by Anna Collins
“You don’t know what you want. Underneath it all, you are an insatiable young woman. I can see it in your eyes and maybe you just need the right man to come around to pull it out of you.” His words struck a chord with me, but I wasn’t about to show it.
He had my wrist and he sucked one finger into his mouth. It was almost enough to make my knees buckle out from underneath me. There was nothing wrong with him, but I sensed that he was possessive. That was not the kind of man that I wanted to get involved with.
“I would really like my hand back.” He reluctantly let me go, but the way that he looked at me made me feel like I was naked and at his mercy.
I felt like I was vulnerable and exposed, not unlike the way that I felt when I was in high school and didn’t really attract that much attention. I didn’t develop, until I was in my last year and then things turned from being a wallflower to something of a sought after commodity. My parents were jet setters, but they had always believed that I should learn to stand on my own two feet. I had an inheritance coming to me, but it wasn’t going to mature, until I was 30.
That was five years away and my constant need for buying shoes had pushed me into a hole that I couldn’t climb out of. I could barely pay the minimum on my credit cards, which of course was going to keep me in their debt for the rest of my life. I had a student loan that needed to be paid back posthaste. There was no way that I could come up with that kind of scratch.
I didn’t know why, but I had turned towards the mysterious man to find him salaciously looking at me like I was a piece of meat. It wasn’t unusual for the men to eye the merchandise, but this felt different. This place screamed that we were easy pickings. Our uniform was that of a white tee shirt with the name ‘Scooters’ across the front and a pair of tight cut-off daisy duke's that really didn’t leave much to the imagination.
“Watch where you’re going.” I bumped into a man in a blue suit eating his dinner.
“I apologize. Let me get you another cup on the house.” My head was swimming. I couldn’t concentrate and sleeping was out of the question.
That man needed to be taken down a peg. The next time that he tried something like that, then he was going to get a rude awakening. My hand was just itching to slap him across the face.
I’d almost dumped a hot pot of coffee into somebody’s lap. The worst that happened was that he spilled his own cup down the front of his expensive white shirt. He was one of those preppy young kids that thought the world owed him a favor. I had to keep my clientele happy, or they might complain to Vincent. If that were to happen, then the unemployment line would never be enough to cover the costs of the debts that I had incurred.
Some of them weren’t even of my own making. My older brother was constantly coming by and stealing my credit card and using it. I never had the heart to call him on it, but Joseph was not the type of guy that you wanted to mess with. He was bipolar and even on his medication; he could be a force to be reckoned with. He was dangerous to himself and others. He didn’t mind taking chances to feel like he was invincible. Our parents washed their hands of the both of us. I was constantly coming to his aid to make sure that he didn’t get into any trouble that he couldn’t get out of.
Half of my debt was his. When I did have money, he would always seem to know and have his hand out. I was a soft touch and I was getting a little tired of playing gatekeeper.
My love life was nothing to write home about. The last guy that I took to bed was a dismal disappointment. After he left 30 minutes later, I had to use a more creative approach to get myself off. A combination of my hand and my toys had got the job done.
I’d never found anyone that came close to giving me those butterflies in my stomach. I was getting angry and the only person that I felt like I should lash out at was the man that had taken liberties by sucking my finger. I turned with my hands on my hips defiantly to find that he was already gone. I knew that he would be back. I was going to make an example out of him.
Chapter 2
A few days went by and he was always there lurking and looking. I could feel my skin crawling. Every time that I got close to that man, I would feel this momentary loss of inhibitions. It didn’t help that he was constantly touching me inappropriately and making it look like it was perfectly natural. I promised myself that I would call him on his behavior, but I just didn’t have it in me to make any kind of a scene.
“I don’t know what has gotten into you, but you need to get a hold of yourself. You don’t smile and I’ve had complaints that you’re having problems getting orders straight. I’m not going to ask you what’s wrong, because I really don’t want to get involved. I’m here to make money and you’re here to make sure that I make that money. If you can’t do that, then I can find some pretty young thing that can,” Vincent said as he stood there glaring at me.
Vincent was a sleazy Italian that had the slicked back dark hair and the first two buttons on his shirt undone to show the gold chain swinging back and forth.
“I think that you should stay out of my business.” This was not the person that I should be throwing my venom at. “I’m sorry I said that. I will try to do better,” I said those words through clenched teeth and then I saw ‘him’ looking at me from across the restaurant.
Leaving Vincent to go back into his office, I made my way over to the mystery man with an eye for detail.
“I don’t know what you’re looking at, but I’m getting…” He put his hand up to silence me. That was the final straw that broke the camel’s back. I slammed my hands down on his table, but instead of jumping 2 feet, he remained perfectly calm. “I don’t like the way that you are looking at me.”
