You Don't Know Me

by Mandy Lee

  I stare at him in disbelief. Have I just misinterpreted that? Or, after only two weeks of knowing me, has he just made some sort of reference to marriage? I shake my head. No, that definitely didn’t just happen. I get no chance to think about it any further because in an instant, he closes in on me, wrapping his arms around my body. With one hand, he presses my bottom in towards his crotch, while he moves the other hand across my shoulders, holding me in position. And then his lips are on mine, kissing me with a passion. A wave of desire sweeps right through me, clearing out any last vestige of doubt. I want this man in my life. I know that now. And in spite of all the questions, I need him too. Just as much as he needs me. I have no idea how long it goes on for. Here and there, I hear the pap of a car horn or the tinkle of a rickshaw bell, and I’m pretty sure it’s all on account of our show.

  ‘Get a room!’ someone calls out.

  He doesn’t pay any attention. Instead, here at the centre of Seven Dials, he carries on kissing me. I can barely breathe when he finally pulls away.

  ‘Can we go home now?’ I gasp.

  ‘Not quite yet.’ He catches his breath. ‘I need you to meet someone first.’

  Keeping his arm firmly in place around my shoulders, he raises a hand and flags down a passing cab. I’m ushered in first. He leaps in quickly behind me and slams the door shut, leaning forwards and giving his instructions to the taxi driver. I try my best to listen in, but I hear nothing. I’m in a daze as he seats himself next to me, motioning for me to shuffle into his arms.

  ‘Maya?’ I turn my face to his. ‘You need to let me know who told you about that woman. Just trust me on this one. There won’t be any comeback for them, but I need to clear this up for once and for all.’

  I take a moment to examine his features, finding nothing but pure determination. ‘Little Steve,’ I admit, knowing full well I have no choice in the matter.

  He nods.

  ‘Have you got your mobile with you?’

  ‘Yes.’

  I lean down and grab my mobile out of my handbag, offering it to him. He shakes his head.

  ‘Do you have Little Steve’s number?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Call him. Ask for the name of the woman who’s been spreading rumours about me. I think I know who it is, but if you’re going to believe me, then you need to hear it from a third party. Her full name. Just do it.’

  I stare at Dan’s face before I stare down at the phone. Finally, I flick my way through my phone contacts and call Little Steve.

  ‘Maya, darling,’ he breathes as soon as he answers. ‘Is everything alright? Lucy ran out of here like a bat out of hell tonight.’

  ‘Everything’s fine,’ I reassure him.

  ‘She says you’ve got a painting for us.’

  Oh bloody hell, I’d forgotten about that, and I don’t have the time or the inclination to talk about it right now because Dan’s blue eyes are fixed on me, expectantly.

  ‘I have, but can we talk about that some other time? I need something. It’s important, Steve. The woman who told you about Dan, about the ... incident.’

  ‘Oh, yes?’

  ‘I need her name.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘I just need it, Steve. Please.’

  ‘Okay.’ I can hear him wheezing heavily at the other end of the line. I can only imagine what’s going through his head right now. ‘It’s Claudine. Claudine Thomas.’

  ‘Thank you.’

  Passing my finger over the end call icon, I lean forwards and toss my phone back into the handbag. When I straighten up again, a strong hand pulls me back towards Dan’s chest. He really doesn’t want to let me go tonight.

  ‘He gave you a name?’ he asks.

  ‘He did.’

  ‘Good. So now you know who we’re on our way to see.’

  He kisses the top of my head. His arms tighten once more. Biting back the urge to ask any more questions, I spend the entire journey curled up in his embrace while he gently strokes my hair. Somehow, I know this is going to be difficult enough for both of us. I don’t need to make it any worse by interrogating him. And besides, I get the feeling that all my questions are about to be answered. At last, the taxi draws to a halt.

  ‘Where are we?’

  ‘Belgravia.’ He leans forwards and thrusts a note at the taxi driver. ‘Wait for us, no matter how long this takes. I’ll make it worth your while. The lady’s going to leave her handbag here.’

  Helping me out of the car, he leads me up the steps of an imposing Georgian townhouse, set back from the road behind iron railings. Wherever this is, judging by the immaculate state of the place and the Bentley parked right outside, we’re somewhere very upmarket indeed. He comes to a halt on the top step, his grip tightening around my hand.

