Open Eyes (Open Skies) (4 page)

“That sounds like a fair offer,” she said. “Where are the cleaning supplies?”

And she had cleaned like a mad woman. She scrubbed and wiped and vacuumed and dried and rearranged and dusted. She didn’t stop for one moment the whole hour and when Opal heaved her bulk across the parking lot to inspect her work, she was ready.

Opal stood in the door, blinking. The room was transformed. Her regular cleaning lady, Agnes, had never made it look this good. She was stunned. Is
that
how the windows looked when they were scrubbed? So it
was
possible for the toilet bowl to gleam, streak- and stain-free. Who knew that the bedsheets could have such crisp, clean edges, almost like military corners?

She surveyed Vicky. “You weren’t kidding, girl, about being a good cleaner.”

Vicky was silent. She felt a flutter of hope in her chest. Maybe she had a bed for the night? Maybe two, if the cleaning lady was out for an extra day?

Opal crossed her arms over an impressive bosom. “OK. I’m open to a short-term sort of cooperation with you.”

“Oh, thank you –”

“I am not done speaking yet. I have one condition.”

“Name it.” Vicky was willing to dance the hula topless, if that’s what it was going to take to have a room with a locked door. She had slept the night before on a bench in the bus station.

“You open your suitcase.”

“I – what?”

Opal nodded at the small, cheap suitcase on the floor next to Vicky’s still-wet running shoes. “You open that up. Let me see what all’s in it.”

Without one second of hesitation, Vicky hauled the case on to the bedside table, unzipped it, flipped it open. She turned it to face Opal. “There you go.”

Opal stared down at the most beautifully-organized suitcase known to man. Everything was folded and rolled neatly; the few toiletries were in plastic bags; the towel was in yet another bag; there was one good outfit folded in such a way that creasing was minimized. Everything was either black or grey or blue. No jewelry, no perfume. One pair of cheap black flats.

She glanced up at Vicky. “Girl, where the
hell
did you come from?”

Vicky’s eyes teared up and she quickly wiped them. “That is a long story, I’m afraid.”

“OK, well. It is damn obvious that you are running from some kind of trouble. That’s fine, but it depends what
kind
of trouble we’re talking about here. I have a few deal-breakers. You tell me the truth now, you hear? I will know if you’re lying, I promise you. I didn’t raise four boys and not learn a few things.”

“OK.”

“Is it drugs?”

“No.”

“Are you a hooker?”

Vicky blinked.
Me?
“No.”

“OK, then.”

Vicky paused, uncertain what that meant. “So – so – OK? I can stay tonight?”

“That is quite correct. And tomorrow you will clean this place top to bottom.”

“Oh, yes! Yes, I will. Thank you!”

Opal gave her a stern look. “It’s just for a couple of days, you hear? And if you do a lousy job in even one room, you’re out. Got it?”

“Got it.”

“OK, then.” Opal looked around. “I guess you can take this room for the night.”

“Thank you. Oh, thank you.”

Opal studied Vicky, trying to figure her out. She sighed and extended her hand. “I’m Opal Newman.”

Vicky shook it. “Victoria Thompson. Please call me Vicky.”

“Vicky.” Opal headed to the door. “Get some sleep, girl. I will keep you busy all day tomorrow. You will
earn
this room, I promise you.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Opal shut the door behind her and went back to the reception desk. She wondered what Vicky Thompson was running from; it was bad, Opal knew that much. But it wasn’t her business, was it? No, it was not. She could stay here and do some cleaning, then pack up her little suitcase and march her skinny ass right on out the door. She wasn’t Opal’s problem. No way, no how.

**

Two days after Vicky’s surprise appearance out from the rain and darkness, Opal went looking for her. She had made up her mind about something and needed to talk to the younger woman.

She found Vicky on her hands on knees, energetically scrubbing the bathtub in Room Five. The whole small space smelled like roses and looked bigger, somehow, and brighter.

“Hello, Vicky. I wanted to have a word with you.”

Vicky jumped to her feet. “Of course.”

“So you know that Agnes is coming back tomorrow.”

“Yes.” Vicky’s bag was already packed and next to the door. She knew she was out first thing in the morning, and she saw no need to pretend otherwise.

“Well, here is the thing: she’s a lousy cleaning woman.”

Vicky’s heart stopped and then started again, pounding hard in her chest.

