noteasytobepink | Wheelsy AU ~ Phonecall 1

Wheelsy AU ~ Phonecall 1

Starla tapped her fingers on the counter and held the phone tucked next to her ear. It was clean, and neat, but not exactly the color she'd wanted for her kitchen. She'd have to see if the rental agreement would let her change the counters to something lighter, something less black marble and more wood perhaps? A light pine? Regardless, it was something to think about while the phone rang.

And rang.

And rang.

Of course Bill wasn't home, it was the middle of the day over on that coast! Why had she thought he might be? She nibbled a lip and heard the distinctive rattle of the answering machine getting ready to click over. All the money the government had thrown at Wheelsy to get it rebuilt from it's 'natural disaster' and Bill still hadn't upgraded to a better machine. "You still have a tape, Bill?" she laughed when it finally clicked on. "Still? Haven't I been telling you to upgrade since before I came out here? What happened to the one I got you for Christmas? I eve put a nice recording on it for you!" He was still Bill. Ever, and always, Bill.

"Anyway, that part I told you about? I got it! Not even an understudy, isn't that great?" She was beaming ta her kitchen, a bright, accomplished smile. "It's just like I dreamed back when we were little!" Oh, click, message ended. Oh she hadn't even...

...right, dialing back, listening to the rings. "Sorry about that. You need a better machine Bill! Anyway, I was wondering if you could get the 15th and 16th off next month? I've been saving a bit and I do still need an escort to the premier of our movie. Call me back alright?"

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"Alright, I guess I'll be there, then."

He was at it again with the blushing, this time at the thought of going out to see Starla.

"It'll be nice t'see you again."

"I've missed you too Bill. I don't think I'm going to let you sleep at all for talking!" About a lot. She'd found a shrink, she needed to talk. "It must be getting late there though. You're three hours ahead!"

It was strange how good hearing she missed him made him feel, but it did.

Smile warm and pleased, Bill didn't care about the clock at all.

"I just got home, so it's alright. Be up watchin' Sports Center or somethin'. You probably got a day ahead of you, though. Big actress an' all, so if you gotta go I'll let you."

"Bill, you gonna make me act like a highschooler again, staying up late on the phone?" She chuckled softly, regaining her own drawl slowly. She'd been working on not sounding quite so small town while acting. "We do that too long and your momma gonna yell up the stairs at you."

And since Bill seemed to be dragging things out, well, Clarice was going to take a late night shower?

"Now there's the Starla I know," he said when he heard her accent creeping back in.

"An' I'll have you know I always went to bed at a reasonable hour in school. Education's important."

He did feel a bit like a teenager again, but acting this way now made up for back then, when he didn't get this kind of thing with her.

"I also offered t'let you go, so if we keep talkin' late it's your fault." You could hear the grin in his voice, and he didn't even notice the bathroom door closing on Clarice.

"'Course, if you called a bit more often I might not hang onto the phone so long, either."

"Now that, Bill, is a lie. I distinctly remember being up to all hours with you on the phone and your momma loud enough to hear over the line!" Starla laughed, knowing those nights were usually the ones when she called late at night because her daddy had been drunk and it was best not to sleep then...

...still, he'd been up!

"You know you're a busy man Bill, and you best be gettin' some new people working for you soon or you're likely to burn right out! And I'm a busy girl too, Hollywood don't believe much in 'decent hours' and all." She'd call when she could though? "And I get so tired talking to the tape recorder you got!"

"My momma could be heard over a rock concert if you got her riled enough." He laughed, then cupped a hand over the phone and lowered his voice.

"Don't tell 'er I said that. She'll tan my backside if you did."

Taking a drink from his beer he gave a wistful sigh.

"I know it. An' the time difference don't help none, either."

Glancing towards the bathroom, Bill shifted on his seat and cleared his throat.

"But hey, uh, I did get some help for down at the station."

"Cross my heart Bill, not one word to your momma." By the slippery squeak of fabric she was probably drawing a finger over her chest! "Even if she can still turn you over her knee, and me too for not tellin' her."

Ah, yes, time difference but more importantly..."You did?! Oh good Bill! Who is it? Someone new? That boy you were tellin' me about that moved in after college?"

"I won't tell if you don't, so I think we're safe."

Scratching the back of his head, Bill wondered if he shouldn't tell her. All along he'd been arguing it wasn't a big deal, and in the end he decided to stick with that assessment.

"Actually, it is someone new in town. I kinda picked her up on the side of the road."

There was no 'kind of' about it, he did, but he chuckled to sell the joke.

"She's a girl, ran into a fix where she's from an' now she's here tryin' t'get back on her feet again."

"I dunno Bill, she makes those cookies to tempt me with and I may babble before I know it. I think the safest thing is to head off her baking sprees." Just in case and to avoid spankings!

