Taming the Tramp

by Amy DeMeritt

  “It wouldn’t be right. Lunch is on me. I’m sorry. Oh, hey…” I catch our waitress as she’s walking by and she looks really confused as I hold out a one-hundred-dollar bill for her to take. “I have to run. This is for our bill.”

  “Oh, do you want me to box up your food?”

  “I can’t stay. Marissa can decide what you do with it.”

  She takes the money and I practically run out of the restaurant, trying to get away from Marissa.

  “Jack!” I ignore her and increase my pace as I turn a corner. “Jack!” A hand grabs my arm so I stop to face Marissa. She looks confused and angry. “Why are you leaving?”

  “Look, Marissa, you’re beautiful, but I’m trying to be a different person, so I just can’t be with you like that. I’m sorry.”

  “Marissa! Hey, sexy!”

  Two bare chested good-looking guys walk over with their arms opened wide and they take turns giving Marissa a hug. While she’s distracted, I turn to leave.

  “Jack! Stop!”

  “I have to go.”

  “Jack! Help me stop her. She grabbed my pussy.”

  “What?”

  “Yo, dyke!”

  I take off running, but they catch me and one of them gets my arms locked behind my back and turns me to face Marissa, who is wearing a smug bitchy grin.

  “Marissa, let me go.”

  “No, I’m going to teach you a lesson.”

  “I didn’t touch…”

  She punches me hard in the jaw, causing my head to jerk painfully to the side. The taste of iron fills my mouth, letting me know she busted my lip.

  “For a millionaire, you don’t look like much right now.”

  “Wait, Marissa, who the fuck is this?”

  The man holding me loosens his grip, and Marissa snaps back, “Just hold her!”

  She releases another hard punch to my left eye, and my vision blacks out for a moment. I blink hard a few times, trying to get my bearings while my head lulls from side to side. Before I can get my eyes to focus, she punches me in the face again, and then knees me in the stomach.

  “Marissa, please…”

  I try to plead or object to her attack, but she slaps me hard across the cheek.

  “Fuck you, Jack Hart. Just because you have a shit ton of money doesn’t make you better than me. Look at yourself. When a girl like me offers, you fucking accept. A butch-dyke like you has no right turning down a girl like me.”

  “Wait, you said, she touched you.”

  “Shut up, John.”

  “No. Did she touch you or not?”

  “No, I didn’t. She touched me and I rejected her.”

  “Shut up, dyke!”

  Marissa punches me hard in the face again, and as she cocks her fist back to strike again, the guy holding me pulls me away from her and helps me sit down on the sidewalk against the building. He looks terrified.

  “I’m sorry. Marissa, I’m out of here. You’re fucking nuts. I’m not going to jail for you.”

  Both men rush off in the opposite direction and Marissa screams, “Pussies!”, in their direction.

  Marissa storms over to me and looks like she’s going to kick me, so I quickly get to my feet, and stumble backwards to get away from her. People finally appear around the corner and look between us suspiciously, but none of them stop to question what’s going on. Their appearance seems to be enough to get her to stop though.

  After they’re several yards away, she looks me up and down as if she doesn’t know where she is. I pull my wallet out and offer her the rest of the cash I have, which amounts to a little under four-hundred-dollars.

  “What are you doing?”

  “This should be enough for at least two sessions with a good psychologist. I’m not saying this to be a jerk, but you really need help.”

  “Fuck you!”

  Marissa punches me hard in the jaw, and as my head falls to the side in a daze, she rips the money out of my hand. I watch her walk away in the opposite direction, and when I feel like there’s enough distance to trust turning my back to her, I quickly get to my car.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  I grab a beer out of the fridge, pop the cap, and grab a bag of frozen peas from the freezer. I slump down on the couch and carefully press the frozen peas against the left side of my face. I groan in pain, but then sigh in relief as the cold soothes the agony in my face. I take a few gulps of beer and slowly relax my head against the back of the couch.

  My head feels so thick and heavy. I really should get up to take some pain medicine, but I just don’t want to move. I try to focus only on the darkness behind my eyelids and try to ignore the red pain searing in the corner of my left eye.

