by Tanith Morse
And then I thought of something else. That first time she’d asked me about the abduction, I’d thought she was just being nosey, trying to pry into my affairs. Now I saw things differently. Perhaps the reason she’d sought me out was because she saw me as a kindred spirit—someone who’d been through a similar ordeal, someone she could relate to. Perhaps, just perhaps, I’d misjudged her.
“Hey, why the long faces?”
We turned and saw Becky standing in the doorway, balancing a bottle of vodka and a carton of orange juice in one hand and fours glasses in the other.
We quickly dispersed to different sides of the room, our guilt an unspoken stain on the atmosphere. Becky put the drinks down on the dresser and blew her bangs out of her eyes. “What were you guys talking about? You all look really suspicious. What’s going on?”
“We were just discussing Sam’s dress,” Marie blurted. “It looks really good, doesn’t it?”
A slow, lop-sided grin spread across Becky’s face. “Yes, it does. But then, I knew it would. I told you I’ve got an eye for fashion.”
I flashed a weak smile. “Yeah, I guess I should listen to you more often.”
“Only thing is,” she continued, scrutinizing my bare feet, “what shoes are you going to wear? You can’t wear flats with that dress. Did you bring any heels?”
“No,” I said.
“Don’t worry, my mum’s about the same size as you. I’ll check her wardrobe in a sec and find you something. Okay, so now that’s sorted out, who wants a drink?” She unscrewed the vodka top and poured a generous portion into one of the tall glasses. “How much orange, Sam?”
“All the way to the top,” I said, hoping to dilute the alcohol as much as possible. I didn’t want to get too drunk. Somehow, I think it might be a good idea to keep my wits about me tonight.
She handed me the glass and I took a tentative sip. It tasted more of orange than vodka, but it was just about tolerable. After nodding my approval, Becky fixed drinks for the rest of them and we spent the next hour or so getting increasingly inebriated. Despite promising myself to stay sober, I found I couldn’t say no to the large quantities of vodka being slipped into my glass.
By the time nine o’ clock came, we were dressed and ready to go, and I could barely see straight. As we headed downstairs to the hall, I felt so unsteady, Marie had to hold me upright.
When we reached the bottom of the staircase, Becky’s mum rushed out a side door carrying a plate of sandwiches. “Goodness, you girls aren’t leaving yet, are you? You haven’t eaten a thing! I don’t want you going out with empty stomachs.”
Becky sighed patiently. “Mum, we don’t have time for this. We’re supposed to be meeting Frasier outside the club in twenty minutes. We can eat when we get back.”
“Over my dead body,” her mother said sternly. “None of you are leaving this house until you’ve eaten.” Pursing her lips together, she began passing the plate around and we each took a sandwich to appease her.
Becky crammed the bread into her mouth and swallowed it down in two gulps. “Happy now?”
“Deliriously, sweetheart,” her mum replied, planting a sloppy, wet kiss on her cheek. “Thank you.”
“Ew, Mum! You’re smudging my foundation!”
“Ready to go, girls?” Becky’s father shot down the hall like his pants were on fire. As soon as I clapped eyes on him, I knew where she got her height. Her dad was like a massive ostrich; a bald-headed man with stick-out ears who combed his side hair across the top. Fleetingly, my gaze landed on his feet, and I noted that he tucked his trousers into his socks. He had a very absent-minded professor kind of look.
“Becky, my darling, you look beautiful,” he gushed, blissfully over-looking the fact his daughter was wearing the equivalent of two pieces of rope tied together. He squinted at me. “I’m sorry, I don’t think we’ve met?”
I extended my hand. “My name’s Sam. I go to school with Becky.” His palms felt sweaty.
“Pleasure to meet you, Sam.” He glanced at his watch. “Let’s be off now so we can beat the traffic.”
We nodded in unison and followed him out the house to a blue Range Rover that was parked outside. Becky jumped in the front with her dad and the rest of us squeezed into the back. The engine sprang to life and the radio greeted with Elvis crooning about Suspicious Minds.
