Renting Ginny

The heavy metal door clanked shut behind me in a way that was almost deafening. I glanced around the cold, dank room of concrete and steel. Dozens of curious eyes stared at me. The women were of all different shapes, sizes, races and colors, but the one thing they all had in common was the look of sadness in their eyes. Green eyes, brown eyes, blue eyes, hazel eyes… but none without desperation and fear within them. Even some anger. Not sure what to say, I simply found a spot on the cold, gray cement bench to mentally contend with my own sense of desperation and fear. But one woman didn’t exactly want to let me do so. “Hey, this your first time in?” she asked. I glanced up at a plump Hispanic woman and nodded. “What yous in for?” asked a tall, anorexic-thin black woman whose tight dress barely covered her buns. “I’m being falsely accused of breaking and entering.” Laughter erupted within the tiny room and echoed off the walls in a way that made my head swim. “We’re all being falsely accused of something,” laughed a young, white, tomboyish-looking woman. “Just how the hell do you accidentally break and enter anyway?” Not in the mood to defend myself or believing I was obligated to explain myself in the first place, I simply shrugged and soon became lost in my own thoughts and worries. How the hell could this be happening to me? Why couldn’t the police see the obvious truth? It almost felt like some strange sort of conspiracy was at work against me. Nah, you’re just being paranoid, I tried telling myself. Only I didn’t believe it. The cops should’ve been able to clearly see that I hadn’t broken in but had broken out instead. I wasn’t “dressed” for breaking and entering, the glass had fallen outside and not inside, and I wasn’t running when they arrived on the so-called scene. So how could the stupid idiots have come up with breaking and entering if it weren’t for Anina insisting that’s what it was? The neighbor I’d seen may’ve also reported a break-in as well, not understanding what was really going on. I realized that I could be in serious trouble, innocent or not, and that I needed to fill my parents in on what was going on. If anyone could help with the situation at hand, it was them. I was told I would be allowed to make one phone call and that an officer would come and get me when it was “convenient” for them to let me make that call. But when they happened to feel like letting me use the phone, I would call my folks and hope I didn’t get sent to voicemail. I had also been told that I had a right to remain silent. Why not? No one seemed to believe what I had to say anyway. I’d already told the police what happened. Now it was time to keep my mouth shut until I could speak with a lawyer. But I would let my parents get me a real lawyer and not speak with any of the public defenders I’d heard enough horror stories about. A key was inserted into the door, and a second later it swung open. “Ginny Gold?” said a tall, stout detention officer with hair pulled back so tightly I was surprised it didn’t tear loose from her scalp. “Yes,” I said, standing up and assuming I would finally be taken to make my one precious phone call after sitting in the miserable cell for too many hours to count. “Time to go.” “Time to go?” I said, eyebrows raised in both surprise and confusion, but with hopes of the cops finally realizing what had really happened. “M-hm,” the officer said with a nod, holding the door open wider. “You’ve been bailed out.” “Bailed out?” I asked, my confusion deepening. “Well, I’m not sure if someone made your bail or if they’re just cutting you loose for some other reason. I’m just the jailhouse cop. My job is to simply hold ‘em or turn ‘em loose depending on what I’m ordered to do, and not to question those orders.” “I see. Well, thank you, Officer.” “M-hm,” said the officer as she guided me down the hall of the booking area. “Just don’t come back.” “I won’t,” I said as she unlocked the main door. It slammed behind me like a thousand metal drums falling on concrete. Now what? I had to get to a payphone so one of my parents could come to pick me up. I was heading to the main desk to ask one of the officers there where the phones were located when Anina suddenly rounded the corner and approached me. I stopped dead in my tracks, heart pounding. “Anina!” “Yeah, sweetie, I’m here. So sorry about the mix-up. I’ve got your stuff.” I saw that she was carrying my overnight bag and purse and immediately snatched them from her. “I hope you were kind enough to replace my cell phone in my purse as well.” “It’s all there. Even your laptop.” “Good. Now get away from me and don’t let me ever see you again unless I’m lucky enough to get you charged with kidnapping.” “I’m afraid that won’t be possible,” Anina said frankly. “You see, I tried to tell them that I know you and that you broke the window by accident, but they won’t believe me.” “Of course, they won’t,” I said, moving briskly down the hallway. “You’ve got them believing the breaking and entering story instead, so why would they suddenly believe any accident story?” “Uh, I hate to break it to you, little lady, but yes, they believe you truly did try to break in.” I stopped dead in my tracks once again and turned to face her. “How could they believe that when the evidence so obviously says otherwise and why would they release me if they thought I broke into your place?” I thought I detected that sly little smile of hers and a sparkle of deception in her eyes. “They didn’t simply release you. I paid your bail.” “What?!” “Yeah, I’m afraid that all my efforts to get you off the hook were useless. They’re convinced you broke in. Therefore, they’ve allowed me to pay your bail and they’ve released you into my custody until your court hearing in a few months.” “Bail? Released into your custody? Court hearing? What the fuck are you talking about?!” A couple of officers who were chatting further down the hall turned to look at us. “I would hush up if I were you, Ginny,” Anina said. “I’m actually doing you quite a favor.” “A favor?” I said, not caring who heard me. “If no one paid your bail, you would have to remain in jail until you’re scheduled to appear for arraignment.” How the hell had things come to this and gotten so out of hand? “See, part of your bail bond stipulates that you remain in my custody at all times until your court date, at which time I promise to beg and plead with the judge to let you go because you didn’t really break in.” I blinked, totally stunned out of my mind. “And then say what? That you were really holding me hostage so I could help you carry out and fulfill this sick domination fantasy of yours?” Anina smiled. “You really seem to think this is quite funny, don’t you?” “Oh, no. Not at all.” “Well, I’ll be damned if I’ll return to your place with you. I don’t care what any bail bond says,” I said sternly, staring into her intimidating yet attractive eyes. “I’m calling my parents.” I proceeded to walk away from her, but she grabbed me by the arm and held me back. “If you do that, then I reserve the right to have your bail revoked.” I stared at her incredulously. “Is that what you want? Do you really want to go back in that jail cell and wait there over the next few months until you might be released?” My mind processed this information and the possibilities as fast as it could. “It’s your call, Ginny. Either come with me and let me take care of you, or feel free to stay in jail. And if you choose jail, don’t think I’m going to bother trying to get you off the hook when we have our day in court.” She was bribing me and I knew it. But I certainly didn’t want her to have my bail revoked either so I could be tossed in jail for the next few months with possibly no other way out until I went to court, at which time I may end up in prison for even longer if no one believed I was innocent. “You have a lot to learn but you will learn it,” she told me. “What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked, my mind still numb with shock and disbelief over what was happening. “Just come with me. I promise it will be fun. I won’t hurt you in any way, I swear. No pills, no violence. Just lots of fun. I promise I’ll get you out of this mess. But you have to trust me. I know it’s hard, but you just have to try. Things will be different this time. You’ll see.” Feeling helpless, I shrugged. What other choice did I have other than to be thrown back in jail with tons of druggies, hookers, thieves and child abusers that were no doubt guilty as charged? “Okay, but I’m calling my folks when we get to your place and letting them know what’s going on, you got it?” “Yes, ma’am, I absolutely got it,” Anina said, now beaming a smile that hid just how deceptive she could really be. Against my better judgment, but not feeling I had a better option, I walked out of the jail with Anina that warm summery day.