In Need of a Lyft

*Author's note: My apologies for being off the grid for so long, but as most of you know, I lost the zeal for writing at the end of 2020 and have never gotten it back. When the idea for this story hit me a few months ago, I had a three-day period where I thought, "Hey! It's back!" But it wasn't.

I did keep pecking away at it though and finally got it finished. I hope you enjoy it.

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"Mom? Can you just stay home this one time?"

Her mother tried to smile as she said, "Honey. I have to work."

"I know we need money, but I don't have to have braces," her 12-year old daughter told her as tears welled up in her eyes.

While it was true that Emma didn't have to have braces to live, it was also true that she had what was called a Level III occlusion, the most serious form of...bad teeth. Her underbite was pronounced, and making matters worse she had a a front tooth that protruded when she smiled, and Emma had been teased about it for the last two years.

Making matters worse, her father left them right around the time the teasing got serious, and that made an already painfully shy little girl turn even further inside herself. Her mother knew that other than the malocclusion, and the black-rimmed glasses she wore, her daughter was a very pretty girl. But it would take time and money to bring out that beauty, and money was in extremely short supply She also knew how painful it was to be Emma's age and be teased as she'd also had teeth in need of straightening.

After 18 months as a "tin grin" herself, Randi Olsen suddenly became one of the prettiest and most popular girls in school, and she felt certain her daughter would blossom once the braces came off. The glasses weren't that big a deal, and there were even times when she felt her daughter looked better in them than without.

Contact lenses were a lot less expensive than braces, but right now, Randi could barely afford to put food on the table and pay the rent. So any "blossoming" would only happen, if she was able to put away enough money. It didn't help that Emma's father rarely sent any money, and there'd never been a month when he sent the full amount.

Randi could take him to court, but she found herself unwilling to do that for two main reasons. The first was that it would hurt Emma even more if her father were to be thrown in jail, and they still wouldn't have any more money.

The second was a concern that only developed after he moved out, but the truth was that Randi was afraid of him. He'd never hit her, but he was a large man who lived in the gym, and she knew he was taking steroids of some kind. The way he'd looked at her the two times she'd spoken to him since the separation had sent chills down her back. So for now, she was working full-time and as an Lyft driver in the evenings.

She pushed those thoughts out of her mind and for a brief moment recalled her own transformation from ugly duckling to pretty swan, and knew full well it was those same good looks that caught the attention of a college senior during her sophomore year that led to a first date and to eventually marrying him. Like all marriages they'd had their share of problems, but they began in earnest when Randi told her now ex-husband she wanted to have a baby when she was 25 years old.

She could still remember the smirk on his face when she told him as well as the words he spoke as though she was herself just 12 years old again.

"You'll get over it."

His words stung her badly, and she never really did get over the hurt, but after getting the nerve to bring it up again some five years later, her husband nearly lost it. They went an entire week without saying a word to one another before he broke the silence. The anger in his voice scared her, and she could 'feel' it to this very day.

"Fine. You can have a baby," he told her, his voice initially sounding almost kind.

Randi's heart melted as a smile grew on her pretty face just as he added a caveat.

"But since I don't want a kid--ever--if I give you one you have to raise it. I'll support you and the kid, but I am NOT changing diapers, getting up in the middle of the night, or running the kid to a doctor every time it sneezes."

He stared at her, an icy-cold look on his face, as he waited for an answer.

Stunned, Randi's heart stopped the melting process, and it felt as though she couldn't breathe let alone speak. Even so, feeling encouraged in spite of her husband's coldhearted comments, she agreed. She knew women raised children on their own all across the world, and if he was at least there to provide financial support, she would gladly do the rest. And maybe, she thought, maybe he'll eventually come around.

"Okay. Yes. I'll take care of everything. I promise," she'd told him in spite of the warning bells she was silencing out of a desire to have a child so badly that nothing else mattered.

Her quick trip down memory lane over, she searched for some new way to tell her daughter she had to go to work--again. Even as she did, she thought back on the crazy, passionate sex that had brought her into the world. It went on for days, and there were times when she couldn't help but believe her husband still loved her and would one day love their child, too.

