The Not Gate (Tom and Alice #1)

by Tammy Bench

  Alice.

  His attention was drawn away from his voyeurism suddenly as slimy guy, number one pushed past him roughly and almost knocking the bottle out of his hand.

  ‘You wanna be a bit more careful, pal,’ Tom said slowly, trying to keep any anger from his tone. The man turned to look at Tom.

  ‘Sorry… pal,’ slimy hissed at Tom haughtily.

  Tom raised his eyebrows and stared back. Slimy, number two scurried over to his friend’s side quickly.

  ‘Ignore him,’ he said in the same plummy voice as his partner, ‘he’s just a bit sour because he got turned down.’

  Okay, fair enough the guy was trying to defuse the situation.

  A drunk Matt leaned over Tom’s shoulder then, ‘yeah he just got knocked back by the little stunner that was all over you like a rash earlier, Tom.’

  ‘Thanks mate,’ Tom ground out.

  ‘Well whores rarely have taste, class or standards,’ slimy bit back harshly as his face turned crimson with anger.

  Matt let out a low whistle and moved to the side of Tom.

  Tom smiled tightly at the guy and nodded. He did his very best to push down the bubbling resentment that had started to brew between them. He looked at the man. He was about his age, a little bit taller with foppish sweaty hair and a smarmy arrogance hindered all his facial expressions.

  ‘That sounded like an insult to the lady and to me,’ Tom said, propping his beer on to the table to his right.

  Shit, he didn’t need this.

  ‘Oh don’t you have some dodgems to attend to or something?’ he waved his hand dismissively in Tom’s direction just missing his nose.

  Don’t lose it.

  Slimy number two glanced at Tom’s stare and took a small step backwards away from his friend and averted his gaze.

  ‘What the fuck is that supposed to mean?’ Matt shouted at him.

  Tom rested his hand on Matt’s shoulder and pulled him back. This was his argument and he didn’t want anyone getting hurt for him, also Matt was too drunk to be able to defend himself well enough right now.

  ‘I’m guessing he means that because I’m Irish that I must work on a fair or something like that, am I right?’ Tom asked his voice flat and steely.

  ‘Oh very good,’ he clapped slowly, ‘give the gypsy a medal,’ he sneered.

  Matt braced at Tom’s side and let out a low audible whistle before he shook his head slowly from side to side and sniggered.

  ‘You just don’t want to leave it, do you?’ Tom looked at him straight in the eye. Rage poured from him now. It was only the thought of Alice at the back of his mind that had kept him rooted to the spot.

  ‘Look, don’t you have a sister to impregnate or a caravan to clean?’ he pushed his fingers hard into Tom’s shoulder.

  That was it…

  Tom’s vision clouded for a second and the walls came down fast.

  ‘Mother fucker!’ he snarled and leapt towards him with barbarous intent, the man stumbled back, surprised.

  Tom swung out fast and his fist connected savagely with the other man’s jaw. He went down, his back hitting the concrete floor hard and he cried out.

  Tom’s rage only built further, he jumped on top of the man, whose arms were flaying out wildly, briefly knocking Tom’s head to the side. Tom grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and punched him again, this time warm blood splattered from his nose across his right cheek and onto Tom’s hand.

  ‘Stop,’ he cried, ‘please, I’m… sorry.’

  He looked suddenly so pathetic and Tom just wanted to hurt him even more. From the corner of his eye though he could see Neil sprinting from the dance floor shouting. Shit, he had about three seconds before this was over.

  ‘Fight you bastard!’ Tom shouted in his face.

  Slimy held his hands up to his face, ‘no… please,’ he wailed.

  ‘Pathetic…’ Tom pushed himself from the man and began to stand just as Neil reached them and grabbed Tom’s arm and swung him around.

  ‘What the fuck?’ Neil questioned, his voice worried and Tom held up his hands in surrender.

  ‘And you,’ Neil turned to Matt who was still drinking his beer and taking it all in his stride, ‘why didn’t you stop him?’

