Misguided Trust

by Jamie Ott

  “You’re holding me as a prisoner, remember? And you won’t tell me why.”

  “Right, well, I took the camera out and you’re free to do what you will. Isn’t that better?”

  Maddie couldn’t believe it, and it was these little fallacies about him that drove her crazy. These statements that made him more like a puppy looking for approval than a hardened criminal. What was his deal? Why did he make it hard to hate him?

  For a moment, she tried hard to focus her anger on him, but just like with everything else, she was tired of being angry all the time. It made her want to die when she felt like crying every day, so like the times before, she succumbed and embraced a happy manner.

  “Yes,” she said and smiled. “It is better.”

  When she smiled, his eyes lit up again, and the corners of his mouth pulled back in a little smile.

  “Good because I don’t want you to hate me. I know I must seem ridiculous to you.”

  They stood there in silence a moment. Then he said, “I came down to inform you that Julian went to town.”

  “Yes, I know.”

  “Okay, I guess I’ll get back to my day. Let me know if you need anything.”

  “I could use help getting some supplies. That is, if you’re not afraid to do heavy lifting.”

  “What do you need?”

  Together, Michael and Maddie spent the day working the gardens. Michael was quite adept because he and his father spent much time there, before he died. It was his favorite place, more so in his later years. And Maddie loved that he enjoyed working by her side. He told her stories of his upbringing, and how he and his cousin would run through the labyrinth and play hide and seek. When the labyrinth was first put in, Michael got lost and was in there until midnight, alone and crying. His parents just didn’t think to look there. Maddie’s heart got extremely soft when he told her this story.

  Michael said that he was also an international football player who had won several important trophies. Maddie didn’t know anything about football, though her father, being English born, watched games on occasion.

  When noon came about, they took a break. Marie came down with a large lunch tray.

  “Marie, why don’t you eat with us?” Michael asked.

  “No,” she said. “I gotta get back to the kitchen and pluck some chickens. That’s why I brought you lunch, so you don’t have to sit and inhale feather particles.”

  She turned and walked back toward the house.

  “I’ve never met anyone who slaughtered their own chickens.”

  “You must join us for dinner, then. Home raised hens taste different than store bought.”

  “Let’s go wash up,” Maddie replied.

  Michael held the greenroom door open for Maddie, and then followed her to the sink. She felt a heightened sense of awareness by being in the room alone with him.

  On the way out, Maddie stopped along a section of small potted roses.

  “What is this?” Michael asked, sounding surprised.

  “They’re a hybrid.”

  “They’re orange!”

  Michael looked her right in the eyes. When he did this, a pulse pounded in her gut, and a ringing in her ears deafened her. Her heart beat harder and an outbreak of sweat made her pores buzz.

  He saw it in her eyes, and without further hesitation, brought his lips closer to feel hers. Maddie wanted to pull away, but couldn’t because the pulse in her gut grew stronger and spread throughout her body.

  This is wrong, she told herself. Stop.

  Next second, she was pulling his shirt over his head. Eagerly, he pulled at her shirt, too. Maddie kept her lips stuck to his. They entwined their tongues as deeply as they could and kissed and bit each other’s lips. She rubbed her hands over his bare chest and arms, which were smooth and warm. A light scent of the sweat he had worked up in the garden aroused her.

  Maddie pulled at the button on his pants. He groped her breasts and then yanked her waist closer to feel her skin on his chest.

  His hands fumbled clumsily with her jeans. Finally, he picked her up and held her on one side of his hip as he pushed plants out of the way. They both turned their heads when they heard a pot fall, crashing to the floor.

  Michael set her on the shelf and she lay back with her hips inched at the edge, where upon he gave Maddie what she’d wanted for weeks. He thrust into her and she moaned, and erected her hips so as to get more action. Her nipples got erect. Michael became even more extended as he looked down on her.

  Maddie put her hands on his chest and rubbed his muscled breasts. Then she held on to his perfectly round ass and helped drive him into her. She looked down as he pounded her hard on the table; the sight of him going in and out of her sent more endorphins to her brain.

