23 Wendy
Wendy
Norwalk, Connecticut
I wrap my arms around myself, hugging the borrowed shirt of betrayal nearer to my body as Julia storms out of the house.
Now she is really mad at me. She might never forgive me. It’s hard to swallow. I recognize what I’m feeling as regret and sadness. I’ve felt that so many times in my life but never like this. Julia was my friend.
Too late to be all sad now. I fucked up, but it was necessary. I turn back to the cheap room that still smells like sex. This was a stupid idea. Really, hella stupid. I should not have come.
But I thought I could protect her by making her see she wasn’t safe with him. He cannot be trusted. He is something evil that I innately recognize. Maybe from all the bastards who have come and gone in my life in foster home after foster home.
Shedding the shitty shirt, I grab my clothes.
It’s the same black skintight dress I wore last night.
I step into it and then slip on the chunky high heels I found deep in the closet at my foster house.
I’m sure they belonged to the daughter whose room I use.
The heels are so nineties. But they fit like they were meant for me.
Casey is drinking coffee when I wander into the kitchen. I didn’t hear him come back in.
“I thought you were taking Julia home.”
He watches me for a while, not saying anything.
I hate coffee, but at the moment I need something to snap me out of this damn haze.
I check the pot and it’s empty. He drank it all.
What a douche. Then I look in his fridge, and there’s nothing but moldy cheese and a dying carton of milk. The guy obviously never eats at home.
I glance around. Decide on a glass of water from the tap.
Leaning back against the sink, I sip the water from the glass that may or may not be clean. It was in the sink, but it’s the only one I saw.
“Proud of yourself?” he asks.
I stare at him. “What the hell, man? You came to my house and demanded that I come with you.”
“And you came,” he jeers. “Several times.”
Fury roars through me. Bastard. He started this whole damned thing. “It’s not like I came by myself. You were only too happy to put your dick inside me.”
Flashes from the past couple of hours make me feel ready to puke. Shit.
I tell myself that if it makes her stay away from him, it was so worth it.
Except for me losing my only friend.
“Whatever.” He finishes off his coffee and sets the cup on the counter. “Get in gear. We have places to go. But first you have to take a shower.”
I make a face. “I’ll take a shower when I get home.”
He jerks his head toward the hall. “Take a shower, wash your hair, and brush your teeth. You can use my stuff if you don’t have anything with you. Do it right. I don’t want you walking out of here with any of my DNA on you.”
I snarl at him. What an asshole.
“I sure as hell don’t want any of your DNA clinging to me,” I mutter as I head to the only bathroom in the low-rent shithole.
I shower. Thankfully he has decent shampoo and bodywash. The stuff is very floral. Way too much so for a guy. Maybe Julia left it here, but she never mentioned it. I wash my slinky little thong too. Squeeze it over and over to get as much water out as possible.
Once I’m clean and dry, I slip the damp thong back on. It’s really thin, it’ll dry fast. Then my dress. I glance at the door. He hasn’t knocked to tell me to hurry, so I decide to blow-dry my hair. Under the sink I find new toothbrushes still in the pack. I snatch one and brush my teeth.
Finally, I toss the dryer aside and finger comb my hair.
Then I’m done. I leave the towel on the floor.
Let him clean it up. Bastard. I drop by the bedroom and grab my bag.
It’s vintage leather, maybe from the ’80s, with fringe.
I found it in my borrowed closet as well.
Then I pick up the necklace. It feels like ice in my hand. I drop it in the bag.
He’s still hanging around in the living room when I breeze in.
“So, where’re we going?” I cock a hip and glare at him like he’s a fucking bug. I figure he’s taking me home.
He grabs his keys and walks out, leaving the door open behind him.
“Well excuse the hell out of me.” I pull the door shut behind me and follow him. I climb into the passenger seat as he starts the car.
After he has backed onto the street, I look around and wonder where Julia is. If she’s hitching . . . I force the thought away. God, I am so stupid. I didn’t think this through very well.
I sag in my seat and watch the route we take. When he merges onto 1-95 South, I demand, “Where are we going?”
“I have a meeting in Manhattan.” He glances at me. I can’t see his eyes because of the aviator-style sunglasses he wears. “I’m taking you with me. It’s your punishment for screwing up my plan.”
Doesn’t sound like much of a punishment to me.
“Whatever, dude.” I relax into the seat and close my eyes. I’ve had zero sleep, so I might as well take advantage of the next hour. As I drift off, I can only think of Julia and how much she hates me now.
“Wake up.”
A prod to my shoulder has me opening my eyes. The sunlight makes me close them again. Another nudge, and I sit up. I look around and then at the person next to me.
Casey.
All the shitty memories from before come raining down on me. Julia. I feel like crap, and I want to hunt her down and find a way to make this right. My gut twists with the hurt I know I’ve caused her.