Fifteen minutes later, we were cruising through a part of Elmfield where you could drive for ages without seeing a single bar or shop. The farther we got, the less I liked it. The whole place seemed like a ghost town. I couldn’t imagine there being a nightclub anywhere in the vicinity. Is this someone’s idea of a joke?
Suddenly, we turned into what looked like the back of an abandoned clothing factory and caught the tail end of a long line of people. I glanced up and saw neon lights spelling out the word “Revolution” in the night sky.
We had found it.
“Okay, out you go, girls,” Becky’s dad said as he pulled into a free parking space.
“Can anyone see Frasier?” Marie asked, squinting at the crowd. “He was supposed to meet us outside, wasn’t he?”
“There he is!” Hannah slurred, pressing her face against the window.
I turned and saw a hulky figure waving frantically at us.
“Is that definitely him?” Becky’s dad asked dubiously. “I don’t want to drop you off with a stranger.”
“No, it’s him,” Becky answered a tad snappily. She obviously couldn’t wait to get out the car. Pecking him on the cheek, she opened her door and stepped out onto the pavement. I followed her and was hit was a blast of cold air that cut into my cheeks like piano wire. Not bringing a coat had been a bad idea.
Frasier jogged over to us with a group of boys who, despite being smartly dressed, looked worryingly like cast-offs from Lord of the Rings. The tallest, a rotund boy with a baby face and designer stubble, I took to be Frasier’s brother. The other two were the closest to real life hobbits I’ve ever seen: short and stumpy with curly hair and elfin features.
I could see the disappointment in Becky’s face even before they’d reached us. Maybe she’d been hoping to meet a bunch of hot guys tonight and this wasn’t what she’d planned for.
“Hello, ladies,” Frasier announced, his eyes gleaming with excitement. “Are you all ready to have a good time?” He looked amazing in his tweed jacket, gray slacks, and knee-high hunting boots. So wrong and yet so right. That’s a look that only he could pull off.
Hannah uttered something that sounded suspiciously like a swear word and Becky tapped her foot impatiently. Only Marie maintained a dignified stance. “Hi Frasier, good to see you,” she beamed. “Which one’s the birthday boy?”
Frasier pointed to the baby-faced mountain and Marie went over to give him a hug. The guy blushed profusely and the hobbits snickered amongst themselves.
“Hey Sam, what’s up?” Frasier asked, embracing me. “You ready to party?”
“Yup,” I hiccupped. “Ready to parr-ddy!”
He frowned at me. “Oh boy. I can see I’m going to have to keep a close eye on you tonight. You stink of booze!”
I laughed maniacally.
Shaking his head, he turned away to make the necessary introductions. His brother was called Todd and the curly-haired hobbits were John and Duncan. Secretly, I christened them Pippin and Merry.
“So have you got our IDs?” Becky whispered, hugging her arms against the cold. “It’s bloody freezing and I don’t fancy standing out here all night.”
“Thanks for reminding me,” Frasier said as he began rummaging through his pockets.
“Where’s mine?” I slurred, lurching toward him. He handed us each a piece of plastic the size of a credit card. Squinting in the half-light, I saw it was some sort of university ID that had my picture on it.
“Cool,” I grinned.
There were two loud beeps from behind us. Startled, we all turned and looked across the road. Becky’s dad was still parked there, scrutinizing the eve
nts as they unfolded.
“Everything okay over there?” he shouted.
“Fine Dad, just fine,” Becky shouted back. “You can go now.”
“Remember to call me before you’re done, okay?”
“Okay. See you later.”
The Range Rover disappeared out of sight and we followed Frasier to the front of the line, where two burly-looking bouncers prepared to interrogate us. I should have felt apprehensive, but I was so out of it, I didn’t feel a thing as I flashed the fake ID and stepped over the ropes into the club. As it turned out, none of us had any trouble getting in. Frasier was clearly proud that he’d pulled it off.
“See, told you it would work,” he whispered to Becky as we descended the stairs to the basement.
“Yes you did,” she agreed. “I owe you one.”
He flashed a devilish grin that implied he might just take her up on the offer.
