Between The Yees And The Haws

Abigail Rider

Name: Abigail Rider
Age: 26
Occupation: Prostitute

   The air was hot and humid. Abigail cursed under her breath as she realized she wasn't in her bed. She stayed over at a client's which is, most of the time, against her morals. Although she wasn't really in a place to talk about morals, really.

   She got up and eyed her clothes on the floor, sighing. The floor was dirty and they had been lying in the filth all night. She put her comfort aside and quickly put the clothes on, careful not to wake the man next to her. She knew that if he were to catch her the morning after, she would never hear the end of it. West Bennettson wasn't one to let something go.

   Abigail opened the front door and closed it behind her. It wasn't a cold morning, it hardly ever is in Buckleton. It wasn't a rough night for her, but she was still exhausted and eager to get home. She walked along the dirt trail, passing by the townspeople she knew all too well.

"Ain't it too early for a gal of your profession to be up?" Bucko Ben said, washing a few horse saddles outside the farm and not making eye contact with Abigail. Not out of dislike for her, he was just a busy guy.

"Whats the time?" She asked him.

"Quarter past seven."

"Seven am? Not that early." She laughed, continuing to walk.

"I take it you stayed somewhere else for the night then, darlin'?" He called after her.

"What's it to you?" She answered back, still walking.

"Just figured you weren't that type of whore."

Abigail stopped. She turned around to face the blonde haired rancher, raising an eyebrow at him.

"I'd appreciate it if you kept your comments to yourself, sugar."

"Like no one ain't ever call you that before." Bucko Ben chuckled, rinsing off a horse saddle. She gave him a dirty look and continued walking. Getting into an argument with someone like the founder's son just wasn't worth it, especially not at seven in the morning.

She continued walking the dirt trail, starting to sweat. West Bennettson lived quite a ways away from where she lived, and she began to need some cool air soon. She reached the town square, nearing her house.

"Well look who it is." A voice called from behind her. Abigail turned and chuckled.

"I don't need no shit from you, Yee. I've had a night." She told the girl standing outside the bar in front of her.

"I'll bet." Yee Yee laughed, taking in Abigail's appearance. "You ain't come home last night."

"Surprised me too."

"Who was it?"

"West Bennettson."

"The shop owner?"

"Yeah." Abigail shuffled her feet. "I gotta head home. It's fuckin' hot out here."

"Why not come inside for a drink?" Yee Yee asked. Abigail raised an eyebrow.

"It's seven in the morning."

"And what about it? Don't seem to stop anyone in here." Yee Yee paused for a minute. "Granted, only guy in here's Ar."

"Shocker right there." Abigail chuckled. "Alright, anything to get out of this damn heat." She followed Yee Yee into the bar. It was dimly lit, but the sun shining through the windows brightened the place up.

"Jesus, Abigail! You look like hell, darlin'!" Moonshine Miles said, looking her up and down. "You okay?"

"I'm fine, thank you honey." She assured him. "Rough night."

"I'll say." Ar Yan slurred. His body was slumped over the counter. He lifted his head to look at Abigail and Yee Yee. "Y'all seen Edward out there? Says he's lookin' for sumn." Ar Yan's head fell back onto the counter.

"What's he lookin' for?" Yee Yee asked.

"My damn shoe!" Edward yelled, walking into the bar. "I coulda sworn I had it with me last night."

"This it?" Moonshine Miles asked him, holding up a boot he had found the night before. Edward's eyes lit up.

"Yeah, that's it! Thanks, partner." He smiled, taking the shoe from the bartender and playfully punching him in the shoulder.

"Don't mention it." Moonshine said, smiling at him.

"Well well well." Abigail chuckled, looking at Edward. "If it ain't my biggest competition."

"I ain't your competition, slut." Edward said, annoyed.

"You done banged half the men in Buckleton, ya might as well be!" She cackled. Edward rolled his eyes.

"I ain't slept with that many men. An' I only do it 'cause I can't find me a decent woman." He snapped at her.

"You sayin' the men in Buckleton are any better? That they decent?" Yee Yee asked him. Edward pursed his lips.

"Well no, I guess not. But I know 'em better. I ain't gonna bang someone I don't know."

"One excuse after another." Ar Yan muttered, his head still on the counter.

"Shut the fuck up, you drunk bastard." Edward smacked him upside the head.

"Hits hard for a homo." Ar Yan said, rubbing the back of his head.

"I ain't no goddamn homo! I just happen to like havin' sex with guys! That don't make me a homo!" He said angrily. "I just came here for my shoe."

"Sorry to piss you off, Ed." Abigail laughed. Edward was silent, then couldn't help but laugh with her.

"You always do."

   And with that, both she and Edward walked out of the bar. They lived near one another, though Abigail lived closer to the bar than he did.

   Her next door neighbors were Cletus Cowpussy and Vivian Waitress, two polar opposites but both tough neighbors to have. Cletus was a rootin' tootin' loud fucker, always yelling and banging on something. Mainly Edward. Vivian was quiet and very well-reserved, but this was a small challenge for Abigail as she was a very social woman. She'd like to have another friend, preferably one that lived close. God forbid she ever resorts to Cletus.

"You wanna come in, or you headin' home?" Abigail asked Edward as they reached her house. He thought about it for a moment.

"I better not. I'm behind on the maps." He smiled. "Plus, I'm still mad at you. Whore."

"Takes one to know one." Abigail blew him a kiss before walking through the front door of her house. She could see Edward flipping her off just before she closed the door.

   She collapsed on her bed and sighed. She normally starts the day by wading through the potential clients for the night that she keeps in a journal. But today was different. Today she was exhausted, and wanted nothing more than to just shut out the rest of Buckleton. If someone needed sex, she was sure Yee Yee could handle it.

   She shut her eyes, not even bothering to pull the blanket over her. As she rested, she couldn't help but have questions swimming through her head. Was she really going to spend the rest of her life in Buckleton? She didn't know if she wanted to or not. Is she ever going to have a job that isn't something she's frowned upon for? Granted, most of the men (and occasionally women) thank her for her service, but at the end of the day, did anyone truly care about her? Was Buckleton really the town for her?

Was Buckleton really the town for anyone?