His Pawn (The Manhattan Tales Book 1) (14 page)

They stared down at me blankly, then exchanged glances with one another that they tried to mask.  I’m not stupid.  I knew they were silently communicating amongst one another, “What a weirdo.”  I tried to ignore it.  I needed to try harder.  I could still end my High School career being with the in-crowd.

“Screw the test. I’ll be at the party,” I grinned, removing my headphones from my ears.  All three grinned in unison, as though they were one person in three different bodies.  It was a little creepy.

“You can stay over at my mom’s,” Hazel offered.  She scribbled her cell phone number down on a paper and I added it to my phone.  She gave me the address to the party, which was on Park Avenue.

I’d never lied to my brother… much.  I felt horribly guilty when I phoned him to say that I wouldn’t be home tonight.

“I’m going to have a study session with my friend, Hazel, and then I’ll stay at her place and go to school with her in the morning,” I explained.
I can’t believe I’m doing this…

“You never mentioned a friend named Hazel.  Where does she live?”  Travis asked.  I could tell he was still at the office from the phones that rang in the background.  Sometimes I thought he was bossier than Mason; he’d really influenced my brother in a few ways over the years.

“Yeah she’s in my English lit class.  We have to write essays for the exam and the teacher is an ass,” I explained.  This part was true, but I still felt guilty.

“Give me her number so I can ask who will be home.”

“What!”  My face reddened with fear.

“I want her number.  I want to know if her parents will be home and where you will study.”

“Travis you cannot be serious!”  I wailed.  “I’m eighteen now.  I’m not a child!”

“Cool, alright.  You’re not a child.  Pay your own cell phone and internet bills.  Then we’ll talk,” He challenged.

“UGH!”  I groaned.  Despite my argument, I sounded like a spoiled fifteen year old. 

“FINE!” I gave him Hazel’s number, feeling that I was committing myself to social suicide… but they probably lied to their parents all the time, actually. 

That thought eased my nerves only slightly.  Hazel must have gone along with my lie when Travis called her, because he did give me permission to stay over at Hazel’s.  Guilt washed over me because he was trusting me, even as I was lying.

I wore the nicest thing I owned to this party:  A black cocktail dress that I’d found at the thrift store.  I thought I looked decent.  The dress was a Dior, but since I bought it two years ago, it was probably out of style.
Oh well.

It turns out that this small get-together was a large get-together in an empty apartment. The party had been going on for quite some time when I arrived.  I thought it started at nine pm, but it turns out the kids had been drinking long before that. There was literally nothing in the apartment except for a few expensive wall paintings, some dark leather furniture and a large, marbled open-floor space.  Music blared. I didn’t know what musician it was.  This was some kind of rap. 

There were kids everywhere, including a few college guys who were handing out the drinks. Strobe lights flashed over the marbled floor. I didn’t recognize most of the people there. I suddenly felt very shy, and completely out of my depth. I was prepared to find a corner and hide, or go back to the exit.

“Here, have a drink,” One of the college guys manning the drink station suddenly greeted me.  He gave me a charming grin as he handed me a large plastic cup of amber colored liquid.

“Thanks,” I answered. It wasn’t beer.

“Relax, it’s just iced tea,” He grinned. 

“Cool, thanks,” I answered. 

He was cute, with gelled back blond hair and broad shoulders. He wore a white polo that defined his very nice biceps. I felt a little more confident all of a sudden.

I looked around for Hazel and the others.  I didn’t see them anywhere.

Naively, I sipped the drink.  The taste was unusual  for iced tea and I’m sure there was a little alcohol in it.  I liked the taste though and I kept nervously sipping while I walked around the crowd, looking for the girls.  I was normally a homebody… only immersed in my after school clubs.  This was my first real party with alcohol.

I finally found Hazel and company on the dance floor, making inappropriate moves with some of the guys that I would never have dreamed about.  I made a detour away from them, draining my cup.  By this point, I’d lost track of how long I’d been there.  The girls were still moving on the dance floor under strobe lights.

