Nymphomaniac: A Raw Romance

by Penny Henry

  “Beth! Beth, wait.” He caught her arm but she kept on walking.

  She couldn’t speak to him now. There were tears in her eyes and he didn’t owe her anything. “Not now, Tom. I’m in a hurry.”

  “What’s wrong, Beth?”

  “Nothing, Tom. There’s nothing wrong.” Then she couldn’t help herself. “You said you didn’t have a ―” It wasn’t her business. “I... I have a meeting with the bank.” She shook her arm free and broke into a half-run towards her car.

  “Beth! Beth!”

  She didn’t stop and Tom didn’t run after her. He stood there perplexed at Beth’s sudden change of attitude. Then he worked out what she had been trying to say. “Beth!” He ran after the slow moving car and waved for Beth to stop. The Jaguar powered away and Tom caught Beth’s eyes looking back at him in the rear view mirror. Then she was gone with a burst of power that left Tom stumbling to a halt. She hadn’t given him the chance to explain. He grinned ruefully. Beth was as hot-headed as ever. He turned reluctantly. His lunch-time date would be wondering where he was.

  Her first stop was the travel agent. She had no idea where she was going. She just knew she didn’t want to be here. The Florida poster looked good. She’d always dreamt of going to Disney World. The trip was booked and paid for in less time than it took Beth to do her make-up. She didn’t quibble about prices and everything booked First Class. She was staying in a Disney Hotel and she’d be picked up at the airport. It was five-star luxury all the way. Beth walked out of the door leaving the agent beaming and three days to sort herself out. She made an appointment with the bank on her mobile phone as she walked and briefly explained her impulsive holiday plans. She had called it a holiday. She knew that she was running away. The bank could fit her in that afternoon.

  An appointment had been rushed through with Kierran. He was happy to see her, coming round his desk to hug her. He was his usual dapper self and smiling as if Beth had stopped the rain.

  “I’m delighted you’ve come to your senses, Beth.”

  She sank into the seat he directed her to. “It had to happen sometime, Kierran.” There was sadness in her voice.

  “Everything we spoke about is underway. There’s not a lot we can do about your longer term plans until you come back, but nothing is going out of your accounts without your say so.” He opened a folder and slid some paperwork towards her. “I’ll need your signature on a couple of forms to give the bank authority to act on your behalf while you’re gone.”

  Beth signed without bothering to read the documents. “Thank you Kierran. Did you manage to sort out some travel insurance for me?”

  “It’s being done as we speak. It’s all a bit of a rush, isn’t it, Beth?”

  Beth smiled weakly. “I need a break, Kierran. There’s only so much a girl can take.”

  “If you don’t mind me saying, I think you’re doing the right thing, Beth. You’ve avoided costing yourself a lot of money.” He looked directly into her eyes. “You need to be careful about who you get close to in the future Beth. You are a very desirable young woman.” Kierran blushed and looked flustered. “My apologies, Beth. I meant to say that you are young, single and very rich. Eligible would perhaps have been a better word. You mustn’t allow people to take advantage of you.”

  Beth grinned. “I understand, Kierran. My behaviour hasn’t exactly been exemplary. I’ll try to be more careful in the future.”

  She wasn’t absolutely sure who Kierran was referring to, but she supposed it just about covered everyone. For one ridiculous fleeting moment she wondered if Kierran was married. A glance at his hand told her he was. What was wrong with her? Tom wouldn’t have approved. Damn, Tom! She was going to have a fantastic time in Florida. She wasn’t going to think about him once.

  “I’m sorry I have to rush you. Beth. But I did break into my day to squeeze you in.” Kierran rose from behind his desk. Beth took the hint and lifted to her feet as he joined her on the short walk to his office door. “I suppose you’ll have a lot to do in the next couple of days. I can assure you the bank will do it’s upmost to make things as easy as for you as we can. I’ve got your number but I can’t see me having to call you unless there’s something we’ve missed.” His farewell was more professional. His smile was just as easy and his handshake warm. “Have a great time, Beth. We’ll arrange something when you get back. Don’t worry about a thing.”

  “Thanks, Kierran. I’ll think of you in your stuffy office when I’m lying on a beach in Florida.” She half-turned to leave before being struck by a sudden thought. “Is Ali around? I’d like to say goodbye.”

  “She’s visiting the area office today, Beth. I’ll tell her you were asking after her.”

  “Goodbye, Kierran.” She knew better than ask for Ali’s home address. Though, maybe she knew someone that might be able to help.

  She became more uneasy as she got closer to Vindia and Asif’s neat home. What if Ali had popped in after work? It was about that time. If her conversation with Ali took its usual turn, she didn’t want Ali’s brother and his wife to be spectators at an argument. The day had simply disappeared. She would have to spend the whole day shopping tomorrow.

  Her nerves kicked in as she nosed the car into the local roads. She imagined that both she and Ali knew where they stood. Their relationship had been based on a raging physical attraction. But what if there was something deeper that neither of them had dared to acknowledge. It was something that Beth had to know. Just the thought of Ali sent a stirring to her loins. She needed to know if that was all it was.

