Make Believe (8 page)

There are about twelve of us from work and I only know a couple of them. Mia, thank God, is floating around - she does sociable so well. I, on the other hand, hate it until I’ve had a few drinks, and then I’m ready for the party. Hudson appears with two buckets of champagne.

“Drinks are on me, ladies. Who wants to be first?” Hudson shouts, the insinuation is obvious!

Mia grabs a glass on her way past and he smacks her bum. God, he is the last of the chauvinistic pigs. I can’t believe he thinks women like that.

“Aren’t you having a glass, Jess?” Mia asks.

“I don’t really want to get one from him.” Mia rolls her eyes.

“Think of it like this, it’s a free night. He’s spending his money and we’re not spending ours. Drink away, my dear.” She smiles as she downs her glass. “Grab me another whilst you’re there, Jess, please.”

I walk over to him, hating every minute of it. He really does make my skin crawl.

“Hello Jessica, can I get you a glass?” He eyes me up and down as he says it.

For once I feel really uncomfortable in my short denim skirt.

“Yes please. Can I grab Mia one too?” I flutter my eye lashes.

“Two for the price of one, now that’s my type of deal, Jessica. If I give you one for her what do I get in return?”

God, he really is a pervert!

“Her eternal gratitude!” I smile.

“It’s not hers I’m interested in.” He hands me the glass and as I take it he runs his boney fingers over my hand.

“When you’re finished playing with the boy, you know where to come for a man!” he laughs, looking me up and down one last time.

Oh my God, he’s disgusting. I rush over to where Mia is stood but she’s talking to someone. God, the one time I need to speak to her to tell her he’s made a move… I decide the best way to deal with it is to down my glass of champagne. 

Mia’s still talking so I then proceed to drink hers too.

Elliott appears at my side with yet another glass for me.

“Hey beautiful, how’s your evening going?” he whispers in my ear.

“Good,” I smile. If only your pervert agent would leave me alone! rages in my head.

He pulls me back into a corner where I can hear him better.

“Sorry I’ve not stayed with you tonight; it’s just, you know, I’ve got to keep everyone happy.”

  I start my third glass of champagne - I feel my head starting to spin.

“It’s OK, Elliott. I get it, I really do,” I reassure him. It makes a nice change not to be ignored all night like I am at Henry’s work dos.

He smiles and leans in. I feel his hand on my lower back and then feel it tracing down to my bottom, where he caresses it.

It makes me jump but I like it.  I turn to look at him and he has that lustful look in his eyes again like he did the night I stayed at his. I don’t care where we are or who’s watching, I pull his t-shirt and kiss him.  He responds. The passion is intense. I place one of my hands in his hair and gently pull it. He groans and opens his eyes.

“Jess, don’t. You don’t know what you’re doing!” he threatens in that provocative way.

I smile, kissing him again but with my eyes open and pull it again!

It drives him crazy. He pushes me hard into the wall and his hands trace my body up to my back and then back down to my bottom again. This time I feel him go underneath my skirt and run his fingers along my panty line.

I want this and I want it now, but in a public place, that’s so not me. I try to wrestle with my conscious but it’s Elliott Tate, for God’s sake!

I feel him lift my panties slightly at the side and caress the curve.

Then it hits me. I know exactly what he’s doing, he’s pushing it to see how far I will go!  He obviously likes the challenge. Well, two can play that game! I pull his hair one last time and then run my fingers down his body following his contours. My God, he’s got a good body. I can feel his muscles tensing through his t-shirt as I go down. I then trace them down to the top of his jeans. I hover there for a second. Do I really want to do this? I question myself. This is so unlike me, it must be the alcohol. I then gently run my hand over his crotch area, delicately so he can feel it but not too obvious so anyone else can see. I chase it up and down and I can feel him growing. I open my eyes to see if I’ve managed to make him concede. But he’s just staring at me with that you-want-to-fucking-play look.

Shit, I feel out of my depth. I run my hands over him one last time and place them on his chest. I pull back from him to end the kiss.  He just looks at me, not taking notice of anyone else.

“You want to play, Jessica?”  he asks suggestively.

“Maybe?” I smile my most innocent smile.

“Good, tonight at mine. I’m looking forward to it.” He smiles and smacks my bum as I walk off. What is it with bottom smacking? It must be an American thing.

