Privileged

by J.M. Downey

  “What’s your problem?” Allen shouted.

  Keith grabbed Katie’s arms and yanked her from the couch. He wrapped one arm tightly around her waist. Her small body trembled next to his. “This one is off limits.”

  Allen jumped to his feet. “Maybe to you.”

  Keith let go of Katie. In one swift motion, he pounded Allen across the chin, sending him to his knees. “Won’t you shut up and think of who you’re talking to.”

  Katie’s hand flew to her mouth as Keith wrapped her in his arms and dragged her out of the house.

  The cold air hit her dead in the face. She looked up at Keith’s dark eyes as he walked her towards the steps. Where was he taking her? She needed to get away from him. She turned towards the door, but Keith pushed her forward to the first step. She pulled from him, stepping away. “What is your problem?”

  “Pour your own drinks at parties, Katie.” His face constricted into anger. “How could you, with all your morals, be such a fool?”

  “What?”

  “He drugged you.”

  “How do you know?”

  He chuckled, shaking his head. “Because I saw him do it.”

  This was impossible. Tears brimmed at the corners of her eyes as a shiver raced through her. Allen was a nice guy. Not a rapist. Keith was. Allen wanted to work in the Peace Corps – make something of himself. She had sat next to him this weekend at church. “I don’t believe you. You’re just jealous.”

  “Katie.” His voice was calmer as he took her face into his hands, wiping away a warm tear with his thumb. His eyes looked soft. Where had the anger gone? “Let me take you to your dorm, and we’ll see if you make it awake. Okay.”

  “I’m not getting alone in a car with you.” She turned from him and started to walk away. Her legs wobbled, making her clench onto the side of a post. Katie placed a hand on her forehead, feeling her burning skin. Something strange was happening. She felt as though she wasn’t even in her own skin. The dark forms of the trees in front of her blurred in and out and mashed together. Keith wasn’t lying.

  “It’s already working,” he said. He stood right behind her with his hands on her hips. She needed to get away – to get back to her dorm. She would be safe there and she could wait out this strange drug.

  Katie shook her head and took a couple steps, but the ground came towards her fast. His hands grabbed her waist and pulled her against his hard chest. Why couldn’t she move her limbs? Every part of her felt like a weight. He lifted her in his strong arms, cradling her like a baby. The sky became darker, as her eyelids slid down over her eyes. Please God. Please, protect me.

  SIX

  Katie opened her heavy eyes. A yellow light blasted into them, blocking her vision. She blinked a couple times. It was a car light. What was going on? A black wool coat covered her. Katie rubbed the smooth fabric with her fingers. It must be made out of some kind of rich material. The strands were so delicate, like rose petals newly fallen to the ground.

  “Do you believe me now?”

  She tensed, turning to see Keith typing on a laptop. What was she doing with him in a car? His blue eyes held a glare to them as he focused on the screen of a laptop. Allen had drugged her. She placed a hand on her head, pressing hard as it all came back to her. The cup flying through the air. Brown liquid dropping everywhere as two large hands grasped her, yanking her to him. She closed her eyes and took several small breaths, but her nerves wouldn’t settle. Why had Allen drugged her? He was going to rape her. She had been a fool.

  “How long have I been asleep?” She pushed out as her fingers shook against her face.

  “About an hour.” He closed the black laptop and set it in the backseat.

  “Thank you,” she mumbled.

  “You’re welcome.”

  She pulled the coat off and handed it to Keith right before she turned to open the door.

  “Hold on.” Keith placed a hand on her shoulder. “You’re probably still dizzy.”

  Katie leaned back against the seat as Keith got out and walked over to the passenger side. The door opened and Keith reached for her hand. She placed her hand in his, letting the large strong fingers enclose around hers. This hand had struck out for her - keeping her safe. She looked up at his mesmerizing blue eyes, full of a lightness as he helped her to her feet. His feelings for her must be strong to make him so protective.

