Need You Now

by S. L. Carpenter

  “My head’s swimming… I’m really…” Her eyes seemed to roll in her head as she spoke.

  “Piss off, fuck-stick, she’s leaving with us.” The young, burly guy glared at Aaron standing in their way.

  “I don’t think so. Janice, why don’t you come over to…”

  Moving up into his face, the guy puffed up. “What? You hard of hearing, pretty boy? I said she’s leaving with us.” The other two had Janice’s arms, holding her up.

  “Hey, guys, just leave and let the lady stay here.”

  With a smirk, the bigger guy figured he had the odds in his favor, three guys against one.

  Then behind him echoed a deep voice. “Is there a problem here, Aaron?”

  The mouthy jerk turned to see three hundred and fifty-odd pounds of muscle standing right behind him. And not looking happy.

  “No, Leslie, no problem. These guys were just leaving.” Aaron grinned.

  Swallowing, the three guys backed away and out of the bar in a hurry. Janice fell against Leslie and wobbled. Her eyes looked up his massive frame and when he reached around to hold her up, they closed.

  Leslie caught her as she passed out cold.

  She awoke to a loud thumping sound. She tried to open her eyes, but it hurt to even move. The thumping was her heart pumping blood to her painfully confused brain. Her head pounded with every beat of her heart.

  “Oh fuck…this is horrible.” She squinted enough to see she was in her bedroom. Doing a quick check, she noticed she wasn’t wearing anything except a T-shirt. Her body was fine and nothing felt violated. The room appeared exactly as she had left it so nothing was stolen. “Oh my God, what did I do?”

  She had a blurry memory of the three guys at the bar and a very large bear.

  The only thing she knew for sure was she had to pee right away. Her bladder was filled like a water balloon and ready to burst.

  After what seemed like a solid fifteen-minute pee, Janice walked out to the kitchen area. The scent of coffee filled the dark air. She took a cup from the small cupboard and poured some coffee. She figured having it black would clear her head of the foggy haze still looming in her mind. There was a flickering light in the living room area from a fire burning. She was puzzled because she didn’t remember making coffee or starting a fire.

  “How are you feeling?”

  She almost jumped out of her skin, hearing a voice speak from the darkness, and nearly ended up wearing the hot coffee she’d just poured. The chair in front of the fireplace turned and there was Aaron, sitting in her bathrobe.

  “You doing okay?”

  “Well…I’m basically naked with a cup of coffee in a dark house and don’t remember anything, so I’d have to say no. My head is pounding like a damn drum. What the hell happened?”

  “I think my T-shirt looks good on you.”

  She sipped her coffee and looked at Aaron. “Why are you wearing my bathrobe?”

  “Because you threw up on my Armani suit. I don’t remember seeing anyone throw up that rainbow of colors quite like that before. By the way, cosmopolitans and roofies are a bad combination.”

  “Roofies?”

  “Yep, those guys spiked your drink with a roofie. They could have taken everything from you and done anything they wanted to you. You wouldn’t have remembered a thing.”

  “Jesus.” She gulped. “All I remember is seeing you talking to a woman and getting a little jealous. Then there was one guy that was flirting with me and bought me a few drinks. No wonder they hit me so quick. I was feeling really woozy. Who was the bear I saw?”

  “Bear? Oh, you mean Leslie.” Aaron smiled. “He’s a friend of mine. Used to be an All-Pro offensive lineman. He’s as big as a house and stronger than a bull, but the nicest guy in the world unless you piss him off. He’s gotten me out of a couple of jams before.”

  “Sounds like your Mother-person has a soft spot for football players.”

  Aaron turned and looked back at the fire. “Yes, she does. She helped Leslie out of a really bad pain killer drug habit, and he became her bodyguard. Everyone knows if they fuck with Mother, Leslie will come pay a visit. The man shows no mercy when it comes to people messing with her. A few people have ended up missing.”

  “Good guy to have in your corner.”