“I mean, I’ve never thought she was great, and I’ve told her so time and again. But I didn’t fully realize just how
bad
she is, you know. Not until you came along and showed me how it can and should be done.”

Vicky nodded, scared to hope.

“So. Here’s my offer: you stay on as my cleaning lady. You get your room and a small weekly salary. Cash.” She paused. “Sounds OK?”

Vicky’s eyes were swimming with tears. “Yes. Yes, it sounds great.”

Opal narrowed her eyes at Vicky. “OK, then. One more thing. Non-negotiable.”

“OK.”

“You tell me the story.”

“What story?” Vicky faltered, afraid.

“Don’t you play dumb with me, girl.
Your
story. No bullshit.”

Vicky was silent.

“I need to know who you are, Vicky. I need to be sure.”

“I can see that.”

“So?”

“So, OK. I’ll – I’ll tell you the truth. But I also have one condition, non-negotiable.”

“Let’s hear it.”

“It goes no farther than you.”

Opal nodded. “Here’s the thing, Vicky. I think I already know most of it.”

“You do?” Vicky stared at her in horror. “But – but how can you?”

“Because I am not dumb, and I am as old as the hills, and I’ve seen every kind of trouble under the sun. I know an abused woman when I see one.”

Vicky gasped.

“Come on, now.” Opal was gentle. “It’s OK, sweetie. I’m not going to say anything to anyone, I swear. I’ll even help you, if I can. I’ve got no interest in protecting a man who hurts women, I can tell you that.” She watched the color slowly return to Vicky’s face. “You on the run from him?”

Vicky hesitated, then nodded.

“I thought so. You far away enough, he can’t find you?”

“He’s in Kansas.”

“Hmmm. Well, he can just stay there, right? And you stay here. You work and sleep here, and you sort yourself out, figure out your next move.”

“Thank you,” Vicky whispered. “Opal, thank you.”

“Don’t mention it, sweetie.” She paused. “Anything else to your story?”

“Just one thing.”

“OK, go on.”

“I have – I have a daughter. She’s six.”

“Where is she? With her Dad?”

“Oh, no. No. He – he hurt her, too. I’d never leave her there.”

Opal’s eyes were blazing in fury. “He hit your baby?”

“Yes…”

“And so where is she, then?”

“With my Mom. She and I planned things for about six weeks before I actually ran, you see. I was saving a few dollars here and there from the shopping money and I used part of it to buy two untraceable cell phones.”

“Burner phones?”

Vicky was startled. “Yes. How did you know that’s what they’re called?”

“Please, girl. I am a hardcore crime show TV junkie. I know
all
the cop investigation lingo.”

“Oh. Oh, right.” Vicky blinked. “Ummm. Well, anyway. We needed to get Mom out of her apartment, since that needed to be a dead end when my husband came looking for us. Six weeks before I left, I lied and told my husband that Mom had moved to Florida with a made-up boyfriend. She was still there in her place, of course, but he never knew that.”

“So where is she, really?”

“With an ex-boyfriend of hers, named Ben. He has a huge place near Mount Sunflower. Small town, safe and quiet. He’ll never find them there.”

“And your little girl’s name?”

“Sonia.” Vicky felt tears in her eyes. “Sonia Jane.”

“Gorgeous.”

“Yeah. Yeah, she is.”

The two women looked at each other for a minute.

“And how did you get away?” Opal said.

“Mom and I just picked a day to run. I got Sonia from kindergarten, same as always, no break in the routine. I had our bags in the bus station lockers, and we walked over there together. Mom was waiting with all of our tickets. They got on one bus, going west, and I got on another.”

“Leaving the state?”

“No. I took five different buses to get here. I was afraid that he’d check at the bus station in Kansas City and find out I’d bought a ticket to Boulder. I was scared to buy anything direct, so me and Mom made sure we took the most complicated and circuitous routes to where we were going. To make it harder to find us.”

“How’d you get here from Boulder?”

“Hitchhiked.”

“Oh, girl. That is not safe.”

“No. But it erased my tracks completely. I got off the bus in Colorado, and I just disappeared. And now I’m here, in a highway motel. I can’t see how he’ll ever find me, or Mom, or Sonia.”

“OK. Your secret is safe with me. You hear that? I will not tell anyone, not ever.”