  ‘He had it coming. You should have heard the shit that was coming out of his mouth. I would have helped if Tom needed it,’ he smiled sweetly back at his friend.

  ‘Let’s get out of here now,’ Neil said looking around sheepishly for security.

  Once outside the air hit and Tom felt sick to his stomach. All the adrenaline had slowly started leaving his body and the queasy realisation of the fight swamped him. What the hell was going on in his brain? He hadn’t been in a brawl since he was a boy.

  ‘Nice work,’ Matt nudged him, ‘if anyone deserved a slap…’

  ‘Leave it Matt, go home,’ Neil ordered and his voice unusually harsh.

  ‘Alright, mum… Happy New Year guys,’ Matt walked off and headed back to the row of bars they’d just away come from. He left them waiting at the taxi rank in silence.

  ‘Don’t. I know what you’re going to a say, Neil… just don’t okay,’ Tom said eventually, looking at the ground and wishing it would just open up and swallow him whole.

  ‘Alright I won’t. But I’ll call you in the morning because we need to talk seriously. Something is up and I want to know what it is,’ he opened the taxi door and Tom got in, ‘you might want to get that cleaned though,’ he said pointing to just above Tom’s left eye.

  Tom touched his head and felt the sticky wetness of drying blood just below his eyebrow. He shook his head and shut the cab door.

  Shit.

  NEW YEARS DAY

  Monday 1st January

  Alice dialled his number excitedly. It was 12.34am and he probably wouldn’t be back home yet, but she couldn’t hold out any longer and she had to try.

  Her parents were away for the weekend visiting her Auntie Connie in Hull and spending New Year with them. Stephanie had gone out to a friend’s house for a party – with adults – or her parents would have never let her go at all. Alice had been out to Ellie’s but had promised to come home early to let the dog out. Her parents had pre-booked and paid for a cab back at 12.15am.

  She was alone.

  Please be home.

  She could talk to him for ages if he was home. His phone rang and rang and rang…

  ‘Hello?’ he sounded quiet.

  ‘Tom, you’re there! I didn’t think you would be home yet. Happy New Year, I love you!’ she shouted.

  ‘Alice. I love you,’ Tom breathed.

  ‘Is something wrong? Are you okay?’ Something was definitely wrong. He sounded so strange, upset even.

  ‘It’s been a rough night, baby. I wish I could see you… hold you,’ his voice was flat but still filled with that all-consuming emotion.

  ‘My parents are away, I’m coming over,’ she said quickly. She fished her mum’s address book out of the kitchen drawer and started looking for taxi numbers.

  ‘Really, can you?’ relief was there in his voice, ‘I’d come and get you but I’ve had a drink.’

  ‘Don’t worry I’ll be there as soon as I can. Are you sure you’re okay?’

  ‘I will be when you get here.’

  Alice paused, ‘you… you haven’t been with someone else… have you?’ her stomach turned over as she asked the question that had just occurred to her. He was drunk, it was new year, he was an adult… he might have cheated? Would it even be cheating?

  She heard Tom laugh lightly on the other end of the phone.

  ‘No, baby. Never.’

  ‘Thank god.’

  Thank god.

  ‘Now get off the phone and book that taxi,’ he said in his bossy dominant voice, ‘we can talk when you get here.’

&n
bsp; ‘Talk?’ she asked.

  ‘Amongst other things,’ Tom laughed again and she pictured his dimpled cheeks and handsome, magnificent face.

  ‘I’m hanging up…’ she said quickly.

  Forty-five minutes later she was knocking tentatively on his door, a creeping apprehension hung over her shoulders like a cape, what was wrong with him?

  After a few seconds he opened the door.

  ‘Oh shit,’ Alice covered her mouth with her hand, ‘what happened?’

  His eye had a fairly deep gash about an inch in length just under his left eyebrow. He’d covered it with a few steri-strips but you could still see that it was bloody and fresh.

  ‘Come in,’ he looked so lost, ‘don’t be scared, I’m fine.’

  She stepped over the threshold and he caught her round her waist and squeezed her tightly, she held him too, for long moments they held each other.

