Hadley :: you gotta be bold

[JOHN ADAM DAVIDSON JR.]

OUTFIT

Jack wasn't a fan of long shifts. He preferred mornings, with the bustle of check outs and check ins to worry about. But the sun was setting behind the not so distant mountains and he was still standing behind the counter in his mandatory khakis and green polo shirt embossed with the logo of the resort. He felt pretty ridiculous in the get up, but he was glad at least that he could wear comfortable shoes as opposed to shiny dress shoes that bellhops had to wear.

Jack passed the time by reorganizing the front desk. He placed hte post-its by the pens, which he moved to the right of the computer, calibrated the printer and double checked the logs on the main computer. His shift still wasn't over though and he sighed, running his fingers through his long hair.

He'd begun to flip through a home decor magazine (some where left in the lobby like in a doctor's office) because looking at women's clothes was boring on the page. Jack was softly chuckling at the descriptions on a page about down comforters when he heard the automated door slide open and in came a woman. She was pretty, blond, but her clothes were worn, dirty and wrinkled. The resort has a policy about vagabonds, and as this was an upscale place, Jack was supposed to kick her out.

But something in her eyes told him she wasn't used to being on the street, and maybe she had saved money in order to run away here. Though if he were going to be a tramp, he's use his money somewhere less expensive. "Can I help you miss?" He called to her from the desk.

[HADLEY CLARISSE FAIRCHILD]

OUTFIT

Wandering into the resort hadn't seemed like a particularly bad idea until she actually did it. Truthfully, Hadley should have been well aware of the fact that she looked ridiculous. She'd done what she could to keep herself as clean as possible, but there was nothing she could do about the fact that she only had one set of clothes, which was well-wrinkled and dirty by this point. She most likely looked homeless, which, in fact, was what she was. Tugging awkwardly at a strand of her hair, she debated turning around and running back out the door before anyone actually noticed her. Unfortunately, the guy at the desk was reasonably good at his job, and before she could even begin to turn around, he asked if he could help her.

This was the point at which she ought to have asked whether there were any jobs available, but it seemed like a ridiculous and particularly desperate thing to ask at the start of a conversation. Besides, given her state of dress, it was unlikely that the guy behind the counter would think she was even worth of working in such a place. Biting her lip, she wondered what she could possibly say that wouldn't result in too much embarrassment. She scuffed the toe of her boot against the floor and let out a sigh. "I just... I was just... I mean... um..." Much to her horror, tears began to prick at Hadley's eyes, and she quickly raised a hand to brush them away.

Figuring it couldn't get much worse than it already was, she finally offered, "I'm sorry... I'm just... lost." She was a terribly liar, and she had no doubt that her feeble explanation wouldn't be believed, but it was the best she could come up with on the spur of the moment.

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[JOHN ADAM DAVIDSON JR.]

Jack was a sucker for women in distress, as much as he hated to admit it. Not that he made a habit of doting on any transient with a cute face, but something about this woman had him curious. The way she had no idea what to say, and obviously wasn't lost in the classic sense-- Jack guessed she had no where to go. "Do you have anywhere to go?" He asked her, not sure if he could really help her all that much. Were there any homeless shelters around here? He never thought to find out.

Jack shook his head, closed the magazine and pulled a chair from the lobby over to the desk, motioning to it with one hand. "Can I get you some food or something?" He asked, unable to simply turn her away. Maybe he could offer her a shower and to do her laundry, borrow a bathrobe in the meantime.... Maybe that was nuts but Jack had few reservations about new people, which wasn't always the smartest.

She looked so small and scared. She also didn't look like someone who would usually look like she did, and he wondered if something happened. Had she been in an accident?

[HADLEY CLARISSE FAIRCHILD]

The guy would have been well within his rights to send her back out the way she had come in, but, for whatever reason, he seemed to feel like helping Hadley. Really, she had no idea why he had done so. Her lie had been painfully obvious, and he certainly didn't know enough about her to assume why she was really there. For all he knew, she might have been trying to case the place. Feeling more than a little awkward, she stuffed her hands into the pockets of her jeans and debated turning back toward the door. The guy was faster than she was, though, and she found herself fighting tears again when he asked whether she had somewhere to go. She supposed it was relatively obvious that she didn't, of course. Anyone who actually had a home to go back to would have been dressed better. Even so, his question only served to remind her that, at present, she was alone and she was going to have to depend on the kindness of others.

