by Michelle Lee
Pulling her curly hair up on her head in a nice twist, letting a few tendrils fall around her face, she is ready for her makeup. Appling some liner and mascara to her lids and lashes and some gloss to her lips she heads out the door. Careful at the top of the stairs she heads down to the mouth watering aroma of freshly brewed coffee.
Once in the kitchen she stops dead in her tracks when she sees Brody in his work suit. She stops staring long enough to make sure her tongue isn’t literally hanging out of her mouth. She takes in his tailored dark blue shirt. It hugs his wide shoulders, stretches across his impressive chest, and disappears into his slim washboard waist. His grey pants drape his long lean legs in absolute perfection, accentuating his ass. The tie he is wearing is just a tie, nothing that can compete with the rest of the outfit. Except that it seems to be an arrow pointing to the secrets Brody hides in his pants.
Blushing, because she has been caught looking at Brody’s crotch, Charlie finally looks up and says, “Wow, you clean up nice.”
“Thanks. You look beautiful.” He sounds a little breathless.
“This old thing” she waves the complement away. Absently, she runs her hands down her hips, over her thighs and back smoothing the material.
“Coffee?”
“Yes, please.”
Brody hands her a cup of mocha café cappuccino. “Mmmm, this is a very nice surprise.” She takes another sip.
“Yeah well, I am full of surprises.” He turns his back to make a plain cup for himself. “I was thinking I should take you to work and pick you up when you’re done.” Turning around he looks at her waiting for an answer.
“No, I appreciate the thought, but you cannot be with me 24/7. I need to remember all the training I’ve had, I can’t be helpless anymore. I promised myself when this day came, and I knew it would, that I wouldn’t let Michael take from me anymore.”
“I’m not suggesting you hide, just be extra cautious. I’m just talking about riding in together.”
I don’t know how to explain to Brody how important it is for me to not change my life too much. “He has taken so much already, I have worked really hard getting to this point in my life. Being independent does not translate into stupid. I will still be careful. I will take in my surroundings and listen to my instincts. I won’t go anywhere unnecessary, alone.”
He walks over and takes my cup, and wraps me up in his arms, “Ok, I get it. I’m sorry. I’m just so scared I won’t be there when you need me.” Breathing into the side of my neck, he says, “You have to stay safe. I have big plans for you.” Sighing he steps away from me. Alright, I’m leaving; you call if you need me. I will be home around 7pm. I have to fix that virus in accounting; the one that was downloaded from the porn site.” Shaking his head he kisses my forehead and walks out the door.
Big plans? I will have to ask what that means later. Charlie cringes as she thinks about her day. She has got to sit in meeting after meeting and take notes. Her boss is great, but some of the other big wigs are dicks. They assume because she is nice and good at being an executive assistant she must be brainless as well. They didn’t know she has a degree in advertising. The economy being as it is, no one is hiring. Bills need to be paid so here she is. She was one step away from Wal-Mart before Mrs. Smith called.
With that last thought she leaves and locks up the house. She can’t wait to come home later. She gets in her car and starts the engine. Under the passenger seat she pulls out a black lock box. She enters a digital code, unlocks a pad lock, and then presses her palm to the designated place to unlock the gun she keeps for emergencies.
Charlie picks up her Kel-Tec PF-9; it fits in her hand perfectly. Since it is a thin, freakishly thin, hand gun it is easy to conceal. Today’s outfit is an exception. The gun weighs in at 12.7 oz; loaded, has an overall length of 5.85”, and holds 7+1 bullets. Statistically, it only takes 3 bullets to get out of trouble, but who’s taking a chance. She puts gun in her purse and heads to work.
CHAPTER 20
When Charlie walked into the kitchen this morning Brody almost died. She looked great. He expected her to be hung over. If you looked close enough or if you knew the signs as well as he did, you could see the leftover effects of the wine. IF, you could look away from the way that skirt flowed over her hips and hugged her long toned legs. He couldn’t even think about the slit up the back. He was sitting at a red light, thinking about that skirt around her waist and him in front of her on his knees…HONK!! “Shit, snap out of it Brody”
At work he couldn’t concentrate any better. He checked his phone all morning. After lunch he worked on the problem over at accounting. That didn’t take as long as he thought it would, he might get home at the same time as Charlie. Smiling, he continues to work his way through the day. Looking at the clock, he sees that it’s almost time for her to be done so he picks up the phone and calls. She answers immediately.
“Hey, aren’t you supposed to be saving the accounting department from some naked humping?”
“What, no hello? How was your day? No small talk? Just straight to the naked humping? Perv.” He says smiling like a fool.
“Hello, Brody. How is your day going? Did you fix your little problem with the naked humpers?” She giggles.