  ‘What happened?’ she looked up at him with tears in her eyes this time.

  ‘Don’t cry Alice, I can’t even feel it, it’s totally fine,’ he said trying to deflect her inquisitive gaze.

  ‘What happened?’

  ‘You should see the other guy,’ he laughed, pushing his fingers through his damp, just showered hair.

  ‘A fight?’

  ‘If you could call it that,’ he shrugged and his face turned stony.

  ‘Why?’ she asked taking her coat off and placing it on his hall chair.

  ‘Let’s just say the guy said some pretty irritating shit to me,’ he looked away as if reflecting on the conversation.

  ‘Have you been to the hospital?’

  ‘The only medicine I need is you,’ Tom held his hand out to her and she took it.

  ‘I’m being serious.’

  ‘So am I,’ he winked.

  ‘You’re insatiable, Mr Chambers,’ she giggled as he pulled her towards him and nuzzled her hair.

  ‘I can only think clearly now when you’re with me,’ he whispered against her neck. She believed him because the only time she could be herself, truly herself, was in his arms.

  ‘Tom, what’re we going to do?’ she asked desperately. She meant forever… not just right now and she knew he understood that.

  Tom sighed heavily, ‘don’t ask that now Alice, you know the situation we’re in here. Sometimes it feels like the most hopeless thing in the world, but hand in hand with that is the fact that I love you. A desperate, consuming, mad love that I know I don’t want to lose. It’s the impossible question.’

  ‘I’m going to change schools,’ she said quickly.

  ‘No Alice, don’t you think I’ve thought about that? I’ve thought about all the bloody solutions. Even if I left the school and we went public, the connotations would still be there. I will still be the pervert teacher and you’ll be the silly girl throwing her life away. I have even thought about leaving teaching altogether,’ Tom explained as he moved his hands into her hair softly.

  ‘No, you can’t! You love it,’ she gasped.

  ‘I love you more than any of it.’

  ‘No,’ she shook her head.

  ‘But it would still be the same. The looks and the whispers for the rest of our lives. Jesus, I don’t want to think about this now… please I can’t.’

  ‘Okay,’ she said sadly.

  ‘Alice, at some point we will have to face this. We’ll have to look it right in the eye and be confident in our decision. But right now I just need you,’ his face was set.

  She had felt a desperate hunger radiating from him since arriving, granted he was containing it well, but she knew him now and she knew what he wanted. Her eyes roamed quickly over his taut body, he was ready to move at any minute and my goodness she craved his touch just as badly.

  ‘Okay… just tell me it won’t be over,’ she closed her eyes and waited.

  ‘It’ll never be over,’ Tom growled picking her up suddenly and practically running up the stairs with her. Alice squealed as he dropped her onto his bed and pulled his t shirt over his head, his stomach muscles clenched as he tossed it aside.

  Would watching that ever get boring?

  ‘Don’t stare, baby.’

  ‘Sorry it’s hard not to,’ she giggled again.

  ‘I want you to kneel up and slowly take your clothes off,’ he said switching quickly to his dictatorial voice.

  He grabbed the bedroom chair and dumped the pile of clothes that had been neatly folded on top of it, onto the floor carelessly. He placed it in front of the bed and sat down. He stretched his legs out in front of him and rested his back in a slouched fashion against it.

  He looked absolutely stunning. His perfectly sculpted body coupled with his slightly mangled face gave him a darker look, more dangerous… utterly sensually improper.

  ‘And what’re you going to do?’ she whispered.

  ‘Stare.’

  ‘Oh,’ her body quivered and sat up to attention.

  ‘Your jeans first,’ he reached down and opened the top button of his own jeans with one hand and waited. Alice scampered to the middle of the bed and pulled at the button and zip.

  ‘Slower please, Alice.’

  She slowed it down and glanced at him.

  ‘Was the other man okay?’ she said as she pulled her jeans over the curve of her hip.

  He raised his eyebrows, ‘you’re thinking about that now? I’m sure his nose will hurt for a few weeks but he’ll live… now concentrate.’

  ‘Alright bossy. I loved my Christmas present by the way.’