"New? And just...oh." A girl. A wayward girl he'd picked up on the road? "A runaway Bill? Do you think the best place for a girl like that is Wheelsy? What if someone's lookin' for her? Should she be workin' for the Sheriff?" She couldn't help the questions really, she knew Bill and strays...and she could just imagine some teen hitchhiker selling a sob story.

That was what she was picturing, actually. "Did you talk to that new Pastor? I think he does some volunteer work with halfway homes..."

"You'd sqeal on me for cookies, Starla? That sounds more like me than you." Bill was an easy bribe with baked goods.

He quickle realized he'd gone wrong in describing Clarice and the situation, and tried to clear it up.

"She's not a runaway, I guess girl was the wrong way to describe her. She's a lady, an' the trouble she ran into was with her friend's ex. They got into it an' she got hurt."

He was a bit surprised how easily he got the story off, him not being the greatest liar.

"I'm lookin' after her now until they catch him, an' helpin' her out until she's settled."

"You have no idea how hard it is to get decent cookies out here without makin' 'em myself Bill. You'd think no one with any taste has moved out to California before. If it isn't healthy for you, or strange like artichoke bacon, then it's those Ottis Spunkmyer cookies. It's a shame Bill." And she was really, really put out by it honestly. Some day she'd just take a day to bake and take a whole batch to the film site.

"Oh," Well. That was better? And somehow worse. She wasn't exactly sure how she felt about someone else getting rescued by her favorite hero. Wasn't there a one damsel rule? And yes, she was rather certain she was a damsel, even if no longer in distress. It hurt a little. "Where by lookin' out for you mean employin'?"

"I guess you'll just have t'do some bakin' when I get there."

That 'Oh' twisted in his gut a little.

Clearing his throat, he hesitated while he searched for a reply.

"Well yeah, that. I uh-- I'm also puttin' her up for a bit."

He practically cringed, waiting for her response.

"Bill Pardy, are you tellin' me you aren't bringin' cookies with you?" She snapped cheerfully before that other statement hit her.

What?

No, what? Putting her up?

Like...at his house?

Living with Bill?

"Just until it's safe, right? Or until she can rent an apartment?"

"You really trust me t'make it all the way across the country with a bunch of cookies?"

The cheer was a relief, up until what he said must've caught up with her.

Working his throat, he nodded even though she couldn't see him.

"Yeah. Just until they catch the guy an' she can get a place of her own. Y'know I got that empty spare room, so I figured it'd be the safest and best place for her."

"And when's that gonna be Bill?" Just so she was clear. Not that she minded, really, someone living with Bill but...she minded a woman in THESE CIRCUMSTANCES living with Bill. "The precinct don't pay much, and is he on Most Wanted yet so people can help?" Even she really couldn't explain the feelings going on.

Bill needed to get married in her mind. She preferred it be a good woman and not a damsel who'd horn in on her spot in his life.

"I dunno, she just moved in so... could be a little while."

He toyed with his beer bottle, picking at the label.

"The department pays fine, it ain't no hardship on me. An' the guy ain't really Most Wanted caliber, but folks around here know t'be on the look out."

"By just moved in you mean like today?" How come no one had told her? Or called her? You'd think the town gossips would have at least left a message! "You be careful Bill, not that I'm saying you aren't, but I know you and not hittin' girls even if they deserve it and all."

"She's a nice girl, Starla. You ain't gotta worry."

He couldn't help a small chuckle at her concern.

"We're gettin' along fine, an' she seems to be doin' alright. My only complaint is she seems t'have so much damn energy I'm havin' trouble keepin' up with her."

"Nice and 'well intentioned' ain't the same thing Bill and you know it!" She snorted over the phone, bound and determined to be a bit worried.

"Why do you have to keep up with her? If she's got energy let her do runnin' or take over those school yard escorts or something! You deserve your rest as much as the next!"

"She's both, then," he replied, still trying to assauge her worry.

"I did let her run. She was playin' tag in the grocery store an' kept tryin' t'drag me into it. Had everyone else playin' along, too."

...huh.

"Well, that could have been fun." Starla admitted at last. "A bit of rule breaking, a bit of games? And you should let her run more. Like down to McPerry's farm and back, or set the kids on her. Use that energy Bill, since you're employin' her."

"I'll be sure an' do that."

He really would, when Clarice was more healed up.

"But, y'know, don't right me off yet. I ain't an' old fogey who's gotta leave all the work to the whippersnappers."

"I know that much Bill, they'd have to be putting you in your grave before you finally relaxed proper, I"m just saying since she'd making you tired keeping up, well, point her at somethin' else!" And if she could reinforce the 'boss' and 'elder' image in his mind so much the better?

"You say it like it's a bad thing, Starla."

He happened to be very proud of his work ethic, although he did know where she was coming from.

"Well, we did talk 'bout teachin' her football. 'Course, if it turns out she really can lay a lick on someone, I wouldn't wanna be the one gettin' it."

He'd already had his share of football injuries back in high school.

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