Lex (Unconventional Hearts) (16 page)

Lex

“So ya wanna go home with me tonight?” Corey
slurs, holding onto the edge of the table for balance. He’s
smashed.

Feigning a smile, I reply. “You know Corey, I
don’t think so.”

“Ohhhh… Come on.” He pouts, popping out his
bottom lip and giving me pitiful puppy dog eyes.

Not gonna work, bucko.

I’ve been at this bar for an hour now. I’ve
drank one glass of my wine and sipped on my Patrón. Roni has been
bouncing back and forth between Bob and me. Corey just came over to
talk with me ten minutes ago and can’t seem to stop flirting. I’m
surprised I haven’t been groped yet.

“Nope, Corey. I think I’ll go to the restroom
though.” I get off my stool and maneuver around him.

“Uh-ok.” He stammers and his hand reaches out
and grazes my side as I step past him.

Making haste, I military maneuver in and out
of the dancing crowd, toward the back of the bar where the ladies
restroom is located. I don’t have to pee that bad, but anything to
get away from a drunken Corey is better than enduring him. After
tonight and this week’s crap with both the Suit Master and then
Gage, I am past my tolerable level of bullshit. No more men for
Lex.

In the bathroom, I use the facilities and as
I’m finishing up, I hear the dreaded drunken gossip echoing off the
cement walls, as a group of woman come tumbling like fools into the
bathroom. Laughing and exuberantly gabbing a hundred miles an
hour.

“Did ya’ll see Bob is now with Veronica
Phoenix?” a girl spouts with obvious distaste.

“Yes, of course I did. I heard Peggy called
the cops on them screwing the other night. I also heard Lincoln
went to Lex’s first. You know, I don’t get how a beautiful girl
like her is friends with such a disgusting tomboy like Veronica.”
Another woman says.

“I know…right?” a third girl adds.

“Bob isn’t the hottest guy in town, but come
on—Veronica Phoenix? Pluh-easssee.” The first girl says like a
bratty girl from
Clueless.

I can almost see the eye roll and hair
flipping with her words. What a bitch!

I’m now standing in the stall, my hand on the
lock, ready to break free. After they finish their little bitchy
bash session.

“Forget about Bob and Veronica. How about
Gage? He’s soooo hot! I want to fuck his gorgeous brains out!”

Now I’m the one rolling my eyes. Idiots!

“Yeah but Tammy, you and I both know he
wouldn’t give any of us the time of day. He’s still broken up about
his wife. I heard she doesn’t even see their daughter anymore. She
just up and left and now he’s a single dad.” The third girl
explains.

Poor Gage. Maybe I should be nicer to him, or
maybe I should offer to babysit. That might help. I do love
kids.

“Yeah, too bad. He’d make a great lay.” The
second woman adds.

I’ve had enough of this. First Veronica is
ugly, and then Gage is just a piece of ass. Enough is
enough
.

Theatrically opening the bathroom door to
make my grand entrance, the three-woman jump startled and look at
me. Two of them are placing their hands over their hearts, clearly
surprised.

“Sorry we didn’t know anyone else was in
here.” The second one says, looking a bit scared.

They’ve all gotta be in their early to
mid-twenties. Dressed like sluts and reek of liquor and too much
cheap perfume.

“Sorry? Why? Because you’re talking shit
about my best friend? Or are you sorry because you’re treating Gage
Masterson like a piece of meat that’s to be passed around? And
here’s the four-one-one ladies. Veronica is a great person, who
doesn’t give a flying fuck what you think of her. She’s happy to be
who she is and I love her that way. As for Gage, if his ex-wife did
that to his daughter that’s his own damn business, not yours. So
keep your traps shut.”

I hard point my finger at woman number two,
who’s a thick brunette. “How would you like me going around talking
about how that red dress you’re wearing is too tight and I can see
your panty line?”

I move my pointer finger and direct it at
girl number three, a tall lanky fake blonde. “Or…how would you like
me to blab all over town that you don’t know how to put fake
eyelashes on and your bottled dye job has fried your hair?”

Her mouth drops open and her cheeks turn
bright red.

Lastly, I turn to girl numero uno, who’s also
a blonde, except naturally and curvy. “And you, Madam, are wearing
a bra that’s padded so much that you’re probably an A not the C
that you’re claiming to be.”

