She stepped out of the car and walked to the pump. The young man leant on the pump watching Joss. She was tall, 5’8 at most with a beautiful body. She wore shot denim jeans pair of shorts and a white tank top Lucy had bought her before she left. She had wanted to take on a road trip and experience life.
Joss delayed reaching out for the nozzle of the gas pump. She had no slight idea what she was supposed to do with it. She looked at the man standing beside her now. He knew that she needed help with that but she was way too afraid to ask.
“Can I help you with that?” The man asked. This time, Joss detected a strange accent.
“Is that British accent I detect” She asked, smiling warmly at him.
The man moved towards her and stood behind her. She was a little uncomfortable but she didn’t move. Instead, she concentrated on his muscular arms as he reached out for the nozzle.
“You’ve never done this before, have you?” He asked as he filled up the tank, smiling at her. He could feel his body reacting to the sight of the beautiful woman in front of him.
“Thank you very much.” She said when the man was finished.
“It’s no big deal love. I am always up to helping a beautiful lady, you know.” He said. “And by the way, my name is Ben.” He added.
She smiled at him.
“Joss, nice to meet you Ben.” She said back as she walked around her car to the driver’s seat. Before she could open the door, Ben hurriedly opened it for her.
“Oh, the pleasure is all mine my lady” Ben said, smiling at her cheekily.
Joss smiled back at him as he closed the door with her fastening her safety belt. Ben watched her start the car and left the gas station. Joss couldn’t stop herself from smiling as she drove away. She was not used to meeting warm people all her life. She was scared of the world her mother had always protected her from. It turned out that not every human was cruel as her mother had taught her. She was more encouraged to enjoy her trip more than ever. Something inside off her was excited after meeting Ben but Lucy had warned her against random men. She had known that Joss had not been exposed to the outside world. She had warned her against people who would use her and break her heart. She recalled the conversation;
“You have no idea what people out there could do to you Joss. I am even afraid of letting you go on your own.” Lucy had said when they were shopping for her trip.
“I promise I will be careful Lucy.” She had replied.
“You shouldn’t trust just anyone out there Jo.” Lucy continued. “I would have come with you but there are things you have to do on your own. And this is one of them.”
“You’re right. I need to rediscover myself on my own Lucy, but anytime I will call you.” She promised her only friend.
Chapter 2
Joss was driving slowly listening to some of the music Lucy had given her. She had been thinking of her mother and her new life on her own. It was a little exciting to be free of her own mother but then again, she couldn’t keep herself from thinking about her. She had never met any other family members, not one she could count on. However, the Andersons had been there for her. They had given her the old Volvo car she was driving among other things. Lucy had lent her one cell phone so that she could call them whenever she needed something.
Two hours after driving for miles, Joss decided to take a break and get something to eat. She pulled over the restaurant and as she stepped out of the vehicle, she noticed a couple of men staring at her. They were all riding big motorcycles but had also decided to take a rest. She was shy and could feel eyes on her behind as she walked into the restaurant. Suddenly she heard noises, it was as if the men sitting outside of the restaurant were cheering and applauding on something. She looked back only to see Ben pulling over his bike just next to the others. She was surprised to see him but part of her was happy to see him. It felt like they had been friends or something.
She wondered if Ben was part of the group or he had been following her. She didn’t think too much about it then as she was starving. She took the table at the far end corner of the restaurant before the waiter came smiling towards her. She was not used to restaurants and she was again surprised on the welcome he offered. He handed her a menu and left her to go through it. She ordered a glass of sparkling water before settling on a chicken hamburger.
Few minutes later, her order was brought and she was excited. All her life, she had wanted this, to eat out with no one scaring her about the dangers lurking outside. She remembered her mother’s warnings again. This time, she remembered everything she said before she died.
Joss had sneaked out of the house with Lucy to go attend prom night at Lucy’s school. It was her first party to attend and she had never seen anything more beautiful. All the lighting and beautiful people; it was where she met her first boyfriend Mark and it was also the night she lost her virginity. That night was filled with ugly memories from that experience to finding her mother lying in a pool of blood.
“Hey beautiful.” Mark had approached her.
“Hey.” She said back. She had never been approached by a boy all her life and there she was. At the exact moment where her body was calling and she wanted to try stuff. She had always heard Lucy talk of how she had kissed her boyfriend George.
“Do you want to get out of her, I could use some fresh air.” Mark had offered. She had been all alone and now that a person had given her attention, she couldn’t say no. She accepted as Mark offered his hand and escorted her out. They went to the football pitch and he held her tightly close to him. She had never felt safer than she had with him, despite meeting him on the very same night. She didn’t resist as he pulled her forward and pressed her against the goal post. He kissed her and she kissed him back. She had been afraid of intimacy but as Mark gently kissed her lips, se let go of the fear and hungrily kissed him back. They were both breathing heavily and she was letting her guards down little by little. Mark had been aroused and lost control. He lifted her dress and slipped his hands to reach out for her crotch. He slid his finger into her and felt her wetness. She had only been an innocent girl and he took advantage. He then slid his manhood into her and kept thrusting even as she warned him to slow down. He wouldn’t hear it. He just kept going and going until he was done with her. She couldn’t stop crying that night from the trauma. But Mark had apologized claiming that he got carried away.