“Thank you, Opal,” Vicky said softly. “I will never, ever forget this.”

“That’s fine,” Opal said gruffly. “Now – get back to work! This damn bathtub is not going to clean itself!”

Feeling like she could really breathe for the first time in years, Vicky got back on the floor, scrubbing until the bottom of the tub was shiny. Shiny and bright, like the future she was still holding out hope was coming her way.

Chapter Three

Vicky looked around the apartment at Open Skies Ranch, almost breathless and dizzy with happiness.

She was standing in the door of her living room – a whole living room, just for her! The walls were painted a warm orange and the furniture was white with brightly-colored throw cushions everywhere. She took a few steps in to the room and saw the fireplace and barely stopped herself from clapping her hands like a child.
A fireplace!
There was a vase of sunflowers on the table in the open-plan kitchen, and light streamed through the massive window next to an easy chair. She walked to the window and looked out, looked up. The Rocky Mountains were right there, staring down at her, encircling her. Vicky felt like they were an awesome natural barrier, standing between her and Carl. She felt safe here.

Mathilda Velasquez stood in the doorway, watching Vicky. She glanced down at the tiny suitcase Vicky had brought, and her brow furrowed
. This is all she’s got? She must be shipping the rest, right? Nobody can carry their whole life in this bag.

Vicky turned and looked at Mattie. Her face was shining with joy and Mattie found herself smiling at Vicky, happy for her to be there.

“OK, the bedroom is over here,” Mattie said and led Vicky to a door off the living room. Vicky followed her and stepped in to a bright room, painted in yellow and a pale blue.
It’s like being high up in a sunny sky
. Vicky smiled wider.

“And the bathroom.” Mattie opened the door next to the huge wooden wardrobe.

Vicky looked in and sighed at the beautiful mosaic tile pattern: red and teal and white. Gorgeous.

“So, is it OK?” Mattie asked her.

“Oh, Mattie… it’s perfect. I love it!”

“Well, I’m glad. It’ll be nice having you as kind of a bunkie.”

“You have an apartment, too?”

“Yep. Just down the hall. So, why don’t you unpack and then come out to the common area? Manny’s already sent over our dinner, so you and me can sit and talk. OK?”

“Dinner?”

“Yeah. Manny sends over food for us every night.”

“And – and how much does that cost?”

Mattie cocked her head. “Nothing, hon. It’s part of your employee package – all meals are included. Didn’t Julie tell you all that when she called and offered you the job?”

Vicky cast her mind back to that deliriously exciting phone call. “Ummm. Well, I imagine she must have, but I was kind of in shock when she made me the offer. I don’t think I took too much in, to be honest with you.”

Mattie laughed. “I see. Well, now you know… we go to the restaurant for a buffet breakfast and lunch every day, and then our dinner is sent over in the evenings.”

“But we have our own kitchens, right? And there’s a big one out there, in the common area.”

“Well, sure. Sometimes I like to make my own food, and I always have my first coffee of the day alone in my living room. I drink it and watch the sunrise. And we use the open area for parties and holiday meals, stuff like that.” She smiled and once again, Vicky admired those calm silver eyes. “And to welcome new people to Open Skies.”

“It sounds great.”

“So, you settle in a bit, hon, and I’ll see you out there in what – an hour?”

“Sure. Thanks.”

Mattie left and Vicky looked around the space again. She shook her head, comparing it to the bus stations and flea motels she had been sleeping in less than two months earlier.

She sat on her bed and took her phone out of her purse. She called Diana.

“Vicky! Are you there? At the ranch?”

“I am. I’m in my room – well, my apartment.”

“You’ll send me some pictures, right?”

“For sure. I’ll do that right after we hang up.”

“I can’t wait to show Sonia.”

“Is she around, Mom?”

“I’m sorry, hon. Ben took her out for ice cream.”

“Oh.”

“Try in an hour, OK?”

“Yeah, OK.”

“So… tell me about the apartment,” Diana said. “I want all the details.”

Vicky lay back on the bed and smiled. “Well. I’m lying on the bed right now… and I’ve got my own
ensuite
bathroom… and the windows, Mom. The
view
. I can’t believe how perfect it all is.” She sighed. “Sonia is going to
love
it here, Mom. I’ll do whatever I have to do to bring her to me. Soon.”