“Is that so? I think that you like it a little bit too much. Let’s put that aside for a moment. You are perfect and I have a desire to paint you. You’re the kind of subject that I would love to get my hands on.” His intention was clear.
It sent a cold chill down my spine like somebody was walking over my grave. I shivered with the Goosebumps appearing on my skin. He really did give me a bad taste in my mouth.
“You could be my ultimate masterpiece. You are the real life fantasy of the girl next door that doesn’t have any idea of what she’s capable of. Let me be the one to show you. It will be glorious,” He said while he stirred his tea like I wasn’t there.
I was stunned by not only his callous behavior, but also by his need to make me feel like I was something special.
“I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing, but I’m through placating you. The next time you come in, I will not be the one that is serving you,” I stated emphatically.
There was something about this man that had me acting differently. I was not myself. I was introverted, but now he was making me almost ready to find some work that wouldn’t have me in the public eye.
“You’re not going to do that. We both know that this little game that we are playing is not entirely for my benefit. You can deny it all you want, but I’m awakening something in you that you never knew was there. It’s something primal like that of an animal about to be unleashed on the world for the first time. You’ve been left in the wild for too long and somebody needs to come around and domesticate you with a chain around your neck,” He said that like he knew me.
I had my mouth open in awe that he could even say something like that to a lady. I couldn’t help, but to feel a little like a deer in the headlights.
He left me standing there speechless. I thought that I could handle just about anything, but this man was taking things to a different level. I envisioned having that collar around my neck and the chain attached. He made me want to crawl underneath the table and rock back and forth in the fetal position.
“I don’t know why you have to constantly get into it with him. I was hesitant to tell you this before, but he has invested a lot of money into this place. Devlin may look like some down and out artist, but trust me he has money to burn. I don’t think that Vincent would take kindly to you trying to
take the golden goose out of his hand.” Erica was the redheaded vixen of the group and apparently she was known to eavesdrop. She was always coming up with new rumors and this one was one of the worst ones yet.
She hovered over me by a foot. Being some kind of Amazon had given her a leg up on the rest of us literally and figuratively.
“I don’t want to hear it. It shouldn’t matter that he has money. There comes a time in every woman’s life that she has to stand up for the respect that she deserves. I’ve been playing nice for too long and maybe it’s time for this kitten to finally show her claws.” It felt good to say it, but to actually put it to use was another matter altogether.
There were times during the day that I thought I spotted Devlin outside. I was seriously worried that I might have a stalker. Every time that I went outside to confront him, he was nowhere to be seen. He was making me jittery and feeling like I was being watched every time that I took a step.
I kept remembering the way he left that afternoon. He purposely brushed by me. I felt his chest graze my nipples and it got the desired reaction. I couldn’t stop my nipples from becoming rock hard pebbles. He smiled knowingly and winked at me like I was his lover.
It was the kind of feeling that was reserved for those wanton bitches that were after only one thing. I didn’t feel a need to have a man complete me. I was doing everything in my power to make sure that that didn’t happen. I was not one to get caught in that kind of trap; no matter how pretty the package might be on the outside. This man was ugly in my opinion and it had nothing to do with his looks. He was sleazy and made me feel like a dirty girl. I wanted to go home and scrub my skin raw after my shift.
“Excuse me, but these are for a young lady named Lucy Willis.” I turned and found a bouquet of white and red roses in this man’s hand from FTD. “There is a card that goes along with it. The man in question would like to remain anonymous.” I signed for the flowers. It did brighten my day in a way that was unexpected. It actually made me smile thinking that somebody had gone to all the trouble to give me a moment to actually smell the roses.
“Those are very beautiful, Lucy. It looks like somebody has decided to declare his intentions.” Samantha was the Raven haired beauty with the kind of bubbly personality that made me sick to my stomach. “Something like that does not happen every day. You should count yourself lucky that somebody has taken an interest in you in that way.” She was very beautiful, but I could sense that there was something that was making her sad inside. She never showed it. She put on a brave face for the sake of the business and her tips.
“I’ve never had a secret admirer. I wonder what sweetheart did this for little old me. I don’t think that I’m anything to write home about. I’m certainly not in the league of the other girls,” I said as I looked at the card and had to ponder what this might mean.
She grabbed me by the shoulders and turned me towards my reflection over the bar.
“I have no idea what you think you’re seeing, but trust me you are exactly what every man is looking for. You have this innocent quality that makes them want to protect you. You also have this naughty kind of thing going for you that makes a lot of men wonder what it will take to get you out of your panties.” Samantha made it sound like there was jealousy in her voice.
