Living a Million Miles an Hour

"Joey, I think we should start locking the door." Danny said looking at me leaning in over to his producer.

I stood their in front of them with my arms crossed as they talked about me as if I wasn't even present. Yeah, I had entered without knocking but I didn't deserve this.

"Hey, she's your guys friend." Joey strugged shaking his head. He looked away from his many computer monitors to check me out. I almost felt violated as he gave me a once over with his eyes that spent a suspicious amount of time on legs and chest. He was really creeping me out when Ben broke the silence.

"She's hardly an acquaintance to me."

"Wow, Ben, tell what you really think I about me?" I roll my eyes.

"Do you really want to know?" He asked seriously with a bit of sass and a lot a sarcasm.

I was about to say something but Sam intervened. "Be nice guys. Reneé is a good friend to this band....well, most of the band." He said. It made me smile "Do you still have our friendship ring on?" I raise the back of my left for him to see "Perfect!"

"Alright, enough chat. We have work to do" Danny interrupted Sam's and I interaction.

How rude!?

"But I have something important to tell Cameron and Sam!" I yell at Danny. He was seriously getting on my nerves with his divaness. Just by his attitude I could tell that he was probably the lead singer. He had the douchey ego going on for him.

"Well, it will just have to wait now will it!?" Danny said in a taunting manner.

"Ugh, fine!" I groaned.

"James is doing laundry. Why won't you make yourself useful and help him out." Ben said flatly without questionable pitch to his tone.

Without another word I left the group of men. I fought back my tears. I didn't understand what I did to deserve that treatment Ben and Danny were so mean and rude to me for no reason and Joey was a total creep. I walk in to the laundry room to find James appearing to kill the washing machine.

"Hey," I say wiping a tear from my chin with the back of my hand. I stuffed my hands in to my shorts pocket afterwards. "Need some help?"

"Huh?" He turned around. His facial features where pinkish and puffy. Either he had some allergies or this dude was crying. "Yeah, I can't get this stupid machine to work!" James growled.

"Let me try" I say stepping forward, James steps away and I go to examine the machine. "Are you okay, James?" I ask.

"Just fucking fix the washing machine!" he snaps, I turn back around and continue on what I was told as tried holding back the tears but doing a horrible job at doing so.

First Danny, then Ben....now James? And to think I liked him the most. He was a douche just like the others. I was regretting coming over.

"It isn't draining." I say sniffing and turing the dials "And its not just that either it isn't functioning on spin."

"I know that much." James grumbled

"Help me pull this back" I order James. He does so without my help and with a major attitude problem I might add. I shake off James' bad energy and kneel down to check out the busted machine.

"We need to get a large hose to drain this. Do you know where one might be?" I look up at James for and answer.

"Ah, no. Not really." James says scratching his head.

"Well, it looks like you need to go the laundry mat until there's a hose to drain this." I say brushing myself off getting up.

"Don't we have to take these wet clothes out first and put them in the dryer?"

"We?" I repeat "What you me we? I didn't agree to anything!"

"C'mon, Reneé don't be like that!"

"Be like what? You yelled at me, James!" I started yell back. I was getting tired of being pushed around by chauvinist assholes. "I don't have to put up with this!" I turn around, James grabs my arm and stops my stride.

"I'm sorry," he says softly. I look at his expression, he seemed sincere but he wasn't getting of so easy.

"I'll be waiting in the jeep" I say grabbing the plastic tub full of dirty laundry.

"But the these clothes, they-" James starts to say

"Have fun" I said before leaving the washroom. "Where are the keys to the jeep?" I ask on my way out the door to the guys.

"Why the hell should we give it too you?" Danny questioned suspiciously.

"Because, James and I are going to the Laundry Mat to wash these 'cause Joey's washer is jank."

"Fuck, I've been meaning buy a new one." Joey cursed.

"Which reminds me. I'm gonna need 50 bucks if you want that washer fixed"

"You can fix it?" Joey asked then looked me up and down again, creepishly "Little girl like you?"

"Do you want it fix or not Joey?" I asked shifting the heavy load of laundry on to my side letting rest on my hip. With a creepy smile, Joey dug into his pocket to retrieve his wallet where he pulled out a hundred dollar bill.

