Business as Usual (Off The Subject) (18 page)

My vision clouds with my rage when she cries out. I start to lunge for him, but Britt’s voice stops me.

“Let go of her
now
.”

I cast a look at her out of the corner of my eye and see that she’s holding a baseball bat.

Tattoo Guy hesitates, looking from Britt to me. I can see why. Britt looks deadly serious. Her eyes are steely focused and she’s holding the bat like she’s about to swing it at his head.

Tina stands and groans, rolling her eyes in disgust. “She’s not worth the effort. Leave her.”

The guy hesitates before releasing his hold and Alexa drops back into the chair, her body limp.

“Sorry, Curly Sue,” Tina sneers, leaning over her. “You didn’t fulfill your end of the bargain, so no name for you.” She scoots around Alexa’s chair.

“I suggest you don’t step foot back in here,” Britt says, following the group as they head toward the door. “Or I’ll beat your sorry asses before I call the police.”

“Yeah, don’t you worry your pretty little head over it,” Tina says over her shoulder. “This place is a
bore
.”

They stomp out the door, slamming it behind them as I slide into the chair next to Alexa. Her head is floppy, her hair hanging in her face.

A guy in his twenties slinks over from a couple of tables away, his expression wary. He looks at the door, then back at me. “I think I saw him dump something in her drink.”

He roofied her?

Britt lowers the bat and lets it dangle at her side. She plants her feet apart and glares at the customer.
“And you didn’t think to tell someone?”
Several customers look over at her.

He cringes. “I wasn’t totally sure, and if I falsely accused him, I doubt he would have let it go.”

He’s right and I wonder what I would have done in his situation. Damn if that doesn’t stick in my craw.

“How long ago did it happen?” Britt asks.

“I don’t know.” He looks scared. He should be. I’m about to kick his ass.

She bangs the bat on the table. “Think harder.”

His face pales as his gaze drops to the bat. “I don’t know. Twenty, maybe thirty minutes.”

“Come on,” Britt grabs Alexa’s arm. “Help me get her to the back room.”

When I take her other arm and we lift her up, her legs are like noodles, barely supporting her weight. I sling her arm around my neck and we drag her down the hall to Tony’s office. I set her in the desk chair and kneel in front of her. “Alexa, I’m going to call the police.”

Her eyes fly open in panic. “No! No police.”

“We have to report this, sweetheart,” Britt says, leaning closer. “We can’t let them get away with this and we need to get you to the hospital.”

She shakes her head wildly and tries to stand. “No. Reed can’t find out.
Please
.” Tears fill her eyes as she pleads with me.

“Who’s Reed?” Britt asks.

I stand and lower my voice. “Her over-protective brother,” I say. “And my boss at the math lab. He’s already looking for a reason to fire me. If he finds out, I suspect he’ll try to pin this on me somehow.”

“Shit.”

“Yeah.”

Alexa is slumped across the desk. We’re running out of time.

“What do you want to, Ben? Your call.”

“If he drugged her, she needs to go to the hospital.”

Britt leans her shoulder against the doorframe. “If he really gave her a roofie, she’ll sleep it off in about eight hours. You could call a friend of hers to pick her up, but you’re going to need to do it soon. At the rate she’s going, I give her ten minutes tops before she’s comatose for several hours.”

I brush Alexa’s hair off her cheek. Her eyes are closed, but she flinches at the contact. “Alexa, I want to call a friend to come get you. Who should I call? Scarlett? Caroline?”

Her eyes open, but her pupils remain dilated. “No. Please. They’ll tell Reed.”

“Ben,” Britt’s voice is low. “Take her home and end your responsibility in this. I’ll grab her purse and we’ll look up where she lives.”

“Okay.” I stay squatted next to Alexa, watching the rise and fall of her chest. She doesn’t seem to be in any respiratory distress, thank God.

Britt returns moments later and hands me her small bag. “I need to get back out there. I’ll check on you in a minute.”

“Okay.”

I dig through Alexa’s purse and find her cell phone, a wallet, keys, and a tube of lipstick. I open the wallet and am surprised to find a Massachusetts driver’s license with a Boston address. Alexa Nicole Pendergraft. According to her birthdate, she’s twenty-two. I’d bet my ass it’s a fake ID, but I have to admit that it looks legit. The wallet only has some cash and a debit card with her name on it. I pick up her cell phone, but the access is password protected.