Five minutes later, the eight of us were standing in the middle of a packed dance floor, surrounded by throngs of hot, sweaty bodies gyrating in time to a well-known anthem. It was the first time I’d been to a club, and I found the whole environment fascinating. It was like a school disco, but for older people. I suddenly felt really grown up, despite my tipsiness.
“Let’s get a drink,” Frasier said, leading our little procession over to the bar. As he stood negotiating to the bartender, Marie and Hannah slipped off to the bathroom, and Becky pulled me to one side.
“What say we lose them in a minute? There are so many hot guys here, we need to be free to explore.”
“You can’t do that to Frasier,” I hissed. “We’re here f-for Todd’s birthday. Let’s stay for a while and s-see how it goes. It might not be that b-bad.”
“What are you stuttering for?” she snapped. “You sound like Porky Pig.”
Before I could answer, she’d told Frasier to get me some water to sober me up. He handed me a bottle of Evian and I drank from it deeply. My head was still all over the place, but the cool liquid helped to bring a little clarity to things.
The music changed to a thumping house track and I realized how badly I needed the toilet. Tapping Becky’s shoulder, I told her where I was going, and then made off in the same direction I’d seen Marie and Hannah heading.
It was a nightmare trying to navigate through the swarms of bodies, and I stepped on toes more than once. Eventually, I reached a door marked Ladies, flung it open, and raced into one of the cubicles before I peed myself.
After I’d flushed the chain and washed my hands, I peered at my reflection in the basin mirror. I still looked pretty good, but my eyes held a certain blankness I found unsettling. Giggling hysterically, I took another swig from the Evian bottle, hoping to sober up once and for all. Then, sucking in my breath, I staggered out into the corridor that led back to the dance floor.
I froze.
A few feet away, leaning against the wall with his cap pulled down low, was Lee.
For a moment, my heart leapt—but then I remembered I was supposed to be mad at him and I continued walking. As I passed, he placed his hand gently on my arm.
“Hey, hey, Sam, it’s me—Lee. Don’t you recognize me?”
“I know who you are,” I replied icily, shrugging him off. “What are you doing here? You following me or something?”
“Of course not,” he said, laughing. “Why would I be following you?”
“You tell me.” It was a struggle to keep my voice steady, but somehow I managed to. I couldn’t let him to see how tipsy I was. “Every time I turn around, you’re there. It’s like if I look up the word ‘stalker’ in the dictionary, there’ll be a picture of you there.”
“I can assure you,” he said through gritted teeth, “I am not following you. This is a free country. Aren’t I allowed to go to the same club as you without being accused of stalking?”
I cut him off. “Who are you here with then?”
“What?”
“Did you bring any friends?”
“No,” he admitted.
“So you came out clubbing on your own? That’s like really normal, right? What are you, Billy No Mates?”
He started to scowl but then shifted it into a laugh. “Ha ha! Very funny.”
For a second, he stood there staring down at me, a broad smile etched across his perfect lips. I felt very intimidated, but refused to let it show.
“Look,” I said, “I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing, but it stops now, okay?”
“What are you talking about? I don’t play any games.”
“Yes you do! All this blowing hot and cold all the time. One minute you’re nice as pie, the next you … you …” I trailed off, my vision growing blurry. “Listen, I’ve got to go. Becky’s waiting for me.”
Trembling inside, I pushed my way through the maze of bodies, hoping to get as much distance between us as possible. After a moment, I glanced behind me. No sign of Lee. Relieved, I pressed on, and soon I was back at the bar standing beside Becky.
“How are you feeling?” she asked, daintily sipping from a glass of wine. “Your head feeling any better yet?”
“Yes, I’m fine,” I lied.
“Did you see Hannah and Marie in the toilet?”
“No I didn’t. I don’t know where they are.” I placed the empty bottle on the bar.
Frasier came over and handed me another Evian. “Drink this. It’ll help to soak up the alcohol.”
“Thanks.” I knocked it back in three gulps.
“Maybe we should go and look for them,” Becky suggested. “I’m a bit worried. They’ve been gone for ages.”
“Relax,” Frasier said. “I’m sure they’ll be fine. And anyway, they know where the bar is. Best we stay put.”
