FOLLOW THE LEADER - Chapter 33

 

Chapter 33

Inside a sunlit Starbucks in Petaluma, Rhonda Stone was thinking: This is the second time we’ve met and he still hasn’t tried anything. When Sheena introduced them, he told Sheena to take her shopping for clothes. He obviously cares for me, she thought that day.

         “He” was Jason somebody.

         The three of them smoked some dope together, then Jason drove them up to Petaluma. At first she was leery. Jason resembled the guy whom she glimpsed on Haight Street that day. She suspected that he was pimping the Indian girl. But that could have been her imagination. She didn’t get a good look at him, after all.

         Jason possessed big dark eyes that seemed to stare into her soul. Shorter than Rhonda by three inches, he was barrel chested and burly. She was disappointed that things were moving so slowly. Other than his hello hug, Jason had hardly touched her. That was at odds with the intimate compliments he had bestowed on her. He said he loved her muscular calves. No guy had ever told her that.  Even asked her to wear hiking shorts. More importantly, he had said she was pretty several times. Another rarity for her. 

         She didn’t share his assessment. She disliked her long face and mousy brown hair and her small bust, but that didn’t matter right now. Finally, here was a man that accepted all of her, just the way she appeared that afternoon. 

         Most importantly, every time she talked he really listened, as if the two of them were all alone somewhere. 

         “Are we going hiking?” she asked.

         “If you like.”

         So he wasn’t going to drag her along, like some men would.

         “First we have to stock up on supplies. We only shop twice a month.”

         We? Shit, he has a girlfriend.

         “So you have a partner, then.”

         “Several. You’ll get to meet them in camp. You’ll love it there. It’s the woods, babe. Clean air, deer and chipmunks.”

“Awesome.” 

Jason and Sheena turned to look at someone. 

Rhonda immediately recognized the leggy Indian girl who had given her and her friend some candy that was laced with some kind of powerful drug. She suspected heroin and something else.

Now, here she was heading for them with a sack of groceries. 

 “All done,” she said.

“That was fast,” Jason said. “Cocoa, meet Rhonda.”

“You look familiar,” Cocoa said. “Hi.”

“Hey,” said Rhonda.

Jason pointed to the canvas sack. “Have any luck?” 

“Melons were for shit. Still too early, I guess.”

 “Rhonda is between jobs,” said Jason. “I invited her to stay overnight with us.”

“Awesome,” Cocoa said. “You’ll love it up there.”

You told me that already, remember?

Jason got up, ready to go.

“Let’s hit the road,” he said.

Now is my chance to renege. 

For some reason Cocoa spooked her, but Jason was fascinating, and Sheena was friendly enough. Rhonda could imagine the two of them becoming pals.

Screw it.

She followed them out of Starbucks and into the parking lot.

 

Jason drove a well used black panel truck. It had travel stickers on the bumper. The Grand Canyon. Yellowstone. Crater Lake. And the trite “Dog Is My Pilot,” along with “No Nukes.” Inside it had a bench seat with old red seat covers. Jason opened the door for her.

         Rhonda recoiled.

         “Did someone spill bleach?”

         “We hunt,” said Jason. “Always leaves a mess.”