I’m left feeling totally in awe.

I spot Mia with yet another glass of champagne for me. She hands it to me.

“I see you and Elliott are just work colleagues then?” she teases.

I feel my cheeks turning red.

“Believe me, Jess, if it was the other way round I would definitely be doing what you’re doing.” And I know she’s referring Henry.

My heart drops.

“We left on bad terms, you know that.  Elliott’s just a nice distraction that’s all,” I justify.

“Jessica, stop it. I’m not trying to make you feel guilty. I think you’re far too good for Henry. You should have left him years ago. He treats you terribly. If Elliott helps you do that, then I’m all for it. Cheers.” We both down our glasses again.

I feel my phone vibrating in my pocket.

I look at it. And it’s Henry, as if on cue.

“I’m just going to get this, Mia. I’m going outside, I can’t hear in here.” I show her my phone and point towards the exit.

I head outside and there is a huge queue lined up against the wall.

I look for somewhere quiet to take it. I spot an alleyway about five doors up. I pop in there.

“Hello, Henry?”

“Henry, I can’t hear you. I think I’ve got a bad signal.”

The phone goes dead.

I try and ring him this time but the phone just beeps. I check the signal and there is none.  Bloody hell. I put the phone back in my pocket and go to walk out of the alley and I’m confronted by a huge six foot tall man.

Shit!

I walk towards him and, to my relief, it’s Hudson.

“Where are you going, Jessica?” he asks.

“Back inside, why?” What a silly question.

“I don’t think we need to rush back in do you?”

“Urm…yes, Mia will be worried.”

“Well the last I saw she was dancing around a pole. I think she’s good.”

I feel the panic rise throughout my body. Shit, I don’t think he’s here because he’s worried about me.

“That was quite a show you put on in there, Jessica?”

Show? What? I’m confused – I suddenly remember that he’s referring to Elliott and me. I pretend I don’t know what he’s talking about.

“What could you possibly mean?” I reply smiling.

“You know exactly what I’m talking about you dirty bitch!”

 
He takes another step towards me. I try to take a step back, but don’t want to go too far into the darkness of the alley.

“What the fuck are you playing at you whore? You know you want me. You’re just trying to make me jealous with Elliott. I’ve seen the way you act, you want me. We have something… sexual chemistry! You want me and I you so I think this is a perfect place for us to fuck. You, being a dirty rotten whore, are used to doing it in a place like this.”

What? I don’t understand what he’s saying. I feel my head go woozy. I must focus, the realization of what’s about to happen hits me and I freeze. Jessica think, remember how you and your brother Charlie use to play-fight and Mum would go mad, it’s just the same, my internal voice is screaming.

He walks closer pushing me hard into the wall. He grabs my face hard and shoves his disgusting tongue in my mouth. I try and turn my head away but he has it pinned.

He uses his body to hold me still. I want to scream but the music is so loud from the club, no one would hear me. I look at him and try to move again but I can’t. Try and talk your way out, Jessica, my mind is ordering.

“You’re right, Hudson. How did you know?  I do want you but I can’t move. Please let me go so I can enjoy it more,” I smile trying to hold back the tears.

“I’m not ready to let you go just yet,” and he grabs my hair hard pulling my neck back. He kisses down my face and pulls at my top. His hands rubbing over my breast so hard it hurts.

“You like it rough, don’t you, you dirty bitch?”

The tears roll down my cheeks.

Still not letting go of my hair, his hand follows down towards my skirt. I try and pull at my hands, but it’s no good, his has them gripped so tight. I cross my legs hoping to make it harder for him.

“You like to be touched under here, don’t you? I saw you enjoying it with Elliott, everybody saw, you fucking whore.”  I try and push him off with my body but he’s too strong. Dread fills me as his hands trail under my skirt, pulling at my panties and moving them to the side. He shoves a finger really hard inside me.  I gasp as it hurts so much.

“Yes, that’s better, you enjoy that. See, I knew you wanted it. I could tell. My dick wants you so fucking badly and from the feel of you, you want it badly too, you dirty little bitch.”

I try to hold back my sobs.

He starts moving it in and out, and then the next time it’s two fingers hurting me more with each thrust.

I pull a hand free and reach up to his face and pull him down to look at me. I have one chance, I need him to believe me.