  Keith placed an arm firmly around her waist. She took two steps, but the building in front of her swirled. She fell back against his chest, her hands gripping his shoulder.

  “Just rest a moment.” His warm breath brushed against her forehead.

  She nodded, and closed her eyes, leaning her head against his shoulder. It felt like a rock. A rock for her. Where would she be now if he hadn’t taken such an interest in her? A shudder rolled over her. She would not think about that. But why would a guy who used women not have finished what Allen had started? His actions didn’t mesh with what her friend had said and her friend had said Allen was the one to trust. What was going on?

  She took a few more steps, leaning against his shoulder as they made their way into the building and to her room.

  They stopped in front of the door. Maybe if she spent some time with him, she could judge his character better for herself instead of relying on someone else’s word even if it was her friend’s. “Would you like to come in?” she asked.

  “Sure.”

  She unlocked the door. Once inside, Keith closed the door behind them. Katie turned to look at him, focusing on his blue eyes that had a soft touch to them. Maybe he wasn’t what Angel said he was. He couldn’t be. If he was, he would have taken advantage of her. A smile crossed her face as she took a few steps towards him and wrapped her arms around his neck. A warmness filled her as he circled his arms around her, pulling her close against his broad chest. She stood on her tiptoes and rested her chin on his shoulder. “Thank you for taking care of a girl who wouldn’t give you the time of day.”

  Keith’s hands immersed in her hair, sending strange sensations through her body. “Can I take you to dinner now?”

  “Sure.” She smiled.

  Keith pulled her from him and kissed her head, making her close her eyes as a sigh escaped her. She looked up at him, and tried to find something to say, but all she could think of was her sister. “Would you like to see some pictures of my family?”

  “Yeah,” he said, his seductive smile spread across his face.

  Katie took his hand and turned to sit on the bed, but his phone interrupted her. He slid it awake and looked at the number.

  “Hey,” he said and walked out the door, closing it behind him. What was going on? Katie stared at the door for a couple seconds before her curiosity got the best of her. She went to the door and pressed her ear against it.

  “Just make sure your contribution gets to my godfather, and I won’t say a thing.”

  His godfather? He must be talking about earlier, but what did he mean by contribution? It sounded like someone was buying his silence.

  It was quiet for a second. “If she asks, I’ll tell her that. Bye.”

  She took two quick steps from the door and sat on the bed before Keith opened the door.

  He smiled, but a steel look filled his eyes. “That was Allen’s father. He wanted me to tell you he’s sorry for his son’s actions, and that he won’t be bothering you anymore.”

  Katie knit her brows. “We should call the cops. Don’t you think?”

  Keith clasped his hands together nodding and looking down as if lost in thought. “I don’t know if you can prove what happened. The drug is out of your system by now, but we could....”

  “Oh.” Katie looked down at her fumbling hands. No, she wouldn’t be able to. It would be their word against his since Keith had stopped Allen. Rape was too hard to prove. So many news stories detailed rapists getting away with their crimes. So how hard would it be to prove attempted rape? Impossible.

  “Do you want me to?” Keith held u
p the phone.

  Katie slowly shook her head. Again he was protecting her from what would be a painful experience.

  Keith lowered the phone - the softness returning to his eyes. “Let’s get your mind off of him and look at some pictures.”

  Katie nodded and reached under her bed for her picture album.

  Keith sat next to her, slipping an arm around her waist. Did he realize how hot her skin burned? She imagined her face must be bright pink by this point. She opened the photo album. There was no way she would be able to concentrate with him so close.

  The next morning Katie awoke with a smile on her face. She looked at the ceiling. That simple kiss on the cheek had been so sweet. How many more would he give her? She could quickly fall for this guy. His eyes were bewitching and his smile dangerously beautiful. She giggled and stretched her arms towards the ceiling as a yawn pushed from her. She had studied the gracefulness of his lips all night, feeling mesmerized. Her phone rang, making her flinch. She reached to the floor and picked up her phone. “Hello.”

