Tangled Up In You (A Savioe Family Novel) (16 page)

                                                        *****

I pulled the tiny black dress down and watched how it flowed over my body. It hit mid-thigh and hugged my waist. The love bite left from Luke was carefully hidden under a black and white scarf. I borrowed my mom’s ‘do me’ heels that increased my height by at least five inches and did amazing things for my legs. I brushed my hair out and put on the barest of make-up. The ankle bracelet around my leg jingled when I walked bringing a smile to my face. I sprayed my honeysuckle body spray on and called Luke.

“Hey, love. So what’s the verdict?” He asked.

“Can you be ready in oh… thirty minutes or so?” I leaned the phone against my shoulder as I put my earrings in.

“Yeah I can do that. What’d you have in mind?” His voice was muffled as I heard the ruffle of clothes.

“Nox’s.” I switched the phone to the other side and put that earring in.

“So I have to wear a suit and don’t we need reservations for that?”

“Not my family. Dad has a permanent table there thanks to him helping Mr. Charvat out of his pre-nup. Yes, you have to wear a suit.” I grabbed a small clutch out of my closet and started transferring the bare essentials in it. Lipstick, a small pack of hand wipes and my wallet. “So I’m getting ready to leave. See you in a few.”

He groaned pathetically. “Really a suit? Fine. I’ll be ready when you get here. Drive safely, love.”

I hung up the phone and placed it in the small purse. Wow my first date. I let out a snort. Boy, did I have things backward. The dates are supposed to happen prior to getting physical with someone. Jess must have more of an influence on me than I thought. Oh shit Jess. I so need to tell her what happened after dinner. She can wait. I’m not going to let anything get in the way of me spending time with him.

I grabbed my dad’s keys from the wall hook in the kitchen and left a brief note saying I was going to dinner and maybe a movie. Now I have only driven the Audi once before with my dad in the car. He immediately had me pull over after a few blocks so he could drive because I tended to speed in it. I unlocked the door and opened it embracing the sandalwood air freshener he kept in there to mask the cigar odor.

As I placed my purse in the
car, I saw a shadow approaching from the street. I looked over my shoulder to see who it might be. Bus. Great that’s all I need. He was dressed in a pair of jeans and a green polo shirt that made him look like a giant lime Popsicle. The closer he got the more his cheap cologne overpowered my senses. His huge fake diamond studs in his ears glittered in the afternoon sun. His eyes widened when he saw me then slowly raked their way over my body making me want to throw up. Do girls really fall for that? A tiny voice in the back of my head reminded me that I was close to being one of them.

“Um… What are you doing here?” I asked cautiously my hand still resting on the convertible top.

He gave me a grin that screamed ‘Hey baby nice dress I bet it’d look better on my floor in the morning.’ “You weren’t in school yesterday and I don’t know if your friend gave you my message. So I wanted to check on you to see if you were okay.”

“As you can tell I’m fine. I’m also late. So if you’ll excuse me I need to get going.” I started to get in the car when he grabbed my arm.

“Are you avoiding me?”

“No, I just have to go. I have a date.” I jerked my arm away from him and took a step closer to the car.

Anger flashed in his eyes for a second before he took a step back. “Oh. Let me guess with that Savioe kid.”

“Not that it’s any of your business but yes.” I narrowed my eyes at him clenching t
he keys in my hand at his tone.

“He’s not good enough for you, Roxy. None of those people are. Once he gets what he wants from you
, he’ll dump you for someone else. Just ask his exs.”

“You don’t know what you are talking about.”

“Yes I do. Someone like Luke just wants to get laid. Why do you think Christie is all broken up over their break up? She gave him her virginity last Friday and he dumped her the next day. He did it to Jesse R., the girl he dated before her, too. Once you give it to him he’ll do the same thing.”

“So he sleeps with girls and breaks up with him the next day?” Jesse R why did that name sound familiar?

“Yes.” He gently places a hand on my shoulder and looks into my eyes trying to convey his false sincerity. “I don’t want to see you get hurt by him.”

