Chapter 14 Vogue #2
A DJ starts playing music that just seems to have a pulse or a heartbeat and nothing else, and people are dancing in ways I never imagined.
Some look as if they are taking part in some horrific exorcism right on the dance floor, while others look like they are having sex out there.
I watch from the edge of the dance floor, mesmerized.
Vee chats with yet another group, but I can’t tear my eyes away from the dance floor.
Suddenly someone grabs me from behind and propels me forward, into the chaos.
I try to turn around, but they are gripping my hips firmly in their hands and are steering me through the crowd, turning me in one direction and then the other, until we are right in the middle of the dance floor.
I’m spun around and I stumble, tripped up by the sudden change in direction and my fancy shoes.
Falling hard into someone’s chest for a minute, I think it’s Jake.
Pulling back, I look up with a smile on my face, and I’m appalled at my error.
Danny is leering at me and gyrating suggestively.
“Let’s dance,” he shouts over the din.
The music is even louder on the floor. I shake my head no, but he grabs one of my arms and pulls me toward him and then releases me. I stumble forward and back like a puppet on a string.
Remembering Vee’s guidance, and really having no other choice, I stop fighting and lean into the motion.
I can handle one dance; maybe this is all part of living.
I try to copy the people dancing around us—not the ones doing the sex act, but the ones trying to expel the devil from their bodies.
I feel ridiculous. Danny doesn’t notice my discomfort.
The music keeps pounding and I realize this is one of those times when time has slowed to a crawl, or this is the longest song ever.
I sense a slight change in the beat, but it’s hard to tell for sure.
Maybe this is another song, and I won’t ever get a chance to stop.
The picture of Vee’s disappearing act pops in my head.
God, I hope this works. Doing some serious dance moves, I back up little by little as I flail my arms around.
It’s getting more crowded on the dance floor and when a large man in a suit gets between me and Danny, I backpedal as fast as I can, breaking through the border of the dance floor.
I wipe a piece of hair clinging to my sweaty forehead, relieved that I am now back to the normal insanity.
Vee would be proud, I think—but looking around, I don’t see her. I check my watch; it’s midnight, which is the time we planned to leave. Damn, we didn’t plan on being separated.
Heading toward the entryway, I dodge the crowd that is eating, drinking, gesturing, and talking way too loudly.
Everyone looks crazed. I try to keep the panic that is building in me under control, but I can feel my face flushing red.
I’m torn as I need to locate Vee, but I also have to pee really bad.
Making my way along the hallway off to the right of the entrance, I ask a server where the bathrooms are.
He points in the direction I’m going. I spot a door with a large gold W on it.
Pushing it open, I enter a marble castle and the fanciest bathroom I’ve ever seen.
Attendants are handing out towels after handwashing and girls stand ready with makeup brushes to freshen up faces.
Not bothering to take any mental pictures of this marble oasis, instead I dart into a stall with a deep, dark-paneled door and quickly pee. Checking my watch again, it shows 12:30, and panic rises in my chest.
I quickly wash my hands and glancing in the mirror note that I look more like the other crazed attendees than I would like; feverish and agitated.
I try to calm my features into a serene smile, but I’m not fooling anyone.
Vee is right, I wear my feelings on my sleeve; I didn’t believe her until now.
As I’m walking out of the bathroom, one of the other models I recognize from a photoshoot enters. I reach out my hand to stop her. “Brittany, have you seen Vee by any chance?”
She pauses, her eyes are unfocused, but she squints at me and says, “Vee . . . Ah, yes. She said she was leaving a while ago. I think she was looking for you. She told us if we see you to tell you she has left. You’re Emma, right?”
I nod my head in a quick jerk and my breath comes out in a whoosh.
“Thank you so much. I was so worried.”
Brittany smiles and wobbles past me.
Stepping out into the hallway, my limbs loosen with relief. I head to the coat check, remembering the fifty dollars Vee insisted I put in my coat pocket tonight. I think, Thank god, I guess she knew things can happen at these parties.
I’m thrilled I’ll be saying goodbye to this party soon. As I pass the men’s room, Danny bursts out of the door and takes one look at me and grabs me in a bear hug. This time, it doesn’t feel like Jake at all. He is squeezing me too tightly, and he smells sour.
He twirls around, still holding me pressed to his chest, and says with a touch of irritation, “Ah, there you are. I’ve been looking and looking for you. We’re now up on the second level, having our own private party.”
Releasing me from the bear hug, he keeps a firm grip on my wrist, pulling me towards a staircase that is the opposite direction from the exit.
