by North, Avery
✽✽✽
Peggy pulled up the sheer black stockings, attaching them to her black lace garter belt. Giggling as she dressed, she couldn’t believe she was going to do this. The image looking back at her in the mirror oozed sex. Black lace push-up bra, which really accentuated her breasts, with a matching black lace thong and garter belt, black stocking and, to put the ensemble all together, a pair of black stiletto heels. If this didn’t give him a raging erection, nothing would.
Spraying herself with a light mist of her favorite perfume, she put on her overcoat, buttoning it up and checking in the mirror to see if you could tell she was half-naked underneath.
“Girl, you are gonna get laid tonight!” she said to herself as she opened the door of the changing room, looking around to see if anyone else was in the locker room.
Stuffing her regular clothes into her locker, she went through the back door, which led to Tim’s office. She knew he was working the late shift because she had checked the schedule, and she had been planning this all day.
Walking down the corridor, she saw the light on in Tim’s workroom and slowly opened the door, peering in. Tim had his back to the door and was busy tinkering with a motor of some sort.
“Tim,” Peggy said, making him turn around.
“Oh, Peggy. Can I help you with anything,” Tim said, smiling nervously. Ever since the run-in in the laundry room, he had been avoiding her. “You look like you are going somewhere.”
Smiling at him, Peggy turned and locked the door, turning back to face him. “I have a surprise for you.”
“Why did you lock the door?” Tim said. “Please open the door, Peggy.”
“Not until I show you my surprise − and I know you are going to love it,” Peggy purred as she untied the belt of her coat. In one swift movement, she opened the coat and let it slide off onto the floor around her feet. “So, what do you think?”
Tim stood there, staring at her, feeling a flush of excitement run through him. “Peggy! Don’t,” he said as Peggy walked towards him, placing her hand on his shoulder and looking over at the large worktable beside them.
“I bet you want to bend me over that table … I love it from behind,” Peggy whispered before lightly brushing her lips against his.
“Peggy, no!” Tim yelled. “You have to stop this!”
“Come on, Tim,” Peggy said, smirking. “You can’t tell me you don’t want to fuck this.”
Pushing himself past her, he walked over to where Peggy’s coat lay and picked it up. “Here, put this back on.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Peggy protested, grabbing her coat.
“I already told you that I’m seeing someone, and I don’t screw around,” Tim said. “Peggy, you are a beautiful girl, don’t cheapen yourself.”
Putting her coat back on, Peggy turned and glared at Tim. She felt embarrassed that she had made a fool of herself but even worse, she felt angry. Angry at Tim for not wanting her.
“You’ll be sorry you turned me down,” she hissed as she opened the door and walked out, leaving Tim standing alone in his workroom.
Chapter 5
“Hey, how was your day?” Fiona asked when Tim came home from work.
“It was good,” Tim said, smiling at Fiona as he walked over to her and kissed her on the cheek.
"You look stressed," Fiona said concerned. "Anything happened?"
Tim looked at her and smiled. “No, just busy. Lots of things breaking down. I’d like to have a shower before supper. Do I have time?”
Fiona nodded. “Yes, I was going to order take out tonight if that’s okay with you?”
“Yea, that’s fine with me,” Tim said, getting up and pulling off his shirt.
“You sure there’s nothing wrong?” Fiona asked, sensing that Tim’s mind was elsewhere.
“Nothing a good hot shower won’t fix,” Tim said, looking at her and smiling. “I’m fine. Really.”
“Okay. I thought maybe this weekend we could go and pick up more of my stuff,” Fiona said, glancing at him. She had decided to move in gradually, giving them a chance to see if it was working or not. As much as she loved Tim, the thought of their relationship becoming serious scared her, so this way gave her some control over the relationship, which she needed right now.