"Keep the change, sweetheart." He winked handing over the cash.

"Heads up" Sam said tossing me the keys in which I caught in mid air "Nice" Sam nodded appreciating my catch.

"Since you guys are going out don't forget to fill the tank." Danny reminded in his indifferent tone of voice

"Danny, give her some money to fill the tank." Cameron said

"Ah, no." Danny shook his head Sam slapped him up the side his head.

"Stop being such a fucking cunt, mate." Sam scorned Danny who swatted his hand away.

"Fine!" Danny growled. He pretty much threw the fifty dollar bill at me.

"Anyways, don't forget I need to talk to you two." I say looking at Sam and Cameron

"Yeah, Yeah heard you the first time". Danny said waving his hand dismissively. I scoffed but bit my tongue. He wasn't worth my words or breath.

I was putting the load in the trunk when James arrived with another basket of clothes. He smiled weekly, I could detect his sadness in his body language and expression but I didn't ask about it. The drive was long and silent.

Not another word was spoken between us until we got inside. I dumped the dirty clothes on one of the folding tables. "We need to separate the darks from lights" I said

"Yeah." he agreed in a gloomy matter an nodded.

Once the first load of laundry was finish James and I sat together in awkward silence in the large laundry mat that we were the only present in

"James, what's wrong? And don't you dare say nothing."

"Its just...." James bit his lip and scratched his head "My stupid fucking whore of a girlfriend cheated on me again." He blurted it out all at once.

Aw, shit. I knew I should've have asked.

"Wait, again? She's done this before?" James nods "That slut! Did you break up this morning?"

"No, we didn't" James shakes his head.

"Why not? She has cheated on you James? You deserve better!"

"I aware but I love her. I want to work it out"

"If she's done this to you before and again she's not gonna stop. Seriously James, think about it."

"I AM THINKING ABOUT IT!" James yells in my face and knocks over the folding table making clothes scatter everywhere "Goddamn Reneé can you at least try to understand where I'm coming from instead of judging me like everyone else?" He hits a wall.

James anger scares me but I knew he need someone to be there for him so I stepped in the line of fire in the midst of his tantrum while in motion to kick over a laundry basket I grabbed him and hugged him.

"I'm sorry!" I yell. James stops abruptly. "I'm sorry! I know what its like to have someone your supposed to count on and to be let down multiple times, yet you still love them no matter what. I understand you, James. I know your pain."

James fell down to his knees but he held on to my waist hugging me tightly. My hand was around his neck and on his head. I ran my finger through his medium brown hair.

"I just don't know why she treats me this way?" he sobbed on to my bare thigh. I was praising myself for shaving that morning because I was extra smooth. "I give her EVERYTHING!" James squeezes my thigh. I left bruise forming.

"Sometimes things just happen no matter how hard we try." I say running my hand across James' cheek. My hand gets wet I realize he he crying. It broke my heart to see a grown man like him break down in to pieces right in front of me. He had been repressing a lot. He had such a stoic manner that no one could tell he was having such major inner turmoil.

"Why do these kinds of things happen to us? We are as nice as we can be yet we always get burned."

"It's just how it is with having a big heart. Sometimes we are taken advantage of but that's no reason to stop caring."

"Yeah, I know." James nods against me.

"Get up." I tell James helping him to his feet.

"Thank you for understanding me." He hugged me. It was one of the best hugs in my life. I felt a connection with him that was strange because I had never felt like it before. All was good until James tried to kiss me.

"Whoa, James what about your girlfriend!?" I exclaimed leaning back. James still had me in his arms.

"This me getting back at her." he said leaning in to my lips where they crashed with his. And just like that my fire went out. All the fight that I had in me, just went away. I liked James so much since the moment I laid my eyes on him and watched him eat my moms brownies. He pushed me against the wall and our kissed deepened. He slid his tongue into my mouth and it roamed the contours of the inner walls of my cheeks before massaging my tongue with his. He went to kiss my neck and and drove wild and even more when he grabbed my ass and as he squeezed it pushed me up against his crotch where I felt his stiffening bulge. "James," I manage to moan out before held me under the ass and hoisted me up around his waist "I can't." I moan as I feel him grinding on me. "Please, stop! I can't do this."