“You have to be talking about someone else.” I was self conscious about my appearance and it didn’t sound right to hear someone or anyone talking about me in that way.
“I hate to be blunt, but there are a lot of guys that have mentioned an interest in getting to know you a little bit better. I think that it might be your standoff approach, but who am I to judge. Just be careful, because if you dangle the meat in front of the dog long enough, then he might just pounce.”
“I didn’t ask for any of this. They probably think that I’m that unattainable woman. I don’t want to be seen, as some kind of conquest. Is it too much to ask to have a little bit of respect? A kind word and even these flowers are a good way to show that men don’t have to be pigs all the time.” I found the flowers to be endearing. I was a hopeless romantic at heart.
“I’ve always been under the impression that boys will be boys. I’ve learned to live with it. You don’t have to always be on the defensive. What you need is to grow a thicker skin and to start letting these things flow off your back. It’s really the only way that you can deal with the constant come-ons. The way that they look at us is not exactly subtle by any means. I’ve been in this business for a few years. This is not the first time that I’ve had to dress the part. I’m sure that you’ve heard the saying that sex sells.”
“I understand all of that, Samantha, but that doesn’t make me feel any better. I really thought that we had gotten past the days of being subjected to these kinds of things. I guess I’m under the mistaken impression that people are relatively good.”
At the end of my shift, I grabbed my brown suede Gucci coat and stepped out into the chilly afternoon of the Chicago skyline. I’d quit smoking, but I was itching to put something in between my fingers.
“I know that I’m the last person that you want to see.” My older brother had decided to make my day that much worse. The only highlight was the flowers. I was holding onto that memory like grim death.
“How much do you want this time? Don’t tell me that you just showed up out of the goodness of your heart. We both know that that’s not true,” I said as I fished in my pockets for what he was after.
I was lucky that he hadn’t asked for any kind of accommodations. I had no idea where he was living and I tried not to think about it. That was the kind of guilt trip that could give me a roommate that I didn’t want.
“You have me all wrong, sis. I just wanted to see you, but now that you mentioned it. I could use a few bucks. Don’t worry; I will pay you back with interest.” It was the same rhetoric that I heard every time that I turned around. I had started to keep a tally, but eventually, I knew that there was no purpose to doing that. I was never going to see the money. “I think that I could be happy with 200 dollars.” He had whispered the amount like he was ashamed of himself for coming here of all places to hit me up. The jean jacket and holes in his jeans didn’t exactly instill confidence.
“I can give you a hundred. That’s all that I have,” I said as I nervously looked around to make sure nobody was witnessing this transaction.
If I gave him anymore, I wouldn’t have enough for rent. As it was, I was eating pre-made noodles and Kraft dinner.
He looked disappointed, but he wasn’t going to turn down any kind of money.
“I’m sorry, but I’m tapped out. If I could help you more, I would gladly do it and you know that,” I said as he gave me this lost puppy dog look.
I should have turned my back and let him hit rock bottom. I had no idea what addiction he might have. It could’ve been gambling, drugs or any number of other things. I really didn’t want to know about it. That might sound selfish, but I had my own problems.
I handed him the money and he scurried away without saying another word. He was like a ghost. He would always show up at the most inopportune times. I would see him for a moment, but once the money exchanged hands, he would be gone in a flash. I was tempted to follow him, but I didn’t really want to know.
Somebody bumped into me and I turned to see a man in a trench coat. At first, I didn’t recognize him, but then the smile gave it away. It was Devlin.
“I think that I can help you, but only if you are ready to explore that other part of yourself. I think you know by now that I have a lot of money and sometimes I don’t even know how much. Your brother is a deadbeat, but I don’t think that I’m telling you anything that you don’t already know. Tomorrow, I’m going to come to you with an offer that you can’t refuse,” He said while looking at his watch like he has someplace better to be.
“Do you make it a habit of listening in on other people’s conversations?” I was a little defensive, but he was making me feel a certain anger welling up ins
ide.
Suddenly and without warning, he kissed me. It was a forced kind of passion. I slapped at his chest with my leather gloves. I don’t think that I fought hard enough and soon the sensation of his tongue entering into my mouth was causing the unseen side effect of my legs turning to jelly
“I’ve always wanted to do that. You've made it impossible for me to think of anything else," He said while licking his lips to taste my lipstick.
He left me standing there swaying to some unseen music in my head.
“By the way, I’m the one that sent you the flowers. I thought that you could use something to remind you of the beauty all around you,” He said while smiling and making me feel like I was already his.
He apparently had two sides to himself. I had no idea what this offer was, but I was curious. Tomorrow I would find out.
