Silver City Girl

by Yvonne Beattie

  “I certainly don’t make a habit of sleeping with my employees, I assure you,” he goes to switch the light off and pulls me up on the bed with him. “I’m sorry I’m so exhausted, I don’t have the energy to....” whatever he was saying just went into nothing.

  I feel his breathing slowing and the rise and fall of his chest become more regular, he must have had no sleep at all this week. His grip on me stays the same however, and I love the fact he is keeping me close. It also makes me feel slightly better the fact that he is also worrying about ‘us’ too. I’m glad it isn’t just in my head.

  Chapter 26

  It’s finally Friday night and I’m sipping a wee glass of wine for some Dutch Courage while getting ready for the Halloween party. Thankfully Jack is still taking me and I’m looking forward to seeing his sister Dana again. I smile to myself as I think maybe I can practice my English some more. I do wonder if she was serious when she said that, but who knows. I didn’t ask whether his brother Eric would be going, but I’m praying if he is he has hopefully lost the chip on his shoulder. It’s surprising how siblings can be so very different, though it does make me think about Jasmine and I. We are like chalk and cheese. I wonder what his brother Marc will be like, Jack hasn’t talked much about him, but then I haven’t asked about him either, I suppose.

  Jack wouldn’t tell me what he was dressing up as for the party, he said it was a surprise, so I’m intrigued to know what he will be. I’ve already had a silent internal meltdown praying that I’m not the ONLY one that turns up in fancy dress, geez that would be awful. I don’t think Jack would embarrass me like that though.

  I finish painting my nails black, I’ve whitened my face and applied my make-up especially gothic looking and I’ve artistically drawn a spider’s web on my face. My dress is perfect, maybe a bit on the short side, but it shows off my gorgeous boots and that’s all I really care about. The wig is even better than I had imagined, it has silver sparkly bits running through it which I love and my hat is beyond fabulous.

  I hear my mobile buzz with a text message, it’s from Jack telling me he has sent a car to pick me up and take me to Dana’s. I’m a bit disappointed as I would have preferred us to go together, but at least I have met his sister. I’m sure it will be fine.

  When I arrive at his sister’s house, it is in a cul-de-sac in an area called The Heights, which I now also know to be near to Downtown. It looks like the entire street is in on the party, the house is near bouncing with loud music and people in fancy dress milling around. Superman just ran past the car with a beer in his hand, and a giggling couple dressed up in fat naked suits just waddled hand in hand through the gates to Dana’s home. I hop out the car and wander nervously up the drive to see an enormous pumpkin trying to squeeze through the front door and a very sexy black cat trying to shove it through. This night could be interesting. I’m thankful I had a sneaky glass of wine while getting ready, it’s definitely taken the edge off my nerves.

  As I approach the front door the pumpkin eventually falls through the doorway with an encore of wolf whistles, cheers, claps and laughter, and Marge Simpson sticks her big blue hair out the front door waving at me. I look at the yellow woman and wave back but am pretty much a foot away from her before I realise that Marge is actually Dana.

  “Hi!” I laugh at her, “I didn’t recognise you! Great costume Dana!”

  “Hey! You gorgeous Scottish Texan Witch!” Dana laughs back at me and hugs me awkwardly holding her huge wig on her head. As we pull apart she abruptly changes her character and shouts, “Homer, Homer, come and greet our guest,” in a honeyed raspy voice. She has evidently been practicing her Marge impersonation and it is surprisingly good. She is hilarious. Just as I walk through the door, Homer Simpson appears and I can’t suppress my laughter, Greg looks exactly like Homer. He is holding a can of beer in one hand with a Duff Beer coozy on it, and he is munching on a donut.

  He walks over, pecks my cheek in greeting and says, “Beer...the cause of, and solution to, all of life’s problems.”

  Dana, or Marge, playfully smacks his arm while laughing at him, “Honey, you don’t have to keep it up all night!”

  He shrugs at her, takes another bite of his donut and a swig of beer, winks at me and wanders off to mingle.

  “You guys are hilarious!” I laugh again and hand Dana the bottle of Prosecco I brought with me.