“You’re awfully curious about that, is there something you want to talk about? You know I won’t judge you if you want to watch porn tonight, that’s fine with me.”
“No, I don’t want to watch porn.” He can almost hear the pink creeping up her cheeks. Charlie was always taught that anything sex related, besides straight sex, was bad, dirty. It has taken a long time but she is starting to lighten up. Baby steps. Watching porn is something she wouldn’t do alone let alone with me.
“Fine, I’ll just have to watch by myself.”
“I guess you will. Now, what should I pickup for dinner, or do you want me to cook?”
Laughing, “You, cook? Um, no thank you. I will stop on my way since I will be later than you.”
“Alright, see you later gotta run. Love ya!”
“You Too.” Feeling better than he has all day Brody hangs up the phone still laughing to himself. He finishes up his work, closes up his computer and heads out the door.
He stops at the Mexican place down the street and gets some; chicken tortilla soup, chicken tacos, beef tacos, beans and rice and some homemade hot sauce. He gets back in the truck and heads home. Home. Where Charlie is at, waiting for him. In a weird sick way he hopes his little fantasy can last a little longer. Not that he wants Charlie in danger, but he does want her with him, at home.
CHAPTER 21
Officer O’Connor has been pouring over notes and pictures. He is not supposed to be working on this case anymore. The higher ups have deemed it cold for lack of evidence. He knows if he looks hard enough he will find what they need to put this scumbag away. If not, he is sure he will go back and kill Charlie.
He has the statement open from three years ago; there wasn’t even a real investigation then. They filed reports but barely looked for this guy. He looks at pictures of Charlie’s broken body. The bruises on her face; her eye is swollen shut, both lips cracked and bleeding. Her jaw is swollen and bruised but not broken, as if that is good news. There are finger marks around her long delicate neck. She has three broken ribs.
The rape itself was so brutal and forceful she bleed from the inside. He tore her open over and over. The doctor said she had been lucky, she will have no scarring. No scarring, are you fucking kidding me? What this man took from Charlie he cannot give her back, but he can help her feel safe again.
He looks at the evidence collected at the apartment yesterday. The beer was wiped down. The plate was clean of finger prints, no DNA on the pasta, fork, plate, napkin, nothing. The only thing they had was his DNA left behind on her pillow. This guy is a sociopath. He literally gets off on scaring the shit out of this girl; for no other reason other than he can.
The only thing he has is the same man who raped Charlie three years
ago was in her apartment last night. Unless he can find him, or more evidence there is nothing more he can do. Sometimes it sucks having to go by the book.
“O’Connor, you have patrol what you still doing here? Get out on the street.”
“I’m going, just finishing up my report from the B&E from yesterday.”
“Alright, just hurry. It’s full moon tonight. All the crazies are out.” With that the boss walks away mumbling to himself.
With nothing else to do he picks up his files and puts them in his desk, closes and locks it. No one needs to know he is still working the case. Then, he goes out the door and climbs into his cruiser, looking for crazies on the night of the full moon.
CHAPTER 22
Charlie is sitting at work with a big stupid grin on her face. She thought it was hysterical how at 30 she still blushes about porn. Brody, being Brody, loves every uncomfortable minute of it. She has gotten better over the years but there are some things that still make her remember how very inexperienced she is. Maybe she should watch porn, she may learn something.
She cleans up her desk, runs through the motions of cleaning up the office and knocks on Mrs. Smith’s door.
“Come in.”
“I’m done for the day just checking on you, do you need anything before I go?”
“Charlie, how many times do I need to tell you, you don’t need to check in before you go? I do appreciate it, but you do enough, now go.” Smiling she stands and shoos her out the door.
Laughing, “Ok, ok I get it. I’m out of here.”
“Have a good night, dear. Say hello to the nice fellow you were talking to on the phone earlier. Any man who can make my Charlie smile is a good man.”
Remembering the “naked humping” conversation, I blush to a deep red. “How much did you hear?”
Winking and smiling, she says, “Good night dear, see you in the morning.” She closes her door and I swear I hear laugh and say naked under her breath.
I’m totally mortified. Not only does my boss think I’m some kind of pervert, but she laughed, and she’s like 90 years old. Oh god, I’m the last prude on earth. Get a grip, its sex, so what?
Walking with a purpose I head to the ladies room and put my gun in its holster at the small of my back. It is the most comfortable place for me to carry it. Armed, I head to the lobby and out the door.