  When Maddie began to orgasm, she couldn’t hold back the screams that filled the greenroom. She only hoped that no one heard, but as Michael came just as loudly, she knew that anyone on the lower level of the manor might know.

  It was over and done with rather quickly. Maddie felt strange, perverted.

  They got dressed in silence.

  Michael pulled Maddie into an embrace. Then he kissed her softly, and they just stood there holding each other for a few minutes.

  “I don’t regret what we just did. The truth is I’ve been worshipping your beauty for some time, now.”

  Maddie could think of nothing to say, so she smiled a little.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine. This whole thing is just a little strange, though.”

  “I know.” He held her even tighter.

  After a few more moments, he said, “I want you to feel comfortable around me and in my house. We’re attracted to one another; there’s nothing wrong with that. Sure, under the present circumstance, you must be feeling conflicted, but it will work itself out, shortly. I promise.” Then with a sigh, he said, “I need to attend to some business, so I must leave you. Feel free to come by and say hi to me a little later. I should be done with my work around 5 p.m. or so. I would love to spend some more time with you.”

  He leaned forward and kissed her sweetly on the lips.

  Maddie watched him leave the green room.

  Over and over, she replayed having sex with Michael in her mind. It depressed her that she enjoyed it and even wanted him more.

  What about Joe? He might have had her beaten and kidnapped. Is sleeping with Michael any worse than the idea of going back to her husband? And thinking of how much she missed Joe every day?

  Staring into space and sitting still as a statue, she compared Michael to her husband. Joe was short tempered, arrogant and abusive. She had to argue every little point in order to convince him. Maddie acknowledged that she didn’t know much about Michael, but she sensed that he didn’t have the arrogance or desire to tear people down. Even in her imprisonment, Michael almost tip toed around her as if he were ashamed. Joe would never act submissively, like that.

  But WAIT!!! she screamed at herself! Michael’s her captor. She shouldn’t be comparing him with her husband. What was she thinking? That they’d date, and have a relationship? No, impossible. It was best to forget about what had happened. For all she knew, Michael lied.

  But then again, a nagging in the back of her brain told her that Joe had been involved in something shady for a while. There had been little signs all along. She just never had the courage to ask because of his temper. It was too big of a coincidence that the thugs who brought her to Michael were not connected, in some strange way, to Joe. Plus, she couldn’t forget that Joe greeted them and had dinner with them. Obviously, they were on a friendly basis.

  “So that’s it, then. Joe really did set me up.”

  After a few tears, she checked herself in the greenroom bathroom mirror, and then walked back to the manor. Not in the mood for conversation with Marie, she purposely let herself in through the side entrance that led to a hall that went straight to the stairs.

  Inside her room, she slam dropped h
er body onto the bed and fell into a deep sleep. She remained in her dream state until Marie knocked on the door that evening, asking if she’d like to have dinner with her and Michael. Maddie said she wasn’t hungry but Marie wouldn’t hear of it. She used her authoritative vocal tones - no doubt the way she used to talk to her kitchen and wait staff – and ordered her downstairs in an hour.

  A quick shower and a change into the dollar store clothes, and she went downstairs to the kitchen. Her stomach growled at the sight of pheasants and rice pilaf, stretched across a table of salad, bread, and wine. A white silky table cloth covered the table along with proper place settings.

  Maddie was embarrassed: Michael stood at the kitchen console in an elegant cotton shirt with loose linen pants and light brown leather shoes. Marie wore a long, red dress that made her look prettier than usual.

  She looked down at her oversized jeans and blank black tee shirt and wanted to run back upstairs.

  Marie shouted, “Ahhh!! You look great; don’t worry about it! We dressed up just for fun, because we have no nice restaurants! Every once in a while, we have fun and dress for dinner. Here!” she said and shoved a glass of red wine in her hand.

