Deliver Her from Evil

by M. L. Steinbrunn

  Her friends are off limits.

  He follows Jen to the edge of the pool to retrieve his doll. All humor and fun has evaporated and anger is now rolling off of him.

  “I’ll fuck who I want, princess,” he clips at her. “This town is full of easy pussy; I don’t need to go fishing in a small pond for someone who will follow me home. The beauty of Vegas is that it’s an ocean full of fish I’ll never have to see again.”

  “You’re gross, you know that, right?” Jen answers back.

  He tucks the Sally doll under his arm and bows to us, before offering me another beaming smile. “I’m sorry to have interrupted your gorgeous day, ladies,” he says politely. He then turns back to Jen and frowns. “And by the way, you’re just jealous I would never offer you this flesh rocket for your hot pocket.”

  He turns on his heel and leaves our little group. Jen is left speechless-- for once. The three of us, however, can no longer hold it in. Together we burst into laughter, which only garners death glares from Jen.

  “You guys suck,” she pouts as she passes by us to get to the tent. Her childish response only makes us laugh harder.

  “He had a flippin’ blow up doll,” Vivian chuckles as she wipes the tears from her eyes.

  “I can’t even explain why Jen hates him so much. I just let it go, but man that guy is funny,” Campbell adds.

  “And pretty hot,” I add, pretending to fan myself.

  “You guys still suck,” Jen shouts from inside the tent.

  “Oh, simmer down,” I say, throwing her own words back at her. “We are here to have a good time.”

  We walk toward the cabana and are met by a waitress ready to bring us whatever frilly drink we need, and from the look on Jen’s face, we may need several. Their service is included in the price of the cabana, and we will absolutely put this poor girl to work today.

  Vivian orders margaritas for the group as we unpack our pool bags and head back out of the cabana. Throwing our towels across lounge chairs, we each take a place in the sun. We relax into the warmth of the rays, and let the sun pound down on our bodies. Well, except Vivian who puts a fashionable straw hat on her head and smothers herself in sunblock. She always says her red hair attracts the sun and she doesn’t need any more freckles than she already has.

  A comfortable silence settles amongst us, and we enjoy the quietness of the moment. Jen was right; kids, jobs, divorces, all the stresses from back home fade away with each tranquil breath. Our server brings us our drinks and the refreshing coolness of the sweet and sour tang are a welcome relief from the heat.

  “So, I think Royce is hilarious. Why do you hate him so bad?” Campbell asks. “Aaaannd Carly practically drooled all over him and his doll, so you better have a good reason to hold up her much needed cougar prowl.”

  I choke and spit alcohol out all over myself and my towel. “I did no such thing,” I say through coughing fits.

  “There will be no naked time happening on this trip with that man. Royce is an irresponsible asshole, who cares only about himself and what he can get from someone. You just stay far away, Carly. We will find you a scrumptious man, just not that one.”

  I wiggle in my chair, uncomfortable with the topic of conversation. I feel like I’m on display and everyone is trying to fix me, the poor divorced woman, up. The last thing I need is a man to complicate my life even more. A one-night stand is nowhere near my radar. I never had one before I was married and there is no reason why I should start now that I’m newly single.

  “There’s no need to worry about me. I’m good with actual alone time,” I explain. “I’m in no need of a male attention.”

  “Bullshit,” Vivian says. “Even the best LELO in the world isn’t going to replace some good old fashion lovin’.”

  Jen giggles. “There’s no need to leave the LELO out of the mix just because a friend arrives. Broaden those horizons, ladies.”

  We all laugh and ease back down into our chairs. “I appreciate the thought, but I think I’ll pass either way,” I tell them all. “There is just too much going in my life to complicate it even more with a man.” I look to Campbell, hoping she gets the hint as well, but she diverts her eyes away from me and changes the subject.

  “What is the plan for tonight anyways?” Campbell asks. “I know tomorrow is the actual bachelorette party, so what is in store for this evening?”

