by Marla Monroe
Tina was the designated driver for the night. They took turns.
She unlocked her door and kicked her shoes off. She didn’t bother picking them up. She would do that in the morning once she got up.
She dropped her purse on the table by the door along with her keys. Nothing had felt out of the ordinary to her. She climbed the stairs in her stocking feet without bothering to turn on the lights. Once inside her bedroom, Tina had unzipped her dress and pulled it off, laying it over the back of her chair. She walked into the bathroom in her underwear and turned on the shower. After adjusting the water temp, she slipped out of her camisole, then her bra and panties. She sat on the bed to roll off her stockings after slipping off the garter. She remembered thinking she heard something, but she shrugged it off as her imagination and finished taking off her hose.
The shower felt wonderful after being drenched in sweat from dancing most of the night. They’d danced most every dance, sometimes with guys and sometimes with each other. She bathed quickly. She grabbed her towel and dried off. Tying it around her, she walked out into the bedroom into a nightmare.
He stood there in a mask and black clothes holding a knife. She remembered freezing in shear surprise, then horror. Maybe if she hadn’t frozen she could have gotten away, but those few seconds cost her. Trying to hold on to the towel cost her.
She ran for the door, but he was faster and grabbed her by the hair. He swung her around. She hit the wall hard. It knocked the breath out of her. He had the knife against her throat in an instant.
“Don’t make a sound, or I’ll cut your throat. Do you understand me?”
She nodded her head as much as the knife would allow it. She could smell him. He used Old Spice after-shave and needed to brush his teeth. He had a raspy, high-pitched voice that grated on her nerves.
She should have struggled more while she had the chance, but the knife at her throat frightened her to immobility.
He jerked her over to the bed where he had her stockings tied to the bedposts. He ripped the towel from her hands and ordered her to sit, then lie back on the bed. As soon as the knife left her neck, she screamed and tried to roll off the bed.
He was on her in an instant. The knife was back at her throat. This time it cut. She felt the trickle of blood along her neck. She panicked then and passed out.
When she came to, her hands were tied by the wrists to the bedpost with her stockings. He had stuffed something into her mouth. She found out later, it had been her panties. She fought to breath, to pull free of her bindings. He stood over her and laughed. Then, he climbed up on the bed and bent down to whisper in her ear.
“You’re mine, all mine. I’ll make sure everyone knows it, too.”
He took the knife and ran it down her face and along her neck before circling her breasts with it. Then he cut her abdomen. Not deep, just enough to bring blood to the surface.
She screamed into the cloth in her mouth, but no one could hear her. He laughed again and laid the knife on the pillow beside her head. He sat up and undid his pants. She struggled to kick out at him, but he was between her legs, and she couldn’t get her legs up high enough.
He actually put on a condom. He didn’t plan on getting caught. She remembered thinking, ‘He’s going to rape me. I can’t do anything about it. He’s going to do it.’
When he rolled her up on her shoulders she remembered the tears trailing down her face. He started to push at her when the sirens started. He cursed and pulled back. He hurriedly zipped his pants and jumped off the bed. The intruder grabbed his knife and leaned in to whisper in her ear.
“You’re mine. I’ll come back for you.”
Then he ran out the door and down the stairs. She heard the pounding of his feet as he ran. She screamed and screamed into her gag until the police found her after what seemed like hours. When they finally removed the gag, she was hoarse and sobbing. Nothing had been the same since that night. Finally, with therapy, she had been able to think of it as happening to someone else—except in her dreams.
“Tina?” Jenna shook her. “You’re thinking about it, aren’t you? I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought it up.” She hugged her.
“It’s all right. I’ve been thinking about it a lot unfortunately.” She went back to working on the potato salad.
“So you said your neighbor checked out your locks and everything. He said they all looked fine. That’s good. I think it’s really nice of him to give you his numbers. He must like you to do that.”
“I really don’t think he does. He’s still rude to me. I don’t know why he cares.” She mixed up the ingredients then washed her hands.
“I think he really does like you but is hiding it. Otherwise, he wouldn’t care,” Jenna decided.
“I think you’re wrong, but that doesn’t matter. Let’s go sit outside on the deck and enjoy the day.” She shoved the potato salad into the fridge to get cold.
“Grab a wine cooler for both of us. I’ll meet you outside. I need to run to the bathroom,” Jenna said.
Tina pulled out two wine coolers and got two cozies for the bottles. The deck was in the shade, thanks to her tree-covered back yard. There were four chairs and several tables along with pots of flowers along the railing and on the deck floor. It faced part of Logan’s back yard. She smelled smoke and noticed he had a grill going on his back deck. He was cooking out. Jenna returned and sniffed the air.
“Mmmm, someone is cooking out.” She turned to Logan’s side of the house and smiled. “It’s your neighbor. Why don’t we invite him over with his food, and he can have some of ours?”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea. Besides, he won’t do it. I’m telling you the man doesn’t like me.” Jenna took a drink of her wine cooler. The cool taste of grapes washed over her tongue.
“You won’t know till you try? Come on, Tina,” she all but begged.