I try to protest, but he pays no attention.
Glancing around frantically, I intuitively know I don’t want to go to any private party with Danny or anyone else, but he pulls me up the stairs.
As we approach the landing, I see the open doors leading to a dimly lit room.
There are two security guards standing outside the open doors.
Maybe Jake is right. Maybe I do know right from wrong.
Because I know in my bones, it will be very wrong if I go through those doors.
Reaching out with my free hand, I tug at Danny’s arm to get him to stop.
“Danny, wait a minute. Let’s spend a minute getting to know each other before we go in to the party.” My voice quavers, but Danny doesn’t notice.
He turns, his eyes glitter like shards of glass, “Yes, let’s do that, little one.”
He veers to the left and pulls me around a corner.
I have absolutely no plan, but anything is better than going into a room with security guards at the door.
I stumble a bit and fall into Danny’s chest as he turns to face me.
He seems to mistake it for a move, and suddenly I’m engulfed in a wet, sloppy kiss.
His tongue slides into my mouth and I fight the urge to gag.
Although I’ve never been kissed before, I’m sure no one would enjoy this kind of kiss.
As his tongue continues to press and explore my mouth, I react without thinking, making a vicious twisting motion with my body and yanking myself away.
Danny has his hands loosely around my shoulders and his back is leaning against the wall, so he isn’t in a good position to make a grab for me and I take off running.
Danny explodes, “Bitch,” as if I’ve done something to him.
Running blindly back the way we came, I have no idea if he’s coming after me.
This is unbelievable. Could someone maul or even rape me in the middle of a huge party like this?
My heart is pounding and I’m down the stairs in a flash.
Should I stop at the coat check or just keep going?
I look behind me, figuring if Danny is giving chase, I will leave the coat and the money—and I smash into a brick wall.
How did Danny get in front of me? I think frantically. He must be some sort of devil.
But then I hear a familiar voice and smell the citrusy, fresh scent I know so well.
It’s Jake.
I collapse against him and cry out, “Thank God.”
Jake looks down at me with alarm, concern showing in his deep-brown eyes.
“Please get me out of here.” I gasp and a tear streaks down my cheek. I know more are going to follow.
He immediately hustles me toward the door, but I pull on his hand and ask, “Can we get my coat? I think I’m safe now.”
Jake bursts out, “You think you’re safe, Jesus Christ! What happened in there?”
He rushes over to the coat check with me still clutching his arm. Then we head outside, into the bracing air; it feels clean on my face, but I wipe my hand against my mouth to wipe away the feeling of Danny’s vulgar kiss. I know Jake sees me do it; I’m grateful he doesn’t say anything.
When we’re in the taxi, though, he turns to me, tilting my face up to the light of the streetlights and demands, “What happened?”
Mortified, I plead, “Not now. I don’t want to talk about it now. I just want to go home. I’ll tell you tomorrow?”
Jake shakes his head, “No. It can’t wait. I need to know if I need to kill someone or not.”
Laughing a bit hysterically, “No, nothing like that. Well, except—I don’t know, really.
It was just awful. This guy Danny made me dance with him and when I left him, he found me later and wanted me to go to a private party room or something on the second floor.
I had to escape him because I just knew I didn’t want to go into that room.
They had security guards, and I think the guards were there to keep people in, not out. Could that be true?”
“Yes, these parties get Vee in so much trouble.” Jake shakes his head, “They are over the top in every way. You may not have made it out alive.” He sees the horror in my eyes and quickly declares, “That’s just an expression, but let’s just say I’m glad you got away. Why the lip wiping?”
I shrug. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
Thankfully, he doesn’t press.
“How did you know I was in trouble?”
“Vee called me on this really convenient thing called a cell phone.”
This gets a feeble smile out of me.
“When she couldn’t find you at midnight, she said she had had enough, so she asked if I would come and make sure you got home.
I was at the Roosevelt down the block, at Oliver’s charity event, and once I got over the shock of you both being at some party, I agreed to make sure you got home safe.
I was there just to escort you home; I had no idea you were in danger.
Vee never would have left if she thought you’d have any trouble. ”
I lean my head against the back of the taxi seat. I whisper a soft, “Thanks.”
“Oh, I was glad to do it. The charity event was rubbish, and my so-called date was even worse. Ugh!”
I smile sinking into the darkness of the cab. The stress of the past hour eases ever so slightly. With my coat wrapped tightly around me, I feel warm and protected.