by Riley Moreno
He sat at the end of the sofa, and Carter assumed the position directly across from him. Even though they were separated by the length of a crystal coffee table, Ethan felt close to the kid as he smiled.
“I’m really glad you could make it,” Carter said. “And I can’t wait for you to meet Geoff.”
Geoff was Geoffrey Troxel, Carter’s surrogate father. Ethan knew him slightly by reputation. He was a publishing magnate who latched onto the whole eBook trend before it was a foregone conclusion, and he went from churning out titles of varying quality at lightning speed to being the stop for every author who was bound for a blockbuster. On the nights when Ethan tried to read to stave off the silence, several titles came courtesy of Troxel-Brown.
“Same here,” Ethan said. He searched his mind for one of the many uncompleted stories on his Kindle, and he honed in on the one about a man who survived a fire and emerged with the ability to understand every language without the benefit of a translator. There was something about him using the power to get rich until he stumbled upon a plot to commit murder and put his new gift to more noble use. And… and he also fell in love? Maybe? Ethan abandoned the book after Chapter 11. He wondered if he should give it another go after the dinner party.
“So this won’t be your regular scene,” Carter said with a smile. “But if all goes according to plan, we’ll rectify that in short order.”
Ethan had absolutely no idea what Carter was talking about, and he drank deep again. His mind flashed back to confessing his supposed extracurriculars, and he was about to correct the assumption when they were joined by a tall man, bald and muscular, in a three-piece suit.
Ethan was face-to-face with Geoffrey Troxel.
“Welcome, welcome,” he bellowed as he took Ethan’s hand in his. Geoffrey’s handshake made a connection but did so quickly because there were always other hands to shake and deals to seal.
“Hi there,” Ethan said. “Nice to meet you, Mr.---”
“No need to stand on ceremony. Call me Geoff.”
“Okay. Great. Sure. Geoff.”
Geoff slapped his arm, smiled knowingly at his potential son-in-law, and headed to the bar.
“Heard you helped my boy out today.”
Carter laughed and winked at Ethan.
“Um… yes, Mr…. yes, Geoff. Sound investments. I think the returns will be---”
“Great,” Geoffrey interrupted as he sat with his drink at Ethan’s side. “It’ll be just great. And that’s all the shop talk I’m permitting this evening.”
So much for discussing the book about the firewalker who could have navigated the Tower of Babel.
“So, Ethan,” Geoffrey began. “Tell me about yourself.”
Ethan was at a loss as to where to start. The truth would only bring down the room, and Geoffrey Troxel had already laid the ground rules against shop talk. So what else was there to say? He didn’t want to return to a lie. It would only complicate things down the line. Maybe he could just be vague and get away with it until the first course was served.
“Not much to tell,” Ethan said. “Really just an average guy.”
Geoffrey and Carter exchanged a glance, and Ethan had the feeling that he had stumbled upon an unspoken code implicitly understood by two of the three men in the room. As always, Ethan was the odd man out, but when Geoffrey Troxel took hold of his shoulder and laughed, he was suddenly, somehow in on the unknown joke.
“Well said!”
Was it?
“We need more of those,” Geoffrey said.
“Amen,” Carter interjected.
Okay. So they were five-star guys who weren’t all that different from him. Maybe they lived in colossal apartments and had money to throw at stocks that might never rise, but was it possible that that was where the divisions stopped? Could Ethan actually be on equal footing with these guys? It might be nice.
He finished his drink and moved for another.
Slow down. Don’t get drunk.
“So… there’s a wedding in the mix?” Ethan said.
He had to shift the subject away from his life.
“That’s what my accountant tells me,” Geoffrey said with a laugh. “But Melissa deserves the best.”
“Here here,” Carter agreed.
Ethan watched the men bask in the idea of the still unseen Melissa. Carter grinned goofily at the thought of the girl, and Geoffrey seemed to swell with pride. It seemed sweet. Every girl should have a shot at a father and a husband who made her every wish come true. It wasn’t in the cards for everyone, but Ethan couldn’t begrudge them their impending happiness. Someone should have all the luck.