For him, it had been nothing more than an opportunity to have more sex in one month than they typically had in six. But after Emma came along, other than a few occasions when he spent a little time with Emma here and there, it was obvious that was never going to happen. And when her permanent teeth began coming in the way they did he made it clear he wasn't spending a dime on her....

The way he expressed his feelings was so cruel it made her cry, and when she did he mocked her for it. Two months later he told her one night without warning that he was leaving. Ironically, it was the day before Emma turned 10, and while Randi knew it would break her daughter's heart, it finally became clear to her that it was more important to have this...cancer...out of their lives than to have his income to get by on.

"Emma. Honey," she began as she bent down a little. "I can't. I have to work."

The only saving grace in all of this was the wonderfully kind and caring woman who lived across the hall from them in the rundown apartment complex they'd ended up in as the only place they could afford in their hometown of Evansville, Indiana, a city with a population of about 118,000.

Edna Williams was 78, spry, rail thin, and absolutely loved Emma. Even though she lived on a fixed income, this dear, sweet lady insisted on taking no money for caring for the young girl.

Randi tried to persuade her to let her pay her for her time more than once even though doing that would take over half of what she could earn per week as a Lyft driver, but she refused.

"If you don't mind, though, I'd prefer coming to your place to watch her," the elderly woman told her neighbor.

Randi happily agreed and told her, "Yes. Of course. That'd be wonderful."

The only 'payment' Randi made was letting Mrs. Williams eat as much as she liked while she was there. She'd only been inside the older woman's apartment once, but she had the sense that her neighbor had very little to in her refrigerator or pantry. True or not, she was only too happy to make sure there was plenty of food available as it not only helped salve her conscience for taking the free childcare, it also made her feel good just to help out with something so basic and necessary.

Randi remembered wondering at the time if she might not end up like Mrs. Williams herself one day. Poor and alone. The poor part was on track, and now that she was working full-time during the day and driving at night as well as on weekends, meeting someone often seemed impossible. The fact that she lived in what was essentially a dump made her think that maybe it was better not having anyone in her life.

The only close friend she'd had was her mother, and just when she thought things couldn't get any worse, her mom had a sudden, unexpected heart attack that took her life leaving Randi truly feeling more alone than she'd ever felt in her life.

She no sooner had those thoughts than she chided herself.

"You have Emma, remember? And Emma is all you need."

Now however, as she looked down at her daughter whose eyes were filled with tears, Randi wondered how much longer she could live like this. Yes, she loved her daughter dearly. More than life itself. But not having...not having someone in her life to love her in a way that was so very different from the love of a child and almost as important...was becoming more and more difficult to bear.

For now, though, she needed to get going. If she was lucky, she might make a couple of hundred dollars tonight since it was Friday and the 2nd of the month which meant that most people had a little extra money to spend. And if that happened, it would be none too soon as she still owed almost $200 on this month's rent. They had enough to eat, but she'd been late on the rent the last three months.

She knew that in spite of all of her misfortunes she was still considered a very attractive woman, even at 42. Randi hated herself for doing it, but she occasionally flirted with her very unattractive landlord in order to buy some more time to get him the entire amount. So far, he'd only made a couple of rude comments, and she'd decided that as long as he didn't try to kiss her--she shuddered at the thought--she would smile and play along.

"Okay, Mom," her daughter finally said, trying her hardest to be brave.

"I love you, Punky-Punk," she said as she gave her girl a hug and a kiss.

"I love you, too, Mommy," daughter replied as she tried to be brave just as they heard a knock at the door.

Emma perked up, stood up, and ran to the door and opened it.

"Well, hello there, pretty girl!" Randi heard Edna say.

"Miss Edna!" Emma said as she accepted the much-older woman's hug and also hugged her back.

Randi thanked her for coming over then said, "I need to scoot. I'm gonna brush my teeth then head out, if that's okay."

"Don't you worry one bit, Mom," Mrs. Williams told her as she stood up as straight as she could and looked at her.