I should call Reed and tell him she’s here, but she begged me not to let him know, and I still suspect Reed will somehow try and pin this on me. I’ll lose my job at the math lab. I tell myself it’s an irrational fear, but I’m not so sure.

If I don’t call Reed and can’t call one of her friends, what am I going to do with her? Britt’s right. I’m quickly running out of time before she completely passes out.

“Alexa?”

Her eyes remain closed.

“Alexa.” I give her a shake and she rouses. “I don’t know who to call to come get you. Who can I call?”

She tries to look at me, but her eyes look glazed and fill with tears. “No one. There’s no one.”

I’m at a loss and panic starts to claw at my chest. I definitely can’t leave her in the office, and I can’t dump her out on the street. Before I stop to think this through, I say, “I live a block from here. I’m going to take you to my apartment, okay?”

“Thank you.” A tear escapes and falls down her cheek, and I feel more protective of her right now than I’ve ever felt about anyone.

“I have to tell Britt I’m leaving. I’ll be right back.”

She nods and leans back in the chair.

I run out front and look for Alexa’s coat, which is still in the chair where she was sitting, and stop at the bar. “I’m going to take her home.”

“Good call. I’ll cover here,” Britt says. “Be careful.”

I realize she’s misunderstood
which
home I mean, but I nod before rushing to the backroom. My apartment is a block away and I’m not sure Alexa can make it that far.

I pull her up. “Alexa, we have to get your coat on so I can take you to my place.”

She tries to help, but her movements are loose and uncoordinated. Once we get it on, I button up the top buttons and hoist her to her feet. “Come on, Sleeping Beauty.”

Once she’s up, she leans into me and I guide her out the back door. The cold air seems to jolt her awake, so I take advantage of it and hurry her as fast as her feet will move in her skinny, high-heeled boots. Ordinarily, I’d appreciate her footwear, but right now it’s a hindrance. If it weren’t so cold, I’d take them off so we could move faster.

We’ve made it to my gravel parking lot when she starts to fade again. “Come on, Alexa,” I say. “Stay with me. We’re almost there.”

She looks up at me, her eyes half closed. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t say you’re sorry, baby. Just help me get you to my apartment.”

But her knees buckle and she’s falling. I catch her before she hits the ground and it’s apparent she’s not walking any farther. I scoop her legs up with one arm and support her back with the other, then carry her toward the stairs. By the time I get to the second floor, I’m heaving and my arms are burning. Once I get to my apartment, I kick the door three times in rapid succession, praying my roommates are still up playing video games.

Seconds later, Austin opens the door, irritation on his face. “What the—” his gaze drops to the girl in my arms and his voice fades “—fuck.”

“I’m about to drop her.”

He moves out of my way and I carry her to my bedroom.

“Quick,” I shout. “Grab a clean blanket and throw it on my bed.” I can’t remember the last time I changed my sheets and I’m not about to set her on disgusting bedding.

Austin disappears and returns with a blanket that he quickly spreads out over my comforter.

I lay her down as gently as possible, resting her head on my pillow. I unbutton her coat and wrangle it off her, tossing it in my ratty recliner in the corner. Her black dress has hiked up and I try to tug it down, but there’s only so much fabric and it’s not going any lower. I glance toward the hall and Austin and Noah are standing in the doorway, ogling her—their eyes wide, their mouths hanging open.

“Where did she come from?” Austin asks.

“Can we keep her?” Noah whispers.

I pick up a pillow and throw it in his face. “Hell, no we can’t keep her. She’s not a pet.” I don’t like how they’re looking at her legs. They’re covered in tights, but still... “Get another blanket.”

They continue to stare.

“
Now
.”

They jump and Noah goes this time, returning with a small quilt that he throws at me. I catch it and spread it over her, starting at her chest and stopping at her knees. Her boots look uncomfortable. Given her current drugged state I’m not sure removing anything other than her coat is a good idea, but in the end, I decide they have to come off. I’ve grabbed her right calf and am starting to unzip when Noah comes over and reaches for her other leg.

“Don’t even think about touching her,” I growl.

“I just want to help,” Noah mutters.

“You just want to touch her, jackwad. Get away.” I slip off the first boot and move on to the other leg.

