Girl Desecrated 1984: Vampires, Asylums and Highlanders, page 20
Like an idiot, I blurted, “My friend Magda’s staying over night at my place. I’ll have to get rid of her, if we want to be alone.”
“Hmm.” He raised his head, looking over me at the crowd where we’d left the girls standing. “There’s nae getting rid of Magda.”
The comment struck me as strange.
“You know her?”
With a “Shhhhh,” his firm hand tucked my head against his neck. His skin was warm, his scent rolling over my senses, distracting me from the question.
Suddenly, an overwhelming desire to mark him shot through my instincts. Instead of closing the feeling down, I opened my mouth and gently bit down on the skin of his neck. He gasped and froze, his arms crushing me in an iron hold.
We stood, motionless.
He tasted like aftershave and salt. I swirled my tongue against the skin trapped inside of my teeth, and Angus groaned deep in his throat. He slid his hand up my side until his thumb was resting just below my breast.
“Stop,” he warned, giving my rib cage a squeeze.
I increased the pressure of my bite and felt his lower back muscles ripple under my hand.
“Stop. Now,” he managed to say.
I released his skin, pleased at the little indents my teeth had left on his neck.
“Why should I?” I teased, sliding my chin up over his jaw line and rubbing my nose against his.
“Because it’s nae time, lass,” his voice cracked, and I was surprised to see his lip tremble on the words. “And this is damn well nae the place.”
Helix was dragging out the last song by reworking the chorus. I was thankful for the extra time under the blue and yellow stage lights, but I wanted more. Now.
I pressed my hips against his and swayed with a rhythm as old as time.
He was a hard wall of resisting muscle. “It’s nae time… nae yet,” Angus repeated.
Puzzled by his change, I peered up at him from under my drawn brows.
“What time is it Mr. Wolf?”
“We have time, Lass, dorn’t wish yer life away.”
Once again, Angus had put the brakes on, and though it stung that he could resist me, it also relieved me from having to fight myself to stick to my resolution.
The song ended.
I began to step away from Angus’ embrace, but he didn’t unwrap his arms. He was unaware of the other couples separating and leaving. I nestled back into his arms, and my heart grew sweeter with every stolen second.
Karen’s soft voice killed my moment. “Here’s your drink.”
Angus released me, and reluctantly, I stepped back.
“Thanks,” I said, sarcastically, looking down my nose at her.
I practically snatched my glass from her fingers, not caring if I sliced off some skin with my nails. She didn’t look my way, too intent on tilting her adoring eyes up at Angus. He smiled at her.
I turned my back on them and looked for Magda. The dance floor was still emptying, except for the technicians who were breaking down the band’s equipment. From the bar area, Duncan and Lene approached, holding hands. Magda and Colin were trailing behind, absorbed in an animated discussion.
“The bar is closing,” Karen stated.
“Your grasp of the obvious is astounding.” I tossed off my rye.
Magda gave a snort of approval and then suggested, “Let’s go to Rachel’s place.”
“That’s a really bad idea,” I snapped at her, wondering how I’d get Angus alone if everyone was there.
“Och! Ah think a quiet place tae ken each other better is a grand idea,” Colin chirped, giving Magda the eye.
“Och, Rachel, lighten up.” Magda rolled out the “r” in a pretty darn good imitation of the Highlander boys.
Colin, just about tripped over his feet trying to get to her side. I wanted to give him a good push so he’d knock some sense into the airhead. As if I wanted Karen at my place. Duh!
Lene adjusted her spaghetti strap, jiggling her boob like a lure on a line. “That’s a no go. Rachel doesn’t let anyone into her little sanctuary.”
“That’s just as well. It’s a braw cave, it is,” Angus winked at Duncan.
Duncan looked at Angus with surprise and asked, “When did ye get into her cave?”
A few high school snickers erupted.
“Somebody save me,” I whispered in misery, looking around for an escape route.
“Well, I’m hungry,” Magda said, selfish as always.