He sipped his drink and made a move to belly up to the conversation at hand.
“So where did you and Melissa meet?” Ethan asked Carter.
Carter chuckled and rolled his empty glass in his hands.
“At a party. It wasn’t for her.”
Ask the next question, Ethan.
“Who was it for?” he asked.
“Who knows!” Carter said. The room filled with new laughter, but Ethan had to find a way to keep the topic alive.
“She was no match for Melissa, huh?”
It was the first time he had dared to speak her name, and it did not go unnoticed. Ethan looked to Geoffrey first, and he saw a father who looked like he couldn’t quite believe that he had produced the brilliant beauty who caught the eye of the boy who suddenly seemed lost in promises of an upcoming wedding night and the many nights ahead.
Good for them. Good for her. He was glad that Melissa had two champions in her corner, and he looked forward to putting a face to the name.
“So when’s the happy event?” Ethan asked.
“Next May,” Geoffrey answered. “She has it her head that pastoral is the way to go. Now if it was me, I’d opt for indoors.”
“Always a chance of rain,” Carter interjected.
Ethan envisioned a wedding party drowned by angry skies and a rush to the finish so everyone could just make it to the reception in soaking gowns and suits.
“Not for you guys. Bet you got a line to the clouds.”
Geoffrey broke his rule as he spoke to Ethan.
“Nice. Write that down sometime. Maybe you’ve even got a book in you somewhere.”
Ethan stayed silent as Carter told Geoffrey that his new buddy was a man of figures first and foremost.
“And besides, good old Ethan’s already told me his story.”
But had he? Carter didn’t really know anything about him, and yet he seemed so sure. Only one other person had known him that well, long ago, and since that moment, more years had passed then he was able to count. And he was supposed to be good with numbers.
“So I heard,” Geoffrey said as he set down his glass. “Later?”
The question was for Carter, and he nodded as the sounds of female voices started to fill the room.
“Later,” Carter answered. He was on his feet, and Geoffrey quickly followed as a pair of blondes entered. They were matched in height and slimness but not years. The younger of the two had a taut face because time had yet to leave its marks on porcelain cheeks glowing beneath sky blue eyes. She stirred thoughts of untouched cream before the spoon had had yet to make ripples against the edge of the dish.
This had to be Melissa.
She nodded at her father and casually regarded Ethan as her gaze settled on Carter. He moved towards her and folded her into his arms. In the company of her parents, he only gave her pristine face the slightest peck, and Ethan liked the respect of the gesture. He had assumed that the girl was his in every way even before the ring found her finger, but now he wasn’t so sure. Maybe they were waiting until the big night after the big day to really link their lives, and if that was the case, it made him like and trust Carter even more. Melissa settled into her fiancé’s embrace, and her faded copy took her place at Geoffrey’s side.
“I hope you’re not boring him,” she said.
“That’s not the plan
, Tori.”
Ethan searched his memory and found her true name. Victoria Troxel was a debutante who never grew up and spent her days attaching her name to charitable causes that needed a boost. He recalled an item from the Times that mentioned her making an appearance at a fundraiser for the illiterate obese as if the terms were interchangeable. They weren’t, but the money rolled in and exceeded all expectations.
Tori Troxel stuck her altered breasts in the direction of Ethan’s eyes and managed a smile in spite of what had to be the Botox. When Geoffrey kissed her new and improved face, he did so with total love, and Ethan felt that the picture in the penthouse was complete. One generation was making way for the next. The only thing out of place was Ethan.
“Hi!” Melissa exclaimed as she left Carter and took Ethan’s hand. Young. So young. Ethan couldn’t remember being that age. Well he could, but he had fought hard to block it out.
“You must be Melissa,” Ethan said. She tossed a strand of blonde hair over her exposed shoulder and smiled in anticipation of whatever he would say next.
“Um….”