Yeah, right. Like that will ever happen. She will never speak to me again.
I look around, and all I see are lush shrubs and tall trees lining a parklike city street. We must be in Manhattan. We’re parked at the curb in front of an off-the-hook mansion. The whole street is lined with ballin’ town houses.
“Damn. Where are we?” This is definitely the rich part of the city.
“Come on. There’s no time to explain.”
I get out of the car, force my legs to work right. Shit, I am so hungover. I consider leaning over into the bushes and puking, but I don’t want to embarrass myself more than I already have. “Why are we here?”
“You’ll find out soon enough.”
That sounds ominous. Maybe this is the time I should run, but I don’t think I can.
I am wiped out. He would catch me super easy.
I glance in both directions. There’s no one on the street.
Not a single pedestrian. I have zero cash, so I can’t get back to Westport.
I guess I’m stuck with this asshole. I sneer at him. Psycho.
As we reach the steps up to the wide stone stoop, Casey’s grip tightens on my arm. He forces me to look at him.
“I was bringing Julia here, and you fucked it up.” He leans closer and I draw away. “Don’t fuck this up. Whatever he tells you to do, do it, or we’ll both be sorry. You got it?”
My heart flops in my chest. I want to jerk free of him and run, but he’s already dragging me up the steps and to the door.
So Julia was supposed to come with him? Maybe it’s nothing to worry about. I mean I’ve been in some seriously shitty situations, so this doesn’t seem so bad. Still, all those warning signals honed by twelve years of fucked-up foster homes are wailing at me to run like hell.
But if I’m helping Julia . . .
I face the door. I take a deep breath and tell myself this is for Julia.
I have to do this, and maybe somehow it will make up for my bitch move.
I can explain what Casey was planning to make her do, and she’ll be glad I took her place.
I can blame sleeping with him on still being drunk.
Plus, he’s the one who sought me out. Came to my house and picked me up.
I thought it was the cops the way he was beating on the door.
Then I thought something had happened to Julia.
I had no idea what he wanted until he got me to his place.
There was no Julia in sight.
One of the towering doors opens, and a well-dressed man gestures for us to come inside. He closes the door behind us and disappears. I stare after him as Casey practically drags me along the huge marble-floored entry hall.
“Was that like a butler?”
Casey doesn’t answer.
I almost laugh. Just like on reruns of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
Only this place is way, way more decked out. I survey the soaring ceiling. Gold trim. Huge paintings on the walls. All the marble and stone. A massive fireplace right here in the foyer or entry hall or whatever. Talk about over the top. This place is something.
I think I was in a museum once that looked sort of like this.
We reach another pair of towering open doors and pass through.
To the immediate left is a beautiful decorative iron staircase that descends to a lower level.
We take the stairs. The lower level is just as fancy, and the ceilings are still higher than normal even.
Seriously over-the-top chic. This is definitely some billionaire’s crib.
The next set of double doors is closed. Casey yanks me around to face him. “You go in and you do exactly what he says.”
I want to ask questions but instead I nod. What’s to ask? I gotta do this. “Yeah, you said that already.”
“Remember,” he reminds me. “You’re doing this for Julia.”
He walks away before I can ask when he will be back to pick me up.
Rather than run after him, I take a big breath and open the door. I tell myself over and over that I’m doing this for Julia.
Inside, an older man, gray hair, thin white face, sits in an upholstered chair that kind of reminds me of a throne. Weird.
The door closes behind me without me touching it. I glance back just as the sound of the lock turning echoes in the silent room.
“Turn around.”
I do as he says. That’s when I see what looks like a remote control in his hand. He presses a button, and soft music starts to play. I wish he would press one to have food delivered by that butler guy. I’m starving.
“I ordered blond hair.”
The way he’s scrutinizing me is unnerving as hell. Casey must have fucked up, cause this guy wanted someone with blond hair. Julia doesn’t have blond hair, and I don’t either. I figure it’s best if I keep my mouth shut and wait for this dude to say more. Maybe he’ll send me on my way.
He waves his hand as if dismissing the issue. “You’ll do for now. Remove your clothing.”
I blink. A shot of uncertainty fires through me. I get it now. Damn. Julia is going to owe me big time after this.
I do as he says. Let the tight black dress I found at Goodwill drop to the floor.
“Everything,” he orders. “I need to inspect you.”
Well, fuck. Okay. I toe the shoes off and then wiggle out of my thong. I adopt the sexiest pose I can think of and wait. I know how to show off my assets. I’ll give this old bastard a time he will never forget.
He smiles. Clicks the remote, changing the music to something with a faster beat. “Now dance for me.”
I smile and do as I’m told.
Hopefully this will be over quick. He’s as old as shit. Probably needs one of those little blue pills to keep it up.