by Adele Huxley
When he knocked on my door a few minutes later, I was still so worked up, I screamed. Clapping my hands over my mouth, he knocked again. As he spoke, I scrambled to my side table and unplugged my phone.
“Liz, listen. I want to give you one more chance to make it up to me. I get how that might’ve been a little surprising, so I forgive your reaction. You looked so hot bending over like that, I couldn’t stop myself.”
I sneered at the door, my astonishment indescribable. He forgives me?
“Liz,” he continued. “You know who I am. You know who my dad is. You don’t want to make the wrong enemies in this town, do you? You only just got here. I like taking care of my friends as long as they take care of me. I can protect you.”
“And I suppose that means you want me to suck you off or something?” I spat at the door. I grabbed a pillow and balled myself around it, pulling my knees high into my chest. My knuckles were white, I was gripping my phone so tightly.
“I’d prefer a little back door action with that ass of yours, but I’d never turn down a hummer. Now, open up.” My heart pounded in my chest and I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was all a bad dream I needed to wake up from. Noah slammed his fist against the door, startling me. “Open the door.” His voice sounded artificially sweet, an edge cutting through.
I never let men intimidate me. Growing up with a Marine for a father and in a testosterone-fueled town, I knew how to handle myself. Noah wasn’t much bigger than me but it wasn’t his size that scared me, it was his demeanor. Any other time, if a guy whipped out his dick like that, I would’ve just laughed him out of the room. Noah was different. “Please, go away.” It came out little more than a whisper and I wasn’t sure if he heard.
After a few pounding heartbeats, he hit the door with the palm of his hand. “Big fucking mistake. Huge mistake.”
I waited to hear his footsteps echo down the hall before I called Kayla, my fingers trembling so badly I almost dropped my phone.
“Hey Lizzie, I can’t really—”
“Noah just assaulted me,” I blurted. I was up on my feet, pacing around my room, the shock flowing freely.
“Wait, what? What did he do? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” I said shakily. I quickly recounted what’d just happened. I’m not sure what I was expecting Kayla to do or say. Freak out? Call the cops? Rush home? What I didn’t expect, was the laughter I heard from the other end of the phone.
“Is that all?” she giggled.
I stopped dead in my tracks. “Maybe I didn’t explain it well enough. It was creepy. You should’ve seen his face and then he followed me back to my room.”
“So you didn’t do it?” she asked, the humor still in her voice.
“Of course not!” A thought occurred to me suddenly, the question coming out before it’d fully formed. “Wait, that’s why you’re fooling around with him?”
“Well…yeah. He is the owner’s son and it’s not like he’s ugly or anything.”
I felt sick to my stomach. It wasn’t the first time I knew of Kayla using sex to get ahead, but with Noah? Sure, he wasn’t ugly but there was something just so…vile about him. “And it doesn’t bother you that he just did that to me?”
She laughed again. “It’s not like we’re together or anything. We screw around, he puts a good word in for me. Seems like a good deal. To be fair, I’m not sure what you would’ve gotten from him. You don’t even work at the mountain or anything.”
“He said he’d protect me,” I replied numbly.
“Hmmm, that is weird. I dunno, hon! He’s a rich, entitled man-boy, you know the type.”
I couldn’t tell if the churning in my stomach was left over from Noah or this was a new reaction to the mental image of Kayla fucking him. With everything I’d done in my life, it wasn’t like I had room to judge but I still felt sick. “Yeah, I suppose. I guess things’ll just be awkward in the house. Hopefully I can avoid him.”
“Just put it out of your mind. We’ve got a party tonight and you’ve got that mountain man coming. Honestly, I don’t know what you see in him.”
I scoffed. “You’re kidding, right? I got a good look at what Noah’s working with and I’m not exactly jealous.”
“Don’t be such a size queen. Besides, it’s what it’s attached to that matters. What can the scruff ball offer you? Discount hunting licenses?”
“He’s sweet,” I said defensively.
