by A. L Long
As he held out his hand, I couldn’t help but take it. Lifting me to my feet, we stood only inches apart. I could feel his breath on my forehead as he leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine. His scent was masculine and filled my senses. With a willing mind, I parted my lips and allowed him to dip inside. Never had I been kissed in this manner. It wasn’t demanding, but gentle and compassionate. The way I had always imagined a kiss should be.
In the distance, I kept hearing Mr. Colin calling me. I couldn’t bring myself to wake up. All I wanted was to remain in my perfect world with this amazing man. His voice became louder and I could sense the anger in the tone; even then, I didn’t want to leave. Then it happened. Mr. Colin entered my dream, only I was wide awake. The grip he had on my arms as he shook me back to reality told me that my fantasy was over. His voice was stern as he ordered, “Put something appropriate on. We need to leave.”
~Four~
There was silence between us as Simon drove down the freeway. It wasn’t often that Mr. Colin took me with him unless it was to meet a client. Typically, he would let me know who we were meeting, but this time was different. There was no indication from him that we were meeting a client, which left me concerned that he was keeping our destination a secret because it would be a place I wouldn’t want to be.
When we pulled up to a club that read ‘Direction 96,’ which was lit up on a marquee above a green canopy that sheltered the entrance, my confusion began to set in. Given the time of night, I had no idea what was so important to bring us here.
Simon remained in the car as Mr. Colin assisted me out. I could only speculate that Simon didn’t join us because he was illegally parked and had to find a place to park the Mercedes. When we entered the club, the music was loud, which indicated that the place was in full swing. It wasn’t so overly crowded that we weren’t able to make our way through the crowd, but it was full enough that we had to search for a place to sit. Pulling a barstool out so that I could take a seat, Mr. Colin scanned the club before taking a seat next to me.
As I looked around taking in my surroundings, I admired the person that owned this place and the way it was tastefully decorated. It was definitely made for the upper scale patrons. The clientele was evidence of that as most of the men were in either suits or business-type attire. The women were also impeccably dressed.
As I continued to look around, I noticed the staircase positioned just at the end of the bar. More than that, I kept my sights on the man that was walking down the stairs. I couldn’t take my eyes off him. It was dèjá vu all over again. It was beginning to make sense why we were here. When our eyes met, he was well aware that I had been staring at him, but instead of coming over to where we were seated, he walked to the front of the bar. Mr. Colin already gave me one warning when I was looking at the people enjoying themselves, but I would risk getting caught just to have one more look at him. There was something about him that I couldn’t keep my eyes off of as he walked past.
When he came back my way he was in the company of two men who had serious looks upon their faces. Even Mr. Colin couldn’t keep his eyes off him. It didn’t take long until Mr. Colin rose from his chair heading in the direction of the staircase. I thought for sure he was going to find out what was going on, but instead he passed the stairs and headed to the back of the club.
Sitting alone, I couldn’t help but wonder what those two men wanted. I didn’t dare ask for fear that I would get punished later. Turning my body, I looked forward and sipped my drink until a masculine scent filled the air. Looking in the mirror across the bar, I watched the gorgeous, mysterious man take a seat beside me. As we began to chat, I was able to learn his name before Mr. Colin approached us. I knew he was angry based on the look on his face. His eyes were as cold as stone and fear crept inside me knowing that this time my punishment would be worse than anything that I had received before. Without so much as a word, Mr. Colin took hold of my arm and led me out of the club.
~*~*~*~
What was I thinking? My eyes were swollen, and my face felt like every bone was shattered. When Mr. Colin told Simon to take care of it, I should have known that he wouldn’t have any mercy. My only thought as I looked at myself in the mirror was that I needed to get out of here. Dampening a washcloth with cold water. I placed it over my eye, hoping that it would help ease the pain. As for the rest of my body, I wasn’t sure there was any hope. Slowly, I removed my dress and turned to see the red marks on my back, knowing that soon they would turn into bruises. Even the task of removing my dress hurt.
Taking off the rest of my clothes, I carefully leaned over and turned the water on in the tub. As I waited for it to fill, just the thought of everything that I had been through entered my mind. The sadness took over and the tears began to fall. All I wanted was for my life to be as it was when I was younger. Back then, Mr. Colin was more of a father than a master. He really cared about me. Whenever I got hurt, he did everything he could to comfort the pain. Now, it was his joy to punish me. Even though he seldom hit me, he made sure that Simon followed through with my punishment.
Easing myself into the warm water, even the slightest movement caused me pain. I could only hope that the warmth of the water would help ease it. When I was finally settled, I could feel the soreness begin to decrease. The water alone wouldn’t have made my body feel better, but taking the advice of Milly, who was Mr. Colin’s housekeeper, I added a little Epsom salt with the milk and honey bubble bath.
Already I could tell the difference in how my body felt. Even though the bruising would take time to disappear, at least I would be able to move without giving any indication that Simon had gotten to me. My strength against him was my only outlet to show him that he would never break me.
