Stan

After meeting Eve and seeing how loyal she was to her friend, even in such bad circumstances, I knew that I had to help her. It wasn’t just about Carl anymore. I wanted to make sure that she was okay. There was something in her eyes that made me want to keep her safe.

The other one, her friend was going to be more problematic. I didn’t know if I was going to be able to get them both out. It was becoming clear to me how it was playing out in the newspapers that one of them was going to have to go down. It was the way of things sometimes and I don’t know if she knew that or not, but she was going to have to let it go. I was there to take her home, not Callie. I would help if I could, but I didn’t seriously know if I was going to be able to.

I went to the hotel I booked before I left and tried my best to get some sleep. It was night here, but my time was off, and I ended up staying up and looking at that newspaper I’d bought earlier. What was it about her that made me want to help her so badly? I hated to see her dirty and in such a disarray. I wanted to get her out of there tomorrow. We had a chance to see a judge and I was hoping that I would be able to succeed. From there, I don’t know. But for now, my only point of content was to get her out of there, Callie too if I could.

***

Court in Cambodia was unofficial, confusing and somehow good. I got them both out of the jail and on some sort of bond. We all couldn’t leave the country, our passports taken, and I had to agree to keep a watch on them. If they took off, it was going to be my reputation on the line. I knew that it was going to be hard to keep up with the two young women and I didn’t like the idea of not having a passport to leave, but I knew that it was the only way that they were going to let her leave.

Callie thanked me, as well as Eve, but I noticed that Eve could barely look at me. I tried to remember her from before, but it was such a different woman than who was in front of me now. Even dirty and disheveled, it was hard not to see how pretty she was. Her friend was more traditional, blonde and tall, but it was Eve that really caught my attention. She was beautiful, and I couldn’t stop looking at her.

“So, are you guys ready to go? I got us all a few rooms. I’m sure you want to get there and have a shower, change of clothes. They don’t seem to have the same rules that apply to prisoners here, as they do back home.”

It was clear that they hadn’t been treated well and I could see a few bruises on Eve. Callie did look stricken, but she was already starting to come out of it.

She was the first to answer. “Yes, I want the hell out of here. I will tell you now that I got first dibs on the shower.”

Eve didn’t argue with her. She seemed relieved but still reserved about it. I was reserved about it as well because I got her out of jail for the time being, but there was still a trial to go and it was set for next week. There was gong to be no time to prepare. Everything was different here and I was going to have to get someone here locally that knew the rules better than I did because there is no way that I would be able to learn the ends and outs of their law in time. I wasn’t given any leeway because I’m a foreigner, if anything I think it was being rushed because of it.

After calling the office and getting the girls set up in the hotel rooms next to mine, I took a shower myself. We were all going to meet at eight and go get a bite to eat. I hadn’t been here before, neither had they really and I knew that it was going to be a long night. I hoped that they would be as tired as I was, and I wouldn’t have to stay up too long.

I called Carl right before we left to tell him that she was out, and we were at the hotel. I gave him the numbers.

“I can’t believe you did it Stan. You’re bad ass. I knew that you were too smart to stay around here.”

“I still miss the good old days.’

“Well get your ass back home for once and we will go out. Scott is always around. It would be like old times.”

I told him that I would, but at the end of the day I knew that there wasn’t much time for any of that in the life that I left behind. I knew that it was going to be hard enough to catch up when I got back. I was still thinking that this was going to be a few days and then everything would be done and ready to go.

Moving to the hallway, Eve and Callie were dressed and ready to go. Callie looked even prettier, her blonde hair almost white now that she had cleaned it. Her smile was clear, and I smiled back but not in the same way. I wasn’t here for any of that. It was one of the last things that I had on my mind. I had one at home that I was trying to get rid of. The last thing I needed was to start something with another one. Women were overrated.

Eve on the other hand did not smile at me in a knowing way like she knew that I was checking her out. She was tired, I could see it in her eyes, but her smile was genuine. She was happy to be out, and I knew that because she had said it ten times. But there was another way I noticed her more. She didn’t have time for me and I was a man that women looked at. Eve was not looking at me in that way and for some reason it bothered me, even though I wasn’t here for that.

I’d picked them out some clothes and maybe subconsciously I’d wanted to see more of Eve because the light dress that she was wearing didn’t leave much to the imagination.

‘Thanks for the clothes Stan. They are so airy and light.”

I waved her off like it was no big deal, but I was happy that she didn’t see through my choosing of her clothes. Callie was a little more covered up. She pulled at her clothes and I didn’t say a word.

We made our way down the busy side street to the main one where chaos ensued. It was one thing to walk down the street with a beautiful woman, but two exotic and tall ones compared to everyone else was another thing altogether. Whether we wanted attention or not, we got it and at one point I was pretty sure that I saw one or two camera flashes.