“I’m not going anywhere, see? Release me a little so I can join in please,” I plead.

He stares at me, not convinced, but relaxes his legs off me and lets my hair go.

I stand and look at him. “Thank you,” I whisper. He places his mouth on mine again, still moving his fingers. It hurts so much. I kiss him back, fooling him, and just as he goes to kiss me again I bring my knee up really hard and hit him direct in the groin. He bends over grabbing my top.

“You fucking bitch!” he screams.

I pull away from him but he has hold of it so tight. I turn around and, with all my strength, I punch him straight in the face hitting him right on the nose -blood spurts everywhere, but it works. He lets go of my top to grab his face and I run out of the alley and straight back into the safety of the club.

I push my way back in, but I can’t see anyone it’s so crowded. I get to the VIP area and the bouncer starts asking for my ID. I can’t think straight - my head is thumping, my breathing so rapid. I fumble around in my pockets trying to find it. I nervously glance behind me to see if I can see him coming but it’s too difficult to tell. There are too many people moving about. I finally find my ID and show him.  I scan the area for Mia but I can’t see her. I catch Elliott’s glance. Shit, not him, not now!  He starts walking towards me. I feel my head going woozy again. Breathe, Jessica, slowly- in and out, in and out. My mind is trying to take control but to no avail. I feel my head becoming heavy and my body feels so exhausted. I try and grab the bouncer but it’s no good. My legs go weak and I fall…

“Jessica, Jessica…can you hear me?” I hear the faint words.

I open my eyes and everything seems so blurry. I can just make out the face staring at me. It’s Elliott.

I shut my eyes again, feeling that throbbing pain in my head.

I open them again and can see more clearly now.

“Thank God, you’re OK. What happened?” I can hear the anxiety in Elliott’s voice.

“I’m not sure?” I try to sit up and notice everyone is looking at me. Oh God, how embarrassing.

Elliott helps me to my feet and I notice Hudson straight away, standing right behind him with a huge cut on his nose. I feel my legs starting to go again. I hold onto Elliott to steady myself.

“I think you’ve had enough, Jess. Let me take you home.” We turn and walk into the crowd passing Hudson on the way. Elliott glances up towards him.

“Shit, Hudson, what the hell happened to you?”

“There was this shit-faced douchebag outside hassling Jessica when she was on the phone. I interrupted and you can guess the rest - but as long as she is OK?” He glares at me.

“Your very own hero, hey Jess? Not such a bad guy now is he?”

I am absolutely horrified. Not only has he just sexually attacked me, he’s now asking for my gratitude.

I go to open my mouth but all I can manage is hysterical sobbing.  I try to speak, answering no it was him who attacked me but all I can muster is another sob.

“I think you better take her home, Elliott.” Hudson reiterates.

Hudson touches my hand and looks at me. “It’s fine, Jessica, you don’t have to thank me. Just remember I will always be looking out for you,” He smirks knowing full well I know exactly what he means.  I pull my hand away immediately.

The car pulls into Elliott’s driveway. I didn’t notice that we were coming back to his.

“Why are we here?”

“I thought it would be safer for you - with all the alarms and staff,” he smiles. Brushing my hair out my face his hand traces down to my neck.

“What’s that on your neck, Jess?” he asks.

“Where? I can’t see, I don’t have a mirror.” And I follow his trace to my neck. It’s tender as I touch it.

“It looks like a cut from a watch or a cufflink or something?”

I nod. “Yes, you’re probably right. He caught my neck as he groped me.”

“What the fuck?” Elliott’s tone is so aggressive.

“Hudson told you?”

“No, he said you were being hassled not fucking attacked.”

The tears start streaming down my face again.

“Oh baby, don’t cry, hush, you’re safe now. I won’t let anyone get near you. Hush, baby, hush.  When you feel more settled, Jess, we need to talk about this, OK?” He kisses my forehead and I fall into him once again.

Elliott’s fussing about in the lounge, organizing Simon to get us some drinks and some food. It’s because he wants me to talk.

I don’t mind talking to him, but what do I say? Hudson’s already covered his tracks by his bull shit. It’s now his word against mine. It wouldn’t surprise me if he had planned this from the beginning. The thought of that disgusting man touching me physically makes me heave.