He had no more words, and he just shook her hand. Geoffrey’s hand surrounded her shoulder, and he looked at Melissa like the world was about to unfold in streams of gold without any threat of a bruise. Ethan started to lose himself in a darker memory when Carter stepped forward. Geoffrey relaxed his touch and permitted Carter to press his girl close to him. Melissa smiled up into Carter’s eyes, and her look was one of total joy. She was being passed from one set of caring hands to another, and that made sense. It’s what fathers were supposed to want when it came to baby girls growing up.
How he had come was irrelevant. Ethan was here, and at least for the night, he wanted to share in the family.
“So what’s on the menu?” he asked.
Victoria Troxel took charge. She seized Ethan’s arm and led him to a dining room. He hoped he’s know which fork to use when. Victoria guided Ethan to the chair at her side, and Geoffrey sat at the head of the table. He appeared to revel in the denizens of his private kingdom as trays of cheese and crab cakes made their way to the table under gloved hands. Ethan piled the chow onto his dish and ate quickly as the others just picked in anticipation of the real feast to come. Ethan slowed down as Melissa talked about possible honeymoons in Europe or on the sea.
“My choice, right?” Melissa asked.
Carter nodded, and Ethan spied her reach for his leg under the table. She gave it an affectionate squeeze. Carter blushed and grabbed her neck. He innocently kissed her cheek, and Victoria raised her glass in delight. Geoffrey appeared beyond pleased with the match. Maybe it was true; money did buy happiness. Ethan forgot the food and returned to his drink. If nothing else, he’d get a few more hours of shuteye than usual on this night.
“Ethan, here. Try the wine.”
Victoria filled his glass to the brim, and she stood to make a toast.
“I’ve said it before…”
“And she’ll say it again.”
“Oh you!”
He looked at her like a man who was completely in love after all the years that had passed between them. Ethan knew that was more possible, but he also knew that everything could slip away in the space of a second. It could come without warning. It kept him up all night every night.
Stop it!
He was tired of the past. He was tired period. But couldn’t he just enjoy the party?
“As I was saying,” Victoria continued, “there’s nothing better than seeing my baby so happy.”
She smiled warmly at Ethan.
“But a man is only as good as the company he keeps. And, Ethan. You are a welcome addition to the table. Salud!”
Every glass clinked. The wine was exquisite. The Beef Wellington that followed was even better, and Ethan wondered what it would be like to make a regular diet of breaking bread with the Troxels.
When the final course reached its end and the coffee started to flow, Victoria and Melissa started to help the servers clear the table. Ethan wanted to do his part, and he was on his feet.
Geoffrey gave him a sad laugh.
“Ethan, take a load off. The girls can handle that.”
He felt a ring of sweat forming around his neck as he fell back into his chair. Ethan watched the ladies regard him with pity even as they were the ones made to collect dirty dishes by virtue of gender and nothing else. He looked to Carter for some king of reassurance. Carter just shrugged his shoulders with a smile that seemed to say that whatever Geoffrey said went in his house. Sure it was a touch misogynistic, but he was from a different time. Besides, Victoria and Melissa didn’t seem any worse for the wear, so maybe he should just go with it.
“Brandy’s waiting,” Geoffrey said.
Ethan and Carter followed him back to the bar, and they sat with refilled glasses as Geoffrey lit a cigar. He offered as much to the others. Carter quickly obliged and inhaled on the first spark.
“Ethan?”
Wanting to just be one of the boys, Ethan accepted and fought hard to suppress a choke on the first puff.
“Not you brand?” Geoffrey asked.
He could do this. He could play it like he knew what separated a good cigar from a bad one as he sipped his brandy. It was a sweet taste that did nothing but erase the effect of what had proved a delicious meal. Ethan still swallowed it down.
“No. But this is perfect.”
Geoffrey seemed placated, and he tapped the stump of his stogie into an ashtray as he leaned back in his chair.
“So, Ethan,” Geoffrey started. “The boy here tells me that you like the nightlife.”