**

On Monday morning, Vicky stood in the restaurant, blinking at the food. When Mattie had said a ‘breakfast buffet’, Vicky had imagined some yogurt and cereal, fresh fruit and toast, maybe some eggs and one more hot dish. And basic coffee, of course. She had not expected
this
.

She was staring at more food than she had eaten in the whole of the previous three months. In addition to everything she had been expecting, there was also pancakes, waffles, sausages, bacon, a towering selection of pastries, a cheese platter, a bewildering selection of teas, and a coffee machine that offered most every kind of coffee under the sun, complete with milk froth and cinnamon and chocolate sprinkles.

Vicky was still standing there, trying to adjust to her current reality, when Phil appeared next to her.

“Well, good morning,” he said. “Congratulations on getting the job… welcome.”

She glanced over at him, noticing how the bright sun highlighted the deep lines around his eyes. She saw a dark tattoo on his muscular forearm, peeking out from under his denim shirt and she wondered what it was.

“Thank you.”

He gestured at her empty plate. “Not hungry this morning?”

“Oh, I am. Definitely. I’m just – I’m having kind of a hard time deciding what to have.”

Phil grinned. “Yeah. Manny and his team are geniuses. I can tell you everything is good.”

“OK. Not that that helps, really… unless I’m going to try a bit of everything.”

Phil watched her as she started to choose her breakfast. He liked her hands: they were graceful, with slim wrists and gentle movements. Watching her hands move was like watching dancers’ feet.

He noticed that she hesitated before choosing anything, like she felt badly or guilty about taking it, like she was forcing herself to take it. He wondered about that. With his horse trainer’s eye, he looked more carefully at Vicky’s body. It was hard to really see her shape under that baggy jacket and loose skirt, but he got the feeling that she had lost quite a bit of weight recently, and pretty suddenly. His instincts told him that she was in dire need of a few good meals.

She raised those astonishing dark eyes and caught him looking at her. She blushed and ducked her head again.

“I think I have enough,” she said. “I’ll go and sit.”

He glanced down at her plate. A bit of fruit, a croissant, some cheese. Not very much at all. He noticed that she looked with longing at the espresso machine but didn’t go near it.

“OK,” he said. “You want me to get you a coffee?”

She flashed him a look of pure gratitude. “Oh, would you? I am terrified of these machines – the steam and noise and deathly-hot things shooting out from every place.”

He laughed. “Sure. I’m well-trained on it now. What would you like?”

“Ummm.” Her eyes ran over the selection. “Maybe… maybe a Cappuccino? With cinnamon?”

“Coming right up.” He nodded at his favorite table. “You go sit, Vicky, and I’ll bring it on over.”

“Thank you.”

She sat and took a deep breath. She looked out the window at the amazing mountains boasting their vibrant autumn colors and still couldn’t quite believe that any of this was real. She had woken up safe and warm in her own whole apartment; she had had a shower with plenty of hot water; her clothes had been hanging in a wardrobe, not jammed in to a suitcase. Now she had a selection of delicious food and a man with gorgeous arms and eyes was bringing her fresh coffee.

Phil came over now, carrying his own breakfast and her coffee.

“Thank you, Phil.”

“You are very welcome.” He went back to retrieve his own coffee and then joined her.

He looked at her across the table and smiled. “So, are you a bit nervous?”

She looked up. “I’m
a lot
nervous.”

“Now, why is that?”

She shrugged. “Well, I haven’t worked in more than six years… I guess I’m just worried that everyone will be talking about some common social media platform or some famous hotel event that everybody in the world except me knows about, and I’ll be totally lost. And I’ll look dumb.”

“Well, then, you ask. Right?” he said gently. “Rob’s just about the kindest guy you’ll ever meet – you ask him for help, he’ll give it.”

“Yeah.” She fiddled with her coffee spoon. She still hadn’t taken a bite of anything, Phil saw, and he looked at her with concern.

“Hey, Vicky?”

She looked up.

“Julie and Rob chose
you
. They interviewed twelve people for the job, including some people
very
up on social media and hotel events… and they hired you.”

She blinked.

“They saw something in you that they liked, and I have to say – Julie and Rob are damn smart people. They know what they’re doing, believe me. If they wanted you? They wanted
you
. No mistake.”

Vicky felt tears well in her eyes. “That is just what I needed to hear right now, Phil. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

She picked up her fork and started to eat.