  “Hello, Beth.” Vindia’s greeting was friendly enough. She turned her head. “Asif, we have a visitor.”

  “Hi, Beth. Would you like to come in?” Asif was every bit as welcoming.

  “No thank you, Asif. I just wondered if you could tell me where Ali might be. I’d like to see her to say goodbye. I’m going on holiday and she doesn’t know about it. It will seem rude if I disappear without telling her.”

  “Don’t you have her mobile number?”

  Beth looked awkward. “I do, but I’m worried she might not answer. We had a bit of a falling out. I thought it would be easier if I surprised her. You must know where she lives.”

  Asif exchanged a weary look with Vindia. “Come in, Beth.” He held back the door for Beth to walk through. “Take a seat, Beth. Would you like a juice or something?”

  Beth shook her head and sat down on the edge of the seat cushion. She was feeling nervous again. Vindia hovered in the background while Asif took a seat opposite Beth and leant forward with his elbows on his knees and his hands clasped together.

  “I’m sorry, Beth. Ali would murder me if I gave you her address. She doesn’t like her girlfriends knowing where she lives.” Beth’s face glowed red. “I apologize for being blunt. Beth. But this is not the first time this has happened.” He glanced towards Vindia. “It’s all a game to Ali. She convinces herself that she’s in love. I actually think she believes it. Then the arguments start. We were hoping this time she had found someone she could settle down with.”

  “Your sister has no morals,” said Vindia in the background,

  “She’s my sister, Vindia, what should I do?” He focused on Beth. “It’s always the same, Beth. A whirlwind romance until she gets what she wants. It always ends in a row. Al is argumentative at the best of times. She’s very clever at making it seem the other person’s fault.”

  “Ali always has to be right,” added Vindia. “She’s a brilliant actress. She could make a living on the stage.”

  Asif raised his eyes to the ceiling. “Ali’s first love is her career, Beth. Everything else is a sideshow.”

  “Ali always gets what she wants.”

  “Okay, Vindia. I know you don’t approve but I’m trying to explain to Beth.”

  “I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Beth.”

  Beth gave a small smile as if it didn’t matter and Asif shrugged his shoulders. “That’s how Ali is, Beth. I’m sorry you’ve ha
d a wasted journey. But I will tell Ali that you called and that you’re going away for a while.”

  “She won’t care.”

  “Vindia!”

  Beth stood up. “Thank you for being honest, Asif. You’ve been a great help. I sort of knew we weren’t going anywhere. It would just have been nice to have seen her for one last time.”

  “I’m sure you’ll bump into her at some point, Beth. She still works for the bank.”

  “The bank, the bank, the bank... That’s all we ever hear about.” Vindia was muttering and shaking her head.

  “Goodbye, Vindia,” called Beth. “If I see you in town, we’ll go for a coffee.”

  “That would be lovely, Beth. Have a pleasant holiday.”

  Asif walked Beth to the door and stuck out his head as he half-closed it. He whispered so that Vindia couldn’t hear. “I should tell you Beth. It’s not your fault. Ali is a nymphomaniac.”

  The door closed quietly. Beth could hear the raised voices as she turned away. She was stunned by what Asif had whispered. Ali was a nymphomaniac. Had she been like that? Using people and walking away, never thinking about the consequences? Tom would have had a field day.

  She drove back at a leisurely pace. She had nowhere to be and no one to see. It was a relief to be without the pressure of the last few days. If only the knot in her stomach after seeing Tom with his lunch-date would go away. She supposed it would eventually. Then she gave a small gasp. She had to go to the apartment tomorrow. Her passport was in the drawer. She prayed that Tom would be at work. He was another one that she had to get out of her system. The holiday couldn’t come quick enough. They could all go to hell.

  Things looked brighter in the morning. She ate breakfast and made a couple of calls. Her family and a few professional people needed to know where she was. They all wished her a good holiday and looked forward to having her back. Then she turned her thoughts to shopping. That would take up most of her day. She was looking forward to a spot of retail therapy. What she couldn’t squeeze into the boot she’d have sent to the hotel by cab. First she had one thing to do. She had to retrieve her passport from the apartment.

  There were plenty of free spaces outside the apartment block. Everyone was at work. The problem was that Tom kept unusual hours. She scolded herself for not knowing more about him. She had never asked for his number. She didn’t even know what he did for a living. It was no wonder he had hooked up with someone that paid an interest in him. That went for lunch with him and had real conversations with him. She didn’t want to think about what else she did with him. Beth had been too wrapped up in herself. She could never have known how Tom would have crept into her pysche. She had felt unreasonably jealous when she had seen him with the stylish redhead. She only had herself to blame.

  Her heart stopped as she passed Tom’s door. She could hear him laughing and the soft peels of the woman’s laugh. Beth’s mouth tightened. It was nothing to do with her. She had blown her chance. She was in and out of her apartment in five minutes. Most of what she needed she could buy today, but she couldn’t go without her passport and her favorite yellow bikini. She shut the door gently and tip-toed past Tom’s apartment. She was almost at the end of the passageway when she dropped the handful of bikini’s she hadn’t been able to resist adding to the yellow one. She stumbled as the thin straps tangled round her feet. She swore unconsciously and stooped to scoop them up before almost falling round the corner. She heard Tom’s door open behind her.

