Free Stowaway by Emma Bennett

almost all my casino
money to Mike, I’m broke again. I’ve got to think fast.
    “Mike, I’ve got to
pee. Let’s go.”
    “Already?” He grumbles about unfair work conditions, but follows anyway. I head past the
main public restrooms to the gym. He gives me a questioning look, but I ignore
him and keep walking.
    When I get inside,
I deposit Mike by the ladies’ locker room entrance and step in. Sure enough,
there are a couple public showers. Both are in use. Outside of one, the chair
has crisply folded street clothes that are about my size carefully laid out on
it. A fluffy towel is slung over the back. The clothes look ready for their owner
to step from the shower and slip them on. I notice I’m extra lucky today. There
is also a pair of sneakers reasonably close to my size sitting on the floor
underneath the clothes.
    Time is ticking.
Either woman could finish rinsing off any minute or someone could walk in, and
I will be caught. So, I change as fast and quietly as I can, and toss Charlie’s
clothes in a pile on the chair where the neatly folded ones had been. I feel
bad about taking some stranger’s things. However, I am leaving her my outfit,
so I’m going to call it a trade. She just got the losing end of the deal.
    The shoes pinch as
I speed walk away, but they are still better to move in than my flip flops. Especially, if I’ll be doing any running tonight.
    I breeze by Mike,
who is waiting, sitting on the floor by the women’s locker room exit. A front
desk attendant keeps glancing at him as she folds clean towels, like she is
wondering what he is up to. I take his elbow and quickly escort him out of the
gym before speaking.
    “Next task, Mike,
is to keep an eye out while I get some sleep. And, don’t steal anything. You
do, and it comes out of your wages.”
    Not that I have
anything good for him to steal that isn’t already his, besides a worthless cell
phone. But, I can’t have him getting at the cash now, or he’ll vanish. Just in
case, I stuff everything in my front jeans pocket as we walk outside. I figure
I’ll be relatively safe sleeping on my stomach in a deck chair, so I choose one
in a thoroughly shady section just off the main pool. Someplace public is good,
but I learned my lesson from yesterday. No sense inflaming my tender face
again.
    Tonight I’ll need
to be alert, since I figure darkness will bring with it increased risk. So, I’m
betting that resting now is safest for me. But, I really don’t know. I wish I’d
watched more of those fugitive shows with Rebecca.
    Mike looks uneasy
to be smack in the middle of so many people. I guess he’s more used to lurking
around their fringes. Not that he’s really had any other facial expression
during the short time I’ve known him, but I still feel like I should say
something. It’s the least I can do, since I’m making him be here against his
will and all.
    “Relax, Mike. I’m
the one with a murderer after me, remember? You’re fine. You would just be
collateral damage, at most.”
    He looks slightly
relieved to not matter.
    “Um, so I just sit
here and watch you sleep? That’s it?”
    Someone left the
sports section of a newspaper next to my chair, so I hand it to him.
    “Yes, but pretend
to read this. It will look creepy if you just sit staring at me like you did
that painting.”
    He starts to look
like this might not be a bad gig. After all, he just has to sit and read the
paper.

 
    ….
    My sleep is
tortured. The entire time, I’m dreaming of broken ukulele necks being hurled at
me like knives. Or, I’m running from giant lime green trucker caps. Finally, I
wake, breathing hard. I’ve tossed and turned, and now am lying on my back.
    I jerk upright and
look over at Mike, who is snoring next to me. Not exactly great body guarding skills,
but I forgive him anyway. It’s not like anyone is going to attack me in the middle
of this crowd. I may need him alert later, so I decide to leave him alone.
    But, what woke me
up?