“Have another,” a male voice said from beside me, handing me another cup.  I think it was the blond man who greeted me when I first arrived.

I felt so warm and fuzzy from the drink at this point.  The room was suddenly very hot.  “You don’t look so good.  You want to sit down?”  The owner of the voice snaked an arm around my waist tightly and guided me over to the quiet hallway.  My stomach burned slightly.

“Here, drink this,” He said as dizziness washed over me. Without thinking, I took the drink and gulped it like it was water and then I blanched, then coughed and gasped. My throat burned like fire all the way down to my stomach. I didn’t know what was in that drink, but it was strong, and I wasn’t used to any alcoholic beverages. 

I suddenly felt very sick as I felt his hands all over my body. He was clearly taking advantage of my state and his hands moved to my breasts.  Then, he pulled me towards him and kissed me, forcing his tongue inside my mouth.  Alarm bells were clanging, despite my inebriated state.  I pulled away from him, and stood very unsteadily.

“I need some air,” I said, clinging to the wall as I tried to get away from him.

“Aw come on, Angel.  You need to loosen up.  Don’t be such a cockblock.” I heard his voice creeping up behind me and I pulled my phone as I moved away from him. 

I was so blurry at this point.  The numbers swam in my vision.  I was afraid, especially after I heard the guy say to his friends, “I’m going to bang her brains out.”

I kept moving until I was in the middle of the party.
Travis could never know this.  My mom could not know about this.  I’d never see the light of day.  I managed to phone Mason and he answered after two rings.

“Mason… Mason….  Mason…”  I stumbled toward the doorway. I could barely get a thought out, even though I knew what I wanted to say.  The music blared so loudly over me, around me.  I couldn’t think.

“Jill, where are you?”  He demanded.

“Mason…  I’m at a place.  Um...” 

I managed to step outside of the party and was greeted with a wooden set of stairs.  I managed to sit down, dropping my phone.  I picked it up.

“JILLIAN,” He growled as I replaced the phone to my ear.

“I… I’m at a party.  I’m going to slide down the stairs right now.  This really hot guy said he wants to bang my brains out.  He gave me some drinks. I got away.”

“WHERE ARE YOU, Damnit! Give me the address.”  Mason sounded like he was ready to break the phone. 

I stammered the address, and then dropped the phone, hanging up on him. Then, I threw up at the top of the stairs.  I could hear the guy just on the other side of the door, and I gripped the railing as I attempted to get down the stairs without killing myself.  I took off my heels and used both hands to descend the steps slowly, one at a time.  It took me a while to near the bottom, or so it seemed.

“Angel face, there you are,” As I neared the bottom step I heard that voice. 
Oh, no..

I reached the bottom step and bolted for the front door to the building.  The door suddenly swung open.  Mason stormed inside and  grabbed me as I nearly fell over.

“Get off me!”  I screamed, thinking it was that guy.

“Shh. Jill.  It’s me,” He said, and I let out a shaky breath.  I’d never felt such relief wash over me until that moment in my life. 
I  am safe.  Protected.

“Who the fuck are you?” I Heard Mason growl as he steadied me against the wall.

“Who me?  I’m just a friend trying to make sure the girl gets home safely.”  I heard that voice explain.  I watched him hold his hands up in a surrendering motion.

Mason suddenly gripped the guy by his hair and slammed his front against the wall.

“What did you give her and how much?”  I heard the demand in such a threatening tone.  I could only focus on the waves of nausea that washed over me.

“Just a little long island iced tea and some tequila, man.  What the hell is wrong with you?”  The guy mustered, plastered into the wall.

“Mason, I want to go home…” I squeaked.  I looked up to see him with his fist in the air, ready to strike. He looked at me and I could tell he was fighting the urge to smash the kid’s face in, but he lowered his fist.

“If you ever go near her again, I will break every fucking bone in your body,” He threatened instead, let go of the guy so roughly that he smacked the wall one last time, and then scooped me up and stepped into the mild night air.