I shoved his hand off me and narrowed my eyes. “Well, if that’s the case I bet you’re glad he wasn’t in on your little book. We all know he’d be able to steal your lead. A face and body like his is enough to make any girl trip over themselves just to be near him.” Now it dawned on me about the girl’s name.

He grabbed my upper arms and pushed me against the car. “What do you know of the book?”

Fighting against the pain of his fingers digging into my flesh I hissed out. “I know enough to realize that you are a lying asshat. And we both know that Jesse didn’t get her cherry popped by him. Or are you forgetting… I think it was last Halloween where you and your boy James double teamed her at Angie’s party.”

He slammed me against the car. I let out a silent scream of pain as my back scraped the open door frame. “How do you know that? Never mind it doesn’t matter.” He bent his head down next to my ear and nuzzled against my cheek, his sickly sweet breath turning my stomach. “This wasn’t supposed to happen like this. We all thought you’d be eager to go with one of us since no one was interested in you. But you turned out to be a surprise. Don’t get me wrong I’m not giving up.” He pushed up against me hard enough for me to feel that he was aroused. “I’m all for the chase. I will have you Roxy. One way or another I will have you before he does.”

Tears welled in my eyes and my hands shook in fear. Oh god what am I supposed to do. He licked my neck causing me to whimper in disgust and terror. This cannot be happening to me. His fingers bit into my upper arms as he lifted me up further against him. My feet dangled a few inches off the driveway. I squeezed my eyes closed as he tried to capture my lips. Something inside of me snapped. I don’t know if it was the gravity of the situation or just the thought of me living a real life Lifetime movie. We all know the ones where a girl is brutally raped by the jock only to be ridiculed and shunned by the community labeled as a slut or saying that she was asking for it and he was just be
ing a guy. I hate those movies.

I reached up and dug my nails down his face. There goes my manicure. He dropped me covering his injured cheek with his hand. I quickly pressed the key fob setting off the car alarm drawing the attention of my neighbors. My grandmother ran outside took one look at my
tear-streaked face and screamed at the top of her lungs a string of words in Navajo. She picked up a flowerpot and chucked it at him. Bus dodged it and got in his car leaving a trail of exhaust behind him.

My parents rushed out partially undressed. Mom ran over to me and inspected me for any dam
age. “Roxy baby what happened?”

I collapsed against her in a fit of sobbing and explained it to her. “He pushed me against the car and tried to… tried to….”

“Shh baby it’ll be okay. Come on inside so we can get you cleaned up. Would you like a cup of tea?” She wrapped her arms around me.

“No. I just want to go see Luke.” My voice was muffled against her chest.

My father stood by the fence talking with the neighbor about what happened. He walked over to us running a hand through his disheveled blonde hair and asked. “Do you want to call the cops and press charges?”

“I don’t know what good that would do. He’s a football god to those people.” I lifted my head and wiped away the tears my hands still shaking.

“That doesn’t give him the right to attack you. At least let’s take out a restraining order.” He crossed his arms across his bare chest grimly.

“You’ve said it yourself Dad too many times. What good is a piece of paper? That’s not going to stop someone from doing what they want to do.” I stepped away from my mom and straighten my dress and scarf. “I’m fine really. Just shaken up and I’m not going to let that ass screw up my plans for tonight.”

“Are you sure?” Dad asked gingerly wiping away the rest of my tears.

“I’m sure.” I gave him a sad smile. “I just want to go spend some time with Luke.”

A shadow passed over his face before he nodded. “You really are growing up on me huh? Go on have fun but keep it to a PG13 rating okay? And Roxy, don’t speed in my baby.”

“Okay Dad.”

                                                        *****

Luke

After a quick shower, I put on the only suit I had, a solid pale slate grey with a white linen shirt. The color seemed to turn my eyes a brighter shade of blue. I stood in front of the mirror and tried to tie the grey hound’s-tooth tie. I ripped it off my neck in frustration. Damn I hate suits! I put my wallet in my inside jacket pocket and headed downstairs with my tie in hand.

