#chatper 3

The six story building setting in a run down area of South Cameron, use to be a factory during World War II. But after the war, the factory that produced mainly airplane parts, was no longer needed since the contract for such production was sent out to someone else. The building laid abandoned from 1946 to 1965, until a man and his wife bought the building and fixed it up into a rent controlled apartment building. The factory turned apartment building had seen a better day over it's twenty-three years of standing. The plumbing was unreliable, the windows were drafty and single pane, the odd settling made doors stick, there wasn't heating in the building and all the electricity and wiring was original and often threw fits, sending the tenants into black outs for hours on end. Sunshine stopped at her door, 23D, and sighed as all the days events compressed out of her as the sense of finally being home washed over her. Going into her shoulder bag, she dug out her keys and shoved the key into the dead bolt and groaned as she heard the door to 25D open and her annoying and nosy neighbor stepped out into the hallway. “Just get off of work?” He asked. “Obviously, Frank.” Sunshine rolled her eyes. “You still at that strip club on Highland Avenue?” Frank questioned her, leaning against his door frame. Frank was the type of guy that lived off his girlfriend, cheated on her left and right with any bimbo blind enough to look over his fat, snobbish and deodorant-less ass and he snooped on every person in the building like a renegaded, wannabe cop. Sunshine hated his guts and pitied his girlfriend, Faye. “Yeah, Frank.” She answered in her usual short replies to him. She kicked her stuck door open, causing the door to fly open and the door knob to strike the brick wall behind it, denting the metal door knob slightly. Sunshine rolled her eyes and jaw, cursing mentally. “That's going to come out of your deposit.” Frank commented, eying Sunshine from behind like he always did. “Go drowned yourself in your Smirnoff six pack, Frank.” Sunshine snapped, entering her apartment and slamming the door with as much force as she could, and not just because she wanted to add emphasize to her insult to Frank, but because she had too or the door wouldn't close properly. Entering Sunshine's door you come into her small kitchen to the right was her sink, on old wooden desk, next to the sink, sat a two burner electric hot plate and toaster oven, along with some spices and so on and in the middle of that and the wall was a hideous green retro 1960 North-star refrigerator, original to when the building was converted. There was a small window next to the refrigerator that looked out to the empty lot next to them. Looking straight ahead from the door showed a bare walling frame that separated the kitchen from the half bedroom, half living room. There was another two walling frame connected in an L shape, with sheets hanging from the ceiling to block off the bathroom area from the rest of the apartment. Beyond that was a little sitting area, bookshelves that half blocked the Arch Fix windows of the north wall, the East and West walls were original factory windows, the small square windows that made up the larger center windows on those walls were checkered with paint and brown construction paper. The apartment was run down, mismatched and all over the place. But Sunshine loved it, it was her place, her stuff and her first greatest accomplishment of her life, besides finding her way out of the hell hole she was raised in, in Detroit. Setting her bag down on her kitchen table and rubbing her face, she turned to her sink, taking a pot off the top shelf above the make shift stove and filled it with water and set it on the hot plate to boil. As her water boiled, she went to her 'closet' on the West wall and pulled out her short shorts and a tank top. It was going to be a hot night according to what the weather man was talking about on the radio in the dressing room of the Carolina Moon. So, Sunshine dressed light to sleep in, pulled off the heavy blanket from her queen sized bed and left the sheet, she also cracked open the factory windows and one of the Arch Fix windows to get a good cross breeze going. By then her water was in full boil and she tossed in some pasta noodles and waited for them to cook. She turned her back to the hot plate and looked around the quiet apartment and sighed, sitting down at the kitchen table and digging through her bag, Sunshine pulled out her cell phone and replied to Shelly's text, letting her know that she got home safe. She sat at the table, her bowl of pasta sitting half eaten between her arms as she stared at a single name in her contacts. She licked and bit her lip, contemplating what to do. Looking to the clock above her refrigerator, it was a quarter to midnight. Sunshine sighed, clicking the name, opening a new text message window and typing out a quick message. Finishing up her dinner dishes, her phone went off on her table. Drying her hands and picking it up, she smiled involuntarily. Jeff: See you kept my number. Sunshine: Of course. Anything else would have been rude. There was several minutes before Jeff's next text message and by then Sunshine was in bed. They talked none stop until almost three in the morning, when they finally said good night to each other and went to bed. & Sunshine sat on the luckily covered bus stop bench as the rain poured. The La Niña year was letting Cameron have it, especially on this night. Sunshine had just gotten off an eight hour shift at the club, missed the ten o'clock bus home and sat on the bench, not so patiently waiting, for the last bus of the night to show up. She shifted forward looking down the road where the bus would be coming and only saw the headlights of a small car. Resting back against the glass wall of the bus stop