Take Me Now

by Sullivan, Faith

  I rack my brain, trying to think if I sent him any mixed signals for him to come on so strongly. He’s a teenage boy riddled with hormones but that’s no excuse. He definitely needs to work on his technique. No girl likes to be seduced by an attacker. Is that fleeting glimpse he caught of my naked body over a year ago really enough to provoke him to act like this? It’s like he viewed me as an object, a piece of meat, definitely not as a person, and that’s what disturbs me the most. What’s driving him under the surface? Awkwardness around women or some kind of uncontrollable sex drive? Either way, it’s no excuse for what he did. There are steps to lead up to that and he just blew right by them to satisfy himself.

  As we approach the theater, I peer anxiously out the window, trying to spot Eric but he’s nowhere to be found. It’s Will who is waiting at the curb as Ryan inches the Jeep forward, seemingly reluctant to let me go. Little does he realize that he’s already blown it. There’s no going forward from here. Our friendship is over effective immediately. He should get down on his knees and kiss my feet for not pressing charges.

  Will opens my door as Ryan hands his keys to the valet. The theme of the gala is the red carpet experience and it’s sure starting off on the right foot. The lights of the marquee are glowing but the name of the movie is yet to be revealed. In an attempt to salvage at least some portion of the evening, I smile at Will as he kisses my hand. He’s here to make a good impression, and after how I was treated by Ryan, I can’t help but play along. One thing about Will is his intentions are usually clear and up front. He’s never wanted me, not like that.

  Will offers his arm and I take it. My legs are still a tad wobbly after my ordeal on the side of the road. My heels are scuffed and I hope no one notices. I took such pains in getting ready for this gala and already my appearance has been ruined. I’ll never present a put-together face to the world. I have too many people trying to drag me down.

  All of the attendees seem to know Will, and he pauses to chat to nearly every one of them. I smile and laugh when required, but otherwise I scan the crowd for Eric. I still don’t see him, and my nerves feel like they’re stretched to the breaking point. Where is he? He said he’d be here, and I don’t see Lauren either. This can’t be good. Damn Ryan for swiping my phone. I have no way of knowing what’s going on and Eric doesn’t even know I’m without it.

  We reach the end of the line and a sense of panic starts to descend. I start to feel light-headed. The room begins to spin. My hands get clammy. My stomach clenches. My knees buckle. Because at the door leading into the theater is Lauren and she’s full on making out with Eric.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Eric

  I arrive at the gala a half hour early but I enter through the supply room door in order to avoid the contrived hoopla out front. If this is Will’s idea of impressing the Hollywood bigwigs then I’m afraid he’s doing himself a disservice. Nothing’s tackier than trying to make our small town into something it’s not. Glitz and glamour don’t blend well with tractors and hay bales. I have no idea if these execs are going to be impressed with Will’s efforts to transform our humble one-screen theater into a cultural mecca, but I can’t be the only one who thinks he’s kidding himself. I no sooner turn the corner, dodging a vat of homogenized butter in the process, when I bump into the man himself.

  “Not outside to greet the minions?” I’m satisfied that I’m quick enough to deliver the first insult.

  “Hardly. I’ve been waiting for you. I knew you’d slip in the back.” He grabs me by the arm and I shove him off.

  “Whatever it is you have in mind, I’m not falling for it. Sorry.” I move to turn my back on him and walk in the opposite direction but his next words make me reconsider.

  “Lauren wants to talk to you about a certain late night incident in her office, if you catch my drift. You wouldn’t want innocent hearts like Ivy’s to get broken, now would you?” He has the audacity to laugh and I’m not surprised. He’s never cared about Ivy. Why would he start now?

  “I thought you would’ve hit that a long time ago, Will.” Determined to regain the upper hand in the conversation, I kick him where it counts, albeit verbally.