“Sounds like it. Drives drunk and likes to hit people. Real winner there. At least Rick never—”
“Rick never what?” I snapped. Even his name triggered my temper. “You and I both know there apparently wasn’t any depth Rick wouldn’t sink to. With everything that came out during the trial, I don’t think I ever really knew who he was. At least Bryan’s been up front with me.” Kayla remained silent and I sighed, rubbing my eyes with my hand. “I’m sorry. I’ve had a really messed up morning.”
“It’s alright, hon. I didn’t mean to bring it up. If you like Bryan, I’m sure he’s a decent guy,” Kayla said softly. “I really gotta go. My boss is glaring at me through the door. I’m still editing that video from yesterday.”
“Okay, I’ll see you soon, right? We’ll get ready together.”
“You know it! I just have to pick up the kegs after work.”
“Kegs? As in plural?”
I could hear the grin in her voice. “I told you this was gonna be epic.”
“You can borrow something, I really don’t mind. Just don’t stretch out the chest,” Kayla said with a pout.
“And how exactly am I supposed to do that? Suck my tits in? Unfortunately, the doctor didn’t insert that feature along with the implants. I didn’t think to bring any clothes like this,” I said picking through her closet. Kayla was wearing a cute little strapless black dress with matching sequined black belt and stilettos. The headband she’d tucked into her hair had a little Santa hat attached, hanging at an angle. I looked like a slob in comparison.
I brushed at my patterned tights and sweater. “It’s not like we’re going clubbing. We’re in our own house.”
Kayla shrugged as she turned back to the mirror. “You aren’t planning on losing your V-card to that douche bag, right?”
I rolled my eyes. My virginity was a constant joke to her. She’d been having sex since she was barely a teenager, the same time I was still dealing with my whole world falling apart. “I wasn’t planning on it.”
She carefully brushed mascara on her lashes, glancing at me through the reflection. “Good, ‘cause you remember that’s promised to someone else, right?”
My chest tightened. Shit, did she know? Did Rick tell her about the deal we’d made? My mouth fell open as I searched for the right words to explain myself. Could Kayla even begin to understand?
“To me, silly,” she giggled. “I want at that pussy first.” I laughed nervously, quietly cringing at how close I’d gotten to spilling everything. She capped her mascara and turned around, looking me up and down. “But are you sure you want to wear that?”
“Oh whatever. It’s too late to change now. People are already here.” I picked at my nail polish and smirked. “I’ll let you be the prettiest one at the party for once.”
“You bitch!” she laughed, throwing a pillow at me. “I take it back. You’ll be a perfect match for the scruff ball. I bet Noah wears a suit jacket tonight. He seems the type, doesn’t he?” As she spoke, she lined the edge of her mouth with a red pencil.
I pulled my heels up on the edge of the bed, recalling the conversation we’d had in the kitchen the night before. “Are you really gonna take anything tonight? I’m not sure I’d trust anything Noah would give me. Jacket or not, he seems more the type that’d drop a roofie in your drink.”
Kayla dropped the pencil and searched through her makeup bag, pulling out a bright red tube of lipstick. “Why would he drug me when he knows he can get it willingly?”
“Because maybe he’ll find it more fun without your
consent.” I remembered the look in his eyes and shivered. The guy was a snake, through and through. I’m sure he was full of idle threats, but I couldn’t stop thinking about the last thing he’d said. What did he mean he could keep me safe? Safe from what?
She came over and sat facing me on the bed, dabbing at her bright red lips with a tissue. “He really freaked you out, didn’t he?”
I never enjoyed admitting to any weakness, which made my reaction to Noah that much worse. I hated that he’d gotten to me like that. I’d spent most of the morning hiding away in my room, leaving only when I heard the front door slam shut. I was so thankful when the decorators showed up after lunch. At least with them in the house, it didn’t feel like the house had eyes. “To be fair, I’m probably giving him more credit than he deserves. He’s just an asshole.”
Kayla placed a comforting hand on my thigh. “He’s definitely that. Don’t worry about tonight. I promise I’ll be safe, okay? Don’t feel like you have to babysit me. And I’ll keep Noah out of your hair.”