“Seriously, Ben,” Austin says. “What the fuck is going on?”

“Her name’s Alexa. She’s been in the bar before, so I kind of know her.” Talk about stretching the truth. “She showed up tonight with a sleaze-ball I work with in the math lab and one of the girl’s friends roofied her.”

“Shit. Why is she here? Why didn’t you call her roommate?”

“Because her roommate is Reed Pendergraft. She’s his sister.”

After Austin’s run-in with Reed last fall, they know all about Reed Pendergraft’s legendary surliness, just like everyone in the math department does. “Shit.”

“Fuck.” Austin moans. “You know how protective he is of her.”

“Yeah,” I sigh. “I know.”

“So you plan on keeping her
here?
”

“I told her I wanted to call the police or take her home and she begged me not to tell her brother.”

“Damn.”

“Wait,” Noah says. “I thought his sister was blonde.”

I sit in my chair, watching her. “She is. Every time I’ve seen her in the bar, she’s wearing a black wig. I have no idea why, but she thinks I don’t know who she really is.”

“But you said she asked you not to tell Pendergraft.”

Leaning my elbows on my knees, I rest my chin on hand. “She was semi-conscious. I suspect she wasn’t aware of what she was saying and won’t remember in the morning.” I glance up at them. “And if you ever speak to her, you will pretend like you never saw this and that you don’t know who she is.” I narrow my gaze. “Do I make myself clear?”

They hesitate and then nod.

“I’m going to watch her sleep and make sure she doesn’t stop breathing.” A cheery thought. Soon another one joins it. A girl who’s been drugged has passed out in my room. If her brother finds out, I’m liable to end up back in jail and I may not get out this time. Sure, I didn’t drug her and I have witnesses who’ll testify that I’m innocent, but I didn’t call the police. I didn’t call
anyone
. I just took her back to my apartment. Where I could have done anything to her. The skin on the back of my neck prickles and I take a deep breath.

What have I done?

“Don’t you have to go to work in five hours?” Austin asks. “I can take over watch duty.”

The thought of him or Noah watching her sleep unfurls something dark and ugly inside me. I shake my head. “I’ll call in sick or tell them I’ll be in later.”

“I didn’t think you could afford to miss work,” Austin says.

I get up and turn on a lamp on my dresser, flipping off the overhead light. “Don’t you two have something else to do other than stand there and mentally undress her?”

They shake their heads. At least they have the decency not to deny it.

I shove them into the hall. “Well, I don’t like it. Out.” I shut the door and sit in my chair, watching the rise and fall of her chest under the blanket. Thank God she doesn’t seem to be struggling to breathe. I lean back the recliner and try to stay awake, but my exhaustion soon takes over. As I fall asleep, I think about the irony. While I’ve imagined Alexa in my room a hundred times, this wasn’t how I pictured it.

Lexi

When I start to wake up my head is pounding and my mouth is dry. Pins are jabbing my skull and I realize I’m still wearing my wig. I try to roll over, but I feel uncoordinated and clumsy, like my brain isn’t connecting to the nerves in my limbs. My eyes blink open and a moment of panic washes through me.

I have no idea where I am.

I try to sit up, but the pain in my head is too piercing. I lie back down and close my eyes, taking a moment to recover. I can feel clothing on my body, so I know I’m not naked, which gives me a small sense of relief. When I finally pry my eyes open, I see I’m lying on a bed and covered in a quilt. The room’s a mess and it smells of guy and dirty socks. In the corner, a guy is sleeping in the ugliest recliner I’ve ever seen. I start to panic again until I realize who it is.

Ben.

An afghan covers only his chest and upper thighs and he’s lying on his side.

How did I end up in Ben’s room?

Surprisingly, I’m not frightened. I hardly know Ben, but I’m already certain that he would never hurt me. I close my eyes and try to remember what happened last night.

The first memory that hits me is dancing with Ben and his kiss, his incredible kiss. The mixture of disappointment when Tina said the kiss wasn’t enough and the thrill of excitement when she told me that he needed to feel me up. Not because I have voyeuristic tendencies like she so obviously does, but because I wanted the chance to touch and kiss him again. But when she pressed me, I couldn’t bring myself to ask him. He did me such a huge favor by kissing me. I couldn’t embarrass myself or him anymore. I’d hoped Tina would relent and change her mind.