  “Beth? Is that you, Beth?”

  Beth held her breath and stood perfectly still with her back against the wall. She heard him take a couple of steps. God, he couldn’t find her like this. What would she say? That she was a jealous stalker and furious that he had someone in his apartment that wasn’t her? She was pathetic. She let her breath out slowly as she heard the woman call his name and Tom retraced his steps. Beth walked quickly away. She was feeling wretched and miserable. She didn’t breathe properly until she was sitting safely in the driver’s seat. She urged the motor into life and glided out of the car park. A few sniffs later and Beth’s head had cleared. Her credit card was about to get a caning. The most enjoyable thought was that for once in her life. She would be spending it on herself.

  The entire evening was spent unpacking what she’d bought, trying on everything and feeling decidedly naughty. She took time out to have food sent to her room and asked demurely if the young man would mind removing the packaging she had piled in a corner. He was happy to oblige and left Beth standing in a roomful of expensive clothing that had cost a small fortune. She threw herself onto the bed and grinned. For the first time Beth felt like a Lottery winner. It was a wicked feeling that obliterated every other thought she had been having. She closed her eyes and reveled in the sinful sensation of being rich beyond her wildest dreams. The happy thought was the last thing she remembered before drifting into a dreamless sleep.

  She woke early and looked down on herself to check her first horrified thought. She had falling asleep fully clothed. The bed and floor were covered with posh frocks that she’d need two lifetimes to wear. She headed straight for the shower room. She was hungry and she knew what she’d be doing for the rest of the day. Folding and packing were just part of it. Tomorrow morning she was off to Florida.

  Breakfast was first on her list. Ordering a car to take her to the airport was the second item she ticked off. Later she’d find her laptop to check herself in and confirm the flight. The bank would be sending a pre-loaded currency card by courier. Everything was going according to plan. She was starting to feel excited. She studiously avoided remembering that she was going on her own. The thought didn’t come up at breakfast and she kept it at bay for the rest of the day that she spent packing her cases. It didn’t occur to Beth until she sat down to dinner in the thinly populated restaurant that she had spent the entire day alone. She was getting used to being on her own. There had been no interruptions. No last minute pleas for forgiveness from Darren or a visit from a grateful Lucy. No sign of Ali - not even a phone call. She hadn’t expected to hear from Tom. He wouldn’t know she was going away and he’d be far too busy shacked up in his apartment with his red-headed floozy to care. She held back a tear. How stupid could she be? She gripped her fists and fought the ludicrous urge to drive to Tom’s apartment and slap the hussy round the face.

  Dinner was eaten at a frenzied pace. The staff trod cautiously around her. Beth’s beautiful face was clouded by her dark mood. She strode back to her suite and collapsed into an armchair. She allowed herself to relax until the storm abated. She switched on the TV and even managed to laugh at some silly man cracking sillier jokes. Then she set about finishing her packing. Her pre-paid card had arrived and she was packed and ready to go. Her wake-up call was arranged with reception and a porter would be at her door to collect her cases at six o’clock in the morning.

  The hire car arrived on time and Beth was waiting in the hotel lobby. The driver was friendly enough. He’d done the airport run a thousand times. Beth had nothing to worry about. She smiled gratefully. She was feeling nervous about the flight. She had never done anything like this before. Her holiday was planned for a couple of weeks but it felt like she was leaving everything behind. She needed to be strong. It was a chance to clear the cobwebs from her head and breathe in different air. The sun would do her good. Her new start was beginning right now.

  The driver chatted and Beth dozed. It was the kind of chit-chat that didn’t require much input from Beth’s side. Not until he made her jump.

  “Stupid, bloody idiots!"

  The cab driver's explosion made Bet sit up like a jolt of electricity had been passed through her spine. The driver was flicking his eyes into the rear-view mirror. Beth craned her neck to look round. There were two motorbikes coming up behind them fast. The first bike was flashing its headlight.

  “What the hell does he think he’s playing at?”

  Beth couldn’t see the makers of the bikes. She sucked in her b
reath. Ali’s brother owned a Yamaha DV 600 and Ali could ride it. They were approaching a service station. “Pull in driver, please. You said we have plenty of time.” As the words came out she remembered that Darren owned a Ducati.

  “If you say so, miss. Looks like you might have forgotten something.” He indicated and took the service road. He looked in his mirror again. “I think the bikers are in trouble. There’s a motorcycle cop on his blue lights coming up behind them.”

  Beth opened the door as Ali took off her helmet and shook out her hair. Even in leathers she looked fabulous. Beth’s pulse quickened.

  “I wanted to catch you before you left, Beth.” Ali’s voice was slightly breathless. It made her sound ever more appealing. “Asif told me you were looking for me. The bank knew your travel arrangements,” she explained.

  “What did you want, Ali?”

  “I want you, Beth. It’s not a game anymore. When you come back I want us to start over. I... I think I love you, Beth.”