After easing me into his silver Bentley, I began sobbing, completely out of my mind.  He didn’t even have to say anything.  At this point, the alcohol was fully in my system and I was too intoxicated to accurately read him.  He drove through the streets of Manhattan.

“Please, please don’t tell Travis,” I sobbed.  His expression was unreadable.  “I was so stupid.”  Still, he said nothing, and finally parked outside of a diner.

“Where are you taking me?”  I asked, struggling to unbuckle my seatbelt.

He still said nothing as he parked the car, got out, and then retrieved me from the passenger side.  He steadied me as he walked me into the diner.

“You need to eat something,” He stated.  Once we found a booth, he ordered me a grilled cheese and fries and a large glass of water.  When I look back on the trip to the diner, I find that it was mostly a blur.  I ate some of the food,very slowly, when I wasn’t feeling the nausea.

“I can’t guarantee that Travis won’t know,” he finally stated.  “But if he doesn’t find out, I won’t tattle on you… as long as you promise not to pull a stunt like that again.”

I nodded, sipping the water.

“I can’t hear you Jillian,” Mason spoke calmly.

“Yes, yes I promise.  No more,” I answered softly as I put a fry into my mouth.

This will definitely not happen again- oh God, my head…

After I’d finished eating, I felt better with water and food in my system.  I was a little steadier now, and Mason brought me home.

My brother was out and my mom was sleeping. 
Thank goodness…

To my surprise, Mason tucked me into bed as appropriately as he could. I’d just turned eighteen and he was in a relationship. I was still wearing my cocktail dress, but he pulled the covers over me.  He was a perfect gentleman the entire time.

“Is your relationship really serious?” I blurted out.

Mason cocked a brow at me and then stifled a smile.  “You are going to feel like shit tomorrow morning.”

“Do you love her?”  I asked.

“Yes.”

“This much, or this much?”  I spread my arms wide, almost hitting him in the face, and then pinched my thumb and forefinger together.

“Very much.”

“I don’t think she loves you.  She only gets excited when you talk about your boat, or money, and she downplays you when you talk about things that are important to you,” I blurted. It was true based on my very few sober observations of her while we’d all gone out to eat at restaurants, but… 
What the hell?  I’m never drinking again.

Mason appeared agitated but remained calm.  “I’m going to blame the alcohol for that one, Jill.  Take some Advil in the morning and eat a bagel.”

“Okay,” I said and rolled over.  That was the last bit I remembered from the evening.

Present Day

Mason’s absence was lonely.  It was pathetic that it felt so lonely without him.  I had Elyse.  I spoke to my mom and brother on the phone regularly.  I had my classes and school work to keep me busy, and Mrs. O’Malley kept me entertained with her stories of living in Dublin before coming to New York.  Still, my mind drifted to the last time I’d seen him:  Netflix night, when he teased me and tickled my feet and then took me in most rooms of his home.  I recalled how I felt my blood heat at his touch, how he started out tender and then steadily grew harder and rougher.  It surprised me that I enjoyed it so much.  My hand trailed to the sides of my hips, wishing I still felt the indent of his fingerprints.  The way it felt when he splayed my legs and took me from behind over his desk, or how he bound my hands with my own panties and had me ride him in the dining room. He drove into me so deep. I wanted this man, and I was in withdrawal.

My mind wandered randomly to the night he rescued me from my own stupid, naive choice to attend a party in high school.  If I hadn’t said anything, I know he would have smashed that guy’s skull.  It was one of two times I’d seen Mason nearly lose his temper like that.  He never did tell Travis about the party, or the drinks. 

I held up my end of the promise I’d made him that night.  I stayed away from Hazel and her crew.  They didn’t bother me either. I stuck with my extracurricular activities and maintained good grades. I managed to stay out of trouble for years… until I reconnected with him again. 
Isn’t it ironic how the very man who made me promise to stay away from trouble is the same one who coaxed me into signing this contract?