covering, she stared up at the graffiti-ed ceiling. The small car drove by the stop and disappeared behind a dark bend. Sunshine turned her attention to the road as the road was lite up by headlights again, but coming from the wrong direction. She looked and saw the small car had turned around and come back, stopping at the bus stop. Her heart pounded erratically, she was alone, defenseless and no one was around to hear her if she screamed. She prepared herself the best she could as the door of the car opened. “Sunshine?” The familiar voice called to her. “Jeff?” she answered back. Jeff got out of his car, closing the door and stepped out of the rain and under the covering. He looked down at the girl, seeing the relief on her face. “What are you doing out here?” he asked her. “What does it look like?” She replied, looking around where they were. “I'm at a bus stop, waiting for my bus, to go home.” she told him. Jeff looked from her, to his car and back. “I could drive you home.” “Uh...” Sunshine chewed on her lip. “I don't know. I.....” “I won't hurt you.” Jeff said, cutting off her excuse. “That's my last intention. If you feel better about it, I'll drop you off a few blocks from your place, so I won't know where you live and I won't follow you.” The two stared at each other for the longest time, the rain growing heavier and colder, as if a hint to Sunshine to go with Jeff. This was the man she spent hours on end thinking about and texting. Her mind settled it, moving her to action. She grabbed her bag and stood up, eyes still locked with Jeff as she became toe to toe with him. Sunshine was a good five foot four and Jeff still loomed above her at six foot two, and for whatever reason, whenever they were toe to toe like they were now, Sunshine was put at ease. His height, his predominate muscles and all around presence made her feel safe. She nodded not looking up to him. Jeff nodded back. “Just tell me where to go.” he said, going around to the passenger side and opening the door for her. “Thanks. I will.” She answered, slipping by him and into the passenger seat. Jeff hoped into the driver's seat and looked at Sunshine, a smile coming over his face, instantly reminding Sunshine that she had to tell him what direction to go. “Oh, right. Sorry.” she stammered. “Go straight.” she told him. “Alrighty, then.” Jeff replied, shifting the still running car into drive. “Off we go.” “Tell me something, Jeff.” Sunshine spoke, staring out the passenger window. “If you tell me something after.” he answered, chuckling gently. “Fair enough.” Sunshine replied, shifting to look down at her folded hands. “What were you doing out this way?” she asked. “From everything we've talked about, there isn't anything out this way for you to be at.” “There's one thing.” Jeff told her, looking at her from the corner of his eyes. Sunshine gave Jeff a quick glance, before going back to her hands. “Me.” she answered for him. “Yes.” Jeff nodded. “Now, you have to tell me something, something that's been nagging on me since we met.” She was starting to regret this. “What is it?” “Eye contact.” Jeff came out with it. “You never look me in the eyes. I can't tell you how many times we're together and I wish you would. It's like I need it, like if you don't I might die and I somehow survive that one last time you didn't and don't know how I'll survive the next time until it comes.” It struck Sunshine then and there, like a sky scraper of brick falling on her. Blinding tears welled up in her eyes and the first jerky breath drew in through her nose, sharply. Sunshine bit down hard on her lip, trying to stop it, but she lost against the choking emotion and thoughts. She jerked forward slightly as Jeff slammed on his brakes, hearing her tears. He looked at her, surprised and shocked. He watched the tears drip from her jawline onto her pants. Tears of his own rose, making his blue-green eyes shine as he reached out to her, sliding his hand over her shoulder to the back of her neck, where it rested and pulled her to him. Sunshine's head rested on his shoulder, her arms snaking under his arms and around his torso and his arms wrapped around her shoulders. “I'm sorry.” Jeff whispered into her hair. “I'm so, so sorry.” He apologized to her over and over again, like a broken record. They sat there in the middle of the road in the pouring rain, holding each other, Sunshine silently crying and Jeff trying to soothe her and fix what he seemed to have broken. “It's not you.” She sniffed. Jeff moved his head, looking at her. “Then, what's wrong?” he asked. “I never look anyone in the eyes.” Sunshine professed to him. “I haven't in a very long time.” “Why?” Jeff asked. “Somethings need to stay buried, even if they still remain to haunt you.” She whispered, looking down with a faint smile. Jeff smiled back, feeling a comfortable change settle into them. His arm moved and brushed her hair back from her face. Leaning close to her, he placed gentle kiss on her cheek. Sunshine bit her lip, blushing like a school girl. Jeff smiled even more, assured that their feelings were mutual. “If you turn you here, you get to my building.” Sunshine said after her cheeks cooled down. Jeff looked up, reality flooding him. “Oh, right.” he laughed, turning the corner. & “This is where you live?” Jeff asked following Sunshine up the stairs to the fourth floor where her apartment was. She had managed somehow to get the nerve to ask and allow Jeff up. She spent half the time walking upstairs trying to figure how she let it bubble out of her like it did. “Yeah, it use to be a plane factory during World War II. But after the war, plane building for the U.S military became a private contract deal and it sat empty until the Sixties when it was converted into an apartment building.” She explained to him, stopping at her door. Jeff frowned down at her as she paused