The River's Stone

Meadow Harte




Greyton Ermin

Greyton was just starting his closing procedures in his bar The River's Stone. He was serving the last drinks closing out tabs and starting to clean up. It had been pretty good business for a Monday. It was raining outside he could hear it over the soft music he had playing. His normal bartender had called in sick so Greyton came down from his little apartment and took the closing shift. It was hard to do it on his own seeing how the waitress that usually helped him had quite yesterday. He sighed and shook his head remembering how she walked out mid shift. It had been chaos. Greyton was wiping down the bar as the bells rang. He looked up seeing someone coming in. "Sorry Ms. we're closing up." he said and watched her pause and look at him. She looked wet and miserable. "But you can warm up for a while. Do you want a cup of tea? On the house." he said seeing her shiver. She wasn't wearing the right cloths for this wet weather. He walked over to set down a chair for her as the last of his regulars headed out. "See ya tomorrow Greyton!" Old Smith called. Greyton chuckled. "Not if your wife has anything to say about it." he called back and then looked back at the girl going and turning off the open sign. "You're not from around here are ya?" he asked his Irish accent thick. "What's your name?" he asked as he moved back behind the bar to give her a little space. "Sorry the kitchen is closed or I'd make ya something to eat." he said. He cleaned out a few glasses then moved around putting up some more chairs as he talked with the girl. It was not usual for new people to be roaming into their little town.

Meadow looked up at the guy talking to her. Of course it was closing not like she could do much. She had ten dollars left to her name after traveling for almost two weeks non-stop. She took a few rides from people who helped her a bus, and hopped on a plane meeting someone who gave her their car for a thousand only to break down 3 or 4 miles before this town. By the time she actually got to town she was drenched from head to two and she wasn't really wearing rain appropriate clothes a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. "Um yes thank you. I can pay for it." She murmured softly as she sat down and pulled out a crumpled five dollar bill. She didn't have time to take much and well she didn't have much use for watm clothes in Florida but she couldn't stay she had no idea were she had been going just far away. "I'm Meadow. And no I'm not from around here. My car broke down a few miles from town." She whispered softly as she looked down at her hands. She hadn't broken down yet and she really didn't plan to but she didn't know what to do anymore she had no way of getting to the next meeting point and she still had a there to for day drive and she was already at the end of her rope. She didn't know if she could do it anymore. "I-it's okay I'm not hungry."

@ Jinx...

@ TwistedLove
Greyton looked at her and shook his head. "The bathroom is around the corner if you want to change into something dry." he said wondering if she had brought anything with her. He slipped into the back and put on the kettle throwing together a quick sandwich. He came back out and placed it in front of her. "Keep it. Your good word will bring in more business. Nice to meet you Meadow. I'm Greyton." he said looking at the crumpled up drenched five then back at her and gave her a warm smile. "There isn't any place to really stay in town..." he rubbed the back of his neck. "And the mechanic is closed." he looked her over and bit his lip. The kettle went of howling in the back and he slipped away and made her tea coming back out and setting it down before her. He looked at the chair across from her and sat. "Look I know I'm a stranger and the last thing you probably want to deal with after a night like tonight is a strange guy like me. But I got a spare bedroom in my apartment. It's just up the street. It's got a lock and I have a warm shower you can help yourself too. In the morning I could make you a decent breakfast and get your car to the mechanic." he said and looked around. He wondered what else he could do for her. It was cold and miserable and he didn't want to toss her out into the cold. He had to think of something to do to help her.

"I don't have anything to change into." Meadow said softly as she brushed her wet hair out of her face. She hadn't taken much and what she had was in the car dirty. "Thank you." She mumbled as she put the money back in her pocket. She smiled as she took a bite of the sandwich it quited her howling stomach and even though she was cold and wet her cheeks seemed to grow a little pinker. When he spoke she tried hard not to cry. She'd been relying on the kindness of people she didn't know just to get away and had it not been from them she wouldn't have made it down the street let alone as far as she had come. "T-thank you. I would appreciate it. I is there something I can to do to repay your kindness?" She asked as she looked up at him. She was tired of only accepting things from people and not being able to do anything in return.

@ Jinx...