“Yea, that’s fine,” Tim said as he walked down the hall to the bathroom. He wasn’t sure why he hadn’t told Fiona what had happened in the laundry room and his office. He hadn’t done anything wrong, but he still felt guilty. Guilty because he had felt a certain excitement when Peggy took off the coat, and he saw her standing there in garters and a bra. He knew he would never do anything to jeopardize his relationship with Fiona, especially when he knew how badly she had been hurt before. Hopefully, Peggy would move on, and the whole incident would be forgotten. He knew that Peggy was struggling and only worked at the hotel part-time. As much as he hated what she had done, he didn’t want her to lose her job. If he told Fiona about Peggy's interest, it might worry her, and he didn't want her to worry for no reason.
Looking at himself in the mirror, he shook his head. “Why does love have to get so complicated at times?” He said softly to himself as he turned on the water.
✽✽✽
“Morning Peggy,” Fiona said, walking into the employee lounge. “Isn't it a beautiful day out there?”
Peggy looked up at Fiona and gave her a sad smile. “It’s okay, I guess,” she said before bursting into tears.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” Fiona said, going over and sitting down beside her. “Did something happen?”
Peggy sobbed as she shook her head. “It’s nothing. Don’t mind me.”
“Something is seriously wrong,” Fiona said, putting her hand on Peggy’s arm. “You can tell me. I have pretty good shoulders.”
“No, it’s okay. It’s just something really stupid, and I’ll be okay,” Peggy sobbed.
“You sure? I’m always here if you need to talk,” Fiona said softly.
“Thanks,” Peggy said, giving Fiona a small smile. “I’ll be okay.”
“Okay, if you change your mind, I’m here all morning,” Fiona said, smiling as she grabbed her coffee and headed to the front desk.
Setting her coffee down on the desk, she looked on the computer to check what needed to be done that day. Several guests would be checking out, and they were expecting a hockey team around ten o’clock so she would be busy most of the morning.
Tim had gone out of town for a few days to pick up a generator for the hotel, and she was missing him terribly. There was nothing better than the feel of his arms around her as she lay in bed, and she desperately wanted his back. They had been pretty much living together for a few months; even though she still had her apartment, Fiona was pretty sure she would give it up very soon. Her life with Tim was terrific, and never in a million years had she thought she would have the type of lifestyle that they had. The fact that Tim was wealthy made it more comfortable, but he was so down to earth and never let money go to his head. She knew in her heart that he was definitely the one.
“Did you hear what happened to Peggy from laundry?” Fiona’s co-worker said quietly when she came to the desk.
“I saw her in the lounge, and she was really upset, but she wouldn’t tell me what was wrong. What happened?” Fiona asked.
“She was attacked.”
“Attacked? Where?” Fiona said, shocked.
“I don’t’ know. She wouldn’t tell me. All I know is she was attacked by a man who almost raped her.”
"Oh, my God! That’s terrible. No wonder she’s so upset. Did she say who the man was?” Fiona asked.
“She wouldn’t say,” the girl answered.
Fiona shuddered at the idea that there was someone at the hotel that would do something like that. “Well, I’ll talk to her later. I’ve kind of got to know her. She’s a bit of a loner. Maybe I can get her to open up to me.”
Chapter 6
Fiona checked in the last of the hockey te
am and checked her watch. She had been on her feet for three hours and was feeling the need to sit down somewhere. Feeling her phone buzz in her pocket, she took it out and smiled when she saw a text from Tim.
Tim: How’s my girl. I miss you
Fiona:I miss you too, and I’m fine. How are things?
Tim:Good. They haven’t gotten the generator in yet, supposed to be in late this afternoon.
Fiona:That’s a drag. When will you be home?
Tim:Late tomorrow. I can’t wait.
Fiona:Me neither. I’ll see you tomorrow.
Tim:Love you.
Fiona:Love you too.
Fiona smiled as she put her phone back in her pocket. She needed a coffee and a bit of a break; remembering what she had been told about Peggy, she felt she needed to see her.
“I’m going to take a bit of break and see if I can find Peggy,” Fiona said to her co-worker. She wanted to make sure she knew that if she ever wanted to talk, Fiona was there for her.