  “Who says I haven’t, dumbass? Lauren’s a lady who likes to explore her options. Besides, her uncle produced at least a dozen films over the last ten years, and it’s going to be fun getting to know him a lot better. I don’t mind lending a hand to break up whatever you think you have going on with Ivy. All I have to do is snap my fingers and she’ll come running back, guaranteed. Too bad she never lived up to the potential I thought she had. But I guess she’s good enough for you, huh?” Will smirks and I don’t even bother restraining myself. I throw him up against the wall, bruising his shoulders as they connect with the sharp corners of a framed movie poster, nearly knocking it down.

  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you, as much as I’d like to kick your ass and end this. If you have any chance of salvaging your relationship with Ivy, you’ll follow me now or else I can’t predict what Lauren will do. You know how driven she is when it comes to getting her way.” I let him go but I regret letting him off so easily. This isn’t over, not by a long shot. No one’s going to insult Ivy to my face and get away with it. There will be a reckoning in terms of the unfinished business we have between us. It’s only a matter of time.

  He strides over to the rickety steps that head to the projection room. What could possibly be up there? What is he going to do? Tie me up and lock the door so Ivy won’t be able to find me? He’s got another thing coming if he thinks I’m going to submit that readily. I’m willing to negotiate but on my terms.

  He walks through the doorway and I linger on the stairs. Somehow I feel my fate is about to be decided in that room. There’s a tangible sense of danger wafting from above, like if I take one more step my whole world is going to come crumbling down around me. What have I gotten myself into?

  Taking a deep breath, I enter the room. And waiting there is Lauren.

  “Close the door and keep Ivy occupied,” Lauren commands as if Will is nothing more than her boy toy. He’s such a pussy. I had him pegged all along. He’s an opportunist. His services belong to the highest bidder, and he has no qualms about sleeping his way to the top.

  I follow his retreat with my eyes, but all of a sudden he’s too much of a coward to look at me. He’s being horsewhipped by this egomaniac, and it kills me that Ivy’s going to be in his presence for the remainder of the evening. Surrounded by liars and frauds, I can do little to protect her trapped up here.

  “What do you want, Lauren?” The hard edge to my voice makes her pause, but she quickly brushes any misgivings aside.

  “You realize this little dalliance you’ve been carrying on with my intern is over, right?” She smiles at me from her position atop the control panel. She thinks it’s so easy to get people to do what she wants, like flicking a switch or pulling a lever. She doesn’t know how mistaken she is.

  “I don’t remember granting you authority over my love life, Lauren.” I slide my hands in my pockets and watch the people file into the seats below.

  “Oh, but you did, Eric. You let down your guard with me before, and it won’t take much for you to do it again.” She crosses her legs suggestively in front of me.

  “That was different, and you know it. I was drunk. It was late. I wasn’t thinking straight. Nothing happened.” I’m adamant in my response, but I’m not so sure if I’m buying my own story.

  “Funny, that’s not what I recall about that night. You seemed so needy, like you couldn’t get enough…” She begins tracing the toe of her stiletto up my leg and I jerk away.

  “Stop it, okay? Just tell me what you want me to do to keep you from telling Ivy.” I’m willing to bargain with her so I can explain things to Ivy about what went down. I certainly don’t want her hearing it from Lauren. I’ll do anything to prevent that.

  “Well, it’s quite simple really. I want you to be my boyfriend for the night.” She gets to her
feet, stalking me across the cramped room.

  “What? Aren’t we already doing that?” I’m lost and she’s reveling in my confusion.

  “Technically, yes. But I want more from you—much more.” She slides a hand up my arm, and it takes everything in my power not to shrug it off.

  “Such as?” I dread hearing the details of her awful scheme.

  “I want to participate in some very public displays of affection, if you catch my drift.” Her fingers twist through the fabric of my tie, drawing me closer.

  “And how is that better than just telling Ivy what happened?” Her expensive perfume is filling my head, making me unsteady on my feet.

  “So you do admit something happened…” She yanks my tie, startling me.

  “No…it’s just…” I can’t believe I’m at a loss for words.

  “Just?” She purrs seductively inches away from my mouth.

  “I don’t see how this is better for me.” The bright red color of her lipstick fills my vision as she licks her lips.

