by Alex Riordan
“He asked you out again?” Theresa asked, turning around to face the redhead.
“Yeah. Apparently, he thinks I’m lying when I say I have plans,” Stephanie said, blowing on her coffee.
“Let’s call Susan and let her know this is happening,” Theresa offered. “This isn’t the first time he’s gone a little overboard.”
Stephanie shook her head. “No, it’s all right. He’s just annoying.”
“Are you sure, Stephanie?” Theresa asked, watching her carefully.
“Hey, you both said Bob’s harmless. I don’t want to cause a problem here in the office,” Stephanie said, taking a drink of her coffee. “Besides, I’ll be gone in a few weeks, and he won’t be a problem anymore.” Logically, she knew that they should report him. But, she really didn’t want to be seen as someone who whined about every little thing while she was there.
Theresa sighed and took a deep breath. “Well…if you’re sure?”
“I’m sure,” Stephanie answered back.
Chapter 17
That evening, the slightly overweight, middle-aged man watched, as Jessie left the hotel suite. He’d known there was something going on between her and the redhead. When he’d seen her entering the suite the last two evenings and leaving the following morning, he was positive. He couldn’t believe the bitch had lied to him!
Telling him she was busy? She couldn’t possibly have been that busy. No one could be. But lying to him? He’d show her. Once the brunette stepped onto the elevator, he waited another five minutes, to make sure she was gone. Then, stepping out of his hiding place, he stepped up to the door of the actress’ room and knocked.
At the knock on the door, Stephanie came out of the bedroom where she’d been getting ready for a shower. Throwing her robe around her, she pulled the tie as she walked to the door. “Jessie? Did you forget your key?” she asked as she unlocked the door and opened it.
As the door began to open, he shoved hard and fast. When the door impacted with her body, Stephanie was knocked off balance and she fell, crashing into the small table by the door. As she struggled to get up, blood flowing onto her face from a gash on her head, he slammed the door shut behind him and locked it. “I’m not your precious Jessie,” his voice snarled angrily in the small entryway.
Stephanie, momentarily stunned by the sudden attack, turned her head to see who had hit her. “Bob? What are you doing?” she asked, trying to figure out what the Hell was going on.
“Who do you think you are? Turning me down so you could go out with her?” Bob asked, the tone of his voice containing obvious disdain for Jessie. Reaching down, he grabbed her arm and kicked at her viciously. Then he began dragging her toward the bedroom.
When Bob grabbed her arm and kicked her, Stephanie screamed and began struggling to get away from him. His foot had caught her ribs, but she didn‘t think anything was broken. “What? What are you doing? Help! Somebody…please! Help!”
As Stephanie screamed, he turned and smacked her hard across the face, splitting her lip. “Shut up, Bitch! Don’t you dare yell again or I’ll really hurt you. And, if you don’t stop fighting me, I’ll do worse than that.”
Stephanie felt panic and fear flood her system. Jessie had left for rehearsal and a photo shoot, and wasn’t due back for at least three hours. The other rooms on her floor weren’t rented out right now, so there was no one to hear her screams. Helpless, she stopped struggling. Bob wasn’t a big man, but he was a lot stronger than she’d given him credit for. As he pulled her toward the bedroom, she closed her eyes, praying for help. She wasn’t religious by any stretch, but right now, what could it hurt?
“It didn’t have to be this way you know,” he said to her as he lifted her up and tossed her onto the bed. “You could have just said you’d go out with me. But no…you had to pick Jessie Fucking Drake instead! That bitch!” He climbed onto the bed and straddled her, holding her down while he pulled four pieces of rope from his jacket pocket.
“Wh…what? Bob, what are you talking about? Jessie and I…we’re just friends,” Stephanie said, attempting to reason with the man. “Mr. Mason asked her to…”
He slapped her hard, his hand leaving an unmistakable mark on her cheek. “Don’t lie to me, you whore! I’m not stupid. I saw the two of you together.” He leaned down until his mouth was only inches from hers. “Did you think I wouldn’t figure it out? I know how she is. Everyone does. Jessie Drake uses everyone she meets! Then, she leaves them behind. You’re not special. You’re just another in a long line of whores she’s fucked!” He sat up again, tying her wrists to the headboard with the rope.
