Chapter 6: Caitlyn

Try as they might, there were no opportunities for Danny and Rosalind to deepen their acquaintance beyond kissing and some clandestine petting on the beach. Mrs. Crawler might approve of Danny as a person, but she was very adept at preventing them from being alone somewhere. Twice, Danny asked Rosalind to go out with him to a restaurant, and both times Mrs. Crawler countered with a dinner invitation of her own. It was a little frustrating. Still, Danny enjoyed being with Rosalind and he kept seeing her all during their stay.

After five weeks, it was time to drive back to Philadelphia. Danny and Rosalind said good bye to each other, both a little frustrated over the limitations they had faced. They promised to write to each other and Rosalind cried a little when she gave Danny one last kiss.

Ashley opted for riding with their parents, leaving Danny to drive by himself. He took the same route back, making a first stop after the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. He had left Kitty Hawk with a half-empty tank and he had to fill up at a road side station. He also decided to get himself a cup of coffee for the road and entered the attached diner. The place was filled with returning vacationers and it took a while for his order to be finished.

He headed back to his car but he was intercepted by a young couple. The guy was almost Danny’s size and he looked shifty with his unsteady eyes and jerky movements. The girl was a doll with dirty blonde hair, huge green eyes and pointy breasts. She was small, perhaps 5-1, and she stood like a ballet dancer or perhaps a gymnast.

“Hey man, cool wheels,” the guy addressed Danny. “Could we catch a ride with you?”

Danny would have loved to take the girl along, but the guy creeped him out.

“Sorry, man. Whatever room I have behind the seats is crammed solid. No can do.”

“Really? What, you’re afraid of us, pretty boy?” the dude sneered, his whole veneer of nice-guy-ness vanishing.

Danny was wary, but his inbred sarcasm was hard to suppress. “Yeah, you’ve got me scared shitless.”

“Fuckin’ rich kid! You think the world belongs to you? You think you’re something better?”

A father with his family was walking by. “Do you need help, son?” he asked Danny.

“No, sir. I guess I can handle myself just fine,” he replied. Then he looked at the shifty dude. “Just leave me alone, willya?”

“You fuckin’ need a lesson, pretty boy!”

“Now, leave the young man alone, you hear!” the man put in.

“Fuck you, pops!” the loudmouth sneered. “And you, pretty boy, will...”

That was as far as he got. Danny led with a left jab to the nose and followed with a right uppercut. Loudmouth was finding himself sitting on his butt with blood running from his nose.

“We can stop right here or I can keep doing this. Your call.”

“What’re you doin’ this for, you fuckin’ ass?” loudmouth complained. He struggled to his feet and made for Danny. It was easy for Danny to take the power out of loudmouth’s haymaker by riding with it, and then he countered with a straight jab to the already damaged nose and a crushing right hook to the liver. Loudmouth went down like a sack of beans and stayed down. He was gasping for air while his eyes were filling with tears of pain from his swelling nose.

The family guy produced his cellphone. “Let’s call the State Police.”

Loudmouth perked up but chose to stay down. “Lissn, misser. A missunnerstanning. No need for p’lice, ‘kay? I’m leabin’, ‘kay? Come, Lynn, less blow!”

The latter sentence was directed at the girl who stepped back and looked pleadingly at Danny.

“Please, Mister, take me with you! Just until the next rest stop or a Greyhound station. I need to get away from this guy!”

“He’s not your friend?”

“No! I only met him two days ago. He’s stuck to me like a damn leech!”

“Okay, hop in!” Danny said spontaneously. “Just no funny stuff. That bag goes in the backseat. I’ll not let you mace me.”

The family guy had watched this and he handed Danny a card. “You can call on me as a witness if this scum tries any funny stuff.”

“Thank you, sir. That may be helpful, but I’ll bet that this clown has reasons to avoid the cops. Am I right, jerk-off?”

Loudmouth just held up his hands and scrambled to his feet, walking backwards and away. He left a trail of blood drops as he vanished around the corner. Danny shook hands with the older man and then opened the car to let Lynn or however she called herself load her duffle onto the rear seat.

She gave him a tentative smile. “You didn’t lie. This car is packed.”

“I try not to lie as a rule,” Danny answered and walked around the front to sit in the driver’s seat. “Buckle up!”

Once on the highway again and moving along at 60 mph, he turned to the girl.

“What’s your name?”

“Caitlyn Keel.”

“Nice to meet you, Caitlyn. I’m Danny, Danny Westbrook. So, what’s your story?”