I was still dubious but felt a small weight lift from my shoulders. Even if she was using him, at least it sounded like she knew what she was dealing with. It’d taken me about twenty minutes to get ready compared to her hour, but we were finally done and ready to join the party.
People filtered in by the minute. Everything was decked out in Christmas decorations. There must’ve been hundreds of feet of twinkling lights wrapped around every beam and banister. I wandered through the house full of strangers and spotted Morgan out on the deck. She turned and smiled at me as I pushed the doors open. Two long braids fell over each shoulder, her head covered in a multi-colored knit hat.
“Hey you, you ready for your first Powder Mountain party? It’s gonna be crazy tonight.”
“Don’t you mean Angel Vista or whatever?”
“Oh yeah! I forgot. Better not say that around Noah or he’ll flip. Different name, same crazy.” She took a long drag off the joint she held in her right hand. Holding her breath, she continued, “A rose by any other name, right?” As she exhaled, the thick white cloud floating into the darkness above, she offered it to me.
Between my date with Bryan and Noah’s wacko behavior, I needed to chill out a little bit. I grabbed the joint with a nod, breathing in deeply.
Morgan gestured to the DJ setting up on the far end of the deck. “In all the years I’ve been coming here, I don’t think there’s ever been a party with anything other than a tired old playlist on someone’s iPod. He apparently came all the way from Denver. Noah flew him out last night.”
I started coughing as I exhaled. “That’s insane. I knew he was rich but I didn’t realize he had enough money to do that. How many years have you been skiing out here then?”
“Oh man, you had to ask,” she laughed. Morgan leaned against the railing and looked up thoughtfully. “This is probably my fourth or fifth season.”
“Whoa, seriously? You look so young.”
She took another hit and held it. “I am. I get that a lot,” she exhaled with a half-laugh. “I ran away from home when I was fifteen, been living on my own ever since. I guess I’m an old soul.”
“There you are!” a voice called out. We both turned to see Spencer walking towards us with two drinks in his hands. “I didn’t know what you wanted, so I grabbed you a beer,” he said to Morgan. Whenever she was around, he only had eyes for her. It was like everyone else ceased to exist.
“That’s perfect, thanks.” She offered him a hit but he waved it away. Judging from the panicked look on his face, he hadn’t spent much time around drugs. I excused myself quickly, knowing that in no time Spencer would be edging me out of the conversation anyway.
I wandered through the party with my camera, snapping photos here and there. Not that I have social anxiety or anything, but big parties were never really my thing. The music was always a little too loud, people were too drunk. By 10 p.m. it’d become nearly impossible to navigate through the cabin without having to sidestep around groups of people. Every person under the age of 30 from Tellure Hollow was crammed into our house. I’d run back to my room to touch up my makeup one last time. Bryan hadn’t said when he was going to arrive, so my nerves were on edge just waiting for him. I grabbed my camera and locked the bedroom door behind me. The last thing I wanted was the party spilling into my room and subsequently all over my sheets.
Looping the strap over my neck, I went straight to the deck. The DJ had kicked off and the music from the massive speakers reverberated through my chest. I crouched level with the railing, adjusted the focus, and took a couple shots of the Christmas lights fading into the distance. I snapped a few more photos of the crowd, group shots with the shutter held open so their movements blurred. The DJ spotted me and waved me over, pulling the ear of his headphones off as I approached.
“If you take a couple snaps and tag me on Facebook, that’d be sweet,” he yelled over the music. I smiled and gave him a thumbs up. After scanning the area for a second, I grabbed a milk crate and set it up behind him. Standing on top of it, I pointed the camera straight down as he worked the mixing board and turntables. I took another series just over his shoulder and then close-ups of his hands. I was getting so into taking pictures, I’d forgotten I was actually one of the people throwing the party. It wasn’t until Bryan texted me that I remembered I was supposed to be nervous.
Hey, I’m walking up the driveway. I’m never going to be able to find you.
I switched off my camera and replied, nibbling the lipstick off my bottom lip.
