done, I wrote Love Norah, and moved away from the computer. He
sat in the chair and read what I wrote. I heard him snort, click some
buttons and push the chair in. I was over near the window looking
out. I wondered why he was making me communicate with my
family. Was this some kind of sick torment? He wanted to remind me
of what I no longer had, or of who I would never see again. I didn’t
understand the point, unless he was just trying to save his own ass.
Maybe someone was looking for me and he was hoping a quick email
would keep them off his track. He came up behind me and handed
me something. I looked down at my wallet. I took it and turned to
face him. I looked in his eyes silently asking how he had this. He
didn’t answer. I flipped through it and found my driver’s license,
money and even Jim’s credit card. I flipped to the back and saw my
family pictures.
I covered my mouth with my hand and felt the tears run
down my face. I looked at their faces. I had no idea how long I had
been here, but I missed them so much. I held the pictures to my
heart and looked up at him.
“Thank you sir.” My breathing was staggering. I turned back
to the window and he stepped closer to me. I felt his arms around
my waist. He leaned in to my ear and kissed my lobe. I put my hands
over his.
“I told you, it doesn’t have to be all bad, Norah. You need to
understand the nicer you are to me, the nicer I will be to you. I don’t
like to hurt you, or see you cry, Norah, no matter what you think. I
would like to try to make you happy. I would rather see you sigh with
pleasure, then cry in pain.” He ran his hand down the front and
cupped my sex, and I jumped. That was just like him. He would say or
do something nice, and then say or something mean just to remind
me he could. “The rewards don’t end with nice rooms and orgasms.”
He turned me to face him. “If you let me, I can make you very
happy.” He pushed my hair off my face.
“If you’re willing to make me happy too.” He leaned in and
kissed my forehead again. He stepped away and went to the bed. He
gestured and I saw my black bag sitting in the middle of the
comforter. I walked over and reached for it. I pulled it to me, and
looked at him again. “Thank you,” I didn’t add the sir. I wanted to see
if he would let it go. And he did. I looked through it. It still had
everything in it, my makeup bag, my e reader, my iPod, some gum,
my camera, and my little change purse. It had everything, everything
except my passport. He nodded and backed away towards the door.
I walked to him. “You’re leaving?” I asked boldly. He touched my
shoulders and smiled.
“I have to go to work. But Gerald will bring you breakfast in a
bit. And I’ll be back tonight for dinner.” I nodded at him. I wanted to
know so badly what he did for a living, but was too scared to ask
again.
Breakfast arrived minutes after he left. There was a white
linen table cloth over the cart, and big arrangement of flowers in the
middle. I took off the food cover.
I had a big plate of French toast, bacon, and eggs. He had
provided syrup, butter and jelly. There was water, coke, coffee, and
milk. I started to dig in and saw a little pink card sitting in the middle
of the table. I picked it up and opened it. There was a small sketch of
a butterfly that looked like my tattoo, and a heart under it. He didn’t
sign his name of course.
The day was pretty quiet, but I was happy to have the view
and books to read again. I listened to my music as I ran on the
treadmill and danced around the room. We had dinner together the
next three nights in my room. He brought me flowers and we talked
about the book I was reading, “The picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar
Wilde. I tried not to look at him unless he told me to, and I didn’t try
to act brave or take any liberties with my comments. The third night
after dinner he told me he would not be joining me the next night
because he had a late business dinner. I felt a little sad for not being
able to see him, but tried not to show it.
I heard him open the door late that night and walk in my
room. I could feel him standing close to the bed and knew he was
watching me. I opened my eyes and he knelt down.
“What time is it?” I asked.
“Late,” he replied. “I just wanted to see you before I went to
bed.” He kissed my forehead and stood up to walk to the door.
“Good night, Norah,” he said as he closed the door. I felt like he was
lowering his wall of cruelty toward me. The next day was pretty
much the same for me as they all were. I took a nap just before
dinner. I had no idea how long I had been asleep when I felt his hand
on my back. I rolled to face him. He held up a white garment bag.
“I want you to put this on, and have dinner with me in the
dining room,” he whispered. I leaned up in the bed and took the bag
from his hand. He scooted closer to me, and touched my face. “Have
you been sleeping long?” I didn’t answer. “I guess you didn’t sleep
well in the basement huh?” I didn’t answer again. And I assume he
wasn’t expecting me to, because he didn’t get angry when I didn’t. I
lowered my eyes.
“I missed you today,” I whispered. It was part true. He sucked
in his breath. “Is that allowed?” I asked. He put his hand under my
chin and lifted it to him. My “golden rule” instincts were finally
kicking in. If I was nice to him, he was nice to me. He gestured to the
bathroom. “Go get dressed.” I got up and went the bathroom. I took
off my clothes and put on some good smelling lotion. I put my hair in
a loose bun at the base neck and let my curls fall around my face. I
opened the bag and found black lace panties and a very sexy black
dress. I slid on the panties then stepped in the dress. It came to my
mid-thigh and came in tight at my waist and was very low cut in the
front. I took the straps and buttoned them behind my neck. My back
was bare all the way to the top of my butt. I put on some light make
up and lip gloss and then stepped out to see if he approved. His back
was to me, so I cleared my throat. He turned to face me, and I didn’t
recognize the look in his eyes. He walked close to me, and took me
by my hands and held them out to my sides. “Norah, you’re
beautiful,” he gasped. He seemed so different I didn’t even recognize
him. He was actually being sweet. He turned me around, and ran his
hands over my back.