  “Aww, thanks!” she says. “Come on through, we need to get you a drink, and Jack has been waiting for you, impatiently I might add. He’s here somewhere though it’s hard to recognise everyone tonight!”

  I follow her through and the whole house appears to be decorated in spiders webs, skeletons, ghosts, there is smoke eerily coming from somewhere, orange lighting and spooky music give it a truly authentic feel, if I imagine what a real haunted Halloween house would be like. I seriously cannot believe the lengths they have gone to in decorating their home for the occasion.

  Dana leads me to a fabulous spread of Halloween food, most of which I am sure is edible, but looks very much inedible. She scoops me a glass of green punch which I have no hint of a clue at what might be in it, but I take it gratefully as she gets caught up with another guest. I look around in the hope of spying Jack, but it is not helpful that I have no idea what his costume is and there are people milling everywhere. A two-person horse just walked past me sipping a glass of wine. The costumes are amazing. Behind all the Halloween decor, I spot some family photos and I walk over to try and have a nosey, I feel a bit like a spare part not really knowing anyone. I dig my mobile out of my cauldron to see if Jack has left any messages but there are none. I start typing out a message to him when all of a sudden I feel someone hard up against my back who moves my hair back and starts biting my neck. I instinctively panic and go to elbow them, but the person grabs my arm and laughs turning me around.

  “It’s me! It’s just me...!” Jack’s looking at me slightly alarmed but amused.

  I am absolutely horrified. I clutch my chest, “You scared me...”

  His smile falls and I see his vampire teeth peeking out, I can’t stay mad with him. “You...” I poke my finger at his chest, “are the most adorable vampire I’ve ever seen! Even though you nearly gave me heart failure!”

  His smile finds its way back into his eyes and he pulls me to him, “I vant, I vant, to bite you, Miss. Steen...” he says with a guttural tone.

  “Please do, Vampire Jack!” I laugh, as he pulls me in for an awkward toothy kiss.

  As we part, he steps away from me and looks at me from head to toe, “Wow...I’m not sure I like you being out in public dressed like this,” he’s now shaking his head and frowning.

  “Well, why not?!” I ask, pouting. After all, I’m dressed with the aim of impressing him.

  He looks around to make sure no one is looking, then grabs my hand and covers his crotch with it, “Oh...”

  “Yeah, you are the freakin’ hottest witch I’ve ever laid eyes on,” he looks me over hungrily again, and pulls lightly on the strings holding my corset together. I look down to see my ample bosoms bulging.

  “You need to stop looking at me like that Vampy, or we will need to make our excuses to leave very soon,” I look up at him seductively and give his hard-on a tight squeeze.

  “Don’t tempt me, Witchy,” he groans.

  “Ahh, you found each other,” Dana comes over to us and I guiltily snatch my hand away from Jack’s manhood, God I hope she didn’t see. I feel incredibly embarrassed.

  Jack grabs me and pulls me in front of him while putting an arm around my middle in an attempt to act normal, “Hey sis, yeah, I found her.” He coughs clearing his throat. “The boots were a giveaway.”

  “Yeah, I should have said,” Dana looks down at my pretty cowboy boots, “They are awesome, Jen, I love them.”

  “Thanks!” I smile, shaking my leg in front of me knowing that my butt would inadvertently rile Jack up again. He coughs and digs his hand into my hip. “Jack bought them for me as a surp
rise, they’re great aren’t they?!” I look up to see her raising an eyebrow at her brother.

  “Well I’ll leave you kids to have fun, plenty of punch to go around!” And she wanders off with a cup of punch in one hand while holding her huge blue wig in the other.

  “You are wicked, my little witch,” Jack growls in my ear.

  “I aim to impress, Vampy,” I grab my green punch and take a small sip. He watches me then takes my cup and downs the rest of it.

  “We need to get out of here first opportunity,” he double swallows as the punch goes down, then looks at the glass as if he has literally been punched, “What the hell is in this shit?”

  I laugh, this vampire man with his big black and red collar, white face and black wig, is adorable.

  The next few hours take care of themselves as we mingle and meet Dana’s friends. Eric and Jet were here too and Eric was on his best behaviour. It was hard to take him seriously dressed as Olaf, the snowman with a big plastic carrot nose stuck on his face. Jet was dressed as a ninja and I reckon she must have been an acrobat in a previous life, she has more moves than Jagger.