As traumatized as she was that night, she pulled herself together on her way home. She didn’t want her mother to know that she had been hurt. She hopped into Lucy’s car as they drove off from the school. On reaching home, they both could see the police outside her house. She thought her mother had called them to report her missing daughter but there was no sign of her mother. The neighbors, including the Andersons surrounded her homestead and something told Joss all was not okay. She hopped out of the car and ran towards the house only to see her mother’s body lying motionless. She had blamed herself, she should have stayed home and maybe, just maybe her mother would have survived. How could she be so cruel to leave her on her own? That’s not what her mommy had taught her, she should have stayed home and taken care of her.
She stayed at Anderson’s but she couldn’t stop blaming herself. She wished and prayed that her mother would forgive her. She needed her even as ill as she had been. She would always carry the guilty in her heart. Lucy had tried to console her but it didn’t work.
“Come on, it’s not your fault.” Lucy had said.
“What do you mean it’s not my fault?” Joss was angry with herself.” I should have been there Lucy. I should have.” She kept saying that.
“I know but there is nothing you could have done to change that honey.” Lucy’s mother said to her, handing her a cup of English tea. Lucy sat there with her, hugging her to console her dear friend.
Joss stayed in bed for days, not eating or talking to anyone. She didn’t even attend her own mother’s funeral. She could face the fact that the only person she had really connected with w
as gone.
“Hey, Joss, right?” A voice interrupted her thoughts. She looked up only to see Ben. She almost choked on her burger.
“Hey, Ben.” She said. She had not expected him to follow her in. “How did you know I was here?” She acted surprised.
“I didn’t. I just came in here to get some food. It’s getting late though.” Ben lied. He had already seen Joss’ car and his biker friends had talked about a sexy lady in sexy shorts. He had known it must have been her.
“So much of you getting just food in here, and seeing me at this corner, huh.” Joss doubted his intentions. Ben smiled at her cheekily and took a seat opposite where she was seated. He had a broad chest and this time, Joss was able to catch a glimpse of his lit blue eyes. He was full of life and he had this smile that kept Joss staring at his beautiful mouth.
“So where exactly are you headed to?” Ben asked when he noticed that Joss was shy.
“Nowhere in particular. I just want to rediscover myself.” She said innocently.
“Rediscover yourself, huh.” Ben wasn’t sure what that really meant. From the first time he laid his eyes on her, he had thought that she was composed. How wrong he was.
“Yes, sometimes we all need that time to find our true selves.” Joss said.
“I don’t know about that Joss.” Ben said reaching out to hold her hands which she comfortably rested on the table.
She looked up at his face and he looked at her right back. It was impossible to avoid staring at Joss’ face. She had a dimple on each cheek and her Mexican hair said it all. Ben looked at her eyes which seemed to attract him even more. “So, it’s almost 5pm, why don’t you join me and my friends at a party tonight? It’s a part of recovery you know.” He offered.
She looked down at a piece of burger she had left and thought about Ben’s offer. After all, she was in the verge of discovering what she really wanted with her life and taking risks was one of the major decisions she had to face. However she hesitated answering him when she remembered what Lucy had told her about men. She was not to trust any of them.
“I don’t know about that Ben.” She said
“You should think about it.” Ben insisted. They were holding an all bikers party at a motel just two miles from the restaurant.
Joss decided to attend the party; it would be the very first party she would be attending on her own. Since it was getting late in the evening, she drove off to the motel Ben had told her about. She would spend the night there before embarking on her road trip.
Chapter 3
Joss pulled her vehicle in front of Grudge Motel. She was met by the door man who took her keys to park her Volvo. She wasn’t sure if that’s the way things should be but she handed him the keys. There was a room attendant who took her bag from her hand and escorted her inside. She waited to be offered her room and within a few minutes, she was shown to her room.
“Do you need anything Ma’am?” The room attendant asked after she put her bags into the wardrobe.
“No, I think I am doing just fine.” She replied, smiling warmly at her.
The room attendant closed the door behind her and Joss could hear her footsteps trailing downstairs. She was tired from driving and she had to take a bath before Ben and his friends arrived at the motel for the party. She took her clothes off as she headed for the bathroom. There lay a Jacuzzi and two taps, a red one and a blue one. Joss had never used a Jacuzzi before and she had no idea what the taps were meant for. She pressed the red button and hot water flowed into the tub. She figured out that the blue button was for cold water to cool down the hot water in the tab. Again she picked up the shower gel placed in the cabin just above the Jacuzzi. She poured some gel in the tub before dipping her left leg followed by her right and then her body. Feeling the water against her body as the best feeling she had had in ages. She could not remember the last time she was alone and relaxed. She stayed in the tub for half an hour, memories of her lonely childhood lingering in her mind. It felt just like yesterday she had lost her mother despite the fact that she had passed on just three months before. She had loved her mother and she would do anything to bring her back. Sadly, there wasn’t anything left for her in San Diego.