Reluctantly, she took a couple of steps toward him before letting out a sigh. "I don't," she admitted. It almost hurt to admit it, and she focused her eyes on the toes of her shoes, unwilling to let herself see his reaction. He wouldn't be impressed, and Hadley wasn't used to feeling like a disappointment. Granted, this guy could have no real expectations for her, but she somehow figured he must be disappointed to have found a disheveled and obviously homeless woman when she'd walked through the door.

He moved another chair over toward the desk, and Hadley glanced from him to the seat he was gesturing for her to take. Chewing her lower lip, she debated what she should do. She was not yet in far enough to be stuck, and she could certainly run away. She hadn't even introduced herself, so it wasn't as if this guy could find her. On some level, she was aware of the obvious danger of placing her trust in someone she'd only just met, but he seemed uncommonly nice, and sitting with him at the front desk of the resort hardly put her in peril.

Finally deciding that she hadn't come all this way for nothing, Hadley crossed the room and gingerly sat in the chair he'd offered, her fingers immediately moving to play with her hair. Eyes still focused on her feet, she wondered what to do next. She didn't have time to formulate a plan, as the guy proceeded by asking if he could get her something to eat. As if on cue, Hadley's stomach rumbled audibly, and she blushed. "I'm really not the hobo type... I mean... I'm usually a lot cleaner and not so... well... I just mean... Nevermind," she mumbled, unable to come up with any reasonable explanation that didn't involve telling him the truth. "I'm Hadley. And food would be nice, but I can't let you just give me things... It's not right..." Hadley frowned at the thought. She couldn't convince herself that it was alright to take a person's help when she had nothing to offer in return.

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[JOHN ADAM DAVIDSON JR.]

Jack watched her nervously cross the room to sit in the chair he had provided. She was a like a deer on the side of the road, big, wide, nervous eyes accompanied by a lithe gait that hesitated slightly before moving as if each step brought fresh peril.Something about that look was what got to him, something about her was different and he couldn't quite bring himself to turn her away.

"I'm Jack," He offered when she told him her name. Hadley. It was a strange name, certainly uncommon, but he liked it. It was much better than John anyway, what sort of stuffy, old fashioned cop-out name was John anyway? "Well, the Bible says 'give and ye shall receive', right?" He said with an easy smile. Sometimes god was a good tactic to take to get people to take what you were offering. "In any case, what goes around comes around, and its any guys pleasure to help a woman in trouble." He said, being honest. Every guy wanted to be a hero.

He rummaged in a small mini fridge behind the front desk, since the restaurant wasn't open any more that night. "Looks like I have half a turkey sandwich...?" He offered, holding it up. He knew it wasn't much, but it was food.

[HADLEY CLARISSE FAIRCHILD]

If she'd been on top of things, Hadley might have questioned the motives of someone who so openly welcomed her without questions. She wasn't stupid. She knew how she had to look, and it was pretty obvious that anyone who looked like a hobo and wandered into a ritzy resort such as this was probably looking for a handout. Once they'd been introduced, though, Hadley figured there was no turning back. To begin with, he was bound to recognize her name. It wasn't exactly common. If anyone actually did come looking for her, she was stuck with the realization that Jack would at least be able to tell them she'd been here. Rationalizing that she was at risk already, she figured sticking around a little longer couldn't really hurt.

A small smile flitted across her face when he mentioned the Bible. Wouldn't his Sunday School teacher be proud? Rather than voicing this thought, she blushed and let out a polite chuckle. "Unless my mama taught me wrong, that's what it says," she agreed. Of course, she hadn't spent a great deal of time at church until she'd gotten to college, but she did at least have a basic knowledge of religion. She found the thought that Jack was at least somewhat religious to be oddly comforting, and her posture relaxed a bit. Maybe spending a little time here wouldn't be bad.