When Stephanie noticed the rope, her eyes went wide. How could this be happening to her? They’d all believed Bob was harmless. How could they all have been so wrong? What was he going to do next? Rape was obviously the first thing on his mind, but after that? The fear of not knowing caused her blood to run cold. As she felt the ropes tighten around her wrists, she closed her eyes, trying to regain her composure. It wouldn't help her to let fear control her now. The look in his eyes when he was screaming at her was pure madness. Bob was crazy and Jessie was obviously the focus of his anger.
Once he finished tying down her arms, he began to tie her legs down as well. Wrapping a rope around each ankle, he pulled her spread eagle on the bed and attached the ropes to either side of the bed frame, making sure they were tight. Once he was satisfied that she wouldn’t be escaping her bonds any time soon he began pacing. “She doesn’t love you, you know,” he said conversationally, stopping to look at her. “She’ll say anything to get you into her bed. But she lies!” he screamed, resuming his pacing and talking to himself. “Lying bitch! Whore!”
She watched silently, terrified, as he paced back and forth, calling Jessie names and ranting about the brunette. Realizing as she did, that he was probably hoping that she would believe what he was saying about Jessie. Was it possible that he was telling the truth? Was Jessie just using her? She shook her head. No. Jessie wouldn’t do that to her. She knew in her heart that Jessie did care about her. Theresa and Lacy had said as much, both women happy that Jessie was finally letting someone in to her heart. There was no way that Jessie could possibly have them all fooled just so that she could get laid. No way.
Suddenly, he was standing over her again. “It was very kind of you to wear a robe,” he said quietly, staring down at her. “I won’t have to cut anything off you this way.”
The words brought her out of her thoughts, and it was then, that she noticed the knife he was brandishing. She started to scream again, but he grabbed her jaw, squeezing until she thought he might break it. The taste of blood from her split lip making her nauseous.
“You’ll be quiet unless you want me to put a gag in your mouth, too,” he said, leaning down until his mouth was next to her ear. “Now, tell me you want me.” When she remained silent, except for stifled whimpers, he slapped her again. “Tell me!”
She swallowed hard. “I…I want…you,” she managed to stammer through her tears.
“Good,” he crooned. Still leaning over her, he used one hand to pull at the tie on her robe. “Now, you’re going to ask me for it,” he said. “Tell me you want me more than you want her.”
Stephanie closed her eyes again and swallowed hard, thinking about Jessie. Coming to herself a little, she found that she could do this. She was an actress, after all. Maybe…if she acted like she wanted him, he wouldn’t do this to her. Swallowing her fear, she forced herself to stay calm. Then, even though she felt like throwing up, she said, “Please…I want you. Please…”
He smiled down at her, the lust and hatred in his gaze apparent. “That’s right, beg for it. Who do you want?”
“You. I want you, Bob,” she said.
“And Jessie?”
She forced herself to say it even though she hated herself for it. “That bitch? I don’t want her. She’s just a distraction…just someone to sleep with.” She hated what she was doing. It felt like a betrayal of
Jessie’s trust in her, even though logically, she knew it wasn’t.
He pulled back on her robe, exposing her to him. The greed she saw in his eyes when he gazed down at her naked body made her sick. She wanted to puke, but she held back. She had to, to get through this.
* * * *
Jessie arrived downstairs and found Theresa waiting for her in the car at the hotel lobby entrance. “Hey, Theresa. You ready to go?”
“Ready when you are, Jess,” the blond answered, throwing the car into gear and pulling out of the unloading area into the street. “You guys rehearsing any new songs tonight after the photo shoot?”