  “Oh yeah, but you don’t want to be on his bad side. So, are you feeling a little better?”

  “Actually things are getting less fuzzy and just blurred now.”

  Aaron moved over in the chair and motioned for Janice to sit with him.

  She cuddled up to him comfortably, staring into the flickering flames and smiling. This was nice.

  “I’m sorry you had to come be Prince Charming and rescue me. I saw you were working.” She was too exhausted to feel much of anything.

  “I was? Oh no, that was Mother. I was talking to her about a few things. It’s okay.”

  “I can pay you if you want. I know you could be out working or whatever, and I had another run of luck today. It’s why I was out celebrating.”

  Aaron sighed. “No, I came here on my own. For some reason I just wanted to relax tonight.” He paused. “Actually, I am going to charge you.”

  “For what?”

  “The cost of dry cleaning my suit and car upholstery.” He grinned and Janice just shook her head at him.

  Silence fell and, cocooned in warmth, they fell asleep in front of the fire, entangled and content.

  Janice woke alone, curled up and warm from the fire that was still slowly glowing. She couldn’t expect Aaron to stay there. But she would have liked it. This was the closest she had come to a relationship in a while that meant anything at all.

  Sure, she’d paid him at first but he hadn’t asked for anything since then and they had their share of sex and other treats. He’d been her Prince Charming the night before and saved her from a real bad situation. They could—and did—talk about everything and anything and it really didn’t bother her what he did for a living. Her only concern was that she would feel jealous of other women having what she wanted.

  So many relationships began with sex or sex became such a big deal so quickly, and she’d grown tired of those games. With Aaron there were no games.

  She rose from the chair and wandered around in his shirt, sniffing his scent, which lingered in the fabric. Even when gone, he was here with her. His kindness, the way he carried himself and the way he made her feel so damn sexy with a simple look.

  It was going to hurt when she had to leave. No question about it.

  Chapter Six

  Aaron sat in his apartment, doing nothing. His agenda was clear and for some reason he was thankful. He had snuck out of Janice’s place and gone home, even though home seemed to have an odd sound to it.

  Something was changing. It wasn’t as if Janice was the only woman to get to him. Others had tried to pry him away from his commitment with empty promises and wishful thinking. But what she did do was make him think about life beyond where he was. His future.

  He’d gone from a rent-a-fuck to almost dating her. They actually talked a lot. There wasn’t the initial awkwardness that comes with the territory. He enjoyed her company. They started off as fuck buddies and had become friends. It had been a while since he had this sort of relationship with a woman other than Mother.

  Mother made sure he stayed focused on what he did and what was expected. Don’t get emotional. Don’t get attached. Don’t care more than you should. That was the mantra hammered into him.

  He sat on the weight bench and drank his bottle of water, still staring into blankness. The chirp of his cell phone interrupted his daydream and he picked it up. “Hello?”

  “Hello? Just hello? Where the fuck have you been? Don’t you answer your cell after dark anymore?” Mother’s voice was loud and direct. She was pissed. “Leslie will be there with the car in ten minutes so get your ass ready and meet him outside. We need to talk now.”

  “Oh shit.”

  “Look, I forgot. I’m
sorry.” Aaron stood in Mother’s office, pleading his case.

  “Alesha called last night and said she was coming to town. I’ve been trying to get ahold of you since you left the bar with that woman last night. You know I hate tracking people down.”

  “I don’t know what to say.”

  “Who the fuck is that woman? You know how I feel about this shit. It’ll only cause problems, Aaron. You can’t get attached. You have a job and money you owe me. You haven’t given me anything since the other night, and I had to push you to take that other job. What the hell is going on?” Mother’s demeanor was harsh, and she seethed anger.

  “She’s nobody, just a woman I met in the bar and spent the night with. I gave you the money she paid me.” He started pacing as he talked. “She…she just reminded me of what I can’t have. It’s starting to get to me, Mother.” He took a breath. “Things are different. I can’t keep doing this. I’m not twenty-five anymore. I can’t just fuck everyone that comes along.”

