They moved to a booth. She sat in the middle between them. Marty put his hand on her leg and she let him. She sat there between them and didn’t care. She had nothing left.
They led her out to their car and Marty got in the driver’s seat and drove them to a house in a part of town she didn’t recognize. They pulled the car into the garage. They led her into the living room and Marty turned on the stereo and shut the curtains. Red led her to a couch and she sat down while he went to the kitchen for drinks. He came back carrying three bottles of beer and a fifth of Jack Daniels.
Allison took a long drink from the bottle and fumbled for a cigarette.
‘I don’t know what I’m doing here,’ she said barely.
Red sat down next to her on the couch and lit her cigarette. ‘We’re having a party, that’s what we’re doing.’
‘Yeah,’ Marty added.
Red opened a beer and handed it to her. She drank from it and set it on the table.
‘Are you from around here?’ Marty asked.
‘No.’
‘You new to town?’
She nodded.
‘Where from?’ Red said.
‘Phoenix,’ she said.
‘Phoenix. Jesus, what a mess,’ Marty said.
She nodded.
‘Why you in Reno?’ Red asked.
‘What?’ she said.
‘Why did you come with us?’
‘I don’t even know where I am.’
‘I know why I wanted you to come along. I thought we could all fuck.’
‘Jesus, Red,’ Marty said and laughed.
Allison took another drink off the beer and looked around the room.
‘What about you?’ Red asked.
‘I don’t care what happens,’ she said and tears fell down her face.
Red took a long drink from his beer then set it on the coffee table, moved closer to the girl, and kissed her on the neck. He put his right hand on her leg and slowly went up it. He waited for her refusal, but there was none. Marty walked over and sat on the other side of her and felt her breasts. He clumsily took off her shirt, then her bra. Red took off her shoes, pants, and underwear. They stayed there on the couch and took turns with her until Marty left.
Red then moved her into his bedroom. He got on top of her and went inside her again. He was moving back and forth when she asked him to hit her.
‘What?’ he asked.
She asked him again.
So he hit her. It was with reservation, he was uncertain of doing it, but he did it.
‘Harder,’ she said and slowly he hit her with more force. Sometimes on the arm, then he was slapping her face.
‘Harder, you fucking asshole,’ she cried. But then finally he couldn’t.
Her eyes were closed but tears leaked out. Her face was red from the slaps, and there was a line of blood coming from her nose.
‘Please,’ she said and sobbed.
‘What the fuck is wrong with you?’ he said and got up off her. He put a sheet over her and left the room. She could hear him in the next room moving around, and then she heard the front door shut and the car in the driveway start and leave. She lay in his room and didn’t move. A lamp was on, and she stared at it. She was too drunk to get up and finally she passed out.
The house was empty when she woke. She got up, found her clothes, and put them on. She left the house as quickly as she could. It was near dawn and she had missed work. She headed down the road not knowing where she was, but hoping that eventually she’d find a main street and then maybe a cab.
Chapter 24
The Bottom
When she made it home to the apartment it was past ten. She called in at work and told them she was sick, that she had the flu, that she didn’t think she’d be able to come in for the rest of the week. She hung up the phone and went into the bathroom and started the tub. She shut all the curtains and found her tape player and listened to Brenda Lee while she sat in darkness in the warm water.
Hours passed and she stayed like that. She let the cold water drain and added the hot. She didn’t wash herself or do anything, she just lay there and played the tape over and over. When she finally got out
They led her out to their car and Marty got in the driver’s seat and drove them to a house in a part of town she didn’t recognize. They pulled the car into the garage. They led her into the living room and Marty turned on the stereo and shut the curtains. Red led her to a couch and she sat down while he went to the kitchen for drinks. He came back carrying three bottles of beer and a fifth of Jack Daniels.
Allison took a long drink from the bottle and fumbled for a cigarette.
‘I don’t know what I’m doing here,’ she said barely.
Red sat down next to her on the couch and lit her cigarette. ‘We’re having a party, that’s what we’re doing.’
‘Yeah,’ Marty added.
Red opened a beer and handed it to her. She drank from it and set it on the table.
‘Are you from around here?’ Marty asked.
‘No.’
‘You new to town?’
She nodded.
‘Where from?’ Red said.
‘Phoenix,’ she said.
‘Phoenix. Jesus, what a mess,’ Marty said.
She nodded.
‘Why you in Reno?’ Red asked.
‘What?’ she said.
‘Why did you come with us?’
‘I don’t even know where I am.’
‘I know why I wanted you to come along. I thought we could all fuck.’
‘Jesus, Red,’ Marty said and laughed.
Allison took another drink off the beer and looked around the room.
‘What about you?’ Red asked.
‘I don’t care what happens,’ she said and tears fell down her face.
Red took a long drink from his beer then set it on the coffee table, moved closer to the girl, and kissed her on the neck. He put his right hand on her leg and slowly went up it. He waited for her refusal, but there was none. Marty walked over and sat on the other side of her and felt her breasts. He clumsily took off her shirt, then her bra. Red took off her shoes, pants, and underwear. They stayed there on the couch and took turns with her until Marty left.
Red then moved her into his bedroom. He got on top of her and went inside her again. He was moving back and forth when she asked him to hit her.
‘What?’ he asked.
She asked him again.
So he hit her. It was with reservation, he was uncertain of doing it, but he did it.
‘Harder,’ she said and slowly he hit her with more force. Sometimes on the arm, then he was slapping her face.
‘Harder, you fucking asshole,’ she cried. But then finally he couldn’t.
Her eyes were closed but tears leaked out. Her face was red from the slaps, and there was a line of blood coming from her nose.
‘Please,’ she said and sobbed.
‘What the fuck is wrong with you?’ he said and got up off her. He put a sheet over her and left the room. She could hear him in the next room moving around, and then she heard the front door shut and the car in the driveway start and leave. She lay in his room and didn’t move. A lamp was on, and she stared at it. She was too drunk to get up and finally she passed out.
The house was empty when she woke. She got up, found her clothes, and put them on. She left the house as quickly as she could. It was near dawn and she had missed work. She headed down the road not knowing where she was, but hoping that eventually she’d find a main street and then maybe a cab.
Chapter 24
The Bottom
When she made it home to the apartment it was past ten. She called in at work and told them she was sick, that she had the flu, that she didn’t think she’d be able to come in for the rest of the week. She hung up the phone and went into the bathroom and started the tub. She shut all the curtains and found her tape player and listened to Brenda Lee while she sat in darkness in the warm water.
Hours passed and she stayed like that. She let the cold water drain and added the hot. She didn’t wash herself or do anything, she just lay there and played the tape over and over. When she finally got out
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