Chapter 33 #2
“What? I’m not judging you or anyone else in here, I’m just shocked you’d bring me here – on Valentine's day nonetheless – without ever even hinting at, at,” my arms flail as I struggle to voice my issue, “at wanting us to explore this kind of thing!”
“Oh? And what would I have said, Shari? Every time we've had sex it's been slow down, Jake. Be gentler, Jake. I don't enjoy that, Jake! You wouldn't have even entertained giving this a shot!”
“So your solution was to just fucking bring me here and blindside me? Well, excuse me for being gobsmacked at suddenly finding myself at an erotic group event in the middle of nowhere without ever having been asked if I’d be interested in it!”
“Un-fucking-real. Shari the saint. So set in your ways that you won’t even consider trying something new.
You'd think someone who loves to read porn books would be up for anything.” Jake’s features contort further, and I feel like I’m looking at a completely different person.
I guess I am, because I don't know this side of him. At all.
“Ugh, they're not porn books! And you think I won’t try new things? Did you think that I got pregnant at forty with a man almost half my age because I’m so opposed to trying new things?
I might have been open to trying this with you if we’d talked about it.
We could have worked up to this. You don’t even know why I’m apprehensive about being here, because we haven’t talked about it!
But just dropping me in the deep end without any warning?
That’s not ok, Jake.” My hands slap against my thighs when I let them drop.
“For fuck’s sake, it always comes back around to Brad, doesn’t it?
Brad’s so young, Brad’s so stable, Brad’s such a good father, Brad got the sexually deviant side of me.
Brad, Brad, Brad,” he singsongs like a child on a playground.
“Well, Shari, if Brad’s so fucking amazing, maybe you should be with him!
I’m done.” Jake starts waking backwards into the throng of revellers.
“Wait, what? Are you seriously just going to fucking leave me here while you go and hook up with some randoms? How am I supposed to get home, Jake?!”
“Not my problem!” he turns and disappears into the crowd, and I’ve never felt so vulnerable and discarded.
On the verge of tears, I yank my phone out of my bag with shaking hands and try to order an Uber as I scramble away from the dance floor.
But after ten full minutes of failed attempts because we’re in the middle of actual fucking nowhere, I decide that Jaime is probably my best bet.
I hate to bother any of my friends with this, especially since it’s almost an hour’s drive, but I don’t know what else to do.
The phone rings and rings until Jaime’s voicemail hits. “Uh, hey, babe. Sorry to bother you, but if you get this in the next like five minutes, can you please call me back? It’s, um, it’s quarter to ten.”
I try Elle next, but I get her voicemail, too. I don’t think she’s on a date, but she might have turned her phone off if her prick of an ex has been trying to call from prison.
There’s no point phoning Max because Dennis has whisked her away for a dirty weekend in Paris. Shit. Shit, shit, shit.
I try Jaime one more time but it goes to voicemail again, and I feel the first tear drop from my lashes. This is so fucked.
I only have one other person I can call in this situation, and I know he’ll come get me. But he’s out with Larissa, and I really don’t want to ruin their night. What else can I do, though?
Sucking in a breath to try and stave off the tears, I dial Brad’s number and he picks up on the second ring.
“Shari? Hey, is everything ok?”
I can hear the echo of voices and laughter in the background, so they must be at the skating rink. I’m powerless to stop the dam from bursting, knowing he’s interrupting his date for me.
“J-Jake took me to a se-sex c-club in the middle of no-nowhere. We got into a f-f-fight and he l-left me to go fuck s-some s-s-strangers.” I can barely get my words out, I’m sobbing so hard.
“What the fuck?? Blaze, where are you? I’m on my way.”
This only makes me cry harder because why is he so perfect?
“I d-don’t know,” I sniffle.
“Drop me your pin. I’m coming, ok? I'll drop you my pin too so you can see how far away I am. Find somewhere safe to wait for me. We’ll be there as soon as we can, I promise.”
I drop my pin as he asked and decide to hide in the ladies’ room to wait.
Except after fifteen minutes of hiding in a stall, I hear several voices enter the room, and not all are female.
It doesn't take long for the slapping of skin and loud moans and groans to start, and I just can't take it in my current headspace.
As I try to sneak out of the cubicle, I'm spotted by one of the men whose gaze turns positively predatory.
“Dibs,” he calls out, never taking his eyes off me as he pounds a woman into the wall.