Having completed my task, I flamboyantly flip
my hair over my shoulder, stroll all holier than thou over to the
sink, wash my hands, dry them with a paper towel and out the door I
go. Not a single word is muttered from the hags that I left
discombobulated in the bathroom; serves their asses right for
talking about people behind their backs. Grow up; it’s not high
school anymore.

Outside the door, I stop, tuck my chin to my
chest and take in a deep calming breath. My adrenalin is running
high. That was sort of intense. I can’t remember the last time I’ve
ever been that ballsy.

Suddenly a steel arm is aggressively wrapped
around my waist and I am dragged backward down the hallway, away
from the main part of the bar. My high heels fall off as I
frantically try to gain traction but he’s too fast.

“Let go of me!” I yell trying to wiggle loose
and his other hand clamps over my mouth.

“Shhhh.” The manly voice whispers in my ear,
stinking of rancid alcohol.

What is going on!? What is he doing?! Oh my
God! What is he going to do to me!?

Flashes of my past start to erupt in my
brain, not again! I can’t do this again!

Screaming under my attacker’s hand, I flail
my arms, trying to hit him desperate to break free. I need to get
away! Help!

Pushing me face first into a dark corner my
kidnapper lets me go and spins me around by the shoulders to face
him.

My eyes bulge out of my head, taking in my
abductor.

COREY!

“What the hell!?” I pound on his chest with
my fist.

A dark carnal smirk quirks at the corner of
his lips as he advances on me, pressing his entire body against
mine, engulfing me in the unlit corner.

“Let me go.” I try to push him backward but
he doesn’t budge.

“No, I like you, Lex. I’ve liked you since
high school.” He terrifyingly states, looming his massive body over
mine. His eyes burning into mine like the devil has consumed his
soul. I know he’s about to do bad things to me. I can feel the raw,
sexual, sadistic tension wafting off him in powerful surges. He
wants me and he’s not going to take no for an answer.

“That’s nice, Corey, but I’d really like to
get back to my friends now.” I try to stay calm. I can do this.
I’ve done it a hundred times before. I can take it. It can’t be any
worse than I’ve been through before.

“But I like you.” His warm liquor infused
breath fans my face and I crinkle my nose in revulsion. Swallowing
hard, I try my best not to cower with fear. I’m so scared; I can
feel the tears wanting to break free. But I can’t let them. I can’t
let him win. If I cry, or I freak out, all the years of staying
strong and living through torture will have been for nothing.

“That’s nice, Corey, but please let me go.”
Maybe if I don’t fight and I’m nice, he won’t think this is a game
he has to win and he’ll let me go. I can only pray that’s the
case.

Tsking me like an errant child, he buries his
nose in the crook of my neck. His body’s forced so hard against
mine I can feel the outline of the thick erection in his jeans
firmly pressing into my stomach.

I think I might throw up.

“God, you smell soooo good, baby.” He groans,
sniffing me like a dog and I timorously shiver all the way down to
my bare toes.

Baby? He called me baby. That’s what Brian
used to call me…

If I could only hit him in the nuts, but my
arms are pined to my sides and I can’t lift my leg. I’ve tried.

“All the things I’d love to do to this body.”
He reveals, grinding his erection against my stomach, his hand
palms my hipbone and he slides it down to the hem of my dress.

Oh no!

“I wonder what we have under here?” Slowly,
he lifts the hem of my dress and I steel my emotions. He will hit
me if I yell; I just know it. And no one will hear me back here if
I did. The music is thumping too loudly.

“Please don’t.” I plead, closing my eyes and
preparing for the worst. Inching closer to my center I know what
he’s about to find. And I just pray he’s too drunk to remember it
tomorrow. It’s not at all what he’s expecting. I’m not like every
other woman. I’m a slight bit more. The
lady
that lives
there stays hidden and tucked away and has since I was fourteen
years old.

Please God, don’t let him feel it. Please
God, don’t let him beat me once he finds out! Ohhhhh God! Please
no!

Tears well behind my closed lids and I hold
my breath to will them away. Humping into my belly, his hand
tortuously approaches my center, just inches away from the thin
fabric of my tan cotton panties.

“Fuck, Lex, you’re one hot bitch.” His tongue
ruthlessly laps my neck saturating my skin with his disgusting
saliva.

