Private Dancer
Tell me how you know him
I was so excited to see Abby, I couldn't stop thinking about her since the night we met at the Club. Of course when I told my version of the story to my friends I omitted the "Strip" part out of the Club. I tried not to think about all those men leering at her as she took her clothes off for money. But looking around her house I could see that she did have a lot of nice things. I picked up a photo album from side table and began flipping through the pictures. She was a cute kid, long brown hair and freckles. Page after page I watched her grow through pictures. I stopped on one in particular that was a picture of her and her mom that looked like half of it had been cut out. "Thats weird" I say to myself. My years of being a bounty hunter has made me very curious, I feel like I have to investigate everyone. I stick my finger behind the picture and sure enough theres the other half. I stare at the picture realizing its Tim. I hear her turning the knob in the bedroom and stick the picture in my pocket and put the album back on the table.
I had to find out what was going on.
It had been two days since the night I took the picture, it had also been the last time I talked to Abby. She had called me several times and left a few voice mails asking me to call her, but I didn't really know what was going on. She told me she had never heard of our show, but why would she have a picture of Tim? I tried several times of the last few days to ask him about the picture and about Abby but the timing was never good, I was always interrupted. I decided that I would fess up to Abby and ask her about the picture. I just had to figure out how to go about it.
Later that night:
I walked through Abby's front door and into her living room to sit down beside her on the couch. "Have you been busy, Ive been trying to call you for a few days?" she says. "Yeah we had a lot of things come up at the last minute so I didn't get a chance to call you, I'm sorry." I say, lying to her. In reality I really didn't know what to think about her, was she playing me, did she know Tim, I had so many questions that I wanted to ask.
"Abby" I say reaching for my wallet as she gives me an off look. "The other day when I came by, I kinda ... took something of yours." I tell her waiting for her reaction.
"You took something... of mine? From my house? Why would you do that. I thought I could trust you." she says very quickly. "No...Abby, its nothing like that...well maybe its like that.. let me explain." I say pleading with her. "When you went into your room to take that phone call I was looking at your pictures in that Album." I say pointing at it on the coffee table. "You know Ive been a bounty hunter for a long time and well.. it tends to make you very curious." I say
"So, what does that have to do with me?" she asks me.
"I saw this picture of what I assumed is your mother and I noticed it was torn in half...so I kinda reached behind it and felt the rest of the picture there....and I pulled it out...Do you know Tim Chapman?" I ask almost scared of what the answer might be.
"Tim Chapman...How do you know Tim Chapman?" She asks me raising her eyebrows. "He's bounty hunter Abby, I work with him. He's on the show with me and my family." I say pulling out the picture and handing it to her. "You lied to me Abby, you said you hadn't seen the show...that you didn't know who we were." I say getting angry.
"First of all you have no right to come into my house and take my things, and secondly you have no right to accuse me of lying. I would like you to leave Leland...please leave my house." She says sadly.
"No. Abby, I'm not leaving until you tell me how you know Tim." I tell her standing up and looking down at her. "I really don't think its any of your business." she yells and walks to her room, only to slam the door in my face. "Abby open this door or I'll kick it down." I didn't mean to act this way I just needed to know what the connection was. "Please, I need to know." I yell through the door. "Its unlocked." she says quietly.
I walk through the door to see her sitting on her bed crying. I couldn't believe one picture could upset someone this much. I hand her the picture back and she rubs her thumb across it and sobs harder. I hesitantly reach my hand up to rub small circles on her back. "I'm sorry for getting this emotional. Its just...hard. You know?" she says wiping her eyes on the sleeves of her shirt.
"Abby, I promise if you'll just tell me, I'll walk out the door and you'll never have to see me again." I say almost in a whisper.
"He's...He's my father Leland."
I had to find out what was going on.
It had been two days since the night I took the picture, it had also been the last time I talked to Abby. She had called me several times and left a few voice mails asking me to call her, but I didn't really know what was going on. She told me she had never heard of our show, but why would she have a picture of Tim? I tried several times of the last few days to ask him about the picture and about Abby but the timing was never good, I was always interrupted. I decided that I would fess up to Abby and ask her about the picture. I just had to figure out how to go about it.
Later that night:
I walked through Abby's front door and into her living room to sit down beside her on the couch. "Have you been busy, Ive been trying to call you for a few days?" she says. "Yeah we had a lot of things come up at the last minute so I didn't get a chance to call you, I'm sorry." I say, lying to her. In reality I really didn't know what to think about her, was she playing me, did she know Tim, I had so many questions that I wanted to ask.
"Abby" I say reaching for my wallet as she gives me an off look. "The other day when I came by, I kinda ... took something of yours." I tell her waiting for her reaction.
"You took something... of mine? From my house? Why would you do that. I thought I could trust you." she says very quickly. "No...Abby, its nothing like that...well maybe its like that.. let me explain." I say pleading with her. "When you went into your room to take that phone call I was looking at your pictures in that Album." I say pointing at it on the coffee table. "You know Ive been a bounty hunter for a long time and well.. it tends to make you very curious." I say
"So, what does that have to do with me?" she asks me.
"I saw this picture of what I assumed is your mother and I noticed it was torn in half...so I kinda reached behind it and felt the rest of the picture there....and I pulled it out...Do you know Tim Chapman?" I ask almost scared of what the answer might be.
"Tim Chapman...How do you know Tim Chapman?" She asks me raising her eyebrows. "He's bounty hunter Abby, I work with him. He's on the show with me and my family." I say pulling out the picture and handing it to her. "You lied to me Abby, you said you hadn't seen the show...that you didn't know who we were." I say getting angry.
"First of all you have no right to come into my house and take my things, and secondly you have no right to accuse me of lying. I would like you to leave Leland...please leave my house." She says sadly.
"No. Abby, I'm not leaving until you tell me how you know Tim." I tell her standing up and looking down at her. "I really don't think its any of your business." she yells and walks to her room, only to slam the door in my face. "Abby open this door or I'll kick it down." I didn't mean to act this way I just needed to know what the connection was. "Please, I need to know." I yell through the door. "Its unlocked." she says quietly.
I walk through the door to see her sitting on her bed crying. I couldn't believe one picture could upset someone this much. I hand her the picture back and she rubs her thumb across it and sobs harder. I hesitantly reach my hand up to rub small circles on her back. "I'm sorry for getting this emotional. Its just...hard. You know?" she says wiping her eyes on the sleeves of her shirt.
"Abby, I promise if you'll just tell me, I'll walk out the door and you'll never have to see me again." I say almost in a whisper.
"He's...He's my father Leland."