  Tom shook his head at her, ‘I’m glad,’ he replied through gritted teeth. Rubbing his palm over his face, feeling exasperated.

  Alice pulled her knickers over her thighs, ‘it was so romantic and sweet, I...’

  Tom stood suddenly and pushed the chair out. It fell against the carpeted floor with a soft thud. Alice stopped and looked up.

  ‘I can see this is going to be impossible,’ he reached over onto the bed grabbed her ankles and pulled her to the edge, removing her underwear from her body swiftly.

  Her eyes widened and her breathing quickened.

  ‘Have I got your attention now?’

  Alice nodded rapidly. He definitely did.

  Tom looked down at her from this angle and the way the shadows fell he looked massive and imposing. He pushed her legs open with his hands on her knees and he bent over her belly and blew a slow cool breath over it. He did it again seconds later this time a little lower. Then lower still… it was exquisite and she felt its effects run all over her body, like tiny electrodes of pure bliss.

  She pulled the corner of his duvet over her face. It smelt of him and only heightened the experience further. She let it go and raised her head off the bed.

  He looked up and met her gaze over the pale contours of her flesh. His eyes were filled with lust.

  ‘You’re so beautiful, Alice…’ he whispered his accent husky, ‘every part of your body. I’m not worthy, you know that don’t you?’

  ‘No. Every part of my body is yours. You’re more worthy than anyone.’

  ‘Don’t say that if you don’t mean it, baby. That your body is mine. You could give a man like me bad ideas,’ the air from his soft laughter tickled her again.

  ‘My body is yours,’ she whispered solemnly.

  Tom smiled rakishly, stood and pulled down his jeans. Freeing his erection from his boxer shorts. It was thick and heavy. Always looking bigger than she remembered it the last time.

  ‘Well what am I going to do with it?’ he narrowed his eyes in pretend thought, as he leisurely rolled on a condom.

  ‘Fuck me?’ she offered helpfully. Turning red instantly she looked away.

  Tom frowned, ‘language!’

  Alice raised her eyebrows at him.

  ‘Good point,’ he smiled, ‘ask me again?�
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  ‘Will you make love to me, please?’ she asked as sweetly as she could.

  Tom shook his head and leaned down to open her blouse.

  ‘No, ask me again the other way.’

  Alice reached up and ruffled his hair, pulling his head playfully from one side to the other as he worked on her buttons, ‘Tom, fuck me please.’

  Tom groaned and dropped his head onto her chest. She felt him flinch as his eye made contact with her skin, ‘that sounds like a good idea.’

  He shifted slightly and she felt him start to push into her. The most intoxicating type of discomfort she could imagine, she almost wished the little bite of pain would last longer, and the stretch, burn a little harder.

  Tom reached for her left wrist and pulled her arm up over her head, he grabbed the other one and did the same thing. He held her hands together tightly with one of his and thrust his hips forward. He had held her like this before, pinning her beneath his body, unable to move. It made the act itself so much more concentrated and powerful, by removing her power. He liked it too she thought, he liked the control.

  ‘I love it like this,’ she gasped.

  Tom looked down at her with mild surprise, ‘do you?’ he murmured.

  ‘Yes, it feels so licentious, but in a good way.’

  ‘Then I am definitely corrupting you sweetheart,’ he moved faster now, his determined pace picking up. She felt her body near its edge and her breathing increase, ‘that’s it… just feel,’ he whispered through gritted teeth.

  ‘God, Tom this is too good,’ she tried to move her arms, but Tom held them tighter, his fingertips digging into her soft skin.

  ‘There is no such thing, Alice,’ he growled.

  With each thrust she felt herself building up and up. Tears flowed freely and unashamedly from her eyes. It was both intensely erotic and punishingly real and she had no escape from it. Tom looked at her as he took her. His face was set with purpose and control. He reached down with his other hand then and between their bodies. He gently rubbed his thumb over her clitoris in little circles and that was all it took… Alice’s back lifted off the bed, she screamed and felt herself falling once more into a soundless whirlpool of euphoric blackness.