Curling my toes and holding my breath, he
begins to unwelcomingly nibble on my collarbone, stopping an inch
from the seam of my panties with his fingers, where my
lady
lives.

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing
fuckhead?!” a familiar voice yells, without a doubt, flaming pissed
off.

Opening my eyes, I turn my head, and Corey
looks to see Roni, my savior, stalking angrily toward us.

“Go away!” he yells back and she starts to
walk even faster, closing in.

Thank you, Roni!

“You better back away, Corey, or I’ll kill
you myself.” She snarls, her eyes blazing with all the demonic
infernos within the depths of hell itself. I don’t think I’ve ever
seen her this outraged.

Corey refuses to release me and as Roni
reaches us she grabs his shirt and yanks him away, and I push his
chest at the same time to help.

“Go, Lex” She darkly orders, pointing toward
the main part of the bar. Keeping her hand twisted in Corey’s
shirt. His eyes are focused on her and she him.

I don’t listen. I scurry out of the corner
and come to stand beside her.

“Lex…” Her warning tone and locked jaw tells
me she’s not playing but neither am I. He’s drunk and I won’t let
him hurt her either.

“Fine.” She huffs and without a second to
spare she upper cuts him square in the nose.

Corey shrieks so loudly it pierces my ears
and immediately he covers his without a doubt, broken nose.

Blood gushes between his fingers and
pain-laden tears trail down his cheeks. Never releasing his shirt
Roni aggressively tows a heavily bleeding and now whimpering Corey
behind her.

If only I could have done that, not her.

“You fuck with Lex or even speak to Lex
again, I’ll castrate you and feed you those things you call balls.”
She snaps, yanking his shirt harder, causing him to stumble.

Once we reach my shoes in the hall, I pick
them up and two fingers hold them in my left hand, not taking my
eyes off my attempted rapist.

Making it to the main part of the bar, all
eyes turn to us and I instantly shrink. I don’t like to be a part
of any gossip. This is going to fly around town for weeks; I just
know it.

“What happened?” Bob jogging towards us with
a concerned expression asks over the quieted crowd.

“Corey tried to rape Lex.” She states.
There’s no if ands or butts about it. She gets straight to the
nitty-gritty.

As the word ‘rape’ hangs in the air, Corey
slumps down even further.

Suddenly, without warning, a burr passes my
line of sight as Gage flies through the parted crowd and tackles
Corey to the ground.

“You motherfucker!” Gage growls, sitting atop
Corey, ferociously pounding his friend over and over with his fist
in the face and chest. Corey tries to block the assault with his
arms but Gage is working with quick precision. Fluidly jabbing
Corey in the cheek, in the ribs and the ear, then both fists
simultaneously smash into his cheeks and I think I hear a
crack.

“You motherfucker!” he repeats, in a
murderous rage relentlessly wailing away.

I can’t believe this is happening! I’m in
utter shock. My heart is nearly pounding out of my chest.

Bob wraps his arms over both mine and Roni’s
shoulders, kisses her forehead and we all stand back and watch in
astonishment as Gage unleashes on Corey
. It’s justice
, is
what I keep trying to tell myself, even though he didn’t actually
rape me.

Sweat starts to bead on Gage’s blood
spattered face and just as Corey is nearly unrecognizable, Auto
pulls a raw and animalistic Gage off the man who used to be his
friend. And physically escorts a growling, unwilling and completely
blood doused Gage out the front door.

“An ambulance is on its way, and so is
Lincoln.” A woman says, breaking the eerie silence. The bar has
gone from drunken party fest to a sobered state. The music is off
and everyone is either staring at me, a bloodied and unconscious
Corey or at the front door.

“I’m going to go check on Gage.” I announce
and the crowd parts as I make my way to the front door. A man I’ve
never met before opens it for me.

“He almost raped her!” Gage is still
yelling.

“I know, but Roni got there.” Auto’s calm.
He’s always calm. Smoking as much dope as he does, he’d better
be.

I turn the corner and see Gage has taken off
his designer black tattoo printed hoody and laid it on the ground
against the brick wall. His white t-shirt has speckles of blood on
it and his face is a smeared mess. He must have tried to wipe the
splatters off but it didn’t work at all. In his mouth, he’s puffing
hard on a Black & Mild, pacing back and forth in the alley
beside the bar.