you, Sugar?” Duncan asked, staring me down over Eric’s head.
I felt his body coil, ready to swing if Duncan came any closer.
“ENOUGH!” Marcus yelled. “Let them leave, Duncan. Your manners are appalling and we shall discuss them later.”
Duncan looked to Marcus in the back of the room in utter disbelief. Eric hustled towards the door, dragging me behind him without resistance from a single person there. He said nothing to me as he hauled me to the elevator. He continued his silence in the elevator, and on the way to the car, despite my attempts to interrogate him.
When we reached the car, he opened the door to it and literally put me into the seat and turned it on for me.
“Do you know how to get back to your place from here?” he asked frantically.
“I…I think so.”
“Go. Go now. Don’t stop for anyone or anything.”
“I don’t understand what’s hap…”
“JUST GO!” he screamed at me. ”I’m so sorry, Ruby, but you need to go now. You must call me the instant you get home, do you understand me?”
“Yes, but I…”
“GO!” he yelled before quickly kissing me and slamming the door.
I pulled out and gunned it down the street hoping desperately that I’d turned the right way. I drove like a maniac through the city, fleeing something I didn’t comprehend. I tried not to think about it while in town, but as soon as I hit the openness of the highway, my head was reeling from the questions that were left unanswered.
I heard my phone vibrating in my purse and tried to dig it out in time to answer. There was a message left for me.
“Ruby, it’s Eric. Look, I’m so sorry and I’ll explain everything, but I need you to call me so that I know that you’re alone and OK.”
I was too flustered to call while driving, so I tossed the phone aside. I would call him when I got back. Along with my increasing distance from the party, an anger started to build. I felt cast out and abandoned, left to drive home scared and alone. The night had come up way short of what I’d hoped for and I couldn’t wait to be home so I could sleep it off.
Eric had some major explaining to do, no matter what effect he had on me and my undergarments. No amount of infatuation was going to override that. At least that’s what I kept telling myself.
I pulled up to my apartment, nearly slamming into the car in front of my spot. I collected my things from the car and hurried out, wanting to hit my bed ASAP. I unlocked the front door without looking at it, and pulled it open. As I went to lock it behind me, I noticed a note taped to the outside. I opened the door enough to reach around and take it down, closing and locking it behind me. As I climbed the steps I opened and read it.
Ruby,
I stopped by to see you tonight. Just wanted to know what you were up to. Call me when you get in so I know you got home OK.
Sean
I walked into the apartment and threw my things down on the floor as I made my way down the hall to my bedroom. I wasn’t going to call either of them. I texted a generic message and sent it to them both: I was fine, I was home, and I would talk to them later.
My home phone rang instantly. I looked at it dubiously before unplugging it, and every other one in the house. I turned my cell off before either had a chance to ring that one, and slumped into bed. I’d had enough adventure for the evening.
I had no intention of starting any more.
17
I dreamt of the party, my mind deeply immersed in reliving the events of that night. Eric and I were dancing dangerously close together amidst the crowd of people, and I could see Marcus on the far side of the room staring at us. I couldn’t tell why. His gaze was neither angry, nor malicious, but it was very firmly affixed on us.
I looked over Eric’s shoulder as our bodies molded to one another, wanting to observe the crowd, but all their faces were turned away from me. I tried to move around to catch a glimpse of even a profile, but did not
I felt his body coil, ready to swing if Duncan came any closer.
“ENOUGH!” Marcus yelled. “Let them leave, Duncan. Your manners are appalling and we shall discuss them later.”
Duncan looked to Marcus in the back of the room in utter disbelief. Eric hustled towards the door, dragging me behind him without resistance from a single person there. He said nothing to me as he hauled me to the elevator. He continued his silence in the elevator, and on the way to the car, despite my attempts to interrogate him.
When we reached the car, he opened the door to it and literally put me into the seat and turned it on for me.
“Do you know how to get back to your place from here?” he asked frantically.
“I…I think so.”
“Go. Go now. Don’t stop for anyone or anything.”
“I don’t understand what’s hap…”
“JUST GO!” he screamed at me. ”I’m so sorry, Ruby, but you need to go now. You must call me the instant you get home, do you understand me?”
“Yes, but I…”
“GO!” he yelled before quickly kissing me and slamming the door.
I pulled out and gunned it down the street hoping desperately that I’d turned the right way. I drove like a maniac through the city, fleeing something I didn’t comprehend. I tried not to think about it while in town, but as soon as I hit the openness of the highway, my head was reeling from the questions that were left unanswered.
I heard my phone vibrating in my purse and tried to dig it out in time to answer. There was a message left for me.
“Ruby, it’s Eric. Look, I’m so sorry and I’ll explain everything, but I need you to call me so that I know that you’re alone and OK.”
I was too flustered to call while driving, so I tossed the phone aside. I would call him when I got back. Along with my increasing distance from the party, an anger started to build. I felt cast out and abandoned, left to drive home scared and alone. The night had come up way short of what I’d hoped for and I couldn’t wait to be home so I could sleep it off.
Eric had some major explaining to do, no matter what effect he had on me and my undergarments. No amount of infatuation was going to override that. At least that’s what I kept telling myself.
I pulled up to my apartment, nearly slamming into the car in front of my spot. I collected my things from the car and hurried out, wanting to hit my bed ASAP. I unlocked the front door without looking at it, and pulled it open. As I went to lock it behind me, I noticed a note taped to the outside. I opened the door enough to reach around and take it down, closing and locking it behind me. As I climbed the steps I opened and read it.
Ruby,
I stopped by to see you tonight. Just wanted to know what you were up to. Call me when you get in so I know you got home OK.
Sean
I walked into the apartment and threw my things down on the floor as I made my way down the hall to my bedroom. I wasn’t going to call either of them. I texted a generic message and sent it to them both: I was fine, I was home, and I would talk to them later.
My home phone rang instantly. I looked at it dubiously before unplugging it, and every other one in the house. I turned my cell off before either had a chance to ring that one, and slumped into bed. I’d had enough adventure for the evening.
I had no intention of starting any more.
17
I dreamt of the party, my mind deeply immersed in reliving the events of that night. Eric and I were dancing dangerously close together amidst the crowd of people, and I could see Marcus on the far side of the room staring at us. I couldn’t tell why. His gaze was neither angry, nor malicious, but it was very firmly affixed on us.
I looked over Eric’s shoulder as our bodies molded to one another, wanting to observe the crowd, but all their faces were turned away from me. I tried to move around to catch a glimpse of even a profile, but did not
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