“Only one,” Jessie said distractedly. “Damn!” she said suddenly. “Theresa, would you mind turning around? I was supposed to bring a pair of earrings for Lacy tonight. I left the damn things laying on the dresser.”
“Sure Jessie, no problem,” Theresa answered easily, flipping on her turn signal and turning the car around in an empty parking lot. Ten minutes later saw them pulling back into the hotel parking lot. Theresa parked the car and got out with Jessie. “You don’t mind if I go up with you, do you? I drank one too many waters on the way over.”
Jessie shook her head. “No, of course not. Come on up.” Turning around on the spot, she followed the blond through the hotel lobby and onto the elevator then punched the button for the correct floor. Exiting the elevator minutes later, Jessie pulled out her key card and slid it through the slot. When the light turned green, she turned the handle and opened the door.
As the door opened, she immediately noticed that something wasn’t right. The small table next to the door was lying on the floor, broken. On the carpeting next to the table, was a small amount of what looked to be blood. Fear crept into the pit of her stomach and took up residence. “Stephanie?” she called quietly, worried that something had happened to the redhead when she received no answer. Looking toward Theresa, who hadn’t made a sound, she whispered, “Call 911, something’s not right.”
As the blond nodded and stepped out into the hallway, careful to make sure the door wasn’t locked as she did, Jessie moved further into the room. Moving quietly, with the grace of a thief, Jessie made her way carefully through the empty rooms of the apartment suite. To her left, from the bedroom, she could hear the faint buzz of voices. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she began to inch toward the bedroom. Theresa had rejoined her now, and she followed along behind Jessie, unwilling to remain behind in case the brunette needed help.
As Theresa stepped up behind her, Jessie could feel the heat from the blondes’ hand through the material of her t-shirt sleeve as Theresa touched her lightly. She could hear her breathing, even though she was quiet as a mouse. As a matter of fact, it struck her as odd that every movement, every sound, seemed to be amplified right now. Then, her attention was drawn once again to the bedroom as she heard Stephanie whimper. And then a man’s voice yelling, “Tell me…am I better than her? Tell me!”
As she slid silently around the open bedroom door, Jessie saw a man on the bed. He was straddling Stephanie, who was tied up spread eagle, naked, underneath him. With one hand, he was holding a knife to her throat. The other hand was busy doing something to Stephanie that she couldn’t see from her angle in the doorway.
As soon as her mind processed what was happening, Jessie’s world went white. Not sure what to do but sure that she had to do something, she bit her lower lip.
She heard Stephanie’s bitter, humiliated voice saying to him, “You…You’re better than her. She never makes me feel…like you do.” Choking on bile, she finished with, “She’s a cold, distant bitch.”
“I knew it,” Bob spat out as his free hand worked at the fly on his jeans. “Now you’re going to find out what a real lover can do for you, Stephanie.” He hadn’t even gotten started with her yet. By the time he was done with her, she’d be begging him for more. She’d never go back to Jessie then. He’d ruin it for her. Just then, he heard a slight movement from behind. Shifting to see what it might have been, he saw Jessie Drake standing in the doorway. Smirking at her, he got up off of Stephanie, and took a step toward the brunette. “So, you didn’t leave after all? Waiting to see what a real lover can do for her? You like to watch, Jessie? I bet you do, you sorry bitch!” As Jessie took a step toward him, he said, “I wouldn’t do that if I were you, Jessie. I have a knife, and I won’t hesitate to use it on your whore. I’ll cut her so bad no one will want her.”
Jessie clenched her teeth. She couldn’t get to Stephanie without going through Bob. She didn’t want anyone getting hurt, but if anyone was going to, she hoped it would be him. Anger overriding good sense, she said, “If you touch her, I swear to you…”
“Fuck you! I’ll do whatever I want, you bitch! And when I’m done with her, she’ll never want you again! You stupid, fucking bitch! Always strutting around, fucking every woman willing to spread her legs for you! What makes you so special?” He looked back at Stephanie and then at Jessie again, smiling, the look in his eyes scaring Jessie. “Why don’t you stay and watch? You can finally see what it’s like to really fuck her. She deserves a real man, not some stupid dyke bitch like you! After tonight, no matter who she’s with, the only hands she’ll feel on her body will be mine!” He screamed, spit coming out of his mouth, he was so angry.