“I’m headed for college. I’m from Scotstown in West Virginia. I have a scholarship at the University of Pennsylvania to join their gymnastics team. I was earning some money in a restaurant down on the Outer Banks before practice starts for me.”

“Really? You’re in luck. That is, if you’re headed for Philadelphia.”

“You’re going to Philly?” she gushed but then her face became guarded. “Wait, what’s your deal?”

“No deal. I live in Philly. Well, I’m mostly at a boarding school up north, but my home base is there. I’ll be a senior this fall.”

“Oh, okay. Sorry. Raymond sort of spooked me a little. I met him a few days ago, and he told me he could offer me a better job than waitress. It sounded promising, a job as a receptionist at a trade show. I’d even get a clothes allowance for the job. Then, when we left this morning, I found out he was full of shit. He stopped at the gas station and he ... he demanded a hummer, a blowjob.”

“Jeez, what a slime ball! What did you do?”

“Jumped out of his car and tried to hitch another ride. He was after me immediately and tried to talk me into going back. That’s when you pulled in and he saw your car. He said I didn’t have to do anything but smile at you, and he’d give me a hundred bucks.”

“So it was a car-jacking he was after?”

“You mean ... yes, I guess. Sorry. I’m not used to this.”

“What sort of car is he driving?”

“Some old, beat-up Mercedes. It’s got this horrible baby-blue paint job. That’s what cued me in on Raymond. I mean, if he’s that big trade show promoter, why is he driving a junk car?”

Danny nodded, but he began to scan the rearview mirror for a baby-blue Mercedes. He also gave the Mini a bit more rein, edging it closer to the tolerance limit of traffic cops. The tiny car was fitted with the Turbo I4 engine and could boast 175 horsepower. Tyler’s driver/security man had also given Danny and Ashley lessons in high speed evasive driving on a deserted airfield. Danny was positive that he could show a clean pair of heels to any old Mercedes sedan, and most new ones too for that matter. He just did not want to be stopped by the highway patrol.

Yet no blue Mercedes ever materialized as they headed north. Caitlyn was asking Danny stuff about his school and his plans, and in turn she gave him a bit more of her own background.

She’d grown up in a small West Virginia community as the youngest daughter of a lumber yard worker. She had two brothers and a sister, and money was tight in the Keel family. Her parents were of the opinion that any education beyond high school was a waste of money, in particular for a girl. Little Caitlyn had dreams, however. Being small and naturally athletic, she excelled at gymnastics. So much, that one of her teachers got in touch with the State Gymnastics Association. The result was that Caitlyn spent many weekends in Raleigh undergoing training and other schooling.

Her parents were okay with all that since the costs were picked up by the Association, including the meals and the necessary sports clothes. What they did not expect was that Caitlyn received an athletic scholarship offer from Penn. Far from being proud of their daughter, they strictly forbade her to accept the offer. A girl had to marry after high school graduation and that was that!

With the help of her teacher, Caitlyn planned her escape. On graduation day, she left the ramshackle house where she lived with her family carrying a rather large duffle bag, ostensibly holding the clothes and items that she would need for the graduation ceremony. Her parents were okay with that, for they had already picked a young man for her who would like it if Caitlyn played a prominent role in the ceremony.

Right after receiving her diploma, Caitlyn disappeared behind the curtain in the back of the gym and never came back. Her teacher and mentor was waiting behind the school building in her car and five minutes later they were past the township limits and on the way to the next greyhound bus station. Caitlyn then took buses to reach the Outer Banks and the restaurant where the teacher had arranged for her to work in the next weeks to earn some pocket money for her college career. Danny was impressed with Caitlyn’s tenacity.

“Do your parents know where you’re headed?” he asked.

“I left them a letter in my room. They should know always s’posing they’re sober enough to read.”

Danny could hear the bitterness in her voice.

“You figure on ever going back?”

She wagged her head. “Right now, I’m thinking to go back once I have a real degree and a job and a really nice car. You know, just blow into town and let them know I’ve made something of myself.”

“Can you make any money being a gymnast?”

“No, silly! Once I start with the team practice, I’ll not even be allowed to accept gifts from non-family members. NCAA rules are very strict. I can work, but only for the same wages as others and in a job that does not have a connection with my athlete status. No, I’m milking this gymnast thing for a good education. Hell, ya’ll can’t do much better than Penn, can ya?”

