Rag Doll (4 page)

When the car showed up at the shady motel the following morning, nobody answered the door of room eighteen. The driver went inside to inquire. The girl who stayed there checked out the night before. She didn’t leave a forwarding address.

Kendle pulled the dirty blanket around her sister. “Does it hurt?”

“I’ll be okay.”

She’d picked up two packets of Ibuprofen to help. Kendle didn’t know what to say.

Cree tried to reassure her sister. “They’re just bruises. They heal.”

Kendle desperately wanted to help her sister. She knew it was her fault that
Cree was in so much pain. “We can leave. We can go somewhere else, another town. We’ve done this before.”

“It may not look like much to you, but this is my home now.” She’d grown way too attached to the overpass, her perfect hiding nook.

“Cree, we need to get help.”

“I’m not living in some creepy shelter where people will steal my things, and some no name woman looks at me like a pathetic creature. If I’m hungry, there are churches that offer free meals. If I need something, I work a little longer to make more money. It works.”

“This wasn’t the life I wanted for us. When we left, I thought…”

Cree cut her off. “It’s my life now.”

Kendle tried again. “Don’t you want…?”

“Don’t. I’m fine. Go get your pictures done. I’m not ready to leave.”

“I’m going to get Franco one day, and Dad,” Kendle promised.

“Don’t call him that. He doesn’t deserve that name anymore.”

“You’re right. When I have the courage, I’m going after him with a lawyer, the best money can buy. He’ll rot in jail, and then I’ll go after Franco for extortion and abuse.”

“Franco is the least of it. It’s part of the job. I’ll get out one day, but I’m just not ready, okay?” Her voice softened.

How did it become Cree soothing Kendle? Kendle came to help Cree.

The girls sat together quietly.

“Where are you going?” Cree asked.

“I’ll be at the same place. I just changed rooms. I’m in room twelve now. I asked the owner to cover for me if some guy in a black car shows up.”

“Smart.”

“I had nowhere else to go,” Kendle admitted. It was the cheapest option that offered hot water and a bed.

After a pause, Cree asked, “Do you ever think about Mom?”

“I try not to. I hate her for not believing me.”

“I miss her sometimes,” Cree said softly.

Kendle couldn’t believe what her sister was saying. “You don’t blame her? I’m still too angry with her.”

“Sometimes. Other times I just miss her.”

“Do you think about going back?”

Cree shook her head adamantly. “Never.”

“I should track down Graham. I was foolish to run off. I just didn’t know what to say or do.”

“He tried to help. He didn’t know the consequences.”

Kendle nodded. “I know. I shut down. He asked about you.”

“What did you tell him?”

“Nothing, that’s when I jumped out of the car. I don’t want his pity, and yet I need his help.”

“Help yourself, Kendle. Go get your picture taken. Be a star.” Cree smiled softly. She was drifting into her own headspace. “I’m going to nap.”

Kendle nodded. “I’m going to go. I’ll check back on you later.”

“Go find him. Maybe he can help you. You need it more than I do,” she whispered before drifting off to sleep.

Was that true? Did Kendle need help more than Cree? Wasn’t this entire thing about saving her sister? Did she need help too?

Kendle swallowed her pride, what little there was left of it, and called Graham. She shoved his card back in her pocket and waited for him to answer. No answer. She left a message.

“I’m sorry I ran off. Can we still do this?”

When he picked her up at the motel, he started firmly, “If you’re going to cause problems, this may not work out.”

“I won’t,” Kendle promised.

On arriving at the penthouse, he tackled the elephant in the room. “Tell me what I saw.”

“It’s not that easy.”

“I won’t judge. I have my own skeletons in the closet,” Graham
admitted.

Kendle took a deep breath. Her chest tightened. Forcing the air back out, she simply answered, “I was talking to my sister.”

“The hooker?”

“Don’t call her that,” she shot out.

“Sorry. What would you call her?”

“A girl trying to escape.” She glared at him, and then turned away.

His brows furrowed. “Escape from what?”

“I can’t talk about this.” She stood and paced. Her heart raced like a galloping horse.

“And the man? Is that her pimp?”

“He’s not a pimp,” Kendle explained. “He owns the street. She pays him rent.”

Graham was confused. “How is that not a pimp?”

“Just don’t, okay? You don’t understand. You can’t. You’ve never been there.”

He asked the question that was foremost in his mind. “Have you?”

The words felt like ice through her veins. She froze. “Why would you ask that?” Her nose scrunched up as her face twisted in pain. He can’t know.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have assumed.”

Kendle got defensive. “Can we be done? Do you want to take pictures or not?”

Graham nodded. “I do want to take pictures.”

She started to unbutton her shirt.

“There’s no need. Keep your clothes on. I only needed to see your fluidity before. Fashion models wear clothes.”

Kendle was embarrassed she’d jumped to the conclusion. Grateful to leave her clothes on, she followed him down the long hallway.