  Jen and Vivian both look to each other, and when Vivian cringes, I know our foursome is going to shrink by two. “It’s so rare that we have our husbands alone, we thought that tonight we could have a date night,” Vivian attempts to explain as compassionately as possible; you know, you’re getting ditched and this is why.

  “It’s not like it’s a complete waste. I thought you girls could go to a show or something,” Jen chimes in.

  I’m not exactly thrilled with being brought to Vegas to then be dropped like a hot potato, but I do understand. Jack and I never got to have time for just the two of us once Olivia came along. Maybe that’s where the problem lied with us, not devoting enough time together for our relationship. We co-existed, but we didn’t really exist together as a team.

  How can I fault my friends for doing something I should have also taken time to do?

  I look to Campbell, who looks equally thrilled, so I take the lead on smoothing the awkward moment out.

  “There are some shows I would love to see. We’ll have tons of fun, Campbell.”

  She smiles and steals Vivian’s hat. “When you guys hear how cool our night ends up, you’re going to wish you hadn’t ditched us.”

  “Nothing you can say will tempt me away from a night alone with my fiancé,” Jen says with all seriousness. “That man will be wearing my ass as a hat tonight,” she adds, tapping Viv’s floppy hat on Campbell’s head.

  Everyone takes their turn displaying grossed out expressions, snorting with laughter.

  “Oh, good grief,” Vivian chuckles with a sigh after catching her breath. “I was just hoping for a quiet dinner.”

  “I say we meet for breakfast tomorrow and fill each other in on our wild night. Deal?” Campbell suggests.

  “Deal,” we say in unison, clinking the glass of our drinks together.

  Carly

  Well, that’s just great. First, I was ditched by Vivian and Jen, and now I’ve been stood up by Campbell. I had spent an hour picking out a cute dress and heels, then doing my hair and makeup for this evening. If I was going to have a night on the town, I figured I should look the part.

  But now, the longer I sit here, the more worried I am that my effort screams working girl. I shift in my dress to cover more of my legs and adjust the straps that crisscross at my shoulders. The bartender notices my discomfort and makes his way to my end of the bar once again.

  “You need anything else, doll?” he asks with a light smile.

  I’ve been waiting at the hotel bar alone for thirty minutes and every time the bartender asks if I’m doing all right, I feel his judgement and sympathy.

  My phone dings, and I momentarily ignore the bartender to read the message. I can feel my brows pull together when I read the message.

  Campbell: I’m so sorry. Something important came up. Raincheck?

  If it’s important, I don’t want her to feel bad about leaving me behind, so instead of the single response of “K” that I want to send her, I take the high road.

  Me: No worries. I’ll catch up with you in the morning.

  I exhale loudly and slam my phone back down on the bar top. I don’t notice the bartender still standing there until his voice cuts through my mist of disappointment.

  “That bad, huh?” he says.

  “Any day that my pants haven’t caught on fire from my legs rubbing together, is a good flipping day,” I spout out.

  The middle-aged bartender looks at me like he’s been painted into a corner and may have to chew off an arm or something to save himself. His discomfort is clearly evident, and in his head he’s quietly wishing he hadn’t a
sked, screw the tip.

  “I’m sorry,” I resign. “I’ll take a shot of whatever you have that will not make me feel like such a loser,” I tell him, stuffing my phone into my small purse.

  Without another word, he pulls some liquor out from behind the bar and lines up a shot glass on the wood along with a few wedges of lime.

  “Tequila is always good for short-term memory loss,” he says, pouring the golden liquid into the glass.

  “I’ll take it.”

  “Me too,” a smooth voice announces behind me. I look back to see Royce pulling out the chair beside me. “If the night has gone to such shit that the tequila shots have been brought out, I might as well join the party.”

  Initially, I’m speechless at his intrusion. I’m not sure whether I want him to leave because, well, his presence will only find me in trouble, but on the other hand, do I really want to sit here and wallow with a bottle of liquor alone?