The water was getting cold and I knew I had spent enough time in the tub. Tomorrow would be Friday, and I knew that Mr. Colin would be arranging another meeting. Fridays and Saturdays were his most profitable days of the week, leaving the rest of the week to train. Many times, I felt like I was nothing more than a high-priced prostitute. There was no way I would ever share this with Mr. Colin. The only difference was that the clients were handpicked and went through an extensive interview process, which included medical examinations and background checks. I guess in a way in it was his way of protecting his property. Another difference was that most of the clients Mr. Colin referred to as dominants. Just like him, they dictated every aspect of the evening and how it would play out. Sometimes it involved whipping and bondage, but mostly it was orders and commands. The worst part of it was some of the men were often rough, but not enough to cause any lingering marks. They all knew that their contracts would be voided if I returned with any marks on my body.
Slipping under my covers, I felt better than I did an hour ago, at least my body did. My mind was a different story. It felt broken, but more than that, it felt like it wasn’t my own. Everything I said and did was controlled by Mr. Colin. I never had the choices that every human should have. No choice to say no or yes, no choice to stay or go, what to wear, how to act. There had to be a way to escape, and if there was a will, which I had, then I needed to find a way out.
~*~*~*~
Looking over at my clock, I stared at the red numbers as they changed with every minute. My mind was reeling with what to do, going over every option that would take me away from here. Just like an answer from up above, it came. I knew the only person who would be able to save me was Mr. London. All I needed to do was contact him, and the only way to do that was to get to Mr. Colin’s phone so I could get his number. The problem was getting it without him knowing.
Throwing off the covers, I went to the door and slowly opened it. Looking down the hallway, I could see that the coast was clear. I was certain that Mr. Colin would be in the living room, but I was going to take the chance that he wasn’t and that he would be sound asleep with his phone charging on his nightstand. Leaving the door open, I tiptoed down the hallway to his room.
When I reached his r
oom, his door was slightly open, just enough that I could see he was sleeping in the bed with his back toward me. Turning my sights to the nightstand, as plain as day, his phone was charging. Pushing the door open, I opened it just far enough so that I could get through. It took some doing as I squatted down and made my way to the nightstand. Mr. Colin began to move so I held my breath and didn’t move. All I could do was pray that he wouldn’t roll over.
When he remained motionless, I quickly snatched his phone and began looking at his contacts. I would have thought for a man so cautious about everything else, he would have a security code on his phone; bad for him and good for me that he didn’t. Scanning his contacts, I found Xavier London’s number and began memorizing the digits since I didn’t have anything to write it on.
Getting what I needed, I quickly crawled backwards through the door and carefully pulled it back to where it was. Taking a sigh of relief, I thanked God that I didn’t get caught. I hurried back to my room to grab my phone.
Leaving everything behind and wearing only a sheer nightgown, I walked carefully down the hallway, past Mr. Colin’s room and down the stairs. I thought about just going out the front door, then realized that I would be caught the minute I opened the door. Heading to the kitchen, where the service entrance was located, I knew the chance of not being seen would be better.
The minute I got over the fence on the other side of the gate, I dialed Xavier’s number. As I caught my breath, I waited for him to answer. When I heard him answer, “London,” I desperately said, “Mr. London, I need your help.”
~Five~
The Continuance
The day that I asked Xavier for his help, why did I think he would be any different? All men were the same. The worst part about him lying to me about who he really was, was that I was stupid enough to open my heart to him. No man was ever going to break me. Not Mr. Colin and certainly not Xavier. My heart would be forever shielded from the hurt it has endured.
Holding my head high, I exited Xavier’s building knowing that I had nowhere to go, but with my pride, there was no way I would ever go back. As I walked along the sidewalk, the tears began to decrease even though by heart was still hurting. At least there was one thing to be thankful for. With everything that had happened over the past weeks, I had a father who I thought was gone forever. It was then I realized that he was the one person that I could actually trust.
Pulling my phone from my purse, I dialed my father hoping that he would answer. On the verge of defeat, I placed my phone back in my purse and continued to walk down the sidewalk. Eventually he would get my message and call me back. In the meantime, I knew that Xavier would try and find me, and it was best that I waited somewhere where I wouldn’t be seen. Slipping inside a coffee shop, I walked up to the counter and ordered a vanilla latte. Searching inside my purse, I was able to scrounge up enough money to pay for the five-dollar coffee.
As I took a seat, I pulled my phone from my purse and waited for my father to call. Just as I placed it on the round table, it began to ring, only it wasn’t my father. Xavier was on the other end and there was no way I was ready to speak to him. I wasn’t sure if I would ever want to speak with him. Declining the call so that it would stop ringing, I stared at my phone, wondering what it my life would have been like if Xavier hadn’t lied to me. Just the thought made me sad and I could feel the tears begin to well.
Just when I was about to try my father again, he called. “Tessa, how wonderful to hear from you.”