His suggestion that she was in trouble melted the smile right off her face. Instinctively, she frowned at him. "No one said I was in trouble," she groused. It was a pointless argument, really. Women who weren't in trouble didn't run around hungry, homeless, and in dirty clothes. Her somber expression probably made her look like a petulant child, but she couldn't help it. Of course, Jack was offering to help her, and arguing with him probably wouldn't get her anywhere, so she quickly proceeded to compose herself as he rummaged around in the mini fridge.

By the time he emerged with half a sandwich in his hand, she'd resumed a much more polite expression. Her stomach soon began rumbling again, and she was left with no choice but to accept his offer. With a half smile, Hadley gingerly reached for the sandwich. "Turkey happens to be my favorite," she assured him, though she figured pretty much anything would be her favorite at this point.

Feeling more than a little awkward, she unwrapped the sandwich and nibbled at it a bit. "I'm sorry... I just... It's been a rough few weeks," she admitted, though if she was honest, rough didn't begin to describe it and the problems she'd been dealing with had lasted much more than a few weeks. Shaking her head a bit, she blushed at her lack of manners. "And thank you.... I should have said that before..."

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[JOHN ADAM DAVIDSON JR.]

Jack grinned at her lightly. Hadley had a little wit and spunk in her, despite her obvious lack of street-know-how. He was glad not to be met with some sort of religious fanaticism or a roll of the eyes. At her indignant look, Jack had to fight the strong urge to chuckle, unable to let the obvious lie slide by so easily he said, "Right, and I don't work here." He winked lightly, not meaning her any harm.

All the same, Hadley accepted his half a sandwich and gingerly started eating it with small, careful bites.It made Jack think of Psycho and the scene with Norman and Marion "You eat like a bird. Though that's not very accurate, birds actually eat a great deal." Something like that anyway, Jack's quoting skills weren't always that good, and he certainly didn't want to suggest he was a psychopath greeting a women to his establishment.

Jack nodded softly at her words. "You're welcome... wanna talk about it?" He asked. It was a slow night at the front desk, not a lot going on, he had time for her. Maybe he could offer her some options, as he knew the neighborhood fairly well.

[HADLEY CLARISSE FAIRCHILD]

Hadley wanted to be annoyed with him. Really, she did. She wasn't a child, and she prided herself on the fact that she really didn't need to be taken care of. Except that she knew she was lying to herself. At this point, she really did need the help. She'd run out of money, she'd run out of food, and she'd run out of options. Letting out a short huff, she turned her attention toward the sandwich he offered her. Food, at least, kept her mouth occupied enough that she didn't have to say much.

Of course, she could only expect Jack's hospitality to last so long without an explanation. After all, she was a complete stranger, and she looked like a transient. Brushing the crumbs from the sandwich away from the corners of her mouth, she debated her options. She wasn't exactly jumping at the chance to tell anyone what was actually going on. At the same time, though, she had to offer Jack something believable, and her best option for doing that was telling him at least part of the truth.

Her fingers knotted and unknotted and she stared at her toes as she talked. "It's just... I had been seeing this guy... We dated for years. Since college... And we broke up. It was kind of bad... Really bad, actually. And he was so angry... I just didn't think sticking around was a good idea." There. She probably sounded incoherent, but it was enough of a story that he hopefully wouldn't think she was a drug addict or something.

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[JOHN ADAM DAVIDSON JR.]

As soon as her story was out, he understood. Abuse. Right? It had to be, she had no one to go to because all her ties had been cut by this asshole ex, whoever he was. At least, that's what made sense to Jack, but he didn't feel like prying anymore. "I'm glad you're not like a heroin addict on the run from the police or something." He said with a soft chuckle, trying to lighten the mood a little.

The clock was about to come to the end of his shift, and someone would come to relieve him... someone who might not let her continue to sit there quietly. Jack bit his lip lightly as his brain hurriedly weighed the pros and cons and what he could do and he didn't think it was smart, but he went on anyway.

"Do you want to use my shower? I'll give you one of those plush resort bathrobes and we can throw your clothes in the washer...?" Jack offered. She was harmless, she just needed help. Right? And since his shift was almost over, he could make sure he didn't lose any of his money or other belongings. "I live here at the resort, so you don't have to go anywhere. I promise I won't try anything." Jack added sincerely.