“No. Now sit back and enjoy the breeze while we have it.” Tina leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes.
They talked about work and mutual friends. The sound of a motorcycle jerked Tina’s eyes open. So, Logan’s friend was coming for the cookout. She really liked him, for a biker gang leader.
“Who’s that?” Jenna asked pointing across the fence where Logan and Riley were talking.
“That’s a friend of Logan’s. His name is Riley. Nice enough considering how he looks,” Tina said.
“He looks good. Really good.”
Leave it to Jenna to like the look. That was why she ended up with abusive men so much. She went for the tall, dark, and dangerous ones.
“Leave him alone. I don’t know anything about him.”
“Don’t worry. I’ve sworn off of men temporarily. I need some time to come to terms with my choices.’ Jenna turned up her wine cooler.
Tina smiled and closed her eyes again.
“Uh oh,” Jenna said.
Tina’s eyes popped open. “What?”
“Don’t look now, but they are walking this way.
* * * *
“Who is that?” Riley nodded towards Tina’s house.
“Hell, I don’t know. One of her friends, I guess.” He hadn’t even noticed she had company, since he was making it a point to ignore that she lived next door to him.
“Good looking woman. Let’s invite them over to eat.”
“No. Not no. Hell no! Besides, we don’t have enough for them. Leave them alone, Riley.” But Riley was already walking towards the fence that divided their yards. He cursed and followed his soon-to-be-deceased buddy.
They reached the fence and Riley leaned against it with his hands.
“Hey ladies. How about joining us for a cook out?” Riley said.
“Hey, that is really nice of you to ask. Sure,” Jenna said standing up.
“Jenna.” Tina hissed through clenched teeth. “We are cooking here.”
“So, we can share what we have.” She looked over at Riley and Logan. “I’m sure they will share what they have.”
“We sure will. Especially if it means some pretty company like you.” Riley smiled.
Logan was going to kill him. He didn’t have any business getting chummy with either of the women. Riley wouldn’t be staying around long, and those two were way out of their class.
Aw, hell. Nothing he could do now but live with it. He wondered how Tina felt about the situation. He risked a glance her way and winced. She was obviously not happy by the look on her face. She was shooting lightning bolts at her friend.
“Well now, I’m Riley. Old friend of Logan here.” Riley poured it on thick as far as Logan was concerned.
Riley was in flirt mode, and that didn’t bode well for the afternoon. He was going to have to watch his friend. The flirt would have Tina’s friend eating out of his hand. Tina, too, if he let him. Logan sighed and resigned himself to dealing with the three of them the rest of the day.
“I’m Jenna. Nice to meet you.” She jumped down from the deck and walked over to shake his hand.
He got a good look at Jenna. She was Riley’s style if it weren’t for the fact that she was Tina’s friend. Long blond hair that was either natural or she kept her roots colored, lay straight down her back. She wasn’t quite as curvy as Tina, but she wasn’t a beanpole either. He figured her to be a couple of inches taller than Tina so maybe five-five or five-six. Bright sky blue eyes smiled at Riley from where she stood with her hand still in his. Time to break those two up.
“Might as well come on around. I’ll find something else to throw on the grill,” he groused.
“Oh, we have our own. Got BBQ chicken in the oven and baked beans.” Jenna smiled. “Oh, and potato salad, too.”
“I’ll come help you bring it over,” Riley said and vaulted over the fence.
“Show off,” Logan said under his breath.
“Come on, Tina. Let’s pack up our stuff.”
Tina closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Logan wanted to laugh at her obvious exasperation with her friend, but he wasn’t in any better disposition with Riley at the moment. They were both stuck.
Logan walked back to the grill and checked the coals. They looked ready. Might as well throw the steaks on, he said to himself. It looked as if they were having company whether he liked it or not. Riley and the women disappeared inside her house. A few minutes later, the three of them returned with two pans, a bowl, and a cooler. Probably full of those wine coolers they were drinking on the deck.
“Hey, Logan. We’re going to put the baked beans in your oven.” Riley nodded towards the house. “How about putting the chicken on the grill for a few minutes to give it a good taste?”
“Yeah, sure. Bring it over.”
Jenna handed the chicken over to Tina who set the cooler down on the deck and handed off the potato salad to her. He watched as she made her way over to where he stood next to the grill.
“This was not my idea. Just so you know,” he said as soon as she was within hearing distance.
“I figured that out all on my own, thank you.” She pushed the platter towards him.
He started to grab it, but she jerked it away.
“It’s hot. I just took it out of the oven. Use the potholders.” She indicated the potholders she was using with a nod of her head.
He frowned, but reached over to take the pan from her using the potholders. Their fingers touched, and he nearly dropped the pan when she suddenly let go.
“Whoa! Careful. I almost dropped it.”
“Sorry.” She took a quick step back.
Damn, was she afraid of him? Why? He hadn’t hurt her. He was damn sure she had enjoyed the kiss, at least at first anyway. Riley and Jenna returned from inside the house talking as if they had known each other all their lives. The afternoon couldn’t get any worse, he decided. The two walked up where he and Tina were standing.