  “Jack! Jack, wake up!”

  I blink hard a few times and lift my head, but groan in pain and lay back again with my eyes closed.

  “Jack, look at me.”

  Carrie gently grabs my face and helps steady my head to look at her. She has tears in her eyes and looks worried.

  “Jack, can you see me?”

  “Yeah. What time is it?”

  “It’s after four. What happened to you?”

  “Damn.”

  I look down and see my frozen bag of peas smeared with blood sitting next to me on the couch over a large wet spot from the peas thawing. And my bottle of beer is sitting on the coffee table.

  “How did my beer get over there?”

  “I took it because it was almost spilling out onto the couch. Jack, focus. Tell me what happened.”

  “You remember that bitch, Marissa?”

  “Yes. Wait, are you fucking kidding me? Did you meet up with her today?”

  “No. Are you fucking crazy? I went to get lunch at that same bar and she happened to show up.”

  “She just ‘happened’ to show up? Jack, I swear, if you…”

  “Carrie, I am not in the fucking mood to be accused of lying. I didn’t do anything wrong. It was just a fucking unlucky coincidence that she showed up.”

  “I’m sorry.” Looking appropriately scolded, she leans forward and kisses my lips. “What happened next?”

  I explain everything to her, not leaving out a single detail, and her disappointment and anger returns.

  “Why did you sit back down?”

  “Because, I had a moment of poor judgement.”

  “This is my fault, isn’t it?”

  “Why would this be your fault?”

  “Because, you wanted me to stay home today, but I couldn’t, and I forced you to go out and do something.”

  “Well, the alternative would have been great if you had stayed home, but no, this is not your fault. It’s mine. I shouldn’t have sat with her at all. I knew the bitch is crazy, but I was bored. I figure I’d at least have an awkward conversation, instead of just watching stupid sports on the TV at the bar.”

  “Did you eat at all?”

  “No, I haven’t eaten since breakfast with you. Maybe that’s why I’m so sick feeling.”

  “I’ll make you something. Jack, I’m so sorry this happened. And I’m sorry I doubted you. I love you.”

  “I love you too. Can you just get me a snack or something, and we’ll order dinner?”

  “Yeah, sure. I’ll be back.”

  “Hey, Carrie?”

  She looks back at me with tears brimming her eyelids, and her mouth pinched in sadness. “Yeah?”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “For what?”

  “For trying to have lunch with her and for my moment of weakness.”

  “Jack, I’m not upset with you.”

  She sits down next to me and wraps her arms around me. She releases a quiet sob against the side of my neck, and grips my shoulders, holding me really close.

  “I can’t believe she did this to you. Your beautiful face is all cut up and bruised. I don’t even want to think about how much worse this would be if that guy didn’t let go of you.”

  “Yeah, I know. It was pretty scary. She looked fucking insa
ne. She’s just not right. Something is wrong with that girl.”

  Carrie pulls back to look at my face and gently brushes her thumb over my cheekbone.

  “I love you, Jack. I know you don’t think of me as your girlfriend, but I just want you to know that I love you like I am.”

  “Carrie, I need to ask you something.”

  Her eyes fill with tears and her bottom lip trembles. “Jack, please don’t, not today. I can’t lose you yet and not like this.”

  “I’m not ending this. I just… Do you still think I’m a jerk? Even if I wasn’t doing my experiment?”

  “No. I unfairly judged you based off of my own ideas about two people being together, and not by how you live. You’re always forthright with everything. I just allow what I’ve been trained to think and feel to get in the way sometimes.”

  “So, you’re ok with how I am?”

  “Yes. I’m ok with sharing you.”

  “Even if you don’t like the woman?”

  “I never would have been ok with you hooking up with Marissa. I would have been very angry and I wouldn’t have had sex with you again till you were tested and cleared of any diseases.”

  I laugh a little and kiss her lips. “Ok, fair enough.”

  “I’m going to get you something to eat. Do you need anything else?”

