"Oh yeah, looks like you landed right on a cigarette. I'll get the burn cream and a gauze pad." She turned away quickly, opening the linen closet and staring past the cream. Why do you always end up getting hurt? "This happened at the club?"

"Right in the middle of the first set."

Laura rested her fingers on the tube of burn cream. "And things like this happen often?"

"Not often but once in a while. Usually they don't get to do more than cop a feel before the bouncers get hold of them."

And copping a feel is okay? You've gotta get out of this line of work, she thought to herself before picking up the tube. "I have to clean it first before I can put the cream on it. Think you can hold your shirt up out of the way?"

"Yeah."

Crystal stood facing away from the mirror while Laura wiped the injured area with the soaked cotton balls. "So how are you going to work with that lip?"

"I'm not. People don't pay to see busted lips. I'll wait until the swelling goes down and see how good the makeup covers it. That and my back." "I don't know if you're interested or not but Michael was talking after you left about that new project his has downtown."

"The office remodeling he was talking about at dinner?"

"That's the one. He said he was in the demolition phase. You know, cleaning out the old sheetrock and carpeting and such." Tread carefully, Taylor. "He's looking for some extra help to haul things out of the building. It's hard labor but he pays well. I was even thinking of working a day or two after my writing deadline to earn a little extra cash."

"He'll hire people for just a day or two? What if they don't have experience in construction?"

"Well" Laura crouched down to get a better look at the burn. "How much experience do you need to pick up a piece of sheetrock and throw it in the dumpster?" She tossed the cotton ball in the wastebasket. "Ten bucks a hour."

"Ten? Just to clean out an old building?"

"Hold still," she admonished. "You were burned pretty good, Crystal. It blistered up and broke the skin. You'll have to be extra careful. It looks like it's in a tricky location."

Crystal reached behind her back, straining with her fingertips to reach the spot covered by tape and gauze. "It is. I can barely touch it." "I'll take care of it then. Just yell to me after your shower and I'll put a fresh bandage on it for you. And yeah, ten bucks an hour. It's hard work and the turnover rate is high enough at that price."

"You mean he can't keep people for that much money?"

Laura fastened the last piece of tape and straightened up. "Some people just don't want to work that hard, no matter how much the pay is. Since Michael can't afford to make it a long term job, most only stick around for just a few days while looking for other work."

"But if they did a good job, would he keep them on?" Crystal asked while lowering her shirt.

"I don't know. I imagine he always has a job or two that need to be done even with subcontractors. I've helped him out a few times for a day or two when he was shorthanded. It's hard work but he's always appreciative." Come on, Crystal. All the sweat is still ten times better than taking your clothes off for these people. Look what happened to you tonight. As much as she wanted to voice the words, Laura held back. She had dropped the hint. It was up to Crystal to take the next step and pushing her wouldn't make it happen.

The blonde woman turned around to face her. "Thanks for helping me with this."

"You're welcome. Are you sure you don't want to talk about what happened?" She put her hand on Crystal's shoulder but pulled it back when she felt the stiffness at her touch. "I really am a good listener. We can even go out on the deck if you want."

"No. It's late and you need to work on your book. I think I'm just going to go to bed."

"Are you coming to the game tomorrow?"

"Um, sure if you want."

"Good. Remind me to give you one of my hats to help keep the sun off your face. It gets pretty hot out there." The cream, cotton balls, gauze and peroxide were returned to the cabinet. Soon they were just standing there, in the bathroom with nothing to say. "Um, so uh." "Um, yeah. I guess I'll catch you tomorrow. Thanks again for helping me with this," Crystal said, pointing at the puffed lip, the ointment causing the light to reflect brightly off it.

"Of course. See you tomorrow. Pleasant dreams." She heard the low snort and the rustle of the paper bag as she reached for the door handle. She stepped into her own room and looked up at the ceiling. She's had a rough enough day. Please let her sleep easy tonight. Sighing with resignation that she had done all she could do, Laura sat down at the computer and looked at the screen, reacquainting herself with the last few paragraphs she had written. Cracking her knuckles to limber them up, she began typing, tuning out the world around her and focusing on her characters instead of the deadline.

One sentence, then two appeared on the screen. It's hot in here. Pushing with her feet, she wheeled her chair over to the sliding glass door and opened it, letting the night air in through the screen. Immediately the now familiar scent of pot mixed with incense filled the air. Hmm She sniffed the air again. It's not cherry or vanilla. Lilac? Listening carefully, she heard glass clinking together followed moments later by the sound of Crystal's lighter. The smell of pot grew stronger.

Standing and pushing her chair under the desk, Laura opened the door and walked across the landing to stand in front of Crystal's bedroom. She knocked lightly. "You busy?"

"Uh" Laura heard a drawer open followed by the sound of what she assumed to be Crystal's pot pipe being thrown in. "Come in."

"I um," Okay, so now what? "I was just wondering what scent this incense stick was." She walked over to the dresser and looked at the small cone burning in the metal dish.

"It's called Rain." Crystal was sitting on her bed, her legs tucked up beneath her. The lamp next to the bed was on, a mirror on the wall causing the light to reflect onto the white ceiling, giving the whole room a soft glow. The stripper had changed into gray shorts and a white undershirt, her breasts pressing hard against the thin white material.