  ‘Whatever you see in here, don’t judge me by it. Remember it’s all in the past. And Maya.’ He places a finger under my chin, tipping my head up towards him. His eyes spark fiercely. ‘Trust me.’

  He straightens up, allowing a mask to fall into place: suddenly, his expression is unreadable, his eyes empty of all emotion. Reaching out, he presses the bell and seems to hold his breath. It takes several seconds for the door to open, revealing a large man, dressed in pin-striped trousers and a blue shirt. I gaze up at the stranger, entranced by the fact that everything about his face seems to droop: the handlebar moustache, the lips, the chubby cheeks, even the eyebrows. At first sight, he seems to be half-asleep, but he’s clearly not. His grey eyes dart about, sharp and observant. The moment they fix on Dan, the rest of the face struggles to raise itself into an insincere smile.

  ‘Dan!’ A deep voice resonates through the evening air.

  ‘Isaac.’

  I watch as Dan lets go of me. Shooting back an insincere smile of his own, he slips his hand into a set of chubby fingers.

  ‘Well, goodness me! You’re back.’

  ‘I am.’

  The grey eyes shift to my face. A shiver skitters its way up my spine. There’s something about this man that I just don’t like.

  ‘And you’ve brought a friend,’ he grins. ‘Come in! Come in!’

  Taking a step back, Isaac waves us into a large, bright hallway. Immediately, I can see that there’s money in this place, what with the marble floor, the antique tables that sit at intervals along the walls and the heavy, gold-framed mirrors hanging above them. He motions towards an open door. Dan places his hand at the small of my back and even here in this strange place, a familiar shimmer of excitement passes through me. I’m shown into a dimly lit room that looks to all intents and purposes like a gentleman’s study.

  It takes me a moment or two to adjust my eyes to the gloom before I begin to register the contents. In front of an ornate fireplace, two Chesterfield chairs face each other across an antique mahogany table. On the table top, a crystal decanter, half-filled with amber liquid, stands next to a bottle of water and two glasses. The floor is covered with a rug that’s worn and thin now, but clearly expensive, and the walls are decorated with dark oil paintings. I take a step forwards, inspecting the paintings, one by one, discovering that they’re all of naked women in various sexual poses. It’s then that I realise the pictures are interspersed with various objects hanging from hooks on the walls: manacles, whips, gags, paddles …

  Oh Jesus, my brain screams out. He’s brought you to some sort of high-end sex den!

  ‘Whisky?’ Isaac purrs.

  ‘If you don’t mind,’ Dan answers crisply.

  Isaac sets about pouring the drinks.

  ‘And what would you like, young lady?’ he asks, glancing across at me.

  ‘Nothing, thank you.’

  It takes all of my self-control not to tell him to stop being so bloody patronising. Somehow, I know this just isn’t the time for indignation. Play along with the scene, I tell myself. Just bloody well play along.

  ‘The little lady’s a tad nervous.’ Isaac’s mouth twists into a grin. ‘She’s never done this type of thing before, I can
tell.’ He hands a glass to Dan and then sinks down into one of the Chesterfields. ‘Would you like a seat?’ he asks me, waving at the free chair.

  ‘Thank you.’

  I perch myself on the edge of the leather and the big man nods at me, letting his eyes rest on my breasts for a little too long before he turns his attention back to Dan.

  ‘You haven’t been around for a while. I heard you’d left the scene.’

  ‘You heard right.’

  ‘So, what’s this then?’

  ‘A trip down memory lane. My membership’s still current.’

  ‘Of course it is. We don’t do refunds here.’ The grey eyes flick back in my direction. ‘And this lovely young thing is?’

  ‘None of your business.’ Dan’s words scatter themselves into the air, like bullets. In a split second, the atmosphere between the two men has frozen solid.

  ‘Don’t you worry, Daniel,’ Isaac counters. ‘I know my place.’ From the way that he’s staring at me now, I’m pretty sure he doesn’t. His eyes skirt up and down my legs and I readjust myself on the chair, wishing to God that we can just get this over with quickly. ‘You’ve moved on then?’ he asks, motioning his glass towards me. ‘Initiating fresh blood?’

  Finishing off the whisky, Dan leans forwards, depositing the empty glass on the table.