  I got chatting to a fellow witch at some point and couldn’t get away. I swear my accent is a killer in this country, people love it, and I don’t really know why since they constantly make me repeat everything because they can’t understand me. I eventually make my great escape – unfortunately not on a broomstick - and go to look for Jack as I figure it is getting late and we are owe each other some ‘us’ time.

  I wander through the house, check the back garden then the front garden and can’t find my lovable vampire anywhere, so I decide to go and freshen up. I haven’t been to the loo all night, so I go to look for it. I open a couple of doors which lead to bedrooms, then try another one at the end of a hallway. As I open it, I hear some noise and stop short not wanting to walk in on someone, then, “Oh, Mr. Samson...” I instinctively shove the door further open before I can think about what I might be walking in on, only to see someone dressed as a Scotsman – full kilt attire, fucking a girl dressed as a cheerleader against the wall. I can’t help but just stand there in shock as I see Jack turn around and look at me. I have no idea when he changed, but it is definitely him and apparently a very sick idea of a joke. I look at the girl and realise the cheerleader is Nancy, his flight attendant.

  I gasp and nearly fall away, it’s happening again. It’s the Liam situation all over again.

  Chapter 27

  I slam the door shut again, turn, and run.

  I hear Nancy shout, “Oh shit...,” but it’s too late. I need to leave, I need to get out of here.

  How could he do this? How could he do this to me? And here? After all we’ve done and been through the last couple of weeks? I trusted him. WHY did I trust him? I pick up speed barging past people, I hear Dana shout my name, but I keep going until I get outside and I break into a run. I feel the tears streaming down my face and I have no idea where I am going. Where the hell am I? How do I even go about getting a taxi in this country? I really want to go home. I’ve been running for who knows how long and I realise I am lost. I have no idea where I am. I remember Jack warning me not to walk about in some neighbourhoods as it’s not safe, but I don’t know where I am. I feel chilled to the bone, and I am involuntarily shaking all over.

  I slow down and walk carefully along the dark road, there are no pavements, and eventually I see a shop aptly named ‘Convenience Store’. So I make a bee-line for it, but upon turning the corner to the shop front, I see there are a bunch of guys standing outside smoking and they immediately start wolf whistling at me as I approach. I have no idea what to do, I can’t turn away now, but this doesn’t feel right. At all.

  One guy swaggers toward me, “Well, what do we have here, sweetheart? A sweet little witch?” He goes to put his arm around me when I hear a more familiar voice cut in.

  “Touch her and I’ll fucking break both your arms,” I jolt around as the guy does holding both hands up in a motion of surrender.

  “Woa dude, you lose something little and pretty, huh?” The guy tries to antagonize Jack, but by the look on his face, he doesn’t look like he needs any further antagonizing.

  “Jen, get over here,” he orders me.

  I do as he says for as much as I hate him right now, I do not feel safe – at all – around this group of guys.

  Just as some of the guys mates start swaggering towards him, a black Porsche Cayanne pulls up beside us and Jack literally throws me inside. The car takes off like a bullet out of hell.

  “WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU THINKING?” Jack shouts at me.

  “Don’t you fucking swear and shout at me, you grade ‘A’ twat,” I lower my tone to him crossing my legs and folding my arms stubbornly. “I have nothing to say to you, so just take me home...please. To my hotel.”

  “Jen, what you saw, is not what you think you saw,” Jack says, throwing his hands up in the air and shaking his head. “I fucking told you not to wander off here. That was a fucking gang right there. You know what they would do to a pretty girl like you?” he goes on.

  “Jack, I don’t need a lecture. What was I supposed to do?” I feel more tears stream down my face and I wish they would stop, I don’t want him to see how hurt I am. “Stand there while you make a further arse of me screwing Nancy? I saw enough. I just want to go home. To Aberdeen. I don’t want to be here anymore.” I feel a tear hit my hand sitting in my lap.

  “Jen, can you look at me please?” Jack asks, but I don’t move my eyes from my lap.

