Solitary

A little tug adjusted the platinum blonde bangs of Addie's wig to where she wanted. Smoothing out the last of the large curls around her face, she decided she would be a redhead before the day was over.

The reflection in the yellowing mirror of her tiny bathroom was as flat as the expression gazing into it. Addie watched herself as she took a final drag of her cigarette and blew the smoke into her face. She plunked the butt down the sink and tugged her mini skirt into a more reasonable position and strutted out the door.

Matt was waiting in the hall. She never let him wait inside the apartment. His response as she walked out was brighter than she wanted, and she realized too late the skirt was a poor choice. She chewed the inside of her cheek and silently berated herself for such an obvious oversight.

She led him out to the late morning air towards the small diner on the corner. Matt followed behind, hands in his pockets, eyes fixed on the movement of her skirt slowly climbing up the back of her thighs with each step.

She slid into the sticky vinyl booth that grabbed at the back of her legs. Matt smiled at her and cleared his throat about to speak, but Abbie cut him off.

"I got you a present." She rummaged in her large canvas shoulder bag and produced a plastic hula dancer and stood her in the center of the table. She bobbled back and forth pouting a painted pink smile at her new owner.

Matt leaned back and half smiled with confusion and amusement. "A dashboard hula girl?"

"Uh huh."

"But you know I have a motorcycle."

"And?"

"Where exactly does one place a dashboard hula girl on a motorcycle?"

"Oh fuck if I know, Matt. It's a gift. Just accept it and use your creativity." She waved off his question with a flick of her hand and sipped on the near stale coffee in front of her.

Matt tapped the tiny dancer and started her repetitive sway again. "Thanks for the present."

Addie exhaled her irritation and returned Matt's grin. "I think I'm moving to Montana."

The warmth chilled in Matt's eyes as his mouth fell open. "What are you talking about?"

"Montana. I think I'm moving there," she repeated as plainly as if she was reading the greasy menu on the table.

She politely waited for whatever question Matt had next, but he could only stare at her while he processed her statement.

Addie grew tired of lingering silence."Do you think there are farmers or cowboys there?"

"Where?"

"Montana. Did we start discussing somewhere else?"

"I've never been to Montana, but I'm sure it's not like some Steinbeck novel you read."

"You're thinking of Oklahoma. Why would I want to go there?"

Matt let out an incredulous laugh and gripped his hair in his hands. "Why the hell would you want to go to Montana? Why do you want to leave at all?"

"Why not?"

Her tone was sincere and stunned Matt as much as her original declaration. He pinched the bridge of his nose trying to find something of substance to grasp in the discussion. "Uh, because people don't just pick up and move to Montana. What's in Montana?"

"I'm not sure. Bears maybe? Mountains? Not a lot of people though. I'm sick of so many bodies everywhere."

"And when did you come up with this idea?"

"On the way over here. I just realized nobody talks about Montana, so maybe it's some big secret. Like I'm missing something."

"Or maybe nobody talks about it because there's nothing to discuss. Did that occur to you?"

Addie considered this for a moment before deciding. "People don't share good secrets. You have to find out for yourself." She examined Matt's face, uncertain of the expression. Addie distracted herself by springing a stray curl in front of her face. She pulled the lock straight against her nose and chin and released it four times before speaking. "I'm leaving today, or maybe tomorrow. Depends on the bus schedules. I just have to go before Frank comes around collecting rent."

She jumped as Matt brought his fist against the chipped laminate table top. "Addie, knock it off! You aren't going anywhere so stop with all this bullshit!"

Tiny embers of fury prickled up the sides of Addie's neck, creeping into her face and flushing her cheeks. She hissed through clenched teeth, "Just because I let you screw me a few times doesn't give you the right to tell me what to do."

Matt leaned across the table, his eyes sparked with the same angry fire. Addie felt his hands grip her knees and slowly pull them apart. She didn't flinch or try to pull away as his hands slid up her legs, thumbs pressing into the soft flesh of her thighs. "You let me screw you?" The pressure under his thumbs increased. "I don't remember you complaining. I do recall you coming back for seconds though."

Addie stared him down, refusing to acknowledge anything beyond his words. The firm grip on her thighs was just less than painful, and quite familiar. She moved further to the edge of the bench in his direction.

Matt recognized the challenge and released her legs. He leaned back against his seat and crossed his arms. "And you sleeping in my arms afterwards each night? Did you let me do that to? All just for my benefit?"

Addie considered the answer he needed to hear most. She carefully watched his face as she broke his heart with a simple, "Yes."

Painful surprise registered in his eyes and he suddenly became fascinated by the grimy salt shaker at the edge of the table. "Then I hope you figure out the secret to Montana."

Addie nodded and pulled the strap of her bag over her head. She peeled herself off the ratty vinyl bench and got to her feet.

Matt heard the clomp of her heeled boots against the floor, refusing to see her go. The bench next to him sank under the weight of Addie's knee. He imagined each curve he had explored with his hands and his mouth as she pressed her body against his side.

"Please stay, Adelaide." His voice barely broke a whisper, but the words pierced and stung. He felt her body shrink from its usual confidence and found his own to look at her again. With his face turned to hers, he pressed his forehead against hers, the errant blonde curl brushing against his cheek. "You can't keep running away. Whatever you are hiding from will catch up to you eventually."

She allowed a small sigh past her lips. "It already did."

She pulled herself back to her feet and adjusted her skirt. Matt kept his eyes lowered, focused on the tops of her knee high boots.

Addie reached over and tapped the hula girl again. She rocked back and forth to the rhythm of Addie's steps as she left the diner.