  “Some water and pain pills would be great.”

  “Ok.”

  She kisses my lips, and then picks up the bloody bag of peas with a look of disgust, which makes me laugh a little. She playfully smacks my shoulder and leaves the room.

  I didn’t realize I had fallen asleep. I pull my cellphone out of my pocket and I’m surprised to see I have several missed calls and text messages. How didn’t any of these notifications wake me up with that buzzing against my thigh? I have several missed calls and worried texts from Janae so I answer her first.

  Me: Hey, babe. Sorry, I was passed out. I had a bad day. Long story short – that bitch Marissa showed up when I was trying to get lunch. I turned her down and she had a couple of buddies hold me while she beat the shit out of my face.

  Janae: Oh, my god. I’m coming over. I’m just about done here. I’m going to bring you some cupcakes. Do you want me to cook dinner?

  Me: Carrie is making me a snack because I haven’t eaten all day, then we’re going to order out. We’ll wait to order till you get here.

  Janae: Ok, I’ll be there soon. I’m so sorry, honey. I love you.

  Me: I love you too. Be careful.

  Janae: I will.

  Lindsay: Hey, how was your day?

  Me: Terrible. I turned a girl down, and with the help of her buddies, she used my face as a punching bag.

  Lindsay: Are you serious? Are you ok? Do you need anything? Should I come over?

  Me: Yeah, I’m ok. I just look and feel like shit. Carrie is here, and Janae is going to be over soon.

  Lindsay: Is it ok if I come see you?

  Me: Yeah, of course. Have you eaten?

  Lindsay: No, not yet.

  Me: Ok, we’ll wait for you so you can pick something to order with us.

  Lindsay: Ok, thanks. I love you. I’ll see you soon.

  “Here, take these.”

  Carrie sits down next to me and offers me three ibuprofen tablets and a glass of water. I swallow the pills back in one gulp, but my thirst causes me to greedily gulp down nearly the entire glass in only a few seconds.

  “Thirsty?”

  “Yeah, I didn’t realize how much I was till that water hit my throat. Thanks. Janae and Lindsay are coming over for dinner. Is that ok?”

  “Yes. Here, eat this.”

  She hands me a small bowl of chili she made last night. While I take a bite, she uses a damp cloth to gently clean my wounds. Her hands feel really nice gently holding and caressing my face and the side of my neck while she works. I can feel her love and affection for me in her touch and the way she’s looking at me. After she finishes, she dabs some ointment on my eyebrow and cheek.

  “Your cuts are already starting to scab, so I’m not going to put any bandages on them. Try not to touch your face so you don’t spread this stuff around.”

  “Ok. Thank you for taking care of me.”

  She smiles and kisses my lips. “I’m going to take care of you for as long as you allow me to. I love you, Jack.”

  “I love you too.”

  “I’m going to change into something more comfortable, then I’ll come put a movie on for you.”

  I’m so hungry that I finish the bowl of chili before she comes back to the living room, even though the spices kind of burn my busted lip. I bring the bowl to the kitchen to rinse it, and I grab two beers from the fridge. As I’m removing the caps, she walks in wearing a thin strapped form fitting tank top and a pair of short cotton shorts. Her long blonde hair is pulled up into a high ponytail, and she has washed her makeup off. She looks great. I grab her hips and pull her against me as I lean my back against the counter. She smiles and loosely wraps her arms around the back of my neck.

  As our lips lightly press and part, I glide my hands over her thick firm ass. I massage her cheeks, tugging her groin in against mine, and she releases a sweet moan into my mouth. I slip a hand under the waist of her shorts and palm over her bare cheek, getting a good grip on her flesh. The passion and urgency in her kiss increases, which somewhat hurts my busted lip, but I just don’t care. I need this. She palms her hands up and down my torso, squeezing my small breasts, and digging into my abs. She slips her hands in the waist of my board shorts, but before she can push them down, the doorbell rings. She releases my mouth with a frustrated exhale and pushes off of me.

  “I’ll get the door.”