  “I heard what happened. Are you okay?” Angel asked.

  “Yeah, thanks to Keith.”

  “What?”

  Katie sat up and pressed a hand to her head over the slight throb in her temple. “Look, what do you know?”

  “Keith got jealous and punched Allen.”

  Katie closed her eyes as the memories from last night flooded her mind. She shook her head. She wouldn’t focus on those right now. “Allen drugged me, Angel, and Keith kept him from taking advantage of me. I know this because I tried to get away from Keith, but I passed out.” Katie paused. Angel’s light breathing filled her ears. “Angel, Allen is a creep.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Maybe Keith isn’t that bad a guy.”

  “Maybe.” Angel’s voice dropped in tone.

  Katie crossed her legs Indian-style, running a finger over a crease in her sheets. “He’s taking me out to dinner tonight. Where do you think he’ll take me?”

  “I don’t know. He never takes girls out, but I bet it will be somewhere nice. But listen, I would still be careful of Keith. He has hurt a lot of girls.”

  Katie shook her head. The guy Angel talked about didn’t seem like the Keith she’d seen last night. He had spent the whole night comforting her, never asking for more than sitting next to her. Katie bent her head to the side. “Did he take advantage of a lot of your friends or something?”

  “Whatever, Katie, you can believe me or not. But maybe you should ask around.”

  Katie took a deep breath as she clenched the phone. Angel was her friend, her only friend here and Keith really was an uncertainty. He might not be worth risking her friendship over, but what if.... She tapped her fingers on the quilt. “Angel, I’m just going to go out with him once to say thank you.”

  “Okay. Have fun.”

  After she said goodbye to Angel, she called Keith.

  “Hey, pretty thing,” Keith said when he answered.

  The sound of his smooth voice dazed Katie for a second. A smile seeped across her face as an energy filled her. She swallowed, pushing a giggle back down. “Already put me in your phone?”

  “Your number has been there since I got it from Angel.”

  “What? Angel gave you my number?” Katie clenched the comforter in her hand. Why would Angel do that? It didn’t make sense. Katie lay back down on the bed, letting the lavender comforter raise around her, but she found no comfort from it. Could Angel be lying? Was she playing games because she was jealous of Keith’s attention towards her? She could have told Katie a million falsehoods about Keith’s character while leading her to someone who would rape her.

  “Yeah, right after we first met. Does that bother you?”

  “No,” she lied. The little world she had built for herself seemed to be deconstructing as her friends and enemies switched places.

  She focused as Keith began telling her about the restaurant he planned to take her to. The place sounded expensive. If Angel had lied about her phone number maybe Keith had never gotten her sorority sisters drunk. He could be a perfect gentleman.

  “So, I’ll pick you up at six.” He broke into her thoughts.

  “Yeah, that sounds nice.”

  “Then I’ll see you then.”

  Katie said goodbye and hung up the phone. Tonight would give her some indicator of his character.

  Katie clenched the sides of her blue cotton dress as she walked down the steps of her dorm. When she reached the bottom, she spotted Keith through the window — his back faced her, but she could tell he looked good in the black jacket and pants he wore.

  A smile, just a little one, crossed her face. She tried to dismiss it, but it stayed as she opened the door and walked outside.

  Keith turned and scanned her with his eyes, his face brightening. “Wow, you really are the prettiest girl.”

  Katie could no longer keep her smile small; it widened as Keith took her hands and kissed her cheek.

  “Thank you,” she said.

  “No, thank you for finally letting me treat you nice.”

  Keith led her to his black BMW and opened the door. She slipped in and looked out the window as the car pulled away. Princesses rode in such cars.

  When they walked into the restaurant, Katie let out a small gasp. Her gaze scanned the lace tablecloths and oak red tables. Candles accented fine silverware that surrounded china plates with red flowers painted on them. Two musicians played violins in a corner, creating a calm and romantic atmosphere. She took a deep breath and slowly let it out. Never in her life had she been to such a place.