  “Let me clarify things for you. When we had our one moment of bliss, you didn’t know Ivy then. She has no idea what went on between us or for how long. But if you have some fun with me this evening, you can fluff it off as some charade you had to participate in to secure the donors for the continued support of the theater. You two have to have talked about how you were going to have to play a part here tonight. If you’re so caught up in each other like you say you are, I can imagine that having to escort me to this event is a bitter pill for Ivy to swallow.” Lauren has me up against the wall before she grabs the lapels of my jacket. Striding forward, she deposits me into a chair before settling onto my lap. “Why put more thoughts in her head about whatever happened between us in the past when you can so easily erase what she sees between us tonight? I mean, there will be limitations to how far I can push the envelope in such a public setting. Whereas her imagination is free to roam about what went on in my office. I would be more than happy to supply her with all of the details.”

  “That won’t be necessary.” I’m backed into a corner, but what can I do? I hate to admit it, but she’s right. I’m left with some control in regards to how this all plays out and that’s better than nothing.

  “So you agree?” She sizes me up like she can’t believe that I’ll go along with her.

  “How do I know you won’t tell Ivy later?” This is the one caveat on which the whole bargain hinges.

  “Well, you don’t, silly. But it’d be better than my telling her in front of all these people here tonight, wouldn’t it?” Her hand is in my hair as she brings her lips closer to mine. “Let’s seal the deal with a kiss, shall we?”

  My mind blanks out as her mouth consumes mine like I’m what she’s been thirsting for. But all I can think about is that I’ve somehow been conned into cheating on Ivy when it’s the last thing I ever intended to do. Will Ivy ever forgive me for this?

  Chapter Seventeen

  Ivy

  I stagger backwards and Will’s hand is immediately against my back. There’s a ringing in my ears, and the whole scene gets hazy around the edges of my vision. What is Eric doing? Why is he kissing Lauren like that? Just when I thought this night couldn’t get any worse, it does. I was supposed to go home with Eric. We were going to move to the next step in our relationship. Take things slow and try to work on his intimacy issues. Now all I want to do is get as far away from him as possible. Has he been playing me the whole time? Is he just another one of Lauren’s flunkies?

  “I need to sit down.” I close my eyes and lower my head. The last thing I want is for Eric to see me right now. I wish the ground would swallow me so I could disappear from this ridiculous event.

  “The movie will be starting soon. Why don’t we go in?” The pressure of Will’s fingertips is firm and insistent on my back. Again, he’s after his own self-interest. He could care less if I collapse in front of him.

  “I can’t.” I dig my feet into the carpet, refusing to budge. I’m sick of all of the men in my life forcing me to do something I don’t want to do. It ends here. I have nothing left to lose.

  “If it’s because you’re worried about walking by Lauren and the Landscaping Lothario, you can calm down. They already went in.” Will’s eyes, the ones I used to dream about, look bored and distant. Clearly, comforting me isn’t his favorite pastime.

  “Are you sure?” I scan the rapidly thinning crowd and I don’t see them. Maybe he’s right and the coast is clear, even if my heart is shattering within me. All I want to do is return to my dorm room, take off this dress, and hide under the covers. But I have no ride and no way to call Sophie to pick me up. I’m stuck in this random circle of hell for at least the next couple of hours.

  “Yeah, now come on.” He tugs at my arm and I let him guide me into the theater. Almost every seat is taken but there are still some openings in the first few rows reserved for the VIP ticket holders. Lauren is front and center with Eric’s arm protectively draped across her shoulders as they share a bag of popcorn. There is one drink with two straws wedged in the cup holder between them. I clutch my stomach as we get closer to them.

  “Will, please don’t make me sit by them.” I hate how pitiful my begging sounds but I’m beyond the point of trying to maintain some shred of dignity. I feel all of my hope drain out of me as Lauren laughs uproariously at something Eric said, no doubt indulging in a joke at my expense.