The hallway leading to the laundry facilities always smelled of Javex and Downey. As she pushed the door open, a rush of warm air hit her face, and she wondered how anyone could work down here in these conditions, but after all, it was the laundry.
Peggy was standing over to the side folding sheets when she turned and saw Fiona standing at the door.
“Fiona, what are you doing here?” Peggy said, putting down a folded sheet.
“I wanted to talk to you,” Fiona said, approaching her. “I heard what happened to you.”
“Word spreads fast,” Peggy said, trying to look sad and hurt. Her plan was actually working. Tim would be sorry he turned her down.
“Where did this happen, Peggy?” Fiona asked. “I can’t imagine what you went through.”
“I don’t want to say. I don’t want to get anyone in trouble,” Peggy said as her eyes filled up with tears. As an actress, she had trained herself to cry on demand, but she had never thought it would come in handy at the hotel until now.
“You have to tell someone. Keeping something traumatic like this inside of you can lead to problems later on. You can trust me,” Fiona said gently, pointing to the two chairs off to the side. “Let's sit down and chat.”
Peggy sat down, not making eye contact with Fiona. “I just feel so ashamed − like it was my fault.”
“Women who have been assaulted feel like that quite often. Tell me what happened," Fiona, trying to sound as calm as possible.
“Well, I thought this guy was into me. He made me believe that he was. You know, just the way he smiled at me and teased me. It wasn’t anything big, just the little things that he did,” Peggy said, reluctantly, as though the words were being dragged out of her. “I thought he was just a normal good-looking guy.”
“Do you want to tell me what happened?” Fiona asked.
“Maybe I should. It may make me feel better like you said,” Peggy took a deep breath. “I went to see him, just to talk. Like I said, I thought he liked me, so I figured I would kind of give him a hint that the feeling was mutual.”
“Okay, that makes sense,” Fiona said, reaching out and taking Peggy’s hand. She knew this must be hard for Peggy to talk about.
“So we are talking, then he suddenly comes over to me and grabs me and kisses me,” Peggy said, closing her eyes. “At first, I was stunned, but because I liked him, I gave in.”
“Do you want a tissue?” Fiona asked, seeing a box on the other side of the room.
“No, I should be okay,” Peggy said. “Anyways, I kissed him back, and he began to run his hands up and down my back, and I let him because, well, I’m ashamed to say it, but it was really turning me on.”
“That’s nothing to be ashamed of,” Fiona said reassuringly.
“So we are standing there, kissing passionately, and he suddenly puts his hand on my breast,” Peggy shook her head. “Again, I was turned on, so I let him. I mean, I liked him, and I’m okay with the whole free love thing. I like sex just as much as the next person.”
“Then what happened?”
“Well, he then reached down and put his hand up my skirt, trying to force it into my panties, and at that point, I realized that it might be a good thing to stop because we were in his office and anyone could walk in,” Peggy said. “So, I told him no and tried to pull his hand away.”
Fiona got up and went to grab the box of tissues when she saw Peggy’s eyes fill up with tears again. “Here, take your time. I know this is hard.”
“He got really rough and told me to stop acting like a bitch, that I wanted to get fucked as much as he wanted to fuck me,” Peggy said sobbing. “He used such vulgar words!”
“Oh, Peggy. I’m so sorry,” Fiona said, feeling her heart beat faster. What this man had done to her was inexcusable.
“He grabbed me roughly and tried to bend me over the table while he attempted to pull down my panties,” Peggy sobbed. “I kept fighting and squirming, realizing what was going to happen, and I can still remember the sound of his zipper going down. He kept saying to me, ‘You want this bitch, you want this bitch,’ over and over.”
“Oh, Peggy,” Fiona said, starting to cry. “What did you do?”
“He moved a bit, which enabled me to turn around slightly, and I kicked him really hard, which made him stand up. I pushed him as hard as I could, quickly pulled up my torn panties, and ran out,” Peggy sobbed into Fiona’s shoulder.
“Did you call the police or anything?” Fiona asked.