Colin pushed up his plaid hat, exposing his whitish eyebrows. “Me too!” he grinned at her.
“Settled then.” Angus put out his elbow, and Karen rushed in to grab it. He gave me an apologetic look over her head, but I could see the amusement glittering in his eyes.
I gave him the once-over, letting him know I wasn’t impressed.
CHAPTER 21: CATHOUSE COMPETITION
~
AT THE RESTAURANT, WE WERE seated in one of those large circle booths with a high leather back. Usually, my weak bladder dictated my seating choice, but Magda grabbed my hand and pulled me in beside her. Then, Karen slipped into the booth behind me, leaving Angus to follow her in.
The steakhouse served up one meal and it was meat. The men seemed very happy about it. It didn’t matter to me, because I was too worked up to eat. All I could think about was how to get Angus to return to my apartment to use up his days’ worth of kissing. Like Cinderella-of-the-lips, I was ready to get what was mine before midnight.
Trouble was, Karen was separating me from my Scottish bull, and I wasn’t impressed.
As I glared at the back of her head, she had the nerve to slide the table candle my way, so she could lean her elbow on the table and face Angus.
I leaned back towards Magda. “I’m going to call that bitch out.”
She didn’t even break eye contact with Colin to say, “Oh yeah? And who would that impress?”
Angus was looking up at the waitress, who stood mesmerized with her pen caught between her braces-straightened teeth. When he spoke, the muscles in his jaw moved under his skin, and I started to get worked up about his anatomy, again.
I stopped watching, but in seconds my eyes were drawn back. Watching him interacting with the other women was hypnotic, in a hazardous sort of way. I waxed between glazing off for him and foaming at the mouth about her. I wished I had bitten him harder, branding his neck so everyone could see.
My mouth filled with the taste of blood. Not again! I took a quick drink of water and wondered if I should dab my gums with the cloth napkin. But the taste was gone and a quick touch to my gums cleared up my concern. I went back to fantasizing about Angus.
Magda poked me in the ribs, and harped in my ear, “Why don’t you just whip out a dildo and get it over with?”
I darted a look around the table but the others were deep in conversation, and Colin was asking a question about the menu.
I giggled. “Was I that obvious?”
Magda widened her eyes in mock shock, then shook her head at me.
I chuckled. My eyes returned to Angus’ face. He was staring at the waitress. I followed his gaze, then became suspicious she had opened another button on her blouse. She said something, and he laughed deep and low in his chest, his white teeth flashing her a dimpled smile. The same smile he had used on me.
Jealously twisted my insides like an iron awl.
He hadn’t paid me any attention since we had sat down. The more I thought about it, he hadn’t looked much at me since we had left the dance floor.
I lowered my head and stared at my lap, telling myself to calm down.
Was it over already? Did my loser time limit with men hold true even when we didn’t get down and dirty?
His attentions for the waitress did not go unnoticed by Karen either. She latched onto his arm and snuggled up against his shoulder.
I considered touching the candle flame to Karen’s hair. That would distract her from my territory and remove those lovely tresses that framed her thieving eyes. Sliding the candle closer, the hot wax slipped over the sides of the glass bowl and burned my finger.
The pain felt good.
“Well, we don’t really have a daily special…” the waitress leaned over Angus’ menu. Her breasts hung heavy inside her blouse, pulling the front down to expose more cleavage. “But I’m sure I could come up with something…”
I dipped my long fingernail into the hot melted wax of the candle, enjoying the sharp burn under my nail. The wax dried, tightening around my fingertip. I dipped it again pretending it was the waitress’ skin I was poking holes in.
Karen reached over Angus’ arm and picked up the menu, almost slicing the waitress’ nipples off with it. “We can order directly from the menu,” she piped. “Then we’ll know exactly what we’re getting.”
The two women were locked in a stare down. Angus was mesmerized by the cleavage that had passed by his face when the waitress had stood up. I was intently tracking Karen’s hand as it slipped down Angus’ thigh.