  The host dressed in a black suit approached them and offered to show them to a table.

  She wrapped her arms around her waist. She had under-dressed compared to the women in their silk dresses and diamonds glittering on their necks.

  Keith placed a hand on the small of her back and gave her a small nudge. She looked up at him and smiled. The host had left them behind. She let Keith guide her to the table and sat down after he pulled out a chair for her. Folding her fingers together, she squeezed - feeling the sweat on her palms.

  He ordered a bottle of wine.

  “Are you nervous?” He asked, reaching for her hand and caressing the top two fingers.

  Was it that obvious? She gave him a tentative smile and then picked up the menu. Her eyes widened. Her father could never afford such a restaurant. What was she doing here? She tapped the bottom of the menu on the table.

  The waiter returned and Keith ordered crab cakes.

  “Katie,” he said.

  She looked up. He was holding up his wine glass, a small smile on his face as his eyes focused on her. She picked hers up, hoping he didn’t notice how the glass shook.

  Keith touched her glass with his. “To beginnings.”

  He took a sip of wine, but she just held hers, almost in a trance. She should just set the glass aside - maybe he wouldn’t notice.

  “Are you not going to take a sip?” He asked.

  “I....” She looked around the room, trying to avoid his blue eyes that contained a lightness. Everyone drank from crystal wine glasses. “I don’t believe in drinking alcohol.”

  “Why?” He knitted his brows, leaning forward.

  “Because….” Her pastor and father said that drinking could lead to loss of judgment and well Jesus said it was wrong. She could tell him that but he would probably think such reasoning was silly. Of course, she wasn’t 21 but he must know that. She’d just take a drink - one little sip couldn’t hurt. Katie took a sip of the bitter liquid, squinting at the taste. Well that was a good reason not to like alcohol.

  Keith chuckled and picked up the menu. “I hear the lamb is really good.”

  She looked at the menu. It was the second-most expensive thing, next to the filet mignon, but the chicken in orange sauce was the cheapest thing on the menu.

  “I think I’ll have the chicken in orange sauce.”

  Keith lowered
the menu. “Have you had it before?”

  She shook her head.

  “Neither have I, but my sister said it’s not good.”

  “You have a sister?” She bounced in her seat. What a nice turn of events. Her sister was her best friend, next to Jeff.

  “Yeah, she comes down a lot because she’s engaged to Brandon. You’ll meet her soon.”

  “Well, I guess we have something in common.”

  “Yeah,” he said as a smile crossed his face.

  Something tingling broke through her nerves, making her feel light. That smile. It had such a disarming effect. When the waiter returned, she ordered the lamb while he got the filet mignon.

  Katie nibbled on the popcorn and focused on the dark screen as it turned green. The warm salty butter melted over her tongue. She smiled as the image of a couple kissing appeared. What would it be like to be kissed? Keith slipped his arm around her shoulders. She closed her eyes and exhaled slowly, but her nerves wouldn’t calm as Keith twirled a curl around his finger and snuggled her closer.

  His arms made her feel so warm and cherished. She could stay in them forever. But could she? There was no indication he was a Christian. This relationship could go no further even if he made her feel so special. Something churned in her. But she wanted it to. She laid her head on his shoulder and concentrated on the fresh scent of his sandalwood-scented cologne, barely catching any of the movie she had wanted to see.

  As the credits drew to a close, Keith bent to her ear. “Want to get some coffee at my place?”

  Katie tensed. That was a major ‘no’ in her book. She turned to him - his breath warm on her face. “I’m tired.”

  He tilted his head to the side, his smile slipping across his face. “Maybe another night?”

  Katie walked to her dorm building, with Keith at her heels. How was she going to say goodbye to him? She reached for her keys, feeling a hand on her arm, turning her around. Keith placed two hands on her hips, and bent to her face. Her hands flew to her mouth. She had never been kissed, and she had vowed to make sure her first came from someone special. He was special but was he special enough?