The elderly woman looked down at the young girl then said, "Right, honey?"

Emma only nodded as her 'nanny' asked her what she'd like to do while Randi headed for the bathroom. Two minutes later she grabbed her coat and purse, gave her daughter a hug, and got ready to brave the cold, dark November night and the very real possibility of drunk passengers in her car getting loud or even...worse.

As she got in and started the car she was relieved to find the smell of vomit from two nights ago was gone. It had taken a lot of white vinegar and scrubbing, but she'd gotten rid of the stench. She was also well aware of the dangers of hijacking but told herself that such things only happened in Chicago or Los Angeles, and while that wasn't true, it was the best she could come up with for the time being.

She sat there letting the car warm up a bit before signing into the Lyft app and searching for her first fare. She had a choice of three pickups and selected the one closest to her as she said a silent prayer to no one in particular for her daughter and for own safety. She'd never been physically harmed, but she had been pushed before by a drunk in the passenger's seat and on the receiving end of a few tirades from fares who were either drunk or high on something other than "the Devil's Weed."

She laughed for the first time all day as that name for marijuana hit her then dropped the car in gear and started her second job.

It was just before midnight when she dropped off a couple about her age that tipped her $50 which put her just over the $200 she'd hoped to make. She thanked them profusely, and once they were safely out of the car, she decided to call it quits for the night.

She was very thankful for the money, but seeing this couple that were out celebrating their 20th anniversary holding hands and snuggling up in the backseat only reminded her of why she was driving and also how alone she really was.

She went to log out of the app but noticed another fare who was between her current location and her apartment, so she decided to make one more run.

"Icing on the cake," she told herself as she snagged the fare and headed that way.

Her goal of $200 was high, and it was rare for her to make that much. She'd reached it maybe a dozen times out of a couple hundred shifts, but her Lyft gig was only good for 3-4 hours as she needed to get some sleep before going to her day job. She almost canceled this final run, but the pressure of bills piling up 'drove' her on.

She saw him standing out front of one of the nicest restaurants in the city called Biaggi's Ristorante Italiano on East Lloyd located in the Pavilion Shopping Center. She didn't get a really good look at her customer, but even from a quick glance she could tell he was a nice looking man. Too young for her by a mile but handsome nonetheless.

"Hi," Randi said as she rolled down the window enough for them to see one another. "Randi Olsen for Brian Knapp?"

"Yes. Hi. That's me, and thank you for coming."

"Sure thing," Randi said as she unlocked all of the doors.

When he climbed in she took a closer look, and between her many, many-months-long gap without having made love and the mild high she was on from having had a good night, she felt an aching somewhere near the lap belt holding her in place. His thick, dark hair and gorgeous eyes only made it worse, and when he smiled she had to look away.

"Where to?" she asked as she gave up looking at him in the mirror.

He provided the address then said, "I know you get paid for this, but I really appreciate you being out here tonight. Thank you."

"You're very welcome," she told him, a smile appearing on her face. "I don't think anyone has ever said that before, and it was really nice to hear."

"I meant it. Sincerely," he said before pausing.

"I uh, I actually really needed a...Lyft...tonight."

She laughed politely at the word play, and nearly asked him 'why', but knew he'd tell her if he felt like doing so.

"You think you know someone and then you find out you were wrong," her passenger said without any prompting.

Randi glanced back again then said, "I understand. I spent a lot of years with someone I thought I knew."

"I'm sorry," the younger man said. "It was a year for me. In fact, this was a kind of anniversary celebration as we met a year ago today."

"I'm a decent listener if you want to talk," she told him before quickly adding, "no pressure."

He either didn't hear her or ignored her offer as he looked at in the mirror and said, "I hope you don't mind me saying this, but you're cute. Very cute."

"Me? Cute?" the very surprised, older woman asked.

"Sorry. 'Cute' isn't exactly the right word."

Randi waited to hear him say, "Just kidding," even though he didn't strike as the kind of person who would be cruel.