  Despite her words, Maddie still felt embarrassed. Michael could tell, for he said, “Smile, you’re beautiful no matter what you wear.”

  Marie was finishing up some last preparations with her back to them. Michael took the opportunity to sneak a kiss from her.

  Then Marie turned and said, “Okay, it’s done. Help yourselves.” And they walked around the console, filling their plates.

  It felt like forever since she’d sat down to eat a proper meal. Even though she’d only been at Le Marcon Manor for two months, fine dining still felt like a distant memory.

  Although Maddie wanted to be happy, she was frustrated. It was when they did things like this that Maddie’s feelings got tangled. They needed to keep their distance, because she needed to hate them. Why didn’t they know this? Why did they keep blurring the lines of their acquaintanceship?

  Maddie sliced off a piece of the light pink meat and exclaimed, “It’s delicious Marie!” It had been ages since she’d had pheasant, a typically bland bird. But Marie was an expert, and it showed.

  “Thank you, Maddie. I pulled the seasonings from your garden earlier today.”

  At the mention of garden, Maddie’s face turned a little red. Was she there when they made love?

  “Julian mentioned that you’ve always wanted to have a few gardens of your own. Is that true?” asked Michael.

  “Work takes up so much of my time, but I think that if I ever get to see home again, I’ll start my own garden. Aromatics, I think, rather than herbs.”

  The both fell silent at her reply. Maddie noticed that both their faces had turned red.

  Serves them right.

  The dinner was a bit awkward for Maddie. Thankfully, Marie and Michael were both uncomfortable, too. She was ever thankful when they’d finished, and Marie insisted on cleaning up alone.

  Maddie bade them goodnight.

  Once inside her room, she sighed. Marie had better not invite her to such a dinner again. It was the worst hour Maddie had in the manor and, although that wasn’t totally true, she would’ve rather relived being bound in the basement then sit with the two of them again.

  She soaked in the tub for an hour while listening to Dostoevsky strings on the music channel. The water soaked her skin and the steam softened her stressed mind. Every muscle in her body relaxed with the bubbling of the jets and the scent of the bath oil. Maddie tuned out every thought that caused her anxiety.

  After an hour, she left the bath, dried off and sat in the steamer for a bit. By the time she was done, she was nice and relaxed, ready for a night of peaceful sleep.

  She was down a short while before being awoken by what sounded like a scratching noise. Maddie sat up and held her breath. Then she realized that the noise came from the door.

  Maddie climbed out of bed. She walked halfway across the room, when the door swung open. She screamed and jumped.

  Without a word Michael closed the door behind him, walked up to her and put his arms around her waist. She was immediately aroused by the feel of his hands on the exposed flesh of her back and belly.

  He kissed her mouth and worked all the way down her neck and breasts. His hot breath smothered her skin through the tee shirt she wore.

  They pushed back the covers on the bed. This time, Michael moved more slowly. He pulled her shirt off of her body and touched every bit of her flesh, from neck to toe. He leaned his heavy body on top of her and united his tongue with hers while she grinded her hips into his groin.

  He pulled her underwear off and tasted her, licking her clean. Maddie kissed his strong muscled breasts and down his happily trailed, lean chest and stomach. Then she pulled off his shorts and found him perfectly erected.

  Maddie pushed Michael onto his back. Watching her slow descent swallow his cock made him harder. Maddie moaned at the feel of him pushing her wet walls a way, yet hugging him closely.

  “Oooohhhh…” Michael moaned, and pushed her hips down, hard, and held her still for a moment. She looked at Michael, who looked back at her. He pushed her face to his and kissed her deeply.

  Maddie started to work her hips, again, moving up and down. Michael tried to stop her but she kept going, and kissed him harder all the while. Her breath quickened, as did Michael’s. When she was close, he picked up his pace. Together they rocked each other hard and clung to each other desperately to make the moment last.