**

“Hi, Mom.”

“Hi, darling! How was the first day of work?”

“Mom, it was so great. Just fantastic.”

“Tell me.”

“Can I talk to Sonia first?”

“Oh, of course… she’s right here.”

Vicky sat back in the chair near her patio door and sipped her tea. The sunset over the Rockies was just starting and she watched as the tips were lightly brushed with deep purple and orange.

“Hi, Mommy.”

“My sweet pea. How are you?”

“I’m good.”

“Yeah? How was school today?”

“OK. We had art class.”

“You did? What did you make?”

“I painted you a picture. Granny says that we can send it to you ‘cause you have a place to hang it now. Right?”

“That is absolutely right, Sonia. I’ll hang it up in my bedroom so it’ll be the first thing I see every morning and the last thing I see every night.”

“I love you, Mommy.”

“I love you too, sweet pea.”

“We’ll be together soon?”

Vicky blinked back her tears. She missed Sonia’s bright eyes and curly hair desperately. “Yes, baby. Soon.”

“OK. Do you want to talk to Granny?”

“I do.”

“OK, hang on.”

“Vicky?”

“Hi, Mom.”

“OK, so. Tell me all about your first day.”

“Mom, I am going to like working here.” Vicky sighed, happy. “I am
really
going to like it.”

**

Rob glanced up at Vicky and Lindsey. The women were going through the marketing budget for the rest of the year and Lindsey was handing over all the projects in process.

He studied Vicky now, taking her in. She was wearing a plain brown skirt – straight up and down, no clinging or showing her shape – and the same white blouse she had worn to her interview. Her blazer was black and simple, and her hair was pulled up in to a tight bun. Very little makeup, no jewelry at all. Rob knew she was thirty-nine, but she looked older: she was an attractive woman, but she seemed to be doing her damndest to actually hide that fact. In the week or so that she’d been working here, Rob had never seen her in anything remotely attention-grabbing.

Lindsey caught his eye and he got to his feet and joined them.

“Ladies,” he said.

Vicky looked up at him and smiled. The difference it made to her face was astounding; she looked so serious all the time, so worn down. She seemed to be a woman with a lot on her mind and on her shoulders, and these moments of lightness were touching.

“Vicky noticed something about the Christmas holiday ad,” Lindsey said, gesturing at the mock-up that the studio had sent over late in the afternoon the day before.

“Yeah? What’s that, Vicky?” Rob turned his full attention to her.

When those stunning blue eyes focused on her, Vicky blushed. “Oh. Well, it wasn’t really me. Maybe Lindsey can –”

“Vicky,” Lindsey said. “It was you…
you
noticed it. So you tell Rob.”

Rob watched Vicky gather up her courage to take credit for something. What had happened to the kick-ass woman that Alina Katz had told Julie about? Had six years out of the workplace damaged Vicky’s self-confidence that much?

“OK. OK, well.” Vicky cleared her throat. “I was thinking that this year’s ad looks quite a bit like the ad from four years ago… I’d say it’s basically a carbon copy, actually.”

“It is?” Rob asked, trying to picture the Christmas ads from then in his mind.

“Yes.” Vicky turned to her computer and pulled it up. “See?”

As Rob studied the two ads, his heart sank. “Yeah. Yeah, you’re right. How did we miss that?”

“So – do you want that?”

“Sorry?”

“I mean, do you want to run the exact same ad as four years ago? I mean, it’s not a
bad
ad or anything. But if you do, I don’t see why we need to pay a studio thousands of dollars to reinvent the wheel.” She shrugged. “I can easily update the text on the old ad, maybe change the images. Why pay Robinson Studios full-price to do the exact same project they did four years ago when I can do it for free?”

“I see your point.”

“I think we also need to ask if Robinson simply pulled out the files from then and recycled them, hoping we wouldn’t notice. I’d suggest that you go for a meeting and talk about the need for them to produce original content for their clients, every single time.”

Rob and Lindsey blinked at Vicky’s no-bullshit tone.

She carried on. “But if you want to spend the winter budget, then why not use it properly? I mean, come up with something totally fresh?”

“The thing is, it’s already mid-September, and we need to get that ad out within the next three weeks,” Rob said. “I don’t think there’s time to create a whole new concept and commission it from the studio and place it…”