“Your problem seems to be with me,” Jessie said, a strange calm suddenly coming over her. She knew what she had to do. “Why don’t you try to cut me with that knife? If you hate me so much it shouldn’t be a problem for you to get rid of me?”
“Take another step closer, and I will,” he said, the hand with the knife shaking slightly.
Jessie did just that. Moving slowly, afraid he’d suddenly turn and attack Stephanie, she inched toward him. “Your hand’s shaking. What’s the matter, Bob? Afraid of little ‘ole me?” she taunted him. “What? You can’t get a date, so you have to blame me? Here’s a news flash, Bob. Women don’t like men who force themselves on them. Maybe you should stop trying so hard. So, what’s the real problem? No one else would go out with you so you had to rape somebody to get off? Or,” she grinned evilly, “can’t get it up and this is the only way?”
Shaking with anger and hatred for the brunette, he launched himself at Jessie. It’s what she’d been hoping for. As he thrust the knife at her, she stepped slightly to her left. Grabbing his wrist with her right hand, she allowed his momentum to carry him slightly passed her. As she did so, she reached over the arm holding the knife and wrapped her left hand around and locked it on her right wrist. Suddenly spinning her body toward him, she forced his arm back, bending at the elbow until she had him flat on his back. Down on one knee, Jessie used her hip to apply pressure to his shoulder until she heard it pop out of joint.
As Bob screamed in pain and dropped the knife, Jessie let go of his arm. Pulling her fist back, she punched him in the face, breaking his nose. Then, as he rolled around on the floor, nose gushing blood, she stood up and looked at him for a second. Hatred for him and what he’d done to Stephanie rushing through her, she lashed out and kicked him in the ribs. “You stupid bastard! Who the fuck do you think you are? You think you can just break in here and attack her like that?” She was still kicking him, when she felt Theresa’s hand on her shoulder.
“Jessie…Jess,” Theresa said quietly. She was almost afraid to reach toward the brunette, not sure how she’d react. But she had to stop this before Jessie did something she’d regret. “Hey…you can stop now, Jessie. Stephanie needs you.”
Theresa’s calm, quiet voice finally managing to seep through the fog of anger and hatred in her mind, Jessie stopped kicking and yelling. Still shaking with rage, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath to calm herself. Stephanie needed her. Focusing on the redhead, she turned all her attention toward the bed.
Absently, she said to Theresa, “Kick the knife out of his reach. If he moves before the police get here, kick him again.” Then, seeing that Theresa already had her cell phone out calling for an
ambulance, she rushed to the bed.
“Stephanie…” her voice was nothing more than a strangled whisper as she reached the redhead’s side. Taking in the gash on her head, her face covered in blood, and the split lip, Jessie had to work hard not to beat the shit out of Bob some more. Jessie breathed a sigh of relief as she realized that the gash was actually only about an inch in length and not very deep. It just bled more because of its location. She didn’t think it warranted stitches, for which she was grateful. Moving quickly, she untied Stephanie’s legs and then her arms. As the bindings fell away from Stephanie’s wrists, she reached out and Jessie enfolded her in her arms.
When Stephanie realized that Jessie was there, she thanked every god whose name she could think of. But then, Bob stopped fondling her breast, got off of her and went toward Jessie, and Stephanie was worried for her. There was no way they were all going to make it out of this, she was sure. Then, she heard Jessie taunting him, pissing him off. The next thing she knew, he was attacking Jessie. Stephanie screamed her name, afraid that Bob would hurt her. But then, the miraculous occurred. Jessie moved so quickly, she wasn’t sure what had happened. The next thing she knew, Jessie had Bob on the floor and he was writhing and screaming in pain, trying unsuccessfully to get away from her kicks.