"I don't think you've burned this one before." She picked up the box full of incense cones and read the label, deliberately keeping her eyes away from her roommate's obvious attributes. "Hard to tell though, you seem to use so many different varieties."

"It depends on my mood. Open that top drawer." Laura did as instructed and found several boxes of cones as well as long packs full of sticks and a curved piece of wood used to hold them.

"This one seems" She took another sniff and shrugged. "Reflective."

"I guess that's one way to put it."

"You burn them a lot. Is it just to hide the pot smell? I can't imagine even you smoke that much all the time."

"No, I don't smoke it every minute of the day," Crystal said, her smirk taking away anye.g.to her words. "I like the smells. When I was growing up, everything smelled like my father. His cigarettes, his cheap cologne" The pause caused Laura to turn and see Crystal shudder. "Just everything," the young woman said bitterly, reaching for her cigarettes. "Well" Now what do I say? If I had a father like yours, I'd do everything in my power to not be reminded of him too. "I like it. It makes the upstairs smell very nice. If you're just burning it," and nothing else, her eyes silently added, "you're welcome to leave your door open."

"Laura, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, anything." She tried to look at Crystal's eyes but they were hidden behind little slits. Must have really been hitting that pipe before I came in, she thought to herself. "Mind if I sit down?"

Crystal motioned at the foot of the bed. "Go ahead." She took a long drag on her cigarette, then watched the bluish-gray smoke swirl upward. "Did your father ever hit you?"

"When I was little I earned a spanking or two but not like you mean. He never did anything more than that." Laura pulled her feet up to sit crosslegged on the bed. "Sometimes he acted like a drill sergeant but even then he knew the difference between his recruits and his kids." "Must be nice." The head of the cigarette flared a bright orange as she once again inhaled the thick smoke. "Mine used to think that his fists solved everything. He" Crystal's voice trailed off and she looked away. "He used to h-hurt me."

Laura's heart lurched when she heard the hitch in her roommate's voice. Up until that point Crystal had only alluded to the abuse, not actually come out and said it. "Um, you know he can't hurt you now," she offered. Crystal responded by picking her half-empty glass and draining it. "Even after all this time I still have nightmares that he finds me and drags me back home with him." Eyelids made heavy by marijuana left her eyes as little more than slits but she still managed to focus on Laura. "Tonight

" She looked longingly at the nightstand drawer, obviously wanting the escape offered within it.

No, don't leave me now, she thought. Come on, Crystal, you're doing great. She sat up on her knees. "What happened tonight?"

"I it" Crystal started and stopped several times before throwing her hands up in frustration. The movement caused gray ash to fall off the end of her cigarette and onto the sheet.

Laura immediately shot up to brush it away lest a hot ash burn through. In the end she found herself stretched diagonally across the bed, her shoulders level with Crystal's hip. She rolled on her side and propped herself up on one elbow. "Shh," she cooed. "Just take a deep breath and try again."

"No, it's okay, I

"

"Crystal," she interrupted, moving up onto her knees again. "You can't sit here and tell me that whatever happened tonight didn't bother you. You had your lip practically split open, a cigarette burned into your back and God knows what else happened that you haven't told me." Taking a chance, she moved closer, her knees only inches from Crystal, who remained cross-legged at the head of the bed. "And I think whatever happened triggered something that made you think of your father."

"So what else is new?" she snorted, stubbing the cigarette out in the ashtray. "That bastard fucked up everything. Anything he touched, anything he said

" She reached for the paper bag and pulled the pint of whiskey out. "I hate him."

That's putting it mildly, Laura thought to herself. "Can I tell you something?" She waited until Crystal nodded. "I know we haven't known each other long and we're not exactly best friends."

"Not exactly," the blonde agreed.

"But" Laura smiled at interjection. "Just the same I've come to know you a little bit and I consider you a friend. I don't know if I should say anything or not but when I think of what he's done how he hurt you, well

I hate him too."

Crystal's eyes widened. She opened her mouth as if to say something then apparently thought the better of it, instead filling the glass with whiskey. Settling back with the glass in her hands, she looked down at the dark amber liquid. "Patty hated him too. I think Mom hated him but she was just too damn lazy to leave. She certainly didn't stay behind to protect us," she snarled, venom dripping from her words. "She left us alone to face him." The glass was raised and a good third of its contents drained. "Didn't expect such a fucked-up roommate, huh?" The single bulb of the lamp gave off enough light for Laura to see the shine of unshed tears in her eyes. Crystal set the glass down on the nightstand. "I used to wonder what I did that was so wrong that I got such a rotten family," she said, looking down at her lap.

Laura reacted the only way she could, lunging forward and wrapping her arms around the startled blonde. "We can't pick our families," she began, mindful of the stiffness of the body she was holding. "But when we become adults we can make new ones."

"With my luck it'd be just like choosing up sides for kickball in school," Crystal said quietly.

"Oh no," Laura whispered, adjusting her hold so the younger woman's head was nestled just under her chin. "I'd pick you for my team anytime." Can't you believe that someone could want you? That you're worth caring for? She ended the hug with a quick squeeze and moved back, giving what she sensed to be much needed space to Crystal after the awkward embrace. "I love my brother dearly but I always did wish for a little sister." Crystal shot her a look. "Okay, maybe not one as complex as you, but just the same" Laura tried, relieved when she saw the barest of smiles touch her roommate's face.