  I look him up and down, taking in his gorgeous physique and intoxicating cologne. How could I say no?

  Jen would have a fit…but she’s not here. None of my friends are here. They have all run off and left me to my own devices, and if I want to hang out with this attractive man who throws caution to the wind and enjoys life, so be it.

  That’s what I need tonight…fun. And Royce offers just that.

  “You know what?” I say, scooting over to make room for him. “You and I are going to have a blast tonight.”

  The bartender pours another drink for Royce and he slams it back without using the lime as a chaser.

  “It’s going to be a fantastic night.” He grins, smashing the glass back to the bar.

  Lakin

  “I can’t even tag along?” I shout from across the suite. “You bring me to Vegas, make me get my own room, and now I have to roam the strip alone?”

  Am I whining? Probably just a tad, but I can’t help but want to spend the extra time with Campbell. As much as I understand her need to spend it all with the girls, I still want to be selfish with her.

  I stretch out across the massive bed and wait for Campbell’s response. She steps through the entryway from the living room portion of the hotel room and pretends to pout, mocking me.

  “I think you’ll manage. Besides, tomorrow night you’ll be doing plenty of guy things without me,” she says, curling up next to me on the mattress. I’m tempted to pin her down and smother her with attention until she forgets about Carly and refuses to leave the room.

  I pull her close to me, melding her body to mine. “What can I do to make you stay?” I whisper in her ear before planting a soft kiss on her neck. A giggle erupts from her sweet mouth when my scruff from the day tickles her skin.

  She finally lets out a long exhale. “I have to get in the shower so I can meet Carly. How about you meet us for drinks after the show? That piano bar in the New York New York casino is a good time; how about there?

  I roll onto my back and growl at her. Drinks are not what I had in mind, but I’m a desperate man willing to take what I can get. If serving as the third wheel in a girls’ night is all I can get, well, I’ll go with the flow.

  She plops her phone on my chest and offers her mouth for a kiss. Her lips meet mine and I have to restrain myself from deepening it and allowing the passion to overtake us.

  “I’m going to jump in the shower,” she says between pecks. “Carly is supposed to be texting me where to meet her. When you hear from her, please text her back to let her know I’ll be there.”

  She lands one final kiss and hops off the bed. Painfully, I watch her strut away from me and into the bathroom. I’m a little perturbed I wasn’t invited into the shower, and for a second, I consider surprising her by jumping in without an invitation. When her phone buzzes to life, I let the idea fade.

  Evan: I hope you have a good time. See you when you get back. Love you.

  As I read the words, an entire gamut of emotions flood my system…anger, sadness, even betrayal. I love this woman with every fiber of my being, and yet while I want to make her my wife, she’s exploring other options. We never said this was an exclusive relationship, but I figured it went without saying.

  Pacing the floor in front of the bed, I feel as though I could wear a hole in the carpet with each step. I don’t know what to do, what to say. I’ve never been in a position of losing the one thing I needed the most. Fuck, maybe I never really had her in the first place.

  I swipe the phone off the bed, my grip dangerously close to crushing the screen as I continue to walk. I want more than anything to be relieved of my frustration by throwing it against the wall. Instead, a somber pain takes hold and I collapse back onto the bed, my head down and shoulders hunched…defeated.

  The sound of the water turning off doesn’t rouse my body. I’m motionless, waiting for the execution of what’s left of my heart. A few excruciating minutes pass before Campbell returns. She stops suddenly when she notices me on the bed.

  “What’s wrong?” she asks as she wiggles her body between my knees. I don’t wrap my hands around her like I want to. I can’t even look up at her for fear of what I might see–unrequited love.

  I place the phone in her hand, still opened to the text she just received from Evan. “Please tell me I’m the only one,” I murmur, my voice stumbling over the words, barely able to push them out.

  I finally look at her, her hair a wet mess of ebony flowing down her back, face fresh and beautiful, and wearing a dress that any other day, any other moment, I would have hiked around her waist.