I’ll meet you at the front door.
I instantly regretted the sweater as I returned inside. A prickly sweat popped up in the heat, made worse by rubbing against people as I tried to cut through. I passed Kayla on the way and gave her shoulders a squeeze, overhearing a bit of her conversation. She was talking with a tall, pasty white guy with long dreadlocks.
“So, like, where are you from?” he asked.
“Santa Barbara,” Kayla replied, touching my hand as I tried to squeeze past.
“No, but like, where are you really from?”
She groaned and turned away without answering, grabbing me and trailing through the crowd. “Fucking Asian fetishists. I bet he couldn’t even find Korea on a map. Where are you going?”
I glanced back, knowing she wasn’t going to like the answer. “Bryan’s here.”
“Ah, well have fun with that,” she said releasing my hand and pivoting in another direction.
By the time I made it to the front door, I was a flushed, sticky mess. I spotted him immediately, standing in the doorway, scanning the crowd. He was wearing dark wash jeans and a tight long-sleeved shirt. My heart skipped a beat when our eyes met. Holy shit, the way his face lit up when he saw me…
“Hey,” I said breathlessly.
“Hey.” He looked down at me, hesitated for a moment, and then kissed my cheek. I cringed internally, hoping my face wasn’t as clammy as the rest of me was.
“Follow me,” I said grabbing his arm. I led him through the crowd, down the hallway, and to my bedroom. “At least we can hear each other in here. I just need to get changed.” I said as I shut the door.
I set my camera down on the bed. As I pulled off my sweater and dropped it on the floor, Bryan looked around my room. I felt a hundred times better in just a tank top. “I think you should know I’m not the kind of guy who puts out on a first date,” he said with a laugh.
I blushed a little, not having thought about how that must’ve looked just pulling him in like that. Thankfully, my face was already beet red from my hot sweater. “I know. A classy guy like you expects dinner first. I’ll buy you a nice, fat lobster next time.”
“Nice,” he laughed. “So uh, this place is incredible.”
I followed his eyes around the room and nodded. “I think I made the same face when I moved in.” I glided to the double doors that opened out onto the deck, letting some cool air in along with the thumping bass from the DJ. When I turned
around, Bryan was at my dresser holding the framed photo of my mom. I padded towards him, the lush rug dampening the sound of my steps.
“Is this…?”
I smiled as I looked at the photo in his hand. “That’s her. I think they were up in Vermont or New York somewhere.”
“You look like her,” he said turning to me. I took the photo from him, briefly running my fingers across the glass before setting it back on the dresser. My arm brushed his and I realized at that moment how close we were standing together. I slid my hand along where it lingered for a few moments, the connection like a magnetic pull. His mouth opened slightly as our eyes met, my desire to taste those lips all-encompassing. Too soon, gotta make him work a little for it, I thought, letting my hand drop. “I think we should head back to the party.” My voice came out a little too husky.
As I slipped on a thinner long-sleeved shirt, Bryan took a moment to look around my room. “I’m not even going to ask how much you guys have to pay to stay here,” he said in awe.
“Wait! You’ve gotta check this out.” I flicked the light on in the bathroom, walking in a bit so I could watch his reaction.
Bryan’s eyes went wide as he scanned the windowed shower stall. He looked at me with a mixture of shock and appreciation. “You use this?” I nodded, as if showering in front of floor-to-ceiling windows was perfectly normal. A smirk spread across his face. “Really…”
“Oh, you big perv. It steams up pretty quick,” I said slapping his arm. I flicked the light off before I did something crazy, like invite him to take his clothes off and try it out with me.
I led him back out to the hall, making sure to lock the door behind me again. As I tucked the key in my pocket, I wondered for a moment if he thought he’d be spending the night. My stomach flooded with butterflies. I hadn’t actually fooled around with a guy since Rick, and even then…that was more of a business arrangement. After seeing Bryan laying on the sofa without his shirt, I’d found it difficult to ignore those urges. Even though I’d done pretty much everything but sex, I thought maybe he might be the one to show me.