Oh no… do not touch his thigh…
I glared at Karen’s hand, focusing until each follicle on the back of her knuckles became distinct. I could burn that skin with the candle flame. Then the holes in her skin would release each fine strand of hair, with no more sound than an underwater coral worm spitting out filtered ocean dust.
My arm twitched, yearning to act, but was stayed by the waitress’ next comment.
“I get off at three.”
You hussy!
“Oh, too bad.” Karen smiled sweetly. “We won’t be here, then.”
We?
Her hand squeezed Angus’ leg again, those clasping lady-like fingers pressing in on my meat, my muscle. I felt my facial muscles flicker as viciousness climbed my spine like a metal spider.
“What’ll it be, Kit?”
Startled by his voice, I met Angus’ eyes. His smile slid.
A clock was ticking out the seconds in the silence that had fallen around the table.
Six eyes were trained my way. A trickle of sweat ran down my temple.
“Uhem,” I cleared my throat loudly, and the waitress blinked three times. I tried to adjust my face into a less threatening expression.
“I’ll rememb…” I shook my head and started over. “I’ll have a tea and my own bill, please.”
She scribbled on her pad. The scratching pen deafened me.
I imagined she wrote, “Civilized response from savage responder” and that made me angrier.
“Ye need some meat on yer bones, lass. Why dorn’t I order ye a steak?” His brows were drawn, but his voice was steady.
Duncan added, “She daesnae hae enough room inside her for a rheumatic pain”.
“I like my bones just fine, Highlander.”
Then I turned my attention to Karen. “How do you like yours?”
She pasted a sugary smile on her pale face. “You really are too skinny. I’d be worried if I was your mother.”
My mouth tightened in outrage, but Karen had already turned away to place her order. Somewhere deep inside me, a pressure built and then popped, and that’s when I knew Dr. Casbus’ pills were no longer working.
“I’ll have the Beef Stroganoff,” Karen twittered, happily.
Magda put a restraining hand on my shoulder. “Just ignore the bimbette,” she said loud enough for half the table to hear.
I couldn’t.
Every abnormal cell in my body was commanding me to scratch her eyes out and eat them.
How dare she talk about my mother?
My mother who didn’t give a shit if I was fat or skinny. Hell, my mother was the reason I could go for days without eating.
Anger ran wild in my head, sprinkled with “suggestions” of what I could do to make Karen pay.
Then, much to my horror, my other stepped up to bat.
Why, she has no manners at all.
“Oh, no. No-no!”
CHAPTER 22: RAVINE RUNAWAY
~
I PINCHED MY LIPS TOGETHER, and desperately tried to find a way to get out of the booth without opening my mouth again. I was trapped by the others on both sides.
My throat felt like sandpaper. I grasped my glass of water, but my shaking hand sloshed the cold liquid down my shirt. It shocked me into motion.
“I want out!” I stood quickly, and my thighs caught on the underside of the table.
“Watch it!” Colin yelped as I set all their drinks rocking.
Angus put his hand on the table and pushed his way out of the booth. I wasn’t waiting for numbnuts to get a clue and move. I put my hand on her baby blue cashmere sweater and gave her a good shove.
“What are you doing?” Karen’s shrill question tumbled out into the aisle with her.
“When a girl’s gotta go…” Magda joked.
I darted passed Angus without a glance.
As I ran across the restaurant, the tables blurred. I couldn’t seem to escape my compulsions. They encouraged me to return to Karen and stab her with her fork. The restaurant was huge, and I took two wrong turns. Then a hand snaked out of a booth and yanked me in.
I fell forward onto my knees on the leather seat and ended up face to face with Lennox, the blond Scotsman from the Albion. He had me by the wrist and was holding up a finger to his lips.
“Nae a wurd,” he warned in his heavy Scottish brogue. “I need tae tell ye what’s happenin’ tae ye. Ye deserve tae ken.”
Clear beads of sweat shone on his upper lip. His eyes begged me to agree.
I weighed the situation.
If I left with him, I wouldn’t have to watch Karen touch Angus. I wouldn’t have to bear witness to Angus ogling the waitress’ boobs.