  Mother glared at him. “Apparently she isn’t just a nobody. I told you a million times, no attachment, you’ll get hurt. So what, you just want to quit? That’s not an option, Aaron. We have a deal. You agreed to it, and you owe me.”

  “I know. I know.” He sighed. “She’s leaving tomorrow, anyway.”

  With a deep breath Mother stood and walked over to the window where Aaron stood. She rested her chin on his shoulder. “You remember all the time we spent together, Aaron? That wasn’t all just training for what you do now. You know that. I told you how I felt about you. You’ve always been my favorite. Things are different with you. That’s why I book the nicest, highest paying women for you whenever I can. You always make them feel special. And they pay for that privilege.” She moved away after giving him a hug around the waist.

  “I just need to figure myself out.” He shook his head. “I don’t know where I’m going anymore.”

  Mother picked up a piece of paper from her desk. “Alesha is going to be at her regular hotel and room. Tomorrow night around seven.” Mother looked down at her notes. “We’ll finish this talk later, Aaron. You can get cleaned up in my shower. Your suit is still in my closet from last month.”

  Aaron spent the rest of the day with Janice. They went shopping, did a little sightseeing and basically acted like a normal couple would.

  They both lay cramped in the bottom bunk in the second bedroom upstairs that was set up for kids to sleep in when other families rented the condo. They had a plan to try out each room at least once. Outside the laundry room they did. The master bedroom closet was tricky, but it was pretty impressive what could be done with a bungee cord, duct tape and whipped cream.

  Lying together made sense after the day of really getting to know each other in a deeper way. Of course deeper as in psychologically. Physically they couldn’t have gotten deeper without attachments.

  “Shhh, keep quiet. he’s sleeping.” Aaron pointed to his cock.

  “You never told me why you still do this. I hope I’m not overstepping my bounds here. That is personal, but we’ve talked about everything else.” Her fingers rubbed along the muscles of his chest.

  He’d always been guarded about his past. Maybe because he was a little older or because for some reason he didn’t feel that being honest could hurt. Another person seeing the situation with a little compassion and understanding would be welcome.

  “I had an addiction problem in college, and it ended up costing me almost everything.”

  “Drugs?”

  “No, I was addicted to gambling. I spent a shitload of money gambling and with all the money thrown at me I didn’t care. After I was drafted I signed a big contract and had money to burn. I blew over three million dollars in bad investments and gambling.”

  “That’s where I remember you from. Aaron Campbell. You played for Stanford as a tight end. I went to Berkeley, and I lost my virginity because of you.”

  “Huh?”

  “My boyfriend during freshman year made a bet with me. I said Cal would beat Stanford at the Big Game. If I won he was going to take me out to San Francisco for a big dinner and a concert. If I lost he’d get me. You went off and got a hundred seventy-six yards, nine catches and three touchdowns. I remember the stats because I lost the bet. He sucked in bed by the way. I would have preferred the dinner. You only played a short time after being drafted, right? Then you got injured.”

  Aaron sighed. “I love football. I played every day for as long as I can remember. My goal was to go pro. High school I played every game, college, never missed a start. Football was my life. I was given everything because I was really good. But like everything in life, it came with a price. I gambled my life away, and one night I had a sure thing and lost big. I’m talking almost a million on one bet.”

  “What happened?”

  “There are certain people you don’t cross. When you make a bet, you better cover it. I lost the bet and tried to get away and bullshit my way out of trouble. They caught up to me and three guys beat me up really bad. The boss had them stand me up while he took a hammer to my knee.”

  Janice grimaced. “Oh shit.”

  “It wasn’t so much the pain from my leg as the knowledge that I’d never play football again. My whole existence was changed in a split second when my kneecap shattered. They kept beating me until Mother and Leslie showed up. Mother paid off my debt and Leslie carried me to her car.”

  “So she saved your life. Is that why you do this?”