“You are so sexy. I hope I can keep my hands to myself
tonight.” And just like that he was back to himself. He stepped
closer, and I tensed up a little. “You smell so good,” He leaned into
my neck and ran his nose down to my shoulder and gave me a kiss.
“Don’t worry. Relax.” He swayed me back and forth and I tried to
take a few deep breaths. I didn’t know what I was so worried about. I
think it was the unknown again. He had been mean, hurtful, horny,
degrading, and inquisitive. But I had never seen him try to act
romantic. That wasn’t the man I knew. The man I knew was angry, or
upset, and very cocky most of the time. His forceful lips, and hard
hands pulling at me scared me. The dirty things he would say
embarrassed me. Partly because sometimes it turned me on, but
mostly because I just wasn’t use to a man talking like that to me. The
problem was I never knew who I was getting. Right now we were
swaying back and forth, he was calm, and I had my hands behind me
on the backs of his thighs pulling him closer.
But in 30 seconds something could happen, anything, and he
could grab me by my hair, and press my face to the bed. Anything
and nothing set him off. I didn’t know when my brave comments
could run out and just piss him off. Just because he was calm now
didn’t mean that during dinner he wouldn’t scream at me, throw me
on the table and violate me. He took my hand and we walked toward
the door. “Oh, shoes!” He pointed to the floor and I saw a pair of
black strappy sandals. I put them on as fast as I could and followed
him out the door. We walked downstairs and went to dining room.
There was piano music playing, and three large candles in the
middle of the table. He pulled out a chair for me, and then sat at the
head of the table. The older man brought in our food and we ate our
soup in silence. He came back in and took the bowls while the
Hispanic woman I had seen before placed our plates in front of us.
There was a little chicken, maybe a hen, covered in mushrooms and
onions, mashed potatoes, and mixed vegetables.
“I told them you liked chicken, I hope that’s alight.” The man
stood at my side waiting for my instructions.
“It’s perfect. Thank you,” I nodded at him, and he nodded
back and walked back the kitchen.
“Thank you, Gerald. We’ll call you if we need anything.” I ate
slowly looking over at him and watched him look away.
I wasn’t sure what this night was all about or what I had done to
deserve this treatment. Finally he broke to awkward silence.
“Have you ever seen the movie ‘Pretty Woman’?” he asked. I
nodded. I didn’t know where he was going with this? Was he trying
to compare himself to Richard Gere and me to Julia Roberts?
Because if memory serves Vivian was a prostitute by choice, and
Edward rescued her from that life. Then I panicked thinking he was
trying to explain the life I was going to have with him, as a prostitute.
I narrowed my eyes and wiped my mouth with the napkin. He
reached across the table, sensing my panic.
“I’m just talking about Edward’s job in the movie, that’s all.” I
relaxed and he took his hand away. I wanted to take it back, but
resisted. “I own the same kind of company. My company buys other
companies.” He took a sip of his wine. “Well I buy some and re-sell
them, and others I invest in and help. All of them are weak or losing
profit, so I swoop in and take over at a low price. Besides my own
company, I sit on the board of twenty other companies I have helped
or re-sold for a profit.” I looked back at my food. The buying and re
selling at a profit comment scared me. “You had asked me what kind
of job I had, I was just telling you,” he smiled and seemed a little
unsure of himself. I reached out for his hand again, and we linked
our fingers. “I’ve never done this before, Norah.” He gulped down
some more wine. “You’re the first, ah,” he paused and moved his
free hand in the air. “You’re the first woman I ever, you know…” he
couldn’t seem to find the words.
“Paid for?” I looked right at him. He nodded.
“Well that’s okay, because this is the first time I have ever
been bought,” I smiled but he didn’t. “I was trying to lighten the
mood a little.” He smiled and let go of my hand.
“What college did you attend?” he asked. We talked through
the rest of dinner about him attending college at Cambridge
University, and my attending the University of Nevada. I told him
about studying finance and marketing and the internship I had
worked out for myself at a top ad agency in Chicago. I told him about
watching my Mother work as a show girl and thinking she was the
most beautiful woman in the world. He told me that his parents died
when he was young boy and he was raised by his aunt and uncle,
who both died when he was in college. Soon we were eating cheese
cake and laughing about SNL skits. It felt like a real date. I couldn’t
help but notice how extremely handsome he was as he talked. I
wondered why a man that looked like him had to buy women,
certainly women threw themselves at him all the time.
All became silent again as Gerald came in the room and
cleared the table. He asked if either of us wanted coffee or tea, we
declined and he left. He stood up and said something to Gerald as he
left the room, he nodded and shut the dining room door behind him.
“Dance with me, Norah,” he had turned back to me and was
holding out his hand. I took it and stepped to him. He put his hand
on my lower back, and the other grasped my hand. I leaned into his
neck and we swayed back and forth. He moved his head so his lips
could touch my shoulder. Then he kissed my neck and leaned into