@ TwistedLove
Greyton frowned realizing she had to stay in those soaked cloths. He watched her eat the sandwich and he only wished he could have done more but the kitchen had been all shut down. He was glad to see a little warmth coming back into her cheeks though if they didn't get her out of those cloths soon she was going to shiver. He knew what the rain did. He stood and went to the front and grabbed his jacket and placed it over her shoulders. She agreed to going to his place and he smiled not feeling like such a creep now. "Well..." he couldn't really think of anything. "I mean I could use a hand tomorrow in here. You ever done any waitressing before?" he asked. "I mean just while your car is getting fixed up. You can keep the tips and I'll pay you too." he said. "Only if you want too though." he said and looked around.
Once she had responded he finished the cleaning up before taking her dishes back and cleaning those. He then grabbed his keys and smiled at her setting the last of the chairs up on the table. "Ready to go?" he asked. He was wondering if he had anything for her to change into. "I think I got some sweats that you could roll to fit you and a shirt." he said as they headed out to his car. He opened her door standing in the rain as she slipped in. He then moved to his side and slipped in running a hand through his hair water droplets flying off. "Oh sorry." he said and smiled starting the car and turning on the heater. "I got a washer and dryer we can toss your cloths in." They drove down the road and he parked in his spot and jumped out opening her door before going and unlocking his apartment. He let her in and turned on the light. "It's not much but it's home." he said and smiled. "Let me get those cloths for you." he said disappearing.

Meadow listened nodding her head. "Ya I waitressed my way through college." She said softly. Sure her parents had paid the tuition or the money they left paid for it but after school there wasn't really much left and she had bills that needed to be paid. "I wouldn't mind helping you out. I would pretty much be sleeping in the street if it weren't for you." She murmured softly.

She watched him get things ready to leave following after him with a small nod. She stayed quiet most of the way saying a few words when needed but she tried to stay as focused on the moment as she could. "It's cozy." She said softly as she followed him in looking around. "O-okay." She murmured shaking slightly. She's pretty much ignored the cold and rain it to focused on trying to get away but if she ignored it much longer getting away wouldn't matter if she got hypothermia. "Could I take a shower?" She asked after a moment staying where she was finally noticing how wet she actually was her hair clung to the sides of her face.

@ Jinx...
(Forgot to tag you)

@ TwistedLove
Once they got back to his place he was't sure what to really do or say until she made a request and he looked her over and felt guilty. "Of course!" h said and grabbed a towel and handed it to her then grabbed some cloths from his room. Some sweats with strings so she could tighten it and then a shirt though it would be huge on her. He handed her the cloths and took her to the shower and opened the door for her. "I will be in the kitchen for another hour if you need anything else. There is more tea and food in the kitchen... I mean if you want it that is." He frowned and then smiled and left her too it. He shook his head going and changing into some other slacks and a shirt and moved to the kitchen drinking some herbal tea while he waited to see if Meadow would need anything else.

"Thank you." Meadow said softly as she took the clothes and towel from him before slipping into the bathroom. She quickly got in the shower not wanting to look at herself in the mirror. She knew that she still had the bruises across her ribs and even though they weren't as bad as they were once they were clearly there the black and purple had faded to blue's and greens.

She stood in the shower for a minute allowing the hot water to warm her cold body for a few moments before stepping out and drying her hair as best as she could with a towel. Stepping out of the bathroom she walked back the way she came the shirt was huge and the pants were long but she had tied them so they wouldn't fall. "D-did you say I could wash my clothes?" She asked quietly as she approached the kitchen as if one wrong word and he might explode.

@ Jinx...

@ TwistedLove
Greyton looked at her and set his tea down. "Uhh yeah here." he said and moved over into he hall and opened a door into the laundry room. "Soap, softener and dryer sheets." he said pointing them out. "Help yourself." he said and smiled softly. "Anything else for you? Do you want something more to eat? Another thing of tea? You feeling warm enough?" he asked worried about her now. She was so tender.

Greyton didn't know what it was that was making him want to just do more for her. Maybe it was because when he was close to her it felt like her brokenness hung in the air. He bit his lip and backed up letting her do her thing. "Alright." he said.