If I left, I’d reduce the chances my ‘alter’ would take over in front of my new-found drinking buddies and gut Karen with a spoon.
And best of all, a big, blond Highlander had wrapped his hand around my wrist and yanked me to my knees. And he smelled like a man.
“Get me out of here,” I whispered, and was startled to feel hot tears rise after the words.
He nodded, pulled me out the other side of the booth, and we rushed passed surprised late night diners.
Outside, it was a moonless night. The streetlights made pools of yellow on the dark sidewalk, which shone wetly from an earlier rain.
“Thes way,” Lennox sped left, yanking me along by my wrist.
I couldn’t keep up in my high heels.
“Wait! Wait! Wait!” I dragged on him.
He stopped. He was frowning and cast worried glances back to the restaurant entrance. I pulled my red pumps off. Lennox grabbed the shoes, and together, we ran.
His boots hammered the concrete creating sharp blows that echoed off the buildings around us. My hair flew back from my neck, baring my flesh to the cool air. The wind we created cut through my sheer shirt and chilled my breasts.
Yet, it was thrilling and naughty to be ditching my friends and running off with a stranger. Closing my eyes for the added thrill, I ran blindly behind Lennox’s lead. I sucked cool air into my lungs, trying to drink in the night. This was what I needed. This was freedom.
“Oomph!”
Lennox stopped and I crashed into his back, hurting my toe on the heel of his boot.
“Quiet!”
He pushed me up against a building. We flattened ourselves along the stippled wall like criminals hiding from the police. The wall was cold against my arms, but the bottoms of my feet were burning from running on the concrete. I embraced the pain.
We were both wheezing for air. Lennox cautiously looked around the corner of the building to check the way we had come. I took advantage of the streetlight above to check him out.
He was slimmer than Angus, but he was still ripped. His white t-shirt clung to his muscles, especially at the top of his spine where sweat had slicked the material to his skin. I remembered his offer at the bar to “scratch my itch”.
Was this why I was here? Was this what he wanted?
I scratched the side of his tan camouflage pants.
“Anything more interesting over there?” I whispered.
He twisted back to me, fear raw on his face. My ardour slipped.
“What’s the deal?” I asked, feeling wary.
“Yoo’ll kin soon enough.”
Then he snuck another look back at the restaurant. “Damn it tae hell!”
“What?”
He grabbed my shoulders and spun me roughly. “Run!”
We rushed behind the building, but I stopped at an impassible mass of brush. Lennox didn’t hesitate. He just shoved me through the branches that scratched at my face. My bare feet caught on roots, but he kept pushing until we burst through the bush on the other side.
“Stop!”
I tried to push him away, then clutched at him for support. We were tottering at the top of a treed ravine. The sides were steeply sloped and it was well over fifty feet to the bottom of the dark pit. A dizzy feeling looped around my head.
Lennox untangled my hand from his arm and tried to push me down the gravel slope.
“Hey!” I protested and knocked his hand away from my shoulder. “I’m in bare feet, hoser!”
He got another grip on my wrist and jumped down the side of the embankment. The weight of his body jerked me down after him. A bolt of pain shot up my arm leaving numbness in its wake. I half slid and half fell until Lennox caught me.
“Let me go!” I screeched and struck at his neck.
“Listen tae me!” He grabbed my hands and pinned my wrists together. With his right hand, he brushed my wild hair back from my face, clutching a handful to hold me still. “Listen. Ye dorn’t ken it yet, but ye need tae run like yer life is in danger.”
“Are you juiced?” I yanked my arms down, trying to pull free of his hold. “Angus will…”
“Angus!” His mouth pulled down at the corners. “Angus is nae yer friend.”
I searched his eyes for the truth.
“Angus has one job an’ that’s tae ruin yer life, lass.”
The sound of branches breaking above us at the ravine’s edge drew his startled gaze upward.
He grimaced, then he returned his eyes to mine. “Ye hae tae trust me.”