Graham explained to her as he walked. “I’d like to have a friend of mine work with you. He’ll do your make-up and hair. I want to do some head shots, and start a portfolio. I’ll also take some shots with your face bare. You have character and rawness that I want to add.”

She watched him with those eyes. The eyes that melted him in ways he didn’t know he could melt.

As he set up, he pointed to a screen. “You can change behind there. I left you some things to put on.”

Kendle followed his hand to where he pointed. Behind the white screen was a metal rack with a couple of things hanging. She reached out to touch a red silk dress, her fingers caressing the soft fabric. It was so delicate on her hands. She’d never owned something so glamorous.

“What should I wear?”

“Whatever speaks to you.”

Should she dare? The dress was too nice for someone like her, a greasy truck stop waitress. She pushed the hanger aside and slipped on a simple, black sheath. It was pretty, but not as luxurious.

“My god.” His jaw dropped. “You could wear a potato sack and be stunning.”

Kendle blushed. She looked away, embarrassed at his words.

“I’m serious.” He came closer. “You were meant to do this, Kendle. You’re going to be a star.”

She didn’t want fame. She just wanted money, money to get Cree out of her circumstance, money to pay a lawyer, money to find a better room to sleep in, and money to hide away and be left alone forever.

Graham moved in closer, his hand coming up toward her cheek. Kendle flinched at his touch.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” he soothed.

“What do you want from me?”

He turned away. He was questioning that very same thing. He thought he wanted photos, a model, a muse, but he had an innate desire to protect her, take her in, and get lost in her vulnerable soul and eyes. It would be bliss, he was sure of it. It was ludicrous really; he was so much older, such a shame.

Graham cleared his throat and turned away. “Let’s get started, shall we?”

She didn’t mean to flinch. He’d been nothing but nice to her, and yet her wall was so damn thick that the thought of letting anybody in too close terrified her. She wasn’t ready to feel emotions yet. She’d been through enough. The few times she allowed herself feelings, they only hurt her.

As they worked together, she changed outfits again. She left the red dress for last.

A buzzer rang from down the hallway. “Oh great, my friend is here.”

He excused himself and went to greet his friend. On entering the room, a tall, thin, dark haired man entered the room. “She’s delicious.” He spoke as if she wasn’t there. Turning his attention to her, he spoke softly, “Look at that face. What a canvas.”

“I know, right? Craig, this is Kendle. Kendle, Craig.”

Kendle nodded, not saying much.

“Kendle, there’s a robe back there. Why don’t you put that on and then come sit out here? Craig’s going to be doing some hair and make-up work. I’d like to take some dramatic shots.” He turned to his friend. “I’m thinking an overly dark smoky eye, barren lips, just a touch of powder, and her hair…” His voice trailed off as he thought about that.

“I’ve got just the thing.” Craig placed his train case down and popped it open. “Leave it to me, old boy.”

Old boy. Graham hated that expression. He felt old next to Craig and the even younger Kendle. She’d never see him as anything other than an old man, though he was barely forty. Not yet, but soon. In this day and age, forty felt old. Everyone around him was getting younger. In another ten years, fifty would be creeping up. A girl like Kendle looks through a man like Graham…until he’s famous. Then they’d all want to wrap around his arm.

Graham watched Craig work his magic. He was a talented
artist. You wanted good people to work with, and Craig was professional. He partied a little too hard at times, but always showed up on time and pulled off amazing looks. He was a contact from his past, but one he’d worked with a few times. They kept in contact after Graham’s fall from disgrace, remaining friendly, but that’s how it was. Networking was crucial in this world. You kept as many contacts as you could.

Graham breathed in deeply on seeing the finished product. “Stunning,” he whispered. He knew she was beautiful, but he didn’t expect her to be so absolutely gorgeous. “The red dress,” he instructed. “Let’s do that next.”

She was a vision. The silk dress skimmed her body magically, each movement making it shimmer. Her eyes darkened with kohl and fire. The mix of her intensity and the make-up, the movement of the dress… Graham made love to the girl with his camera. She was completely unaware he was falling for her. He was just as surprised. He could barely look away; she was beautiful like a raw slice of perfection, like butterfly wings that fluttered, like diamonds gleaming in moonlight.

Even dressed in designer frocks and with make-up thick enough to scrape off, it was her vulnerability that came through. She was a lost little girl playing dress up. You couldn’t pay for that shit. It was real. It was inside of her. She had the magic.

He dreaded putting his camera down. He could make love to her with the lens all day long. He wanted to reach out and touch, but knew there were boundaries. It was complicated. This wasn’t the girl to fall in love with. She had too much baggage, and he needed her rise to fame.

“What is that?” He whispered, seeing the faraway look in her eyes.

“What is what?” She asked, not understanding his question.

“The pain that speaks to me through your soul.”

Kendle turned away. “I should get changed.”

