Mr.Right

Chapter 24.

"You should go with this, it definitely suits your style," Yep, you might have guessed right. Jim and I are

at a Salon downtown after I bribed him with pizza, using his credit card to buy them of course. We've

gone through almost all the catalogs in the store, searching for an appropriate hairdo for me but this is

me being so indecisive right now.

"Get that off my face. I'm not walking out in the streets looking like Dolly Parton," I tell Jim.

"What's wrong with Dolly? She's hot. Most Grandma's her age live with dozens of cats and knits cat

sweaters on their rocking chair but she's a legend on her own. Have some respect and chill."

"I would if you stop showing me hairstyles from the '80s," I stretch my hands to pick up my phone from

the table as it accidentally falls into a bucket of hair shampoo. The hairstylist rushes over to get the

phone out of the bucket. "Don't worry, it's completely waterproof. I drop it in my toilet all the time," I tell

her, and she gives me a weird look.

We finally decide to get my hair dyed pale blonde and get it cut short to my shoulder length. It was a lot

of work trying to trim my overly long unkempt hair to that length but with a lot of effort and time spent, I

soon have myself walking out of the Salon with a whole new look.

It's evening time already and I'm in the passenger's seat of Jim's car on my way back home from our

little makeover, or whatever dude-ish name he'd call it.

The street to the Penthouse gradually comes in view but Jim zooms past it as I whip my head around

to stare at him.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm kidnapping you. Let's run away together," He sounded serious for a moment but when I look again,

I see his lip brought up in a small smile.

I reach up to shove his head playfully and rest my head back on the car's window as everything goes

by in an accelerated rush. I don't care where he's taking me or where we're headed to, but I feel like I

need it so I don't argue like I usually would.

Within minutes, he pulls up in a club filled with cars and people. I spot a girl puking her brains out at a

corner and I scrunch my nose up in disgust.

"I'm not going in there. Remember what happened the last time I went to a club," I tell Jim but when I

turn to face him on the driver's seat, he's not there and is already out of the car, walking into the club.

"Aww isn't he sweet. So considerate."

My legs make their way into the club and my head almost splits from the loud music blasting from the

speakers. 'Low' by Flo Rida is turned up on full volume and despite the splitting pain in my head, I bob

my head sideways to the beat of the music.

"What's a pretty lady like you doing all alone," A dude comes up behind me. There's an unlit cigarette

hanging between his upper and lower lip as his crooked lips turn up in a smirk. It's amusing to me

because it's the first time someone makes an attempt to flirt with me so I just stand and watch,

wondering what his next move would be but before he could make any move which I was anticipating, I

hear Jim's voice over the loud music.

"Look at her that way again and I'll rip out your eyes and fuck the sockets."

They both engage in a stare off before the dude backs out and blends in with the crowd.

"Stop acting like my boyfriend," I shove him out of my way and move deeper into the crowd.

"It's called protecting you. That guy already had you naked in his perverted mind," He follows me.

"I imagine random people I see naked in my head, so what?" That slips out my mouth before I can take

it back and he gives me a 'what-the-fuck' look. "Listen, I just want to have fun without someone

watching me like a hawk, ok?"

"You want fun? There you have it," he gestures to a different group of people at the other side of the

club all chanting chug chug chug chug to a male who has his head turned upside down and both his

hands supporting his weight up. There's a hose-like substance in his mouth that traces down to a bottle

of alcohol. "I'm betting 50 bucks you can't do that."

"You underestimate me, Thomas." Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

"Well prove me wrong, White," I cast him a grin before I walk over to where they are.

"I'd like to go next," I tell the big guy with a snake tattooed to his neck.

"Get out of there ya pussy," He tells the guy struggling to chug the alcohol down his throat. "Ya couldn't

even reach half the bottle. What a wimp," The crowd erupts in laughter and I have no possible idea

how they find that so funny. The guy staggers out of the arena and rushes to the restroom probably to

puke.

"Now look here missy," The big guy says again. "You done this before?" I shook my head 'no'. "Well, I

just wanted to tell ya you're not going to be our responsibility if you pass out right here."

"Why would I pass out?" I inquire.

"You just have to find out yourself, isn't that right folks?!" He yells to the crowd and they erupt in cheers.

"Now get up there and make us proud."

I can do this. It's just alcohol. I'm not a lightweight and wouldn't pass out as they say.

The big guy holds me upside down and fixes the hose to my mouth as they begin chanting chug chug

chug chug.

I begin slowly at first to have the taste of alcohol on my tongue and maybe I should've kept it that way

because when I open my eyes to stare at Jim from afar behind my glasses, he begins to appear in

two's and three's and that's when I knew I lost it.

~~~~~~~~

I don't know how I get home the next morning but I can sense I'm in my room in the penthouse.

The throbbing in my head seems to have doubled overnight as it feels like there are two hippo's

shagging in my head right now.

I peel my eyes slightly open and glance at Maverick sitting beside my bed with a facial expression I'm

not so comfortable with so I try to sit up and examine my surroundings.

"What happened?" I ask.

"You got drunk and passed out," He answers sternly and I breathe a sigh of relief. Nothing out of the

ordinary. "What happened, April?"

I frown at him. "You just said I got drunk and passed out."

"No, what happened a year ago?" He asks again and my heart leaves my body. "You sleep talked last

night. I heard you but I just wanted a reconfirmation."

Its been months since I sleep talk, why did that have to happen when he's around. I didn't think it'd

come back, especially when it's about something I've been trying to hide for so long. Maverick already

has an idea of what happened. What if I lie? And say it was just a nightmare? Would he buy it?

"You're not saying anything."

"I don't know what you're talking about," I lie.

"Answer me!" He yells and a tear seeps out of my eye unknowingly. He's never raised his voice at me

before nor gnash his teeth at me. I see his eyes blaze fire and his knuckles turn white.

He's livid.

Then I decide. I say the one sentence I swore never to tell anyone.

"I got raped by Tony a year ago."