“No, I didn’t want to cause any trouble,” Peggy said, taking a tissue and wiping her eyes.
“Peggy, where did this happen?” Fiona asked.
Peggy looked at Fiona. “Here,” Peggy said softly. “It happened right here in the hotel.”
Fiona felt her the bile rise to her throat. She needed to find out who this man was so he could be reported.
“Who was it, Peggy? You need to tell me. He needs to be stopped,” Fiona looked at Peggy earnestly.
Peggy looked up at her, tears still running down her cheeks. “It was Tim.”
Chapter 7
Fiona felt sick as she looked at Peggy. “I beg your pardon? Who?”
“Tim. Tim, the handyman. You know the one who flirted with me in the lounge that day,” Peggy said sniffing. “I really thought he liked me.”
Fiona sat still, her body numb with disbelief. “When did this happen?”
“A few days ago,” Peggy said, blowing her nose. “I didn’t say anything because I was scared that people would think I encouraged it. Do you think I should tell Susan?”
Fiona took a deep breath, her eyes darting around the room as she tried to think. “Was it Tuesday?”
“Yea, that was the day. I finished my shift at around three, and that was when I decided to go and talk to him.”
Fiona closed her eyes, remembering Tim coming home on Tuesday, acting strangely. He had told her that he was tired, so Fiona gave him the benefit of the doubt. She knew how he felt about secrets and keeping things from each other, so she knew that he would never keep anything from her. Had he really attacked Peggy? People at the hotel still didn’t know they were seeing each other or even living together.
“I can’t see Tim doing something like that,” Fiona said, frowning, looking at Peggy. “I know him pretty well.”
“Are you saying I’m lying?” Peggy snapped, looking at Fiona angrily.
“No, no, I didn’t say that,” Fiona answered, putting her hand out on Peggy’s arm. “I’m just saying that Tim doesn’t seem the type of man who would do that.”
“So should I press charges? Call the police?” Peggy asked, trying to hide the smirk that was threatening to form on her lips.
“Ummm, not just yet. Let me talk to Susan about it first. It’s a delicate matter,” Fiona said, standing up, trying desperately to keep her composure. “I’m glad you told me. Stay strong, and I’ll get back to you in a few days.”
Fiona left the laundry room, walking blindly down the hall, her eyes filling u
p with hot tears. Tim? Was what Peggy said true? She remembered that night. He had come home and not acted like himself. Was there another side to this man that she hadn’t noticed?
Walking to her office, she sat down at her desk and closed her eyes. She felt sick. She felt lost, but most of all, she felt deceived. Tim would be home tomorrow night, and she knew she would have to face him, but didn’t know how. She was actually afraid of him now. Was her past repeating itself?
Checking her watch, she saw she had two hours left on her shift. She’d finish it and then run to Tim’s place, grab some of her stuff and bring it back to her apartment. Thank God she hadn’t sublet it. She needed to distance herself from him to think. She had thought she had found her Prince Charming, but now it looked like he was still a frog after all.
✽✽✽
Tim:Hey, babe, Where are you?
Tim:Okay, guess you’re busy. Some of the guys and I are going out for beers. Catch you later.
Fiona breathed a sigh of relief. At least if he were out, he wouldn’t be texting her. She didn’t want to talk to him right now. When she got back to her apartment, carrying as much stuff from his as she could, she opened a bottle of wine from the fridge and poured herself a glass. Sitting quietly on her couch, she finally let her tears fall. Her heart was broken, and she had no idea if it would ever be whole again. She sat in the dark for almost three hours, thinking, crying, trying to decide what to do. Suddenly, her phone buzzed again, startling her.
Tim: Fiona, is everything okay?
Fiona:No, things are not okay. We need to talk.
Tim: About?????
Fiona:Don’t act innocent. You know what you did.
Tim: I have no idea what you are talking about.
Fiona:Peggy and what you did.
Tim: Peggy??? I didn’t do anything. What did she say?
Fiona:We’ll talk later. I moved out of your place. I need to know what happened. FROM YOU.