Excerpt From Exit Oasis (Elspet Arrives at the Oasis Mine)

(Triggers: Language, Misogyny)

Elspet looked at the sticky note she had on her steering wheel, the looping script said Exit: Oasis. There was no oasis, just a long gravel road disappearing up a red mountain. She could see the contents of the the inner mountain, streaking down it’s flanks, crushed. For a moment she sat at the exit, wavering. Unsure of what other choice she might have she sped down the gravel to the mine.

With a purposeful stride, she crossed the site. Garrison watched her head for the office trailer like she she was headed to battle. And in a way she was. He had no idea what to expect when the desperate voice materialized, but this wasn’t it.

“God damn it!” He swore, noticing the stir she had caused. Someone whistled, others stared. Already having a woman on the site was a problem.

“Is that the new hire?” Beck asked.

“Has to be” Garrison replied.

“Fuck me! Where’d you pick her up?”

“Beck, just get your ass to work!” Garrison scolded. Beck walked off and whistled at her too.

“So where did you pick her up, boss?” His shifter asked.

“I didn’t, Justin. She called me from Arizona, wanting a job. And stupid me, I said, sure.”

“You hadn’t seen her yet?”

“No.”

“She’s going to cause problems. One way or another.”

“I see that. But she made it, I guess we have to give her the chance.”

Garrison felt the ever present headache worsen as we went to meet her. He had guessed she was pretty, but he had no idea. Every angle of her was delicately chiseled, he wondered if she even weighed a hundred pounds. A single drill steel probably weighed more than her. Though she was short, her lines were long and graceful. Her hair rebelled against the ornate braid she tried to contain it in. But her eyes grabbed him at a distance, large, wild and stormy. He was instantly disturbed. He’d seen what a lot of men described as crazy eyes in women, but there was nothing crazy in hers. A lot was going on, but it wasn’t insanity behind those eyes.

“Garrison,” he greeted her. “Let’s get one thing straight, right now. My name is Garrison. Not Mr. Walker and if you call me Gary, you’re fired. Even my wife only calls me Garrison.”

“I understand, as long as you only call me Elspet” she returned as they shook hands.

“We understand each other so far” he agreed and started walking. “You got all of your pre-hire requirements done. We’ll get your site specific training done today and I have nice old hand to get you started.” She just walked beside him, listening while looking around. If she was having second thoughts, he couldn’t tell.

“What size do you wear? He asked as they approached a shipping container.

“Extra small, maybe small.”

Garrison’s reservations were growing every second as he gathered all of the gear in the smallest sizes he had. “Put this stuff on” he directed as he led her into another trailer. “I doubt it will fit well. Give me a few days and I’ll see if I can find smaller diggers for you” he said as he ducked out.

While she was dressing, his doubts grew. Even as a truck driver, he doubted she would hold up for very long. He threaded the self rescuer onto her mine belt, weighing it in his hand, glad he had disposed of Wheat lamps with their enormous batteries in favor of compact LED lamps.

When she reappeared dressed, even though everything was too large and cuffed too many times, cap tucked under her arm, head tilted defiantly, he almost believed she could do it. Suddenly her presence seemed larger and stronger. “Come here” he said as he held up the mine belt

The hesitation was brief, but he noticed it, the increase in tension that extended past her into the space around her. Carefully he helped her with the belt, touching her as little as possible, but still he could feel something that surpassed the expected awkwardness and it sent a chill through him.

Looking up, he saw her looking back at him. “Are you okay?” he asked gently.

“I was going to ask you the same thing.”

Unable to look away, he stood holding her dumbly by the waist. Garrison had never met her, but there was recognition on her face. In an minute she had him read chapter and verse, there was no hiding from her. All at once he hated her for it, letting her go. Now he strode away and putting on the hard hat she followed. “Let’s get sites done” he said tersely, then he wheeled on her.

“Look, I have serious doubts about this. But you’re here and that’s further than I expected you to get if we’re being honest. I’m not going to baby you or treat you special. You better just tuck your feelings in, because these guys aren’t going to give a fuck that you’re a girl or how you feel about any fucking thing. They’ll swear and tell dirty jokes. Most of them are crude and coarse. I don’t know where you came from, but it wasn’t anywhere near the realm of mining and you aren’t the kind of woman who ends up in the mines. Frankly, I don’t care. Do good work for me, I’ll take care of you. If you cause me any problems, you’re gone on the next van to town. Got it?”

“Got it” she said matching his angry tone, offering back his sudden challenge.

With relief, he handed her off to Justin and the old truck driver, storming back to his office and slamming the door. She had to go, concerns for her welfare aside, he felt exposed. Without pity, ire, or judgment, she somehow recognized him and he felt the disturbing familiarity between them. With no words between them she forced him to acknowledge what he had become and why. Her recognition of him was born of some obscure common experience between them, but she had become something altogether different from him. The idea that there was another way angered him. All of the years wasted, all of the irreparable damage done and there might have been another way. “God damn you, girl!” He swore into his hands. “God damn you!”

“So how’s the new girl? You think she might try to fuck you to keep her job?” Beck asked crudely, just to provoke him.

“Shut the fuck up!”

Beck threw his head back laughing. “So that’s a no!”

“That’s the least of my concerns” he said bitterly as he watched her get in her little car to leave. Garrison slammed his Red Bull and threw the can at Beck, all the while his eyes following the little car until it got too far down the hill to see, but then he followed the cloud of dust. “Don’t get attached. She’s leaving as soon as she gives me a reason.”

“So she’s not a whore, you mad? You gonna tramp her for that?” Beck taunted.

“It’s not that.”

“So is she a big whiner? Can’t get her hands dirty?” Beck needled.

“No, she jumped in as soon as they let her. She’s level headed and a good driver. She asked all of the right questions.”

“So what’s your problem? Sounds to me like you got a truck driver that won’t beat the shit out of the trucks, doesn’t complain and she won’t fuck around. Shit, find out where they made her and let’s get 10 more ordered. She’s your dream come true.”

Garrison clenched his fists. “Let me do my job and for once do your job.”

“Fuck you, man! I mean that from the bottom of my heart” Beck said saccharinely.

He could have sworn Garrison cracked the slightest smile. But it was gone in an instant. “Oh shit, she might not give a damn you exist, but you got it for her bad.” Beck doubled over laughing. “Yeah, get rid of her. How dare anyone get under you miserable skin.” Beck kicked the red bull can. “Van’s leaving!”

“I drove. Like every day.”

“Yeah, can’t be associating with the rabble. You know those people like me, the ones you treated like friends, once.”

Garrison closed his eyes. “Beck” he said quietly, “just get on the van and go home.”

Beck punched him in the chest and walked away.