  “I have nothing more to say to you Jack Samson,” I turn to look out of the car window.

  I feel him move toward me and grab my chin in his hand, “LOOK AT ME,” he says gruffly.

  I arrogantly pull my chin away from him, and shove him away, “Don’t. Fucking. Touch. Me. Again.”

  “Jennifer, what am I wearing?” Jack asks, grabbing my hand this time. “Please? Tell me what the fuck I am wearing?”

  What the hell is he talking about? I look at him and he is dressed as a vampire. He must have changed back into his first costume.

  “Jen, what you saw, and who you saw, was not me,” he pleads. “You saw my brother, Marc. Please...Marc and I are twins. We are identical twins, though personality wise, we couldn’t be more different. Please Jen. Please come back to the party with me so I can show you. Please?” he is begging me.

  A twin? No one mentioned a twin to me. He said Marc was younger than him.

  “You didn’t say you had a twin? You said you had a younger brother,” I point out between sniffs. I wish my tears would stop.

  “I didn’t not tell you, Jen, it just never came up. Marc is younger than me, by twenty minutes,” he smiles, slightly.

  “Are you having a laugh?” I look up at him incredulously. How dare he smile at me.

  “No, sweetie. I am not having a laugh at all. I feel terrible about all of this and especially my halfwit of a brother who can’t keep his dick in his pants until he gets home,” he shakes his head. “Please come back with me. I told Marc about you and he said he was going to surprise you by dressing up as a Scotsman. I told him if anyone should, I should, but he likes to stand out in a crowd, and I figured maybe one day I would get to wear a kilt for real...with you...in Scotland...so I let him go with it.”

  “You’re serious, aren’t you?” I ask, unbelievably.

  “Unfortunately, yes. I SWEAR I am not lying to you, Jen. You HAVE to believe me. There are a lot of people out there that think I’m a dick, but I can assure you a million times over, I have never, nor would I ever, cheat on a girlfriend, least of all you,” he looks hopefully at me.

  “Your girlfriend?” I ask, eyes wide.

  “Umm...yeah, girlfriend,” he looks down, then back up to me, “If you’ll still have me?”

  “I need to see Marc for myself,” I reply.

  He splutters a little, “Come back to the party with me...?”

  I see my reflection in the car window, “I look a mess
.”

  “You look beautiful,” he compliments me, reading my mind.

  “You’re still a twat until I see Marc for myself, so keep your compliments under wraps,” I huff and grab my cauldron to get my make-up out to try and fix myself up a little. My hands are still shaking.

  “You’ll see...” he replies, quietly sinking back into his seat.

  I fix my make-up as best as I can though I am pretty much past caring. I’m still physically shaking on the inside. The car doesn’t take long to deliver us back to Dana’s house, I didn’t get very far, and as we re-enter the house, I am thankful for mostly everyone being inebriated. I hope no one remembers my rather over the top exit.

  Jack grabs my hand and barrels forward, I look ahead to see a kilted man who is the spitting image of Jack.

  Shit... He wasn’t lying. I look from Marc to Jack, Jack to Marc, they are actually identical, and the darkened room isn’t helping my vision.

  “Dude,” Jack grabs his brother as he comes over to us with Nancy, and they do a one armed hug thumping each other on the back.

  “Hey,” Marc says, “I’m sorry about your girl, man. Nancy just filled me in after she ran off, and I’m guessing she thought....” he didn’t finish but pointed between them.

  “Yeah, you thought correctly, you douche. I think you were the one filling her in!” Jack punches his brother playfully on his upper arm.

  Marc turns to me, “Jennifer, I am so sorry you walked in on us. I guess doors have locks for a reason, right?!”

  “Hi Marc, and yes, yes they do!” I smile at him and turn to Jack giving him an apologetic look. “Someone here failed to tell me he had twin.”

  Marc laughs, “We never tell, it’s a twin thing, it ruins all the fun!”

  I look at the brothers and they are very alike, but I do see differences now, the biggest being that Marc has a mole on his left cheek, and their ears are slightly different. I remember watching a documentary about twins years ago, and like fingers prints, no two people have identical ears, this is the first time I’ve tested that theory.