“I’m in a mess, Papa, can you please come get me?” I managed to get out between tears. “I am at the coffee shop on the corner of Spring and 6th. Please hurry.”
“What is going on, myshka?” he asked.
“I will explain everything when you get here. Just please, hurry.”
After hanging up with my father, I could see that Xavier had left a voice message. I wasn’t sure if I was ready to listen to what he had to say. He would be pleading for me to come back so that he could explain. There really wasn’t anything that he could say that would change my mind about what he did, and I couldn’t allow myself to give into him. As much as I cared for him, what he did was wrong, and more than anything, I needed to walk away from him no matter how much it was going to hurt. In the long run it would be better, and my heart would eventually heal.
Shedding the last of my tears, I focused on the street and watched as my father pulled up in his expensive Audi. Drinking the last of my now cold coffee, I placed it in the trash before leaving the quaint coffee shop. Before I reached the car, he was at my side, holding me in a tight, but caring hug. Just the closeness between us opened the gates and my tears once again began to spill. Xavier had a hold on my heart and I wasn’t sure if I would ever be able to let him go.
Kissing the top of my head, my father held me closer and said sympathetically, “It will be okay, baby girl. I promise, whatever is hurting you will get better.”
“He lied to me, Papa. He isn’t who I thought he was. Just like Mr. Colin, he deceived me,” I said between sobs.
“There had to be a reason. I know that Xavier loves you. He is a good man. After all, he brought us together.”
Listening to my father, he was right. Xavier did bring us together, but that still didn’t expunge the fact that he lied to me. Looking back, he should have trusted me to understand his need to change who he was, especially since I had questioned him about it when the name ‘Josh’ came up.
~*~*~*~
When we got to the house, all I wanted to do was drown in my sorrow. I had every right to feel the way I did, and all I wanted was some time to escape inside my own little world that I loved so much and had always made me happy.
Climbing the stairs as though my whole world had been taken away from me. I reached my room and just stood at the doorway. Remembering what it was like to have Xavier hold me, I turned away and walked across the hall to the other bedroom where I knew there would be no memories of Xavier and the passion that we shared.
Removing only my skirt, I slipped under the covers and pulled them up over my head, shutting out the world to enter my own little piece of heaven. I closed my eyes and thought of nothing more than happy thoughts. Meadows, blue skies, and a warm summer breeze were all that filled my mind until it was replaced with thoughts of Xavier. All I could think about was his face and the way he looked at me when I left his condo. I even thought about the way he looked at Ryan when the elevator door shut.
I could only imagine what took place between them after I left. As badly as I felt for Xavier, I knew it wasn’t my problem. He never should have hidden the truth from me, or from Ryan, who I assumed was someone important.
Finding that I wouldn’t ever be able to relax, I pushed the covers off and decided to take a walk on the trail. That always managed to make me relax. Maybe a long walk would clear my mind and allow me to take hold of my emotions. I needed to prove to myself that I was a strong person and this thing between Xavier and I wasn’t going to leave me down.
Sliding my skirt up over my hips, I slipped on my shoes and headed down the stairs. Since I planned on being gone for a while, and given the heat of the day, I thought it would be best to grab some water for my walk. Reaching the bottom step, I heard my father talking to someone in the living room. Waiting to hear more of the conversation, I heard his voice. I quickly turned towards the front door, doing everything possible to avoid running into Xavier. I should have known that my father would have been the first person that Xavier would have come to. Taking careful, quiet steps, I slowly opened the front door and left the house towards the trail. As far as my father knew, I was still upstairs.
With a sigh of relief that I had escaped unnoticed, I took in a deep breath and began walking down the trail. Even though the only thing I could think about was Xavier, at least I was where I wanted to be, breathing in the fresh air, away from the house. Hopefully by the time I returned, he would be gone. At the very least, I would be able to keep an eye on the house and wait un
til he did leave, if by chance he was still there when I went back.
Increasing my pace, I hurried down the path until I was hidden deep beneath the thick trees. When I was well within the woods, I slowed up and walked at a normal speed, enjoying my surroundings. If I was ever able to purchase my own home, I would make sure that it was somewhere away from the city. A place just like this one, with trails to walk and an open space where there was room to breathe. As much as I liked the city, I love the country more.
Reaching the area where the fire pit was, I wandered over to the stone pit and took a seat. If I had a match, I would have started a fire and waited until dark just to enjoy the warmth. For now, I just enjoyed the quietness, listening only to the birds and the leaves rustling in the breeze. With all the quiet, I found it hard to stop thinking about Xavier. Leaning my head back against the headrest, I looked up between the branches, catching only a small glimpse of the blue sky.
Emotional exhaustion took over, because before I knew it, I was dreaming about my meadows. My dream had begun where it had left off, with Xavier kissing me. Even though I didn’t want him inside, it felt right having him there. It was as though I could feel every ounce of his touch, making it that much more real. So real that I could feel his hand against my cheek. It was warm and tender. I could even smell his scent. The scent I came to know so well.