So it was heading back in this direction. Ethan should just confess now. He knew nothing of Nick’s conquests or the likes of the lavender blonde from the subway. But that wasn’t the worst of it. He didn’t want to know. He started to say as much when Carter shot him a look of encouragement. Why did this have to come up again? In Victoria’s eyes, he was almost one of the family. Couldn’t that just be enough? Maybe in time, he could tell them a truth that would make them all understand and embrace him further. But he wasn’t there yet. Not by a long shot.
So he had to keep lying.
“Oh you know. Like to… like to party. Sure. I guess.”
Geoffrey exhaled a strong stream of smoke and started to play with his tie.
“Same here, guy.”
Ethan couldn’t suppress a look of surprise. Carter was one thing. As much as he obviously loved Melissa, he was still so young. But Geoffrey? Why was he looking for trouble when he had a woman like Victoria who scraped the pots and pans in spite of her manicure?
Geoffrey took note of Ethan’s confusion.
“Hey, don’t get me wrong. Tori is everything to me. Just like Missy will be for Carter.”
“Amen, Dad.”
They tapped their glasses together and turned their faces back to Ethan. All was smiles, and Ethan had to play along if he didn’t want to find the door hitting his back.
“But… who doesn’t need a little fun?” Geoffrey asked.
“What’s all this about?”
Ethan tensed as Victoria reappeared. She wore an apron of peach frills over her designer gown, and Ethan started to stand. He was ready to offer an explanation. An apology. Anything.
There was no need as Geoffrey wagged his finger and stopped her in the archway.
“Boy needs a bachelor party, Tori. It’s tradition.”
Victoria sniffed the air, and for the first time all night, she looked at Ethan with what could only be labeled contempt. He was blowing it, and it wasn’t even true. He set his glass down and tried to speak when Carter took charge.
“Don’t worry, Mom. It won’t get out of control.”
Victoria pressed her hands to her hips and shot each man what Ethan took for a knowing glance before her face expanded into a familiar smile.
“See that it doesn’t.”
Then she stared hard at Ethan.
“I hope I wasn’t wrong
about you. We don’t need a bad influence.”
He started to explain that he was anything but as she moved forward and patted his cheek.
“Just keep them in check, Ethan. I’m trusting you.”
With a twirl of her skirt, she disappeared. Ethan took another swig of brandy and hoped he could live up to her faith.
Geoffrey finished his cigar and rubbed his hands together.
“So what do you say think about this weekend?”
Ethan had no idea how to answer the question. To him, a weekend was just a break from the office that led to long walks and longer nights. But he knew that Geoffrey was speaking in another code. Victoria seemed to know some of the score. Couldn’t he just be a man about this?
“I… I say… I say...”
He finished his drink and slammed the empty glass on the table. Carter and Geoffrey seemed stunned by his sudden show of force and waited in silence for the answer he fully intended. The truth.
But something else entirely came out.
“I say where’s the party, Geoff.”
He looked at Carter and the soon-to-be son-in-law nodded knowingly as Geoffrey stood and seized Ethan’ shoulders.
“Let’s find out, guy.”
8
It was terrifying.
Julie regained consciousness to find the last of her clothing gone. Her wrists and ankles were bound with leather cuffs, and the soft carpet at her back was no comfort. She tried to call out for Kim, but her jaw would work. A metal rod was pressed between her teeth, and she could do nothing but struggle and bite down as one of Kim’s attackers, the one who had pleasured herself with her friend’s mouth, stood above her, naked. He stroked his cock as he smirked. Julie weakly shook her head. Despite the gag, she still tried to plead for some kind of mercy. Her cries went unanswered as he lowered himself inside her.
Her body shuddered as he entered, and her nails scraped against her chains as he grabbed her hips and forced himself deeper.
Julie’s eyes went wide and watered. He smelled like vodka, and he started to plow her ferociously. Julie couldn’t escape the trap. It wasn’t slow or sweet or anything that she had imagined.
It just hurt.