  “Ivy, I have to sit in this section. It’s my job. I need to be able to mingle.” Will shoots me an aggravated glance like he’s forced to baby-sit an obnoxious child instead of snuggling up to a hot date. My request is pushing his nice guy act to the limit. “We don’t have to go directly behind them. How about those two seats at the end of the third row? Will that make you happy?”

  I nod and scurry through an empty row so I don’t have to walk in front of Lauren and Eric. Will sighs dramatically behind me like I’m leading him on some wild goose chase.

  The lights dim the moment we take our seats and the screen flickers to life. There’s a brief announcement thanking everyone for contributing to the success of the film festival, which will go a long way in ensuring the future of the theater. There’s a video clip featuring the owner along with the major sponsors. Eric and Will are standing right next to each other, forced grins on both of their faces. Seeing them together like that makes me want to hurl. The two men I gave my heart to both betrayed me in the end. How could I be so unlucky in love? I grip the armrest as the pain overwhelms me.

  I’m so consumed by the hurt inside that I forget that the reveal of the movie selection was meant to be a surprise. When the title credits of An Affair to Remember starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr fill the screen, the audience bursts into applause, but I couldn’t be more miserable. It’s one of the all-time great love stories. The two fall head over heels for each other only to discover they’re both engaged to different people. It’s heartbreaking to watch what befalls them as they try to find a happy ending. I cry every time I watch it, and it’s going to be next to impossible for me to sit here and absorb the movie in my current emotional state. That’s it. I can’t take anymore. I’ll wait in the lobby until it’s over. I stand up but Will’s fingers firmly grab my wrist.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” he whispers, and I can tell the people around us are annoyed that he’s talking. “Sit down. Now.” He yanks me back into the seat, roughly pulling me by the arm. “And stay there until the movie is over, you got that?”

  I sniffle and he relaxes his hold on me. Tears fill my eyes, blurring the screen in front of me. I furiously blink them back, praying they don’t fall and run trickles of mascara down my face. There will be nothing worse if the lights go up and I’m covered in black streaks. Even though it is a tearjerker of a movie, I don’t think anyone will be bawling as much as I will if I open the floodgates.

  I shut my eyes and try to think of something else but the story still infiltrates my mind since I can’t tune ou
t the voices in the dialogue. It brings me back to the sensation of having Eric against me, how my body responded to his touch. How it felt being in his home and what we planned to do there tonight. A pulsating ache throbs through me. I don’t think I’m going to be able to survive this. I’ve fallen too hard to Eric. All I ever fantasized about was being on a real date with Will, and he’s right next to me in a darkened movie theater, but I’m numb to his presence. I guess it’s because he’s not the one I’m in love with anymore.

  The realization rocks me to my core. I built Will up so much in my mind that the real thing pales in comparison. He’s not making me work for it so that I’d want him even more. No, he’s just a jerk, plain and simple. What little attention he paid me over the years must have been for his amusement only. There was no depth of feeling behind his actions. He probably enjoyed seeing me light up when he was bored enough to talk to me, but beyond that he didn’t think of me at all. And here I was creating this elaborate rationale in my head for his inability to commit to me. Turns out, he wasn’t that complex. He was easy to figure out when I opened my eyes and accepted the truth.

  I’ve never experienced the feeling of an all-encompassing love. I existed at the fringes, consuming the scraps. The sheer power of residing in someone’s affections, like I was the most important person in Eric’s life, was something new to me. I wasn’t used to that. No one has ever showed me that level of devotion, and it felt so good to bask in it, soak it in. I’m pretty sure I was the first person he thought about when he woke up and the last person he pictured before falling asleep. He came to my rescue when I was left to walk down that dusty road and he pulled me up when all I wanted to do was hide in a back alley ravine. How can all of that have been an illusion? He’s not that good an actor. My heart never for one second believed he was lying to me the entire time.

  I shiver as a current of hot air blows against my ear. I know it can’t be, but I imagine it’s Eric. Yet I can no longer fool myself when I hear Will’s threatening voice. “You’re going to open your eyes and watch the movie because if Lauren’s uncle looks back here one more time and catches you napping, I swear to God…”