“I s’pose.” Danny had to smile at her sudden use of hillbilly speech. “It’s one of the places where I’ll apply too.”

“You won’t even need a scholarship,” Caitlyn stated, waving her hand and indicating the car.

“Perhaps not, but I’ll try anyway. I took the SAT last fall and I did well. This year I should even be better.”

She squinted at him. “I hadn’t pegged you for a nerd. Not after I saw you handle Raymond.”

“Hey, Wladimir Klitschko has a doctorate!” Danny protested. “That doesn’t keep him from punching guys’ lights out.”

She giggled. “Sorry, but ‘Danny Westbrook’ just doesn’t sound right for a future World Heavy Weight Champion.”

“I guess you’re right,” Danny grinned. “Should I go by my birth name – Daniel Berusov?”

“Oh, you were adopted?”

“Sort of. My dad’s my real father, only he never learned about me before last year. I grew up with my mom who is a Russian from St. Petersburg. No fancy cars for us.”

“Something happened to her?”

Danny wagged his head. “She had some trouble. It was decided that I was better off living with my father until she recovers. She’s doing much better already.”

“You dad must be loaded.”

Danny shrugged. “I guess he is. He’s nice, though, and not aloof at all. He started small, you know.”

“Still, you landed right in the clover, Danny-Boy,” Caitlyn maintained. “I s’pose you spent a few weeks on the Outer Banks too.”

“Yeah, my new family has a beach house down there, near Kitty Hawk.”

“Rub it in, rub it in!” she laughed. “So I was working my sweet butt off schlepping burgers and fries while you were lazing on the beach?”

“Pretty much I guess. I’ll have to spend the rest of the summer working for my stepmother.”

That was true. Both Tyler and Marsha were of the opinion that their children should get a feel for real work, and they would both work as help in one of Marsha’s Two-Buck stores. Of course Danny had held jobs before, but for Ashley it would be a new experience.

“Down in the trenches with the peons or annoying the office staff?” Caitlyn needled him.

“Working as help in a low-key retail operation,” he answered quite unfazed.

“How long you figure you have to work to fill the tank of this pocket rocket?”

“About four hours, I s’pose. I have a tank card, so I won’t really find out,” he laughed. “So when will you have to start with practice?”

“A week from now I can move into our dorm and then practice will start. Hey, you wouldn’t know of a cheap place to crash for a week? I sort of lit out a week early and I don’t want to spend all my savings on a motel room.”

Danny thought briefly. “I can make a few calls. My parents have room enough, but I’d have to ask them first. I still know a few people from before I moved in with my father, and I know ... Wait! I’d have to ask first, but ... Hell, yes! My mom’s got a nice little house, and my room should be free. She’d probably let you stay if I vouch for you.”

“God, Danny, I wasn’t looking for a freebee here! I said cheap, not free.”

“You’re gonna need what savings you have. Let me check things out at the next stop, okay?”

“Danny, I’m not ... I’ll not put out for room and board, okay? I mean, I’ve done things with guys, but never, you know... ?”

“Never for material reasons?” Danny asked.

“Yeah, that. I just wanna make it clear. I’m not like that.”

If he was honest, Danny’s thoughts had indeed wandered into that direction. Caitlyn was no beauty, but her face was pretty enough and her petite body appeared to have curves in all the right places, just no big curves. Yet, he smiled back at her.

“No worries on that account. I’m helping you ‘cause I like you.”

She gave him a shy smile. “Thanks. I like you too. I’m not saying ‘No way, never!’ – I just won’t do it as a pay-off, okay?”

“That’s cool. I’d lie if I pretended I’m not attracted to you, but my mom raised me better than to expect such a pay-off. I’m just helping out ‘cause I can.”

The shy smile turned into a wide one and she pressed his right arm.

“Thanks! You’re restoring my faith in men.”

It was almost time for Danny to get some rest and a bite to eat and he was looking for a rest stop. On the other hand, the exit to Ocean City was coming up.

“Hey, how about a visit to Ocean City? I’ll buy you lunch and we can have a look around.”

“Talked me into it,” she laughed. “Are you kidding me? This was my dream all those years, to see places like that.”

They spent almost two hours in Ocean City. Caitlyn was a true joy with her naive enjoyment of simple stuff. They had a lunch at a beach front place and walked for a bit before Danny gassed up and they were back on their way. He had also made a call to Marsha to ask her about the possibility of finding a room for Caitlyn. She was hesitant at first, but she promised to let the girl stay for at least one night pending a little scrutiny.