and counted down from five on her hand. When all her fingers were down the door across the hallway opened and Frank stood in his doorway, taking a long pull off his beer. “Well, what do we have here?” Frank said, wiping his mouth on his forearm. Sunshine took a deep breath in, lightly growling as her anger started up. “Go away, Frank.” She said, through a clinched jaw. “You know Oliver and Cora don't like it when girls like you bring work home.” Frank said in a taunting voice. Sunshine relaxed, her face blank as she turned around and faced Frank. “Girls like me, that bring work home?” she said in matter of fact voice. “They wouldn't like it, if a girl like me brought work home.” “That's what I said.” Frank's taunting tone rose. “Maybe, I should get my cell here out,” he pulled his beat up, out of date cell phone from the pocket of his stained sweatpants and waved it in view of Sunshine and Jeff. “And tell Oliver what you brought him over here for, hm?” His snotty little -hm- is what tore it for Sunshine. Her eyes flared wide with blistering anger as she growled and dropped her bag on the floor with her keys. Frank gasped, dropping his phone and before Jeff could react to stop her, Sunshine launched at Frank, sending them both flying back into his apartment. Faye screamed jumping off the couch as the two landed. Sunshine, on top of Frank, sat up on him, raising her tightly balled fist and slamming it down onto his face as fast, hard and as many times as she could before he pushed her off, sending her into a wall. She groaned, the back of her head hitting the brick wall, not giving her enough time to move out of Frank's incoming fist, that in connected with her nose. She groaned again, blood spilling out of her nose. He punched her one more time, splitting her bottom lip, before she gained enough thought to move, sliding to the left as his fist came back at her, but missed and hit the brick wall behind her. Frank bent forward, babying his probably broken hand. “You dirty bitch.” Frank barked, looking up at her. “You dirty whoring, slut!” Sunshine let the heavy blood in her mouth pool for a second, then spit it in Frank's face. “Dirty whore!” She yelled as Jeff wrapped his arms around her waist, trying to pull her out of the apartment. “Now, you can share this dirty slut's diseases and STD's!!” she screamed, spitting more blood at Frank. “I'm sorry.” Jeff called over Sunshine and Frank's yelling to Faye. “I'm sorry.” he said again, grabbing Frank and Faye's door. “You crazy, Danish bitch, I'll have you deported!” Frank barked as Jeff slammed their door closed. Jeff kept hold of Sunshine as she kicked at Frank's door and wiggled to get out of his grip and back at Frank. He leaned down, scooping up her bag and keys from the ground in front of her door, found the key that let them in and hauled Sunshine into her apartment. He let her go, sending her stumbling into her kitchen table. “What cock sucking, good for nothing....” “Sunshine, stop.” Jeff snapped. “You heard what he fucking said, Jeff.” she snapped back, blood dripping from her nose and lip all over her clothes and floor. “He fucking suggested, all but said right out, that the only reason you're here is for me to screw for money and kick out. I'm a damn stripper, not a shit head prostitute!” she ranted. “I'm sick and fucking tired of people assuming the worst shit about me. I'm not a slut. I'm not some spread legged whore, fucking every guy that walks by for money or whatever. I don't even wanna work at the damn Carolina Moon, I just...” she sniffled, overwhelmed. She dropped into a chair at the table, fighting back another onslaught of tears. Jeff sighed, “It's okay.” he whispered, spotting a dish towel on the edge of the sink. “Can I use this?” he asked, picking it up. Sunshine motioned with her hand for him too. He pulled out another chair from the table and moved it closer to her and sat down. He raised her head and carefully wiped away the blood from her face and held it to her lip, her nose had luckily stopped bleeding. Sunshine looked down at her clothes, she was wearing the new shirt she bought for performances, but now it was covered in blood, beyond bringing it back. She sighed heavily, looking up at Jeff, who still sat inches in front of her, staring at her. “What?” she asked, tossing the bloody dish towel to the table and getting up. “You gunna tell me how much of crazy woman, I am?” she asked going into her make shift bathroom to change her clothing. “No.” Jeff shook his head. “I'm rather impressed though.” “Oh, really?” Sunshine snorted, coming out and going over to her Arch Fix windows and looking down at the semi empty street, half making sure that Jeff's sweet ass BMW wasn't stripped and setting on blocks. It wasn't. “Of what?” she asked, turning and setting down on the floor against the wall below the open window. Jeff stared at her from across the distance of her whole apartment, feeling to him, like they were oceans away from each other, once again, just like when they first met. “You beat him pretty good. He'll have two very nice black eyes from the level of one of the punches you landed on him, square dead in the middle of his eyebrows and no doubt a broken right hand.” Sunshine shrugged, lulling her head to the side and staring out one of her large factory windows. “Luck.” she replied. Jeff nodded, getting the want of a changed topic. “So, you're Danish.” he said, obeying with want. “Yep.” Sunshine confirmed. “Both my parents.” “Were you born there?” Jeff asked. Sunshine nodded, “In Helsingbrog, it's north of Copenhagen.” she answered. “But my dad and me left when I was a few months old to New York for a little bit, then we finally settled in Detroit.” “What about your mom?” Jeff asked, absorbing everything she was telling him. “Why didn't she go with you guys?” “She abandoned us.” Sunshine said, quietly.