  ‘Whatever I’ve moved on to, it doesn’t concern you. I’m here for a purpose. Is Claudine around?’

  Isaac raises an eyebrow.

  ‘Yes, she is. Upstairs.’

  ‘Good. I’d like a private room for the night. And I’d like to invite Claudine to join us.’

  You what? My mouth flies open at that. My muscles tense. I’m about to spring up from the chair and flee for my life when I catch sight of Dan’s face.

  ‘Trust,’ he mouths silently, shaking his head.

  ‘Ooh,’ Isaac giggles. Ripples of flab wobble around his neck. ‘A ménage à trois, young lady. You’re going in at the deep end.’

  ‘Enough of that, Isaac. Have you got a room?’

  ‘Yes.’ He stops laughing and narrows his eyes at Dan. ‘I have a room available for you, Daniel. I’ll get a message to Claudine. I’m sure she’ll join you. You were always a favourite of hers.’ He sighs, leaning to one side, and sets his glass down on the table. When he looks back up at Dan, his expression is fixed, perfectly serious, half-menacing.

  ‘You’ll be careful with my little chick, won’t you?’ he growls.

  ‘Of course.’

  ‘I’ve nurtured that one. I’d like to have her returned to me in a decent state.’

  ‘She’ll be absolutely fine.’

  ‘Good. You can take your usual room. Any extras?’

  ‘Yes.’ Dan glances down at me. His lips twitch slightly before he mutters the next word. ‘Whips.’

  ***

  With my hand firmly clutched in his, Dan guides me up a set of stairs and down a corridor. Up here, the décor is just as expensive and sumptuous as on the ground floor, only now the marble flooring has been replaced by a deep red carpet and the lighting is dimmer. Every single door we pass is closed, apart from one. As I’m led past it, I hear a moan. It’s a woman’s voice. I pull myself to a halt. Dan turns quickly.

  ‘Maya?’

  I nod towards the door.

  ‘No,’ he warns me.

  ‘I want to know what you did.’

  ‘And how would that help matters?’

  ‘I have a right to know.’

  A second long, low moan comes from behind the door.

  ‘Let go of me.’ I tug at his grip.

  ‘For fuck’s sake, no.’

  I glare at him, determined to go through with this. I want to get inside this man’s head, and if I’m going to do that, then I need to understand his past. At last, he releases his grip and I move towards the door, pushing it open just far enough to take a peek. At first, it’s difficult to see what’s going on in the gloom, but slowly it comes into focus. Apart from a bed, there’s no ordinary furniture in here: just a leather bench in one corner and what looks like a swing chair in another. But it’s what I find at the centre of the room that causes my breath to falter: a woman, suspended from the ceiling in a leather harness. She’s face down with her legs parted, bent upward and behind her at the knee. Various straps hold her in place, around her legs, her body and her arms. And she’s being fucked … fucked viciously by one naked, faceless man, while another stands at her head, with a handful of her hair clutched in his fist, forcing his cock deep into her mouth.

  ‘You did this?’ I whisper.

  I feel him by my side.

  ‘It’s consensual. Come away.’

  ‘But this?’

  ‘I told you not to look.’

  He takes me by the hand again and urges me further down the hallway.

  ‘But why does she want to be treated like that?’ There’s no way I’m letting this one go. ‘Does she know those men?’

  ‘They’re probably acquaintances. And as for why she wants that done to her, I have no idea. That’s her business.’

  He stops at the end of the hallway, outside the final door, and a shiver scurries its way up my spine. I have no idea what I’m about to be presented with. My brain has only just begun to toss and turn over the possibilities when he opens the door, revealing nothing more than what looks like a plush, luxurious hotel bedroom. He motions for me to enter and I step inside, trying to take it all in, noting a huge four-poster bed, a leather sofa set in the corner, an occasional table. I perch myself on the edge of the bed while he pours a glass of water from a decanter and hands it to me.

  ‘Your hands are shaking. I told you to trust me. There’s no need to be afraid.’

  ‘You’ve brought me to a sex club full of kinky weirdos.’

  ‘That makes me a kinky weirdo. I am a member, after all.’

  ‘I can’t believe what I’ve just seen,’ I breathe. ‘How did you get into this?’

