Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
Alice
I’d stayed too long at the robotics competition, and now I was late. I rushed into the restaurant—really, more of a bar than I’d been expecting—crossing my fingers my lip gloss wasn’t smeared on my teeth and my mascara hadn’t smudged in my haste to apply it.
I found my date at the bar, looking exactly like his pictures.
Tall and rangy, James looked good in Wranglers and a T-shirt. In the back of my mind, I noted he hadn’t dressed up for the occasion, but I set those judgmental thoughts aside. He might’ve been in as big of a rush as I had.
He grinned when he saw me and slid off his stool to pull me into a hug. His shirt clung to his overly warm back, and the sharp scent of his cologne mixed with something musky—like he’d been working all day and had sprayed himself without showering first.
“Glad you made it, Alice.” His arms stayed around me too long, pressing me against him. I leaned back to create space, and even then, he didn’t let go right away.
“Yeah, sorry I’m late.” I laughed lightly, trying to shift the awkwardness aside. “The day got away from me.”
He finally let me go to pick up his drink and take a long pull. “Let’s order you a drink. Mind if we sit at the bar? We can eat dinner and watch the game.”
If I had an objection, it didn’t matter. James pulled out the stool next to his and gave it a pat. I guessed we were eating dinner at the bar. At least if we ran out of things to talk about, the game was on to fill the void. I could be a good sport.
“What do you want to drink?” James tipped into my space.
“I think I’ll just have a Coke.” My stomach was already a mix of nerves and trepidation. Adding alcohol didn’t seem like the best move.
James was having none of it. He flagged down the bartender and ordered my Coke with a generous serving of rum. When it arrived, I laughed it off and took a sip. One cocktail wouldn’t hurt, I supposed.
There was nothing about this man I liked, but he seemed to like me just fine.
Five minutes after meeting, he’d rested his hand on my knee, squeezing every so often like he needed to remind me he was there.
When our food finally came, he slid his barstool closer, his thigh pressing firmly against mine.
“You’re so pretty,” he said, leaning in close enough I could smell the beer and onions on his breath. “Way prettier than your pictures.”
“Thanks.” I tried to scoot away without drawing attention, but my stool was stuck to the sticky floor, so I ended up tilting my upper body at a forty-five-degree angle.
Forcing a smile, I pushed a fry through a puddle of ketchup. Maybe he was a little drunk. Maybe my urge to flee was an overreaction.
“So, what do you do again?” he asked around a mouthful of food, his other hand brushing against my waist.
“I’m a librarian.”
“That’s sexy. I bet you know how to be nice and quiet.” His eyes flicked up and down my body. “Until it’s time to get loud.”
I swallowed hard, setting my half-eaten burger back on the plate. “I’m going to run to the restroom.”
He pouted, leaning back on his stool and spreading his legs. “Don’t worry. I’ll guard your dinner and drink with my life.”
I muttered a thanks then rushed by him as fast as I could without making a scene.
The restroom wasn’t the most sanitary, but I was grateful for the moment of solitude.
I washed my hands, staring at my reflection under the harsh fluorescent lights.
My cheeks were pale, my eyes tired. I should leave.
The thought pulsed through me with every beat of my heart.
I couldn’t think of a single reason to stay.
James wasn’t concerned about my feelings, so why should I worry I might hurt his by cutting this date short?
I took a deep breath and walked back out, my purse clutched tight against my side, the half a hamburger I’d eaten sitting like lead in my stomach.
“There she is.” James grinned happily when I reached him, patting my stool. “Sit, finish your dinner and Coke.”
“Actually, I think I should head home. I’m not feeling great.”
“Oh no. That’s not good.” His voice dropped low, almost gentle. “No more burger for you, but you should finish your drink. It might settle your stomach for the ride home.”
His sincerity made me hesitate. That, and the eyes of the bartender and the other guys sitting at the bar. The last thing I wanted to do was cause a scene.
“Okay. I’ll stay a few more minutes.” I perched on my stool and sipped my soda to be polite.
Much to my relief, James didn’t put his hand on me.
He concentrated on eating the rest of his fries and downing his beer while peppering me with a few questions about my life, putting me at ease.
He told me a few stories about himself too.
If even half were true, he’d lived a wild life.
He’d been a rodeo clown, to war, divorced three times, and had patented an invention.
I was so entertained, I finished my whole drink and most of my french fries.
The longer I sat there, though, a strange fuzziness began to spread through me. My limbs felt heavier than normal, and I couldn’t quite grasp a single thought. I wasn’t drunk. I knew what that felt like, and it wasn’t this. I was…almost outside my body.
“You’re not looking so great, Alice. I think it’s time to wrap this up and let you get home.” His voice sounded far away, but his face was so close to mine, it blurred. He wrapped his hand around my wrist, his thumb rubbing circles into my skin. “I’ll walk you to your car.”
“I… yeah, I…” I couldn’t finish the sentence. My tongue felt thick in my mouth.
He smiled and helped me off my stool. “Come on, babe. Let’s get you home.”
The floor wavered beneath me as he guided me into the cool spring night.
The fresh air did nothing to clear the fogginess of my thoughts.
I tried to focus on the gravel crunching under his boots, on the smell of diesel, the faint scent of alcohol drifting out of the bar—anything to keep me grounded so I didn’t float away.
James’s grip on my waist was firm and possessive as he led me through the parking lot. We kept walking and walking. I swore I’d asked him where he was taking me, but since he didn’t answer, maybe I was wrong and had asked it in my head.
My vision swam, bright lights from the bar flickering like distant stars. I tried to pull away, but my feet didn’t obey, sliding clumsily on the gravel. Even if he let me go, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to stand on my own.
“Where…my car…” I couldn’t get my thoughts and my tongue to match up.
James chuckled under his breath. “Don’t worry, Alice. I’ve got you. I’m going to take good care of you.”
Panic ignited in my gut, then flickered and died as quickly as it had sparked. “No…my car…”
He steered me sharply to the side, between two big trucks parked near the back of the lot. The shadows swallowed us, and his fingers dug into my waist.
“That hurts,” I whispered, but my plea came out as little more than a sigh.
He pressed me back against the side of one of the trucks, the metal cold through my thin blouse. His hand fisted in my hair, pulling my head back, straining my neck.
“You’re going to be coming home with me,” he said, his voice low and rough, his breath hot against my cheek. “I’ve been nice all night. It’s time you returned the favor, little bookworm.”
His other hand went up under my shirt, gripping my side hard enough to bruise. I tried to push him away, but my arms were useless, flopping against his chest and falling down to dangle at my sides.
“Please don’t…” Tears burned hot behind my lids. My knees buckled, and I slumped forward into him. He shoved me upright, the back of my head hitting the truck door with a dull thunk. Stars burst in my vision, nausea rolling through me.
“This doesn’t have to be hard, Alice. We can have fun together, sweet thing,” he murmured.
I tried to tell him no, to shove him away, but he shook my shoulders so hard, my teeth clacked together. The ground tilted, the gravel beneath my shoes shifting sideways.
He jerked me forward again, trying to drag me away from the truck, but my foot caught on the tire. I stumbled, my ankle rolling, and went down hard. My elbow hit first, a sharp shock of pain shooting up my arm, then the side of my head cracked against the gravel.
For a moment, the world spun in blurry circles. James’s face loomed above me…the dark sky…the orange glow of the bar sign flickering in the distance…
Then everything went mercifully black.