A second guy looks up and catches my eyes in the reflection of the mirror where he's railing another woman over the sink and licks his lips suggestively. “I got next, then. Unless you wanna join right now, baby girl?”
I don’t feel remotely safe, and nearly trip over my own feet in my haste to escape. I hustle to the front door, and when the bouncer lets me out, he frowns at my tear-stained cheeks. “You ok? Did someone hurt you?”
“N-not physically,” I try to laugh, but it comes out garbled.
“I’m ok, j-just waiting for someone to c-come and get me.
” I manage to muster a weak smile, which only makes his brow furrow further.
He says something into his comms and within a few minutes, someone hands him a chair through the door.
“Here. Sit.” He places the seat next to the outdoor heater for me.
I’m taken aback by his thoughtfulness, and it only makes my eyes sting again. His attention is taken away by more patrons arriving, and thankfully, this couple doesn't even seem to notice my existence. They only have eyes for each other, and it makes my heart sore. That's what I want.
I sit there stewing in my thoughts for a while, and when I look down at my phone again, I see that Brad's pin isn't far away at all now.
I just can't wait to get away from here and never see Jake again.
But obviously the universe hates me, because no sooner do I have that thought than the devil himself struts out of the building, hair mussed, unlit cigarette in hand, and a smug look on his face.
“You're still here? I thought you'd be long gone by now, Princess. Unless you've changed your mind? If you give me twenty minutes, I can be ready for another round,” he punctuates this by grabbing his crotch.
“How exactly was I supposed to be long gone, Jake? We're out in the sticks, I can't get an Uber, and you were my,” I cannot bring myself to say ride when his mind is already in the gutter, “transport.”
“Couldn't get your knight in shining surf gear to come and save you, then?
Maybe he does have two brain cells to rub together after all if he's figured out you're. Not. Worth. It,” he punctuates each word with his pointer finger against my sternum, his face getting menacingly closer and closer to mine, until suddenly he's on the floor six feet away.
At first I'm confused until Brad yanks Jake up by his collar and seethes in his face, “You don't ever touch her again! You don't look at her. You don't call her. You don't even speak her name when you're alone. Do you hear me? Shari doesn't exist to you!”
I didn't even hear him arrive, but he's here. Brad's here and looming over a sneering Jake. “Or what? You gonna hit me, boy?” The last word is emphasised as an insult, but Brad doesn't even seem to care.
“You don't want to find out, old man,” he pushes Jake away and stalks over to me, the anger on his face morphing into concern. “Are you ok, Blaze? Did he hurt you?” He gently cups my face in his hands and stoops to look me directly in the eye.
I shake my head as much as his grip will allow, and relief trickles down my cheeks.
My eyes sure have leaked a lot tonight. Brad thumbs my tears away and pulls me into his chest. Wrapping my arms around his waist, we stand like that for several minutes as I hear Jake seething in the background.
Sounds like he's being dragged away by the bouncer. That guy deserves a raise.
I pull back and part my lips to tell Brad just how amazing he is and how I'm so grateful for him, but I get caught in depths of his ocean eyes and find myself leaning in. I feel him inch towards me too, hands back on my cheeks, when I spot movement in my periphery.
“Larissa! Oh my god, I didn't know you were here!” I jump back and my eyes flick back to Brad who has his closed, his jaw pulsing. “Have you been waiting in the car this whole time?”
She shares a weak smile with me, “It's ok. Jake looked like he was out for blood when we pulled up, and Brad was on the warpath as soon as he got out of the car. I didn’t want to get in the way.”
“I’m so sorry I ruined your night.” I feel awful that they had to cut their date short to drive all this way. I feel worse that I think I would have kissed Brad just now if she hadn't appeared when she did.
“I’m just glad you're ok, Shari.” Fuck, why does she have to be so damn likeable?
The drive back is silent after I tell them the short version of what happened – I felt it was best to leave out the part where Jake taunted me about Brad – and there seems to be an awkward tension in the car. Did Larissa think we were going to kiss, too?
They drop me home after much arguing about how I shouldn't be alone, but they finally relent when I remind them that I have Pickles for both protection (debatable) and comfort (factual).
I promise to come over for breakfast as soon as I'm up, hugging them both goodnight and thanking them again for coming to my rescue.
But the way Larissa says goodbye feels..
.off, somehow. I really want to assure her that she has nothing to worry about but, is that even true?