  ‘I was encouraged. A long time ago. And now, I’m out of it.’

  ‘And you wouldn’t come back to it?’

  Keeping his eyes fixed on me, he shakes his head, slowly.

  ‘I’ve found a much better club. Very exclusive. Just two members.’ He folds his arms. ‘I wish you hadn’t seen that. Please don’t judge me by it.’

  ‘Degrading women, it’s just …’

  ‘Women told me what they wanted,’ he interrupts, ‘and I gave it to them. Like I said, don’t judge me by what you see in here. This isn’t me.’

  ‘Then what is, Dan? Please tell me because I haven’t got a fucking clue.’

  He drops his head, runs his fingers through his hair and when he looks up again, the expression of pure anguish on his face makes me want to leap up and throw my arms around him.

  ‘I’m doing my best,’ he pleads. ‘I told you, you just need to give me time. This was a mistake, bringing you here.’

  ‘Then why did you?’

  ‘Because there’s no other way to prove what I’m about to prove.’

  There’s a knock on the door. We both start and turn to look at it.

  ‘Claudine?’ I whisper.

  He nods and the anguish disappears. Pulling the mask back into place, he seats himself on the sofa, draping his arms across the leather back and crossing his legs. He’s completely and utterly composed. It’s a masterful performance.

  ‘Come in,’ he calls.

  The door opens to reveal a tall, red-haired woman, dressed in nothing but a silk robe. She moves into the room, glancing briefly at me before she locks her attention on Dan. In her right hand, she’s carrying a whip.

  ‘You’re back,’ she breathes.

  A smile plays at the corner of his mouth.

  ‘I am.’

  ‘I knew you’d come back in the end.’

  ‘I had to come, Claudine. You made it impossible for me to stay away. I hope you’ve brought my favourite.’

  ‘Of course.’ She waves the whip around in front of her face before
tossing it onto the bed. ‘So, we’re here for a threesome then?’ Casting a dismissive glance in my direction, she begins to sidle her way across the room, making straight for Dan. He raises a hand and halts her in her tracks. There’s something new about him now, something cold and hard in his demeanour, something strange I’ve never seen before.

  ‘We are,’ he says. ‘But we’re going to take our time.’ Raising himself up from the sofa, he nods towards me. ‘She’s new to this and we wouldn’t want to put her off, would we?’

  ‘No we wouldn’t.’

  ‘On your knees.’

  Without hesitation, Claudine Thomas drops to the floor, her head lowered, and I understand: Dan’s playing the dominant now. And he must have played it plenty of times before because, bloody hell, he’s good at it.

  ‘What are you in the mood for, Claudine?’

  ‘Anything you want to give me.’

  ‘I’d like to give you this.’ Picking up the whip, he runs it across the back of her neck. I can practically see her shiver. ‘Head up,’ he orders, and she complies. He smoothes the whip across her cheek. ‘Do you want me to whip you?’

  ‘Yes. Yes, I do.’

  ‘And why is that?’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Answer me, Claudine.’

  ‘Because I like it.’

  ‘Not good enough.’ He taps the whip against her shoulder.

  ‘Because I love it, especially with you.’

  ‘And are you sure about that?’

  ‘Of course I’m sure.’ She seems to notice something in his eyes, a trace of disgust perhaps. ‘Why wouldn’t I be sure?’

  The next few seconds seem to drag their heels. While Claudine Thomas searches his face for clues, Dan continues to stare back down at her.

  ‘Because I whipped you once until you bled,’ he presses on, his tone even, perfectly measured. ‘Because I lost control and ignored your safeword. Because I had to be pulled away from you.’ He pauses. His eyelids flicker momentarily. ‘Because I’m a sadist.’

  ‘I don’t …’ Confusion takes hold of her face.

  ‘Well, that’s the story, Claudine. The story you’ve been spreading around town.’ I watch as she shakes her head. ‘You just can’t help yourself, can you? You’ve been spreading your malicious lies because you can’t stand the fact that I don’t want you.’ He stares down at her, his top lip lifting into the beginnings of a sneer. ‘So let’s just get this straight, shall we?’ With a dismissive flick of the wrist, he tosses the whip back onto the bed. ‘If I’m guilty of all of those things, then why the hell are you so eager to let me back at you now?’