  I watch her beautiful ass sway side to side as she walks out of the kitchen, then I grab another beer from the fridge. As I’m setting them down on the coffee table, Lindsay and Carrie walk into the living room.

  “Oh, Jack, you poor thing. Come here.”

  Lindsay pulls me into her arms and holds my right cheek while she inspects the damage to the left side of my face.

  “It looks painful. How are you feeling?”

  “Like shit. Carrie gave me some medicine that I’m waiting on to kick in.”

  “Did you file a report with the police?”

  “No, I’m not doing that.”

  “But, Jack…” I shake my head, and she stops with her bottom lip between her teeth and her brow pinched in concern.

  “My public image can have huge consequences for my company. I don’t want this getting out to the media. Besides, I don’t want to get the girl in trouble. She seems off – like she needs some anger management or mental help or something.”

  “Why did she attack you?”

  Before I can answer, Janae quickly walks in and politely pulls me out of Lindsay’s arms. She looks at my face with her face drawn in sadness and then lightly presses her lips against mine for several moments. She tightens her arms around me and lays her head on my chest. I rest my good cheek against the top of her head and close my eyes.

  It feels so good to be in her arms. When Marissa was beating me up, I had a moment of terror that I’d never feel this again. When I was fighting blacking out, I was fighting for this moment – another moment to be with Janae. My jaw tenses, and my throat constricts with a sudden rush of emotion. My head fills with pressure, and my eyes burn with tears. I swallow hard, and my chest shakes with the effort to hold the emotion in.

  “I’m so sorry, honey.” Janae’s hands grip my shoulders, pulling me in tighter against her. “You’re ok, baby. I got you now.”

  I bend down and pick her up. Janae gives me a loving smile as she wraps her legs around my waist. She kisses my lips and dabs at my eyes before laying her head on my shoulder.

  “I love you, honey.”

  “I love you. I thought I’d never get to hold you again.”

  “We’re going to grow old and wrinkly together, honey. No nasty bitches are going to take you from me.”

&n
bsp; I release a small laughing sob and kiss her forehead. “Are we going to have races with our walkers and wheelchairs?”

  “Of course! And don’t forget sword fights with our canes.”

  I laugh again and squeeze her tighter, causing her to release a groaning laugh. “Will you help me put my teeth back in when they fall into my beer?”

  Janae laughs hard. “Yes, honey. And you’re going to help me find my glasses when I forget they’re already on my face.”

  I laugh really hard and Janae kisses my lips. “We are going to be so decrepit.”

  She giggles and runs her hands over my head and through my hair. “Yeah, but at least we’ll be together.”

  “Forever.”

  “Let’s order some dinner and then you can tell me all about what happened.”

  “Ok, babe.”

  I give her a kiss on the lips, then allow her to step down off of my waist. She pulls me down to sit on the couch with her and pulls her phone out to bring up the menu for Pepper’s, our favorite place to order from. I look up at Carrie and Lindsay, and I pat the couch, silently asking them to join us.

  Carrie looks very insecure and sad, but she takes a seat next to me and places a hand on my thigh. Lindsay has a curious intrigued smile on her face that only deepens as Janae wraps an arm around my shoulder to scratch her nails through my hair.

  “What do you want to eat, honey?”

  “Carrie gave me some really good chili when she got home, so I don’t want beef again. How about wings and pizza?”

  “Do you want your garlic parmesan fries?”

  I look at Carrie and Lindsay, both of whom are raising their eyebrows with quirked grins. I laugh and shake my head.

  “No, I think I might get shunned if I eat those.”

  Janae laughs and pats my head. “Ok, honey. Alright, I have a large pepperoni pizza with extra pepperoni and sauce, and fifty extra hot buffalo wings. Here, Carrie, add whatever you want, then pass it to Lindsay.”

  “I’m fine with pizza and wings.”

  “Me too, but I need a milder hot sauce.”

  “Is the pepperoni ok with both of you?”

  They answer yes, so Janae adds another pizza, and then adds twenty medium hot wings for Lindsay.

  “Any dessert or appetizers?”