Craig interjected. “Maybe we should try something a little more earthy and soulful. Let’s strip the make-up down to the basics. I think she can pull off a nude face, maybe a touch of powder, barely a dash of mascara, and we’ll pinch her lips and gloss them.”

Graham turned to Craig. “Yes, I’d like that. I’m going to grab some things from wardrobe while you’re changing her look.”

Kendle changed out of the dress she wore, and slipped back into the robe. She quietly sat in the chair, patiently waiting for Craig to work his magic once more. Washing the make-up off, he stripped her face naked. “What are you hiding in your eyes?” It was more a statement than a question.

Kendle was surprised by the question. “I’m not hiding anything. Why do you say that?”

“It’s hunger and desperation. I’ve seen the look before,” he explained.

Kendle said nothing.

“So, do you party?” Craig knew nothing of her.

“No,” she shook her head. “I’m not much for socializing.”

“You should join us. I’m going to a hot spot tonight. I can introduce you around to some of the other up and coming girls,” he offered.

“I’m not interested, but thank you.”

Craig chuckled. “I’m not asking you on a date. It’s networking. Honey, you’re the wrong girl for me. I like my women dark and with more meat on their bones. You’re pretty, but a bit too slender for my taste. Full hips, a wide ass, that’s more my style. Okay, and maybe a little guy on the side, not that it’s anyone’s business.”

He rambled on in gossip, like they’d been friends for ages. It felt odd. She’d been so closed off for so long, she wasn’t sure how to respond. She had nothing of interest to add to the conversation, so she simply listened.

“He’s keen on you.” He continued.

“Who’s keen on me?”

“Graham. You didn’t know?”

She shook her head in denial. “You’re crazy.”

Graham entered the room with a stack of clothing choices. “A few things I had in the other room. I was given plenty of samples over the years. At least they’re coming in handy again. And who’s crazy?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. Craig was just asking if I wanted to party tonight.”

Graham’s jaw tensed. Kendle wasn’t even Craig’s type, but he’d party with her, that’s for sure. He certainly didn’t need Kendle to be introduced to that world
already, all blow and pills, and drinks flowing faster than you could inhale them. She’d be strung out in no time.

“We have plans tonight,” Graham blurted out.

“We do?” She asked, surprised.

“Yes, we do. Besides, I need you at your best tomorrow, and partying isn’t going to help.”

“She already said no,” Craig said flatly, reading Graham’s tone and body language. It was as simple as
back off
.

Graham handed her the clothes. “See how these fit. Pick out one or two outfits, and we’ll do a few shots. Then we can wrap for today.”

Kendle nodded, not sure what was going on between the men, but their once friendly tone had turned icy. Not talking a lot made her more observant. She picked up on subtleties more than she used to.

“Thank you, Craig. As always, the work is fabulous. I think we’re done here for today.” Graham dismissed Craig, clearly wanting to be alone with Kendle.

“Suit yourself.” He packed up his case and saw himself out.

She wanted to ask what was going on between them, but it wasn’t her business. “We have plans tonight?”
She quizzed from behind the screen, pulling on a pair of washed out jeans. She flipped through the shirts and chose a simple black, ribbed tank. Coming out in the relaxed outfit and no shoes, Kendle stood on the center of the set up.

Graham smiled. “Simplicity, I love it. I knew it suited you.”

“It felt the most like me.”

“Look to the camera and speak to me with your eyes. Tell me what you need me to know. I don’t need words; just let your body and eyes tell me.”

She wanted to be good at this, but instead felt overwhelmed. “Can I sit for a moment?”

“Certainly.”

She walked to the side of the room and saddled the wooden chair. Closing her eyes, she tilted her head toward the ceiling.

“Are you okay?” He put his camera down and walked beside her.

“I’m overwhelmed. It’s more than I think I can handle,” she admitted.

“Did he come onto you? You can tell me if he did.”

“Oh, no. He was fine. He was just chattering a mile a minute. I’m just not sure I’m strong enough to feel this vulnerable. I feel exposed when you’re snapping my picture.”

“Kendle, come with me.” He reached for her hand tentatively, and then led her down the hallway.

Together they went to the living room. He took her to one of the large windows. “I practically owned this town.” He turned away from her to finish. “And then I threw it all away. I almost flushed my career down the toilet, or what’s left of it. If I didn’t think you had something special, I wouldn’t waste my energy. Being vulnerable in front of the camera is magic. So many models are plastic and pose. You’re a living, breathing specimen that speaks to the camera. Your shots are amazing. This is what you’re meant to do.”

“No.” Her face was sullen, slack, and her voice quiet. “I was meant to save my sister. I couldn’t save her before. I need to redeem myself. That’s the only reason I’m here. I need to be honest with you.”

Graham reached up to her shoulders and turned her toward him. “Then let’s save her together.” He tenderly stroked her cheek. Her eyes welled up with tears, but she forced them back, not wanting to cry.