  Michael kept kissing her, and then they lay together, silently. In that moment, Maddie was happy. To herself, she acknowledged that she really did have feelings for him, and she couldn’t explain why. All she knew was that there was something familiar about him. Every time she saw him, nostalgia that she couldn’t unbury, from the back of her mind, plagued her like fog. Perhaps it was simply another kind of love?

  With these thoughts provoking her emotions, she unknowingly tightened her grasp on Michael’s shoulders. Michael misinterpreted this action, thinking that she was being affectionate. He tightened his grip on her, too.

  The next morning, at the exact moment the sun rose, Michael woke her with a kiss and told her that he needed to get his day started. She mumbled okay, he kissed her again and he left.

  Maddie rolled over and tried to sleep more but couldn’t. Instead, she lay there and thought about the mess her life seemed to be of late. How would she ever return to a normal life after this ordeal? Further, how could she send Michael to jail?

  But what if Joe didn’t have her kidnapped?

  Guilt plagued her; the thought of Joe, lying somewhere and worrying about her made her feel like dirt. How could she cheat on him? But then the memory of the men in black, beating her, replayed itself. Then hatred replaced her guilt. No matter what way she tried to reason against the idea that Joe would harm her, she couldn’t help but look at the coincidences of that weekend, his strange behavior, and his ever increasing hostility towards her. And at that moment, something became clear to her: she needed to get away from him.

  There’s no way I’m ever, ever going back to Joe.

  Maddie rose and had a quick wash; then went down for breakfast. Marie was cleaning as usual, and about to begin some sort of cleaning project, starting with the cabinets. The noise of pots and pans being slammed around threatened to give her a headache, so she took her half eaten bagel and mug of coffee to the gardens.

  Across the grounds, she heard the sound of a lawn mower. Curious to see if it were someone who could help her, she walked to the front of the property, only to see Michael on one of the largest lawn mowers she’d ever seen. Sweat glistened on his tanned back. The sight made her pulse quicken.

  Even if Michael was a hired gardener or a stranger, or someone she could beg for help, Maddie probably wouldn’t have done so. She no longer wanted to go home. Le Marcon Manor was the most beautiful place, and with a man like Michael, it was a fa
iry tale to her.

  She buried herself in hard work that day. Instead of puttering with the cute pots and pretty flowers, she took the hoes and rakes and committed to hard labor, digging up new flower beds until large beads of sweat juiced through her pores.

  Later and exhausted, she sank to her knees on a patch of grass and heaved. She wiped her sweaty forehead, only it did no good because her shirt was soaked clean through.

  Fatigue penetrated every muscle in her body but she felt good, almost as if she’d done penance for her sins. She pulled herself up and made her way back to the house. Once inside, she washed her hands and downed a two liter bottle of water.

  Marie nearly had a cow when she walked in to find mud colored Maddie sitting at the table.

  “Get out!” she yelled. “Don’t come to my kitchen, ever, like that!”

  ~~~

  She slept until early evening. When she woke, she was sore all over. Maddie slowly rolled out of bed. Her legs wobbled all the way to the bathroom where she soaked for an hour before having a quick dinner and retiring for the night.

  She lay in bed and wondered if Michael would visit her again. Then just as she’d hoped, at 10 p.m., there came the scraping noise at her door.

  Calmly, he walked in and snuggled next to her. They lay there a few minutes before succumbing to their lust.

  Escape Le Marcon

  Chapter 7

  Maddie sat on a dais in her wedding gown while across the hall, her husband, family, and friends celebrated her new union. In the dream, she was not only the celebrant but an observer. Behind her, she saw the look on her father’s face, which was a sort of stern grimace. He’d had that look on his face for years, but she never really thought about it until that dream. Behind her husband, there was a group of men dressed like gangsters with guns. Somehow, she knew they were there because of Joe, yet he looked scared and unaware.

  In the next scene, she was in bed. Her and Joe were about to make love, and then Michael appeared, grabbed her by the wrist and motioned to her. She wouldn’t leave because she promised to stay by Joe’s side. But something distracted her: Loud popping noises in the background.