"Baby, why? I want you..." he kiss my neck again and it took all my will power to pull myself away from his seductive energy.

"Stop it, James!" I slap him he drops me and steps away. I left sitting on the floor with my ass hurting from being dropped like a hot cake.

"What the hell!? You fucking cunt!" James shouts as he stammers back holding his cheek.

"I'm not your rebound bitch!"

"Fuck you then!" I get up and head out the door. I realized that James' unpredictable mood swings were hazardous to be around "Reneé, where going?" James runs after me into the parking lot.

"Just leave me alone, James!"

"I'm sorry okay?"

"I heard you say that already!"

"But I am! I didn't mean to hurt you. I just thought....I don't know." he shakes his head and runs his hands through his hair

"You thought what?"

"I thought, I thought you liked me"

"James," I sigh "Yes, I do like you. I like you a lot actually, but I'm not going to sleep with you."

James looked relived, he smiled.

"I'm going across the street to this auto shop to find a part for the washer. Stay here with the laundry." I say. James nods and goes back inside I keep on my way to the auto repair shop. I read the sign that said they also sold used parts. There were many men in dirty faded blue jumpsuits with too many oil stains to count watching from the garage. They all stared at me while I made my way into the office.

"How may help you, young lady?" The man inquired as I leaned on the counter.

I told him about my situation. "...so I'm just gonna need a drainage hose and a motor pump to get it to work."

"Well, believe it of not we have a few scrap washers out back I was thinking about tossing soon. I can get you what you're looking for cheap. Follow me" the man lead me around front again where James was standing and looking around.

"James, told you to wait!" I scold the man standing in front of me

"I didn't like the way those men were staring at you." he whispered

"So, now your stalking me?"

"Is there a problem sweetheart?" The mechanic asked me sizing up James.

"No, how about those washers?"

"Yeah, right thought here" the mechanic said leading us through the garage where the others were watching me. I left all their eyes on me. I wasn't used to all this male attention. Back in New York I was the ugly duckling of my friends. Marcelene was so beautiful with her crazy colored hair and sexy rocker chick style and Claudia was unique with her multiple piercings, stretched ears and gothic attitude as well as style. My mom never let me do any of that she didn't even like me being friends with them. But since I've moved to Connersville I've become friends with a group of attractive dudes, made out with one, spent a night in a hotel with another, attracted the attention of their creepy producer and now I had the entire auto garage checking me out. I wasn't ready for all of this. Some girls die for this amount of attention but I wasn't one of those girls. James held me close by. I didn't understand why he was being so over protective.

"Alright here they are" he said

"Let me see the inside of that one" I pointed to the one that looked the best and most like the one Joey had. The mechanic had removed the item I was looking.

"Its in pretty good shape. Thirty bucks and its yours?"

"That's a good price." James said nodding. But I shook my head and ask to hold the part.

"I don't think so, look at these dents, this scratch, plus there's rust around this pivot point and missing screws. Let me see the other ones"

After going through 2 more machines, some negotiating. I found the perfect piece for a good price. And I got a drainage hose for free because in the words of the mechanic I was just so 'cute'.

James was holding the part in a brown plastic bag as we made it back in the Laundry Mat.

"We need to fold these" I said taking out some clothes from one of the dryers.

"So, Reneé, tell me about your boyfriend" James said folding a shirt.

"You think I have a boyfriend?" I asked holding back a chuckle. It was amusing to me.

"Sam told me that you were somewhat spoken for."

They talk about me?

"Um, yeah. It's complicated and kind hard to explain..." I say joining James at the folding table.

"I've got time, love." James said.

"Kenneth and I...we have been friends for a long time. But our actual relationship has been on and off for the last 3 years." I began to explain

"Do you still have feelings for him?"

I nod "I do. I love him it just that I he doesn't seem to care, yah know? He has cheated on me before too..." I trail off. I tell myself I'm not going to cry.

"Is he the person you were talking about when you were relating to me?"

"No, I was talking about my dad."