He wasn't the type to get his kicks with some poor and helpless woman.

[HADLEY CLARISSE FAIRCHILD]

The pieces seemed to fall together all too quickly for Jack, and he accepted her story without further question. Frowning slightly, she wondered whether he'd somehow known enough to read into what had actually happened. Shaking her head, she dismissed the idea. Surely that wasn't possible... Unless he'd been close to someone who'd been through it before? She supposed his line of work might have been a reasonable way for him to be exposed to abusive relationships, as well. Abuse was all about power, and power and wealth generally went hand in hand in her experience. With a sigh, she forced herself to focus on their conversation. She didn't need to leave him an opening to ask any more questions. It couldn't take him too long to ask something she couldn't or wouldn't answer. With a small smile, she acknowledged his joke, but she couldn't bring herself to laugh. She was on the run, after all. Just not from the authorities.

For some reason she couldn't quite place, she felt a small change in the air around them. Maybe it was Jack deciding to trust her. Or maybe she'd subconsciously decided to let him help her if he would. Nevertheless, she was slightly surprised by his offer. She was, of course, much in need of a shower, but it seemed silly to agree to put herself in what could easily be a vulnerable situation. Her eyes briefly traveled to her wrist where a couple of stubborn, finger-shaped bruises were yellowing. Jack seemed nice enough, but no one really seemed bad from the start. In the end, the promise of a hot shower was more than she could resist, and she found herself all too ready to believe him when Jack promised not to try anything.

Raking a hand through her dirty hair, she turned her eyes up to meet his, doing her best to appear as though she was still considering her options when, in fact, she'd already decided. "Fine," she answered after a few seconds. "But eventually, when I get my shit together, you have to let me pay you back. Buy you lunch or something." She had no clue how she'd ever be able to do that or if he'd actually be willing to accept the offer, but Hadley wasn't good at taking help without strings.

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[JOHN ADAM DAVIDSON JR.]

Jack smiled softly and nodded. "Sure, when you can." He wasn't about to offer up everything for free, but he doubted that he'd get much in return besides her company. (Not that that was really a bad thing). But maybe he was wrong about her being able to make it up to him. Either way, he was already somewhat risking his position for her but he couldn't help it. Something about her made it impossible for him to avert his eyes and pay no mind to her suffering. Some things, some people, were like that.

At that moment, his relief came and Jack didn't explain, greeted his coworker and then promptly ushered Hadley around the corner, putting his hand on her upper back. Normally he wouldn't have touched her, but he didn't need his coworker asking questions. Once they were out of sight, he immediately dropped his hand, having already promised not to try anything, and said, "Sorry, I mean, I'm sort of breaking the rules here." But Jack smiled at her.

He led the way down the hall and around another corner to a quiet section of the hotel, away from most things, but close to the kitchen and industrial washers. Jack stopped at his room and slid in his key card, holding the door open for her to go inside first. It was of course, a hotel room in essence. The bed, desk and other furniture were nice but uninspired. The comforter was a navy blue, the wallpaper was pale gray with vines. But there were family photos on several surfaces and a large bathroom with blue, green and teal marble.

"So," Jack said, a little uncertain suddenly. "Obviously the shower's in there, and I'll go get you a bathrobe and then I can throw your stuff in the washer." He said, moving back toward the door. "Make yourself at home and uh, I'll be back." Jack slipped out again, feeling weird for leaving her alone in what was basically his 'apartment'.

[HADLEY CLARISSE FAIRCHILD]

Somehow, her acceptance of his offer seemed to drain a bit of the tension from the moment, and Hadley couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. That was, of course, until Jack's coworker appeared to relieve him and her new companion's hand moves to rest on the small of her back. Instantly, Hadley felt herself stiffen. Trusting someone enough to accept their help was so very different from welcoming their touch. In the back of her mind, she knew he couldn't really mean anything by it, but she couldn't help the deer-in-headlights look that crossed her face as they rounded the corner. The moment his hand dropped, Hadley found that she could breathe more easily again, and she offered Jack a wan smile in response to his apology. She hated to think that he was breaking rules for her. She found it hard to believe she was actually worth the trouble. Even so, she was grateful for his help, and she wasted no time in telling him so.