“Whoa.” Charles stopped on his way up the stair to stare at me. “You look good, frère.”

“Thanks. Where’s mom?” I ran a hand through my hair and let out a sigh.

“Kitchen.”

I jogged down the steps and entered the kitchen. “Mom, can you help me tie this?”

“Sure baby.” She said with her back to me hands in the sink. She grabbed the dishtowel to her right and dried off her hands before turning around. Her mouth dropped open when she noticed what I was wearing. Tears gathered in her eyes as she bit her bottom lip. “Oh, Lucien, you look so grown up. Come here and let me fix your tie for you. I take it you two are going somewhere fancy?”

“Nox’s.” I unbuttoned the jacket and sat on the stool so she didn’t have to stretch to tie it for me.

“That five star place on eighth street where you need reservations and the waiters are ruder than spit?” She asked carefully smoothing out the tie after tying it.

“That’s the one.” I stood up, buttoned the jacket and fixed the shirt cuffs. “Does this look okay?”

A tear ran down her cheek as her bottom lip trembled. “She’s going to love it.”

“Momma, don’t cry.” I took a step toward her to give her a hug only to be waved away.

“I’m okay. I’m just a bit emotional over seeing one of my babies like this. You’re all growing up on me too fast. Before I know it you’ll be out of the house with a wife and kids of your own.” She pulled a tissue out of her pocket and blew her nose.

“Mom. That’s a few years away at least.” I tried to placate her. Me with a wife and kids? I’m not even going to think about that. The intercom at the gate buzzed letting us know that someone was here.

“Go brush your hair, I’ll let her in.” Mom ordered.

I ran up the stairs to my bathroom and quickly pulled a brush through my hair. I smelled my breath and decided that I need to freshen it up a bit. My heart pounded a quick beat when I heard my mom greet her. I looked in the mirror one last time and fixed my jacket before heading downstairs.

She stood in the foyer talking to my mother. I stopped on the steps to just gawk at her. The dress she had on teased my senses. It hugged her waist and showed off those legs that I’d kill to get wrapped around me again. Her hair was cascading down her back in soft ringlets. I noticed a few bruises forming on her upper arms and frowned. How’d that happen? Without thinking, I stomped down the steps and grabbed her arm to inspect them.

“What happened?”
They looked like finger marks.

She looked up at me anxiety showing in those green eyes. “Bus. He showed up at my house just before I left and tried to… intimidate me.” She wasn’t telling me everything. I could tell. Her eyes had a haunted look about them. I swallowed my anger and pulled her into my arms. Her head rested on my chest as I rubbed her head with my chin. She placed a hand on the small of my back and the other on my chest.

I heard my mother sniffle again and looked over at her. She gave me a sad smile. “You two go have fun. Lucien, don’t stay out too late. You still have to go to church with us in the morning.”

“Yes, ma’am.” I pulled back from Roxy and opened the front door for her. She smiled up at me and sauntered by me. I stood mouth agape as I lustfully watched the way sh
e swayed on her way to the car.

She stopped by the driver’s side, looked over the roof of the car at me and smiled before getting in. “I was surprised he let me drive it.” That’s when I
realized she had her dad’s car.

I walked over, opened my door and slid into the leather seats. It was already pushed back just the way I liked it. I flicked my gaze over to her, she just sat there mouth slightly open tongue touching the corner of her mouth eyes looking at me in a way that made me want to pull her back in the house and up to my bedroom. I leaned over the console and brushed a gentle kiss over her lips. She sighed against my mouth.

“Now do you want to tell me what really happened with Bus?”

She started the car and took a deep breath. “He showed up just as I was getting ready to get in the car. He was trying to act all concerned that I wasn’t in school and then asked if I was avoiding him. I told him that I had a date and I was late. He then said a bunch of shit about you that pissed me off.”