Amanda - a girl then lost is now found

“Tap, tap … tap, tap tap,” someone is knocking on the door. Amanda drags the pillow covering her head to one side and drops it to the floor. “Someone there,” she moans past her hangover. Rubbing her lashes clean of the sand man's work she opens her eyes to the sight of an aproned maid toting a load of linen.

“Senora, you best be gone. Amore men at game.” the maid announces in her best Spanglish.

“Mind if I shower first,” Amanda asks.

“Take your clothes,” the maid answers, “and your money,” she adds, pointing to the bulky business envelope resting atop her clothes still bundled within the 32 jersey.

In the bathroom Amanda looks hard in the mirror and then at the envelop. She is afraid to open it. Afraid opening it will be an admission she has been reduced to whoring. “Fucking modeling agencies,” she growls into the mirror. “Fucking men,” she adds on. "How come they get all the breaks?"

Totally broke she realizes she has **** but to open the damn thing. “Momma is not going to be happy with me,” she whimpers. Momma never liked how Tommy paid Amanda's way before he passed on. She called Amanda her kept daughter – a polite way of saying whore. What she called Tommy is unprintable. It was all horseshit though since Mom depended men to pay her way.

Spinning open the envelope's string tie Amanda peeks inside before dumping out its contents on the bathroom floor. Besides a handful of mixed bills there is a cell phone and a hand written note. Sagging to the john stool she unfolds the note, a tear falling down her cheek.

“Dear Amanda, talked it over with James and he agrees, we want you to come join us in Dallas. If it is a yes, open the cell phone and push the one button and we'll work out the details of getting you out Dallas way. Please say YES. …. Jack.”

Her single tear becomes a cloudburst as deep sobs and tear filled hiccups fill the air. Turning on the shower she steps into the stream of hot water and continues crying. They are tears of happiness because the answer is YES. With two such lovely men looking after her she feels like she is once again safe from harm. It would be nice if one or the other married her, or maybe she could do Mormon thing and be wife to both. With that another round of tears tumbles from her eyes.

That's it, that's a wrap. I hope you enjoyed reading my tell on Amanda, a girl then lost and now found.

=Soul Catcher=