably,did you sneak in and erase your name from the work roaster?"
"Would have,if I'd have thought of it,"

"Well I, for one,think its because Jim has hots for you," pipped in Janet who as sitting next to her handsome husband. "You are lucky."

I groaned. "I can do without that kind of luck, thank you."

Everyone laughed,and one of the wranglers made a joke about Jim's womanizing. Another round of laughter. The ride continued,full of jokes and chuckles until Manuel dropped us at the casino.

To hide my agenda,I wandered with Joshua through the beeping sea of glowing lights for a while,stopping now and then to play a slot machine. Joshua applauded after one of  my tries paid off thirty dollars.

I followed him at the poker room and when a seat opened up at a table,Joshua said he wanted to sit in.

"Go ahead," I said," I'll do the shopping"

After agreeing to meet him at one of the bars in a couple hours,I headed out and called for a cab. Twenty minutes later I was flattening a rolled up Mao on a counter shop."can you give me directions to Two Moons Bridge?" I asked the owner.

The woman leaned over and scanned the map.
"Are you planing to go there?"
I nodded

"Oh,you will love it! Its a spectacular arch. It was named after-" the woman stopped at a point when I noted I wasn't interested. " here you go."

"Looks pretty close to the highway," I peered at the green topographical markings.

"That's misleading. Actually its almost seven miles from the road."

"Where is the famous Jim's ranch in the map?"
"What?" The woman looked taken aback at first. "This is a public Map and it doesn't show private properties. But the ranch could be around here if it was on it"

I talked my foot. "How do you get go the bridge from the ranch?"
"You don't. You have to go to the highway." She suddenly looked up. "Are you staying at Jim's ranch?"

"No. I'm a nobody, I heard the bridge is on their property that's all." I said laughing nervously.

"Everybody is somebody dear," the woman laughed too with a shake of her head." The bridge does border the ranch true, but you can't get to it from there,least not by car. Here,let me give you directions from the highway.

"I'd appreciate that." I wrote notes as the woman talked about miles,roads and road marks. I paid my purchase,but it took another ten minutes to listen to the woman,thank God another customer popped in and I could go.

I ran outside,a little breathless. Is used nearly an hour completing my transaction and still had to buy a gift. Joshua would certainly ask about it.

The town didn't have shops for shopping it was just a business town and I had no clue where to find a dress shop. I got into a cab- and said to be dropped at the shopping center near the casino,a walking distance at least.

Nothing went right,the streets were jammed with traffic. The cab moved at a snail ace. When I found the right store,I found it crammed with customers and had to elbow my way to every display. Finally I pulled a pretty gown off the rack abs edged up to the register. Purchase in hand,  I practically ran to the casino,then I leaned against the wall,panting until my breath returned to normal

I had been gone for nearly four hours.

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AlycBee