“Excuse me,” said a deep voice.
We turned and saw Lee standing behind us. I caught my breath, my heart pounding so wildly it momentarily drowned out the music.
“Oh my gosh!” Becky squealed, throwing her arms around him. “What a lovely surprise! I’ve missed you so much.”
Frasier’s mouth dropped open, his eyes wide with astonishment, like he was looking at a divine deity. And then it hit me that this must be the first time he’d seen Lee since Taffin’s party. I hoped he wouldn’t make a scene.
Gently, Lee pried Becky’s fingers from around his neck and shook Frasier’s hand. “Long time no see. How you doing?”
“I’m very good thanks,” Frasier replied evenly.
Then Todd, John, and Duncan closed in, keen to be introduced to this stranger getting so much attention. Lee merely nodded at them, and then briefly glanced at me. There was a flash of something dark in his eyes that sent a ripple of excitement up my spine.
“Well, it was great seeing you all,” he said. “Hope you have a good night. Frasier, Todd, I’m off.”
“Aren’t you going to at least stay for a drink?” Becky implored. “Please don’t go yet! I need to talk to you.”
“I know, and I’d love to, really I would—but my friends are gonna be wondering where I am. I can’t leave them alone for too long. Let me go now and I’ll come back and find you later.”
“You promise?”
“I promise.” He winked at her, then turned and disappeared into the crowd.
I stared after him. What friends? I’d thought he’d come alone. Or was that just an excuse to get away from her?
“Come on, let’s go find the girls,” Becky said, grabbing my arm and pulling me in the opposite direction. “Frasier, we’ll be back in two secs.”
She dragged me across the dance floor to some benches on the other side of the room.
“Can you believe Lee’s actually here?” she said as we sat down. “I never thought I’d see him again. This must be fate. It has to be.” She downed the last of her wine and put the glass on the floor. Then she leaned her head against my shoulder and spoke in a low, baby voice. “Tell me honestly, Sam, do you think he likes me?”
“I don’t know. Perhaps you should ask him.
”
And then out of nowhere, Lee appeared again, gazing down on us like some sort of dark angel. Becky stared up at him, hypnotized. Slowly, he took her by the hand and led her across the dance floor, just as the music changed to a sexy hip-hop track with a deep, pulsating rhythm. Sliding his hands firmly round her waist, he rocked her back and forth in time to the beat, his hips grinding sensuously against hers with breathtaking finesse. Becky was a good dancer, but next to him, her movements looked positively sluggish. He had such control and energy, he could have put any music video dancer to shame. Theirs was a ritual of seduction—like a wolf leading a lamb to the slaughter and enjoying every second of it.
Open-mouthed, I watched Lee spin Becky around a couple more times before pulling her to him and leaning in for a kiss.
Almost. But not quite.
For what seemed like forever, those gorgeous lips of his remained suspended in mid air, teasing the corners of her mouth but not making physical contact. It was all so intense, so passionate, I could almost smell Becky’s sweat. I could almost feel her anticipation and the depth of her desire.
And then, abruptly, he twisted her body around to face me, his black eyes boring into me over her shoulder, a mocking smile playing on his lips, almost as if he were taunting me, daring me to do something about it.
But I didn’t. I just sat there gaping, paralyzed by conflicting emotions.
Then, with slow deliberation, his fingers traced the curve of her bare arms and traveled down to her waist, gripping it even more tightly. Becky’s breathing appeared to quicken as she tilted her head back and closed her eyes in ecstasy.
I felt a rush of blood to the head. If his plan was to get me jealous, then he was succeeding, big time. Watching the two of them together made me feel like I was drowning and couldn’t get up for air. I was dying a slow and painful death—and he didn’t care.
He just didn’t care.
Hyperventilating, I stood.
I couldn’t take any more. I had to get away from them before I did something stupid. Fighting back tears, I pushed my way through the crowd toward the bar, in search of Frasier and the others.
A large hand gripped my shoulder, stopping me in my tracks. I turned and saw a tall man with a shaved head grinning down at me. “Hey baby, want to dance?” he drawled.