She wiped the water from her body using the motel towels as she walked slowly to the ward robe. She wanted to wear something exciting. At least she would have fun that evening. She could hear people laughing loudly and talking but she couldn’t make out what they were saying. She figured out that Ben and his bikers had arrived at the motel. She opened her travel bag and got out a sexy black top and a blue pair of denim jeans shorts. She took out her lotion and rubbed it against her skin. A part of her was scared as she had never been at a party with random people in her life but she really wanted to attend the party. As soon as she was done dressing, she took a final look at the mirror and she was convinced that she looked great to party. She walked out of the door and locked it behind her. She walked slowly downstairs but stopped at the sight of Ben. He stared at her from head to toe and she could read his lips as he uttered ‘wow’ to himself. She proceeded to meet him.
Ben had never seen a more beautiful woman like Joss was. He had been with multiple women, he knew some of them but others were just strangers to him. He wouldn’t recall some of them. However, there was something special about Joss from the moment he met her at the gas station, and then again at the restaurant. He knew he wanted her and hoped he would have a chance with her after the party.
When Joss approached Ben’s table, his friends applauded at her. There were other girls sitting on the other men’s laps. Others were dancing as the waiters delivered their orders. She walked to where Ben was sitting but he arose from his seat. He held her by the hand and pulled her to him. She seemed more scared than excited.
“Sorry if I hurt you.” Ben said when he noticed that she wasn’t happy. Usually when he pulled women to him, they seemed pretty charmed by the move.
“No, it’s okay.” Joss said, facing down to avoid Ben’s sharp eyes. She was usually shy but she fought it.
Ben sat down and just as Joss reached out to get another chair, Ben sat her on his lap. She wanted to resist but she wouldn’t. She wanted to fit in and seeing the other girls drinking while sitting on the other bikers laps, she stayed. She couldn’t find the right words to express how she felt at that moment. Ben waved his hand and a waiter came rushing towards where they were seated.
“What would you like to drink?” Ben asked, looking straight at Joss.
“I’ll have what you are having.” She replied.
She had never tasted alcohol all her life. She had been indoors most of her life but she had always watched people on TV.
“Okay, two beers please.” Ben said.
“Right away Mr. Brighton.” The waiter said as he left the table. He walked to the counter and ordered two cold beers before returning to their table. He opened the bottles and handed one to Joss and the other to Ben.
“Mr. Brighton, huh.” Joss said in a low voice.
“They always call me that around here. But call me Ben.” Ben insisted.
His father, George Brighton was well known as he owned an oil company. People often respected Ben knowing that he was the son of a local tycoon.
“You come here often?” She continued as she took her first sip from the bottle, just like the other ladies were. She choked on the beer and spilled some on Ben’s shirt.
“Oh my God, I am so sorry.” She uttered.
“It’s okay Joss,” Ben said as he wiped his shirt using the Kleenex tissues on the table. “You’ve never tasted alcohol in your life, have you?” He asked.
“No.” Joss admitted, ashamed that she knew almost nothing about life. “I am so embarrassed.” She said.
“Don’t be, we all started somewhere you know.” Ben said, caressing her back gently.
“It’s confusing how you are well known around here yet your accent differs.” She continues. Something inside of her wanted to really know Ben. He se
emed like a nice person.
“I lived in London until I was eleven, with my mother. I haven’t been able to shed off the accent but I try.” Ben explained. He held Joss and laid her head on his chest.
“Well, that explains it.” Joss said, contented with his response.
“Since you are asking me questions, I’ve got to ask this; why are you on a road trip? You’re like nineteen.” He asked.
“Some things are better left unsaid Ben Brighton.” Joss replied as she reached out for her beer. This time she took a large sip from the bottle but this time she didn’t choke.
“Easy.” Ben cautioned her.
“Be my teacher Ben.” Joss said. She really needed to have fun, at least one night where she didn’t have to worry about nothing.
“With pleasure Joss.” He said back to her. She was so innocent and vulnerable in his arms. A part of him wanted to rip her clothes off and make sweet love to this beautiful girl he just met but he just couldn’t do it. He needed her to open up to him as he could tell she was a troubled soul.
Chapter 4
It surprised Joss how comfortable and safe she felt with Ben. She had never had someone to lean on except Lucy, who was like a sister to her. She sat on his laps and she could feel herself get carried away by the passion he had. She wasn’t sure if she was just lonely or she was really attracted to Ben. She had been drinking beer after beer until the bikers ordered endless shots of Bourbon whiskey.
“I am not sure you should start doing this love.” Ben warned Joss as she reached out for the liquor.
“Why not, you’ll take care of me, won’t you now.” Joss retorted, imitating the British accent from Ben. Everybody laughed at her but she was too drunk to realize what she just did. Instead, she laughed with everybody else.
“Hey, bitch.” One of Ben’s friends approached her. She held her by the waste and pulled her close to him. Joss was scared but she didn’t flinch. Instead, she just stood there. She swept her eyes across the bar room looking for Ben but she couldn’t find him. He was the only person who seemed to care what happened to her. Luckily, she saw him coming from the washrooms.
Adored By The Rancher: Mail Order Brides Box Set Page 39
