Chapter 122

The job went off without a hitch, both shows, Best of all I was fully engaged. I watched over the inside of the dressing room, and I walked Soda to the stage. When the show ended, I watched group change, then put them safely on the bus.

"Well Tom it't over and I will be moving on tomorrow. So would you like to come to the suite again?" I asked.

"Sylvia, I have a lot of respect for you. Most of the women I know would still be in bed whining about how sick they are. The stories I have heard about you would make most of the cops I know jealous," He said.

"Okay I know there is a 'but' coming, so let's have it," I said.

"But I need to get back to my dog. I have left him alone with my neighbor long enough," Tom said.

"You also think there is a catch to this somewhere. Why would a woman half your age invite you to come sleep at her place?" I asked.

"Yeah that came to mind," he said. "And there are the videos on line."

"You are a prude," I asked smiling broadly.

"Well you have to admit some of them are pretty hard core," he said.

"Of course I admit it, but I don't apologize for it." I waited a moment before I continued. "We can at least be friends can't we?" I asked.

"Why of course we can," he said. "Like I said before, I have nothing but respect for you,"

"Good then before I pay you for the two shows you did today, lets go to breakfast. You can call this a perk of the job." I suggested.

"Fair enough," he agreed. Since we were in Philly, I let him drive. It was that home town diner I had requested before. Since I didn't like restaurant coffee and the thought of any coffee of any kind made me squeamish, I asked for chocolate milk. Since they had none, I settled on a Coke with ice,

"Why not try regular milk," Tom suggested.

"I don't like the taste of milk," I said. "The Coke will do till I figure something out."

After I finished my steak and egg sandwich on a kaiser roll, we drove back to the motel where Tom's car sat in the parking lot. I handed him the envelope with the tree hundred dollar final payment. I had added one hundred dollars of my own money. It was for staying around a babysitting me. It was the least I could do.

I wasn't sleepy, so I went on line and did my research. I used Google to find the best milk additive to make it chocolate flavored. Turns out it was a product that came in a one pound box or in individual packs. It was a liquid which could be squeezed into a glass of milk. The milk could be hot or cold. I figured it was cheap enough, if it kept me on the road and working.

Since it was all chemicals it added no sugar or fat to the milk. Also it was all chemical, so it wouldn't grow mold. Then I had to find a place that sold it. That proved to be a problem.

As a result I shut down the computer and went to bed. I figured I could make a stop by a Walmart on my way to the laundromat. It was 5AM when I woke up. I didn't want to run, but it had nothing to do with my health. I didn't want not to run any more that day, than I hadn't wanted to run a week ago. I forced myself out the door and did my hour's run. I ran down the service road before anyone was awake. It was the safest time to run. Even so, I almost got hit by a car as I ran along the side of the road. I swore for at least the tenth time to get some kind of marker light.

When I got back to the motel I added it to my paper list for Walmart. I filled one of my plastic trash bags with dirty clothes. I kept them rolled up in inside each other, till I was ready for the laundromat. I trusted no one so I didn't go to Walmart while my clothes washed. I spent the full hour and thirty minutes in the laundromat. It was a boring place to be. I didn't have a hard cover book or a digital book. Since there was no Wifi signal, I just sat along with my thoughts.

Tom had been a real gentleman, I thought. If I had pressed him, I'm sure I could have got him in bed. I guess that meant I hadn't felt as good as I thought.

After the laundromat I went to Walmart. I decided If I had to fix hot chocolate, I would get milk and do it right. If I got milk, I might as well buy cereal and dried fruit. There was no way I was going to carry milk in a hot car. I could however buy all the dry products to fix breakfast. So that's what I did. I had everything but milk. I had enough reconstituted milk in Afghanistan to last two lifetimes. so I decided that it was out of the question.

I did add a plastic box big enough for all the dry supplies. I also bought a small cooler. It would hold enough motel ice to keep the milk cold in the room. I was in the check out line, when I remembered the marker. With my cart full of groceries and reflective strips, I rolled into the parking lot and headed for the interstate and on to the next gig.

I was on the interstate about an hour, when the phone rang. It had to be Joan I thought when I looked at the caller ID it was blocked. That told me right away it was Swamp Dog Enterprises.

"Where you at?" the voice of Colonel Martin asked.

"Somewhere between Philly and Baltimore," I replied.

"Pull over, we need to talk," Martin ordered. I'm fucked I thought. "Some woman from the promoter called me. It seems she is not satisfied with the security we are providing."