  She frowns as she reads the message, an expression that twists my heart until it feels wrung out and lifeless. Is that a look of a woman who has been caught? Is she upset I know now she hasn’t been faithful to our relationship?

  “Oh, Lakin,” she whispers, lightly placing her soft palm on my cheek. “There could only ever be you.”

  “But–” I begin to say when she covers my lips with her finger to hush me.

  I search her eyes, looking for clues to my fate, and I’m met with compassion. I’m met with the same love she would see in my eyes.

  “Evan is my foster brother. It’s true that he loves me, no less than I love him, but not in the way you’re thinking, Lakin. That man was once a boy who saved me. Rescued me from a fate that nightmares are made of.”

  I scoot back onto the bed and pick her up so her legs are straddling my waist. I’ve never forced her to tell me about her past, but in this moment, my need to know is stronger than my compassion to let it lie.

  “Please tell me,” I say lightly, placing my hand on her chest. “I need to know this heart. I need to know why it beats the way it does. I want to be able to grip on to it and cradle it in my hand for all eternity, but I need to know that it’s mine to hold.”

  She closes her eyes and leans in to rest her forehead on mine. I feel each of her breaths tap against my lips, ragged, uncertain. If I could reach into her mind and soothe the uncertainty, I would give every bit of wealth, every bit of my own courage to ease her anxiety. The only thing I can do is hold her, let my body plead with her soul to share herself with me.

  Finally, finally she speaks, and I’m able to exhale my own apprehension.

  “It was a long time ago and there are days I wish I could forget, but there are some things that happen to us that our mind will never let us escape from,” she says, her eyes still closed.

  She slowly pulls away from me and searches my eyes. I plead with them, with her, to feel the safety in my arms.

  She takes a deep breath and runs her nails through the hair at the base of my neck. “Evan is Sharon’s son. When they took me in, he and I went to the same high school; he was a year older than I was. I was only a freshman and I was new, but he helped me adjust to everyone at school. We became friends.”

  She hesitates, so I brush her damp hair away from her face and softly kiss her cheek to encourage her to continue. Her legs are still tangled around me, but when she gives me a nod, I scoot back slightly to provide
her the space she needs.

  “I only stayed with them for a few months at first. There was an emergency case on Christmas Eve and I had to be moved so they could take in a group of siblings. Sharon and my caseworker arranged for me be able to remain at the same school for the school year, and it was fine for the first month or so. Well, fine enough. My new foster parents didn’t really have much to do with me. They weren’t mean to me, but they didn’t care much either. I was a means to help pay their rent in the trailer park.” She pauses again, gathering the strength for the next piece of information. I can feel the pain she’s wrestling with, the shame that lies beneath.

  “But then her brother was released from jail and he came to stay with us,” she whispers. “Then everything changed.”

  “What did he do?” is all I can say.

  “Nothing at first. He gave me the creeps so I avoided him. But then her mother got sick and she left me in her husband’s care so she could be with her. They never told my caseworker, because I would have been removed.”

  She looks away from me and stares at the ceiling as she continues to speak. Tears roll down her face but her voice never breaks, and I’m in awe of the strength I never realized she had.

  “That’s when it got bad,” she says. “Drugs flowed in and out of the house, and they took turns using me any way they wanted. When I tried to run, they caught me and chained me up in a back bedroom of the trailer. There were days I didn’t know if I was alive or dead, and I wanted it to be over so badly that I didn’t care if it was the end.”

  I grip onto her shirt, imagining every vile thing these two men could have done. The heat of my anger boils at the thoughts that run through my head.

  “How did no one know this was going on? You just get dumped off and no one checks on you?”

  She squares her shoulders to look at me. “Evan came looking,” is all she says.

  “What happened? Did he call the police? Contact social services? Please tell me the day he found you is the day you left that house?” My mouth can barely keep up with what I’m thinking. I rattle off questions without waiting for responses. Instead of getting shaken or upset, she continues to run her fingers through my hair to settle my emotions instead of me helping her.