He paused again then said, "Beautiful is the better, and more accurate, choice of words," a big, bright smile on his handsome face.

"Well aren't you just the sweetest thing!" Randi said before regretting her choice of words, too, while feeling relieved he hadn't hurt her feelings.

She apologized for sounding like a southern grandmother which made the younger man laugh again.

"No problem. I'll take sweet after the evening I just had."

She looked up at the rearview mirror and saw him look at her and smile which only added to what she was feeling.

"Yeah. So after a year, I uh, I called things off tonight."

"Oh. Uh...again, I'm sorry," his driver offered.

"Don't be. Thank you, but there's no need to be sorry. I'm the one who's sorry."

She looked back at him again only this time he saw a puzzled look on her face.

"I mean, I'm sorry it took me this long to end the relationship. I started getting warning signs a couple of months ago, but when she told me she had no interest in ever having children for the first time, I should have realized then and there this wasn't going to last."

Randi's heart went out for him knowing how badly she'd wanted children. She loved Emma dearly and couldn't possibly afford a second child, but not having another one was one of her biggest regrets. Now, at 42, and too busy to even date, plus having a soon-to-be teenager at home, she'd all but given up on the idea.

"We have something in common. My ex-husband didn't want children, either," she quietly replied.

"It's not too late, you know," Brian told her with a weak smile.

"For me? Please!"

"Why? You're very pretty, you seem really nice, and you're still young, so...."

She made a spurting noise at the mention of her still being young which was followed by a laugh.

"Young. Yeah, right."

She saw him looking at her and for a moment she felt flush.

"Yes...right. In the sense that my assessment is accurate," he insisted.

Whatever she was feeling, the feelings got stronger still, and they were soon powerful enough that she found herself looking at him as much as the road. Those longer, less-furtive glances helped her realize he was extremely attractive. But it was his kind, gentle words that made her realize he was also very well-spoken.

"Okay. I'll just thank you...again...and let it go at that," she said with another little nervous laugh at the end.

"Trust me. I'm right. On all counts."

She heard her GPS app say, "Destination in one quarter mile," and felt a huge letdown as she began looking for the exact address.

"The light gray house. On our right," Brian told her as he went to fish out his wallet.

"What the...." he said as he released the seat belt and raised his butt.

"Everything okay?"

"I...I...I can't find my wallet," he told her as reached down and checked both pockets before trying the front and then his shirt.

"It's okay. This one's on me," Randi told his, a bright, genuine smile on her face. "I had a very good night, and I really enjoyed talking to you."

"No. It's not okay," he said immediately but not in any kind of mean way. "You're out here giving your time and putting wear and tear on your car, and you deserve to be paid."

"It's fine. Really," she assured him.

"Geez, I uh, I don't have my credit cards, either, so I can't even go inside and get one."

"Sir?" she said, using this as an excuse to turn around and look at him.

"It really is okay. I promise. I know you had a shi...rough night, but I really did enjoy chatting."

She smiled then told him, "You made me feel good, too, and that alone was worth the fare. So it really isn't a big deal."

"Well, it is to me, and I give you my word I'll make this right."

He apologized a second time, then promised her he would pay her as soon as he possibly could, then got out.

It wasn't until she drove off that he realized he still had his phone and he could have used the app to pay her. She obviously knew that herself as most customers paid that way, but for whatever reason she chose not to mention it.

As she drove off he looked at his phone and saw the Lyft text from her and smiled.

"Randi Olsen will be picking you up. She drives a white 2015 Honda Accord with license plate number...."

"I will pay you, Randi Olsen," he said to himself as he opened the side door to the house he'd recently bought.

He felt even more guilty as he set the phone down, but the guilt passed as his frustration grew over having lost his wallet. He should have been upset about the relationship ending, but that wasn't bothering him in the least.

He began retracing his steps from the time he left the house until he got into the Lyft vehicle and couldn't come up with anything. Now angry with himself for all the pain and time it would take to cancel credit cards and get a new driver's license, he almost missed the notification on his phone. There was a missed call and a voicemail.