I feel exposed once outside. I take an extra second to look around slowly. I let my surrounding sink in. I watch people moving to see if anyone is stopped, I take in all the cars to see if I have any special interest being paid to me. My body says something isn’t right, but the longer I stand still, the more of a target I become. Leaving the front of the building and the shadow of the awning; I walk to my car, chasing away the goose bumps that have relentlessly risen on my arms, by rubbing my hands over them.
In the car I drive straight to Brody’s. I may be leading Michael right here but I need the safety of the house. I can protect myself here. I can protect Brody, and the tree, and my bedroom, and everything that is mine. Everything I love; everything that represents home to me. Everything, that Michael said I couldn’t have. I didn’t deserve.
I pull into the driveway and get out of the car. I get my key out and unlock the door. As I turn around a car drives by slowly, but keeps going. The driver never looked this way, but I still close and lock the door. I kick off my shoes and run upstairs to change out of my suit. I come back down and head to the kitchen for a glass of water and hear the keys in the lock. I can’t stop the butterflies swarming in my stomach.
“Lucy, I’m home.” Brody yells out doing his best Ricky Ricardo impression.
“I’m in the kitchen, Ricky.” Watching Brody walk in, carrying dinner and the mail, in his suit, I find myself forgetting to breathe…again. This is getting old. Why now after all these years does he affect me this way? I have seen him in less and not reacted. He is fully clothed and all I can think about is ripping his clothes off. At that thought my mouth goes completely dry. I take a sip of water and realize I have been gawking without speaking.
Brody is staring at me, like he just heard my thoughts. His face is flushed and his breathing is a little quick. He licks his lips and my knees almost buckle. The room has taken on the heaviness it always does when we get caught up in our heads. He is still holding the take out bags. I walk toward him, slowly. I don’t want to break the trance we are both caught in.
I take the bags from him, sliding my hands over his, never breaking eye contact. I may not understand what is happening, or why, but I’m powerless when it comes to this new feeling. I step into him, placing the bags behind him on the counter, accidently, on purpose, rubbing against him.
When my hands are empty, I stand in front of him. I am still in his space. Placing my palms flat on his chest, I lean in and run my nose down his jaw and breathe him in, “You smell really good.” I say barely above a whisper.
He places his hands on the small of my back and holds me flush against a very happy part of him. My breath catches. His hands slide to the top of my ass and his eyes close. I move my face from his jaw to his shoulder and put my head there. I’m scared now. What am I doing?
As if reading my mind, Brody moves his hands up my back and leans his head into me. “It’s ok. I’m here,”
With that everything is ok. I’m not worried that I’m going to scare him away. He knows how to handle me. He knows what I want before I know myself. Why would I not fall for someone like Brody? He makes it so easy. No wonder he was a slut when we were kids.
“I can feel your gun.” He whispers into my hair “I’m glad you’re being careful.” He rubs up my back and twirls a curl around his finger, then flicks my nose.
Laughing, “So what did you bring home to eat?”
“Mexican.”
“Well, what are we standing around for? I’m starved. Let’s eat.”
“I am enjoying standing around.” He winks “Alright, let’s eat.”
They go about eating, talking about the day. Brody tries to tell her about the virus he removed, but computer talk makes her sleepy. After dinner Brody goes to his office upstairs to finish up some computer job he is doing on his own.
I am watching the news and looking up recent rapes on line. I tried to Google just recent rapes, and found a lot of information; what rape is how to report a rape, and statistics on rape, all of which is not what I need. Unsure how to narrow the search I sat thinking for a few minutes when the door bell rang. I got up to answer it, pulling my gun from the holster, before I unlocked the locks. When the door is open, I look around, and don’t see anyone.
“Who’s there?” Brody is coming down the stairs, he is hurrying.
“No one is here.” I turn around, and come face to face with an angry Brody. “What?”
He walks outside and turns around. “Shut the door and lock it. I’m going to go look around.”
I walk back inside and close the door and lock it. I am really nervous now. Not that Michael may have found us, but that Brody is out there, alone.
CHAPTER 23
“Lucy, I’m home” I yell out doing my best Ricky Ricardo impression. It’s not too bad, if I say so myself.
I follow Charlie’s voice to the kitchen. When I get there I stop dead. She has changed out of her work clothes and is wearing a light blue ‘men’s’ dress shirt. It has dark blue and white strips and she has the sleeves rolled up to her elbows. A tiny white tank top, a camisole I think it’s called, is showing between the buttons. She finishes off the casual look with a teeny pair of white shorts. This woman will be the death of me. I never thought being fully clothed could be such a turn on.
Charlie puts her water down and slowly stalks towards me. I can’t look away from her. When she is standing in front of me she takes the food out of my hands, brushing her long fingers down my hands, and her body against mine. I stopped breathing a long time ago. I don’t know the right way to react, so I just follow her lead.