  “Sort of. She told me I’d pay her back by working for her as an escort. In a way she’s my pimp. But she has invested money for me as well as taking her percentage, and in four more months my debt should be paid. She won’t tell me how much I have but I should be pretty comfortable.”

  Janice sat up and listened as he talked. “Can’t you just leave?”

  “I gave her my word. Can’t break my word. It’s all I have.” He shook his head. “Look, I don’t want to talk about this any more. What about you? What are you going to do when you go back home?”

  “Urgh.” She grimaced. “It’s back to the real me. Just a drone making money and pulling twelve-hour days. I’m good at what I do, but I’m bored I guess. A challenge might be good. Maybe upper management.”

  Aaron chuckled. “I wouldn’t know how to handle a regular job. Would you like fries with that burger, sir?”

  Janice leaned her head back on Aaron’s chest and stared out the window. “I don’t know. Everything is so screwed up. For me, there isn’t anything to keep me there except my job. And that’s pretty sad.”

  “Could be worse. With the way things are, you at least have a job.”

  “True. Now I’m getting depressed. Can’t we just take the rest of the night and not think about all that bullshit? Let’s just hang out and just…just…”

  “Fuck?”

  “Uh, okay.”

  Leslie stood by a limo reading the newest tabloid magazine. There was a No Parking sign next to the car, but nobody had the balls to ask him to move. He turned a page casually and ignored the screams echoing from the tinted windows in the back seat.

  The car began rocking, and the muffled yells got louder. He looked up and saw a pair of hands grab the top of the sunroof as Janice’s head popped out.

  “Oh God, I’m going to come again.” She muttered the words, her eyes shut and a dog squeaky toy in her hand.

  Then she disappeared back into the car. Leslie remembered he’d just had the shocks changed, so everything should be fine.

  After ten minutes, Leslie tapped on a window and heard the door unlock.

  Janice stepped out, smoothing her skirt down and buttoning her blouse. It was still crooked and mis-buttoned, but she looked flushed and wasn’t paying attention.

  Aaron followed her out and took a deep breath. The trunk opened, and he grabbed Janice’s luggage. He walked with a slight limp as he followed behind her. “Be right back, Leslie.”

  Janice and Aaron stood at the gate in silence. It w
as an awkward moment for both of them.

  “I can’t lie, Aaron. This is hard. It hurts more than it should. Here’s my card. It has my email on it. If you need anything, advice, a friend, whatever. I’m not good at this so I need to go before I start crying.” She reached up and touched his face with her fingertips, then stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek and hurried off, obviously upset.

  He watched as she walked away, noticing the way she rubbed her hand across her eyes, he could tell she was upset and was probably crying.

  He looked down and read her card. Janice Carlson. He now knew more about her than most of the women in his small world. He had her last name and a real connection to her real life. Not just the moments in the condo, but her life away from the fantasy here.

  As he stood in the terminal, it hit him again. In spite of all the crowds, the luggage and the noise, he was alone.

  Leaving the airport, Aaron realized being in the car didn’t help. The backseat of the limo still had the smell of sex in it. The seat was still warm where he’d sat as Janice rode him into ecstasy.

  Now it was quiet, almost peaceful, until he heard the driver’s partition window being lowered. “You are a fucking moron.” Leslie’s deep baritone echoed through the car.

  “Excuse me?”

  “You heard me. You’re a fucking moron. I was talking to that woman when you went to get her flight squared away. You meet a nice woman, she doesn’t give a fuck about what you do, she’s sexy, doesn’t need money. What’s not to like? And you let her go. You’re an idiot.”

  “There’s more to it than that, Leslie.”

  “Just a pussy with an excuse for everything. If Mother didn’t care for you so much I’d beat some sense into your dumb ass.” He continued mumbling as the window went up.

  Leslie never said much. He was more the quiet type. But out of all the times he had to say something, it had to be now. Aaron was more confused and dumbfounded than he was seeing Janice upset when she left.

  That night, Aaron stood outside a hotel door and knocked, hearing footsteps on the other side of it.