Being left alone in Jack's makeshift apartment wasn't what Hadley had expected, and she soon found herself feeling anxious again. Her nerves weren't exactly helping her at this point, though, so she crossed the room to look at the family pictures that were stacked here and there. A hesitant smile crossed her lips, but it quickly faded. Jack's family pictures reminded her of her own family. She'd hardly spoken to them as of late, and Hadley couldn't help but think that she'd be lucky to get to see them again. Tears pricked at her eyes and she quickly dashed them away with the back of her hand when she heard the click of the door opening again.

[JOHN ADAM DAVIDSON JR.]

He half expected her to be gone when he came back, too nervous to do anything, or having taken his cash or something, but there she was, looking at his family photos and he smiled softly. She must have missed her family... had they died? Was she on her way to them now? He didn't ask. Jack tucked the new bathrobe on top of his plaid one on the back of the bathroom. "Well, its ready in there when you are." He said, moving by her to get to his drawers. He was off work after all and there was no need for him to stay in this awful uniform.

Though was it better to wear real clothes? He had just planned on pajamas. Should he offer her a big t-shirt or something? Jack had already gone so far, it seemed dumb to not just give it his all. He was already harboring a stranger. Jack couldn't believe himself. Not that he wasn't usually charitable and open minded, but this was a stretch, even for him. Jack pulled out a pair on pajama pants and a t shirt and tossed them on his bed to change into once she got in the shower.

Hadley still seemed to be looking at the photos. "That's my brother," Jack said pointing to the man in uniform, "And those are my parents." He chuckled softly at the next picture, showing two middle aged but happy faces on a christmas card.

[HADLEY CLARISSE FAIRCHILD]

The most logical thing to do would have been to venture into the bathroom once Jack had left the robe for her. Hadley couldn't quite convince herself to leave the pictures, though. It was a sweet sort of torture, forcing herself to remember the family that she'd effectively cut herself off from. Gingerly, she reached for a picture of Jack and another man, who he explained was his brother. Nodding quietly, she replaced the frame, wondering whether it had been okay for her to pick it up in the first place.

Almost without realizing it, she began to reply to him, finding it almost impossible not to talk about her own family. "I have two younger sisters," she admitted. "I haven't seen them in years... It's been a long time since I've seen any of my family, really. We used to be pretty close. But everything went to crap after I went to college..." Clamping her mouth shut, she determined not to say any more. If she did, she might say too much. Shaking her head, she let out a small but sad laugh. "I'm just going to..." she murmured, rushing off toward the bathroom.

Twenty minutes later, she was warm and clean, though she smelled rather like a man for having used Jack's soap and shampoo. She tugged the plush robe on and tied it around her waist. It was hopeless trying to look nice, but she did her best to arrange the garment so that it covered as many of her left over bruises as possible. If she was lucky it would stay in place, but she knew that was unlikely. Maybe she'd simply be lucky enough that Jack wouldn't ask too many questions.

Padding out of the bathroom with her dirty clothes tucked under her arm, she made her way back into the main part of Jack's room. "Thanks again," she murmured, unsure what she ought to do now.

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[JOHN ADAM DAVIDSON JR.]

Jack listened quietly as she spoke about her younger sisters, why the falling out? He understood that college could strain things, so could the marine core, but that wasn't much of an excuse. But he didn't feel like he should pry. Hadley seemed so fragile to Jack and he wanted to help, not scare her away.

She got in the shower and once the water was running, he changed into an old soft t shirt from college and a pair of flannel pajama bottoms, he put on socks for good measure since he had to wash her clothes--which he should have asked for sooner so they could wash while she was, but oh we'll. Jack ran his fingers through his hair before sitting back on his couch to watch the TV. That seemed less awkward that being on his bed when Hadley returned. She didn't take long, which surprised him and when she thanked him, he nodded lightly, feeling a little uncomfortable about being thanked so much. "don't mention it." he said with a smile.

Jack stood up, "well do you mind if do my laundry with yours? It's kind of a big washer." He said, hoping she wouldn't mind. It was less of a waste of water in any case.