“You going to hold the chicken or put it on the grill?” Riley asked with a knowing smirk.
“Open the grill, and put them on. I was waiting for you. I didn’t want Tina to get burned.”
“Right.” Riley opened the grill and added the chicken to the steaks.
“Turn the steaks while you’re in there,” Logan said.
Jenna took the pan from Logan. “I’ll run this back over to the house. Be right back.”
Tina was left standing between them looking a little uncomfortable. Riley noticed and started talking to her.
“So, how long you known Jenna?”
“Oh, maybe ten years. We’ve worked at the same company for that long. She’s a really nice person.” She looked at Riley like he needed to back off.
Logan wanted to smile and knock Riley on the back. He wasn’t the only one who thought they weren’t for each other.
“Yeah, I get that. I’m not going to hurt her. Just a little harmless flirting.”
“As long as you remember that,” Tina said.
Logan was impressed. She was obviously intimidated by Riley, but she stood up for her friend. Good for her. Riley nodded once, and then turned and popped Logan on the arm.
“She’s got spunk, man. Watch out.” Then he left them alone and headed for the deck where Jenna had returned and was getting a drink out of the cooler.
“I’ll make sure he behaves,” Logan said.
“Are you saying I can’t trust him to keep his word?” She looked worried.
“No, I mean yes, you can trust him. He won’t hurt her. But he will flirt.”
“I guess a little flirting wouldn’t hurt her. She could use the attention.” Then as if realizing what she said, Tina changed the subject on him.
“If I decide to get a dog, what kind would be best? I am not really that comfortable around big dogs.”
“If you aren’t going to be comfortable around one, you don’t need to get one. They can sense your fear. You get a little dog, and it’s going to yap all the time so you won’t know when someone is actually around the house.” Logan hoped like hell she didn’t decide on some yapping miniature mutt.
She heaved out a sigh. “What do you suggest then? I don’t know what more I can do to be sure I’m safe.”
“Why wouldn’t you be safe?” Riley and Jenna had just walked up in time to hear the last part of her statement.
“Someone tried to break in on her the other night,” Jenna explained.
“You need good locks and a security system. Logan, why haven’t you set her up?”
“She already has the best there is. I made sure when I checked it out yesterday.” He risked a glance at Tina and found she was blushing. It looked cute on her.
He realized his friend noticed as well. He raised his eyebrows at Logan. Logan shook his head. Now was not the time for the man to play around. The glint in Riley’s eyes told him things could definitely get worse.
* * * *
“I think the food ought to be ready by now.” Riley nudged Logan. “You need a platter to take that up?”
“You turn them one more time while I go find one,” Riley said.
“Tina, you go with him and take the beans out of the oven. I bet they are ready by now.” Jenna grinned at her.
Tina wasn’t sure what her friend was up to, but she was definitely up to something. She narrowed her eyes at her. Jenna widened her eyes and smiled as if she didn’t understand what Tina was trying to tell her. She drew in a deep breath and turned to follow Logan into the house. She would strangle Jenna first chance she got.
“Kitchen is this way.” Logan led her into a spacious kitchen done in bright yellows and warm earth tones. Granite lined the counter, and oak cabinets complimented the stone floor. She liked it.
Tina went straight for the oven and her only reason for being inside with Logan. She took the potholders off the counter next to the stove and started to open the stove. Logan got there before she did.
“I’ll get it. You might burn yourself. The platter is in that cabinet over there.” He pointed at one across the kitchen.
“Fine. I’ll get the platter.” Tina rolled
her eyes and crossed the kitchen.
She opened the door expecting to find a mess. Instead, the cabinet was neat. It surprised her. Most men were slobs when it came to housework. Maybe men who’d been in the army were different. They had to be so neat when they were in that it might bleed over into their home life. It was a pleasant surprise. Why do I care anyway? It’s not like I’m marrying the guy.
“What about dishes?” she asked.
He set the chicken on the stove and pulled out plates, stacking them on her platter. Then he opened a drawer and extracted silverware and steak knives. He added them to her stack.
“Be careful of the knives. Don’t cut yourself,” he said.
“You know, I’m not a child. I can carry this without dropping it or cutting myself.” She huffed out a breath and left him standing in the kitchen.
When she walked outside, she caught Jenna and Riley with their heads close together discussing something of intense interest evidently. They broke apart when she walked outside, and Jenna had a guilty look on her face. What had been going on? She had a feeling she wasn’t going to like it whatever it was.
Riley hurried over and took the plates off her hands. Jenna took the silverware off the top of the plates. They set the table while she waited on Logan to take the food off the grill. He had put the baked beans on the table. She held the platter for him to put the steaks and chicken on.
“Get us some beers, Riley. Food is on.”
“Got’em.” Riley held them up for Logan to see. “You girls want beer or what you brought?”
Logan took the platter from Tina’s hands so she walked over to the cooler and pulled out a wine cooler. She held hers up.
“Jenna? Need another one?”
“Nope. I’m fine for now,” she said.
“Let’s eat everyone.” Riley put a hand on the small of Jenna’s back and guided her over to the table.
“Tina, you ready?” Logan asked her.