Unravel (2 page)

“Ready, hot stuff?” Jess waltzed her pale pink, figure-hugging dress straight past my nose and into the apartment, shutting the door playfully behind her by stretching out her kitten-heeled foot.

I scratched my head in exhaustion. “I don’t know. I’m really not in the mood, clubbing is so... meat market.”

She laughed as she fussed with her blonde hair in front of the mirror. “That, missy, is exactly what you need! A little bit of meat!” She winked at me, laughing like a drain. “I bought an extra large bottle of plonk. We’re going to get you seriously plastered and laid like a house tonight!”

Give me strength!
I thought, closing my eyes in the hope that she would disappear, and I would be left to watch infomercials in peace for the rest of the evening. “You’ve got it all planned out, don’t you, Jess?”

She clasped her hands together, beaming at me, “Sure do! How long has it been? No sex is, like, totally bad for your health, Siena.”

I smiled, shaking my head at her advice. “Where did you get your medical degree from again?”

She laughed, “Shhh! Smart ass.”

I looked into the green eyes staring back at me in the mirror. Compared to the night I had been with him, they now looked so tired—drained. “I’m fine, really,” I said, hoping to also convince myself. “I just don’t need to put myself through this, that’s all.”

“Put yourself through what?” She rested her chin on my shoulder as she looked at me in the mirror waiting for an answer, which I knew I couldn’t give.

“Getting shagged by a hot, Italian bod? Yeah, it sounds disgusting. Come on!” She dragged me playfully to the wardrobe. “I’m going to pick out something extra tight—get you back on the man-teasing train you always loved to ride. I don’t know what the last guy did to you, but, seriously, you need to get over it, and the best way to do that is by getting under another one. Got it?” She hugged me with encouragement.

I laughed, feeling my spirits lift. “Pour me a drink then—actually, pour me two.”

“Sure thing!” She said as she threw a pinstriped corset, and short black skirt into my arms, and bounced towards the alcohol looking like some sort of a strange kangaroo. “Wear that—it opens at the front! Whoever does you tonight is gonna be a lucky boy; the access points are so accessible!”

“Jess! OMG! Have you already started drinking?” I asked, blushing as I walked towards the bathroom to change.

She laughed, throwing her head in the air as she flung her arms up in surrender. “Yes, yes, okay you caught me! I’ve had a little bit to drink—big deal, it’s Friday. So what?”

There was silence for a few minutes. She must have paused to take a breath or have another drink, it was hard to decipher from behind the door.

“I don’t know why you don’t come out dancing with me more often,” she called. “That’s how I met Nathan, and he’s adorable.”

I yelled from the bathroom, “Yeah, and he’s four.”

“You should try younger guys, Siena. What they lack in experience, they sure make up for in energy.”

“La-la-la,” I sang, covering my ears as I stepped out of the bathroom. “Gross, Jess, I get it ok—I get it! I’m dressed like a right slapper, I’m drinking with you, and we’ll go clubbing. You don’t need to convince me any further, ok?”

I held up my two favorite pairs of stilettos. “Black strappy or nude?”

“Nude, definitely!” she giggled, watching for my reaction as I slipped on the shoes, gaining several inches in the process.

She woof whistled at me as I skulled my entire glass of wine. “You’re going to pull some cock wearing that, Siena.”

I covered my face with my hands in embarrassment. “Wow – seriously? Stop it, Jess. It’s time to go; you’ve already had waaaay too much to drink.” I grabbed her arm and pulled her out the door behind me.

She laughed like a hyena as she followed me down the concrete stairs and outside into the dark night air.

When we walked through the black, glossy door of the nightclub, it was literally bursting at the seams inside. Hot, sweaty bodies pressed up against each other as far as the eye could see. The bass gyrated loudly up through the floorboards, pulsating through every inch of my body. Thick, frozen ice caught in my throat as it puffed out in clouds, merging with the colored, flashing lights.
I need another drink, and a big one,
I thought
.
Clubbing is a sport you have to participate in inebriated—sober will just not get you into the zone. Sober is
not
an option.

Jess squealed, “I love this song!!! Come on!” and she grabbed my arm, pulling me through the crowded dance floor and up onto a glass podium lit with blue lights. “Dance with me! This is sooo much fun!” she giggled.

My mind started to drift away as I watched her shaking her blonde locks back and forth to the music.
Wow she is fun. Why can’t I be like that?
She was so carefree. I was like a police officer compared to her—and not one of the ones with handcuffs or pelvic thrusts. Nope, I was the one with the notebook in one hand and the pen in the other. Writing a ticket. Boring. Snore-ville.

“I’m gonna go and get another drink,” I yelled in her ear above the music. “Pretty stupid question, but do you want one?” I stepped off the podium not waiting for her answer and walked to the bar.
Of course she wanted a drink
;
who was I kidding
?

It must have been at least two years since I had been in a nightclub, and even though it felt so familiar, it also felt incredibly strange to be back in this environment. I leaned over the cold marble bar hoping my breasts wouldn’t pop out of the pushed up and smooched-together arrangement, courtesy of Miss “The-Access-Points-Are-So-Accessible.” Sure enough, I didn’t have to wait long until one of the bar guys saw me—
them
—and came running.

“Can I get two double vodkas on the rocks, please?”

“Sure thing, beautiful.” The bar guy replied, staring at my breasts sleazily. Bar guys,
ick. I wonder how many girls you’ve slept with?
I pondered, as my eyes flicked across the crowded club.

Despite being engulfed by the crush of hot, fleshy bods, I could feel one set of curious eyes upon me. Through the noise and hazy smoke, I felt like I was being watched like a deer about to be shot down. I chuckled to myself, knowing in that moment how crazy that thought was—I didn’t have antlers last time I checked, and I wasn’t in a forest chewing grass. No matter how hard my anxiety tried to scare me, I wasn’t about to get shot, and what I really needed was a
big
drink.

As the frozen ice started to lift bit by bit, the curious eyes I had felt on me were revealed. They were warm and friendly, like someone I had known in the past, and yet I had never seen him before. Dressed in dark, scruffy jeans, his golden tan was in stark contrast to the white polo that covered his semi-muscular chest. His face was boyish-cute, and his head was covered in dirty blonde curls.

He smiled at me and gave me a casual wave as his fingers ran through his hair.
Oh wow, he’s cute,
I thought as I looked behind my shoulder, in case he was waving at someone else. He shook his head and pointed at me, smiling.

The bar guy handed me the drinks as he took one last perv at my chest for his seedy entertainment.

“You’re hot.” I turned around to discover “cute boy” standing next to me.

I laughed, blushing in embarrassment. “And you’re a fast mover,” I replied, looking into his big, dark, brown eyes.

He laughed, throwing his head in the air and then whispered in my ear, “I saw you come into the club with that crazy blonde—wow she’s outta control!”

I smiled, “Yep, that’s my Jess.”

His face dropped. “Oh shit. You’re not a lesbian are you?”

I frowned. “No. But thanks for checking. That’s
really
classy of you—not.”

He shrugged playfully.

I looked over towards Jess; she was hooking up with some guy.
God I hope that’s Nathan
I thought. Otherwise we’re gonna have another in-depth Sunday session.

“Do you want it?” I pointed to her drink.

“Sure—thanks, I’ll have a sip of it, but I can’t have much since I’m driving.” He smiled, and then laughed at some crap he had thought up in his mind. “You haven’t spiked this have you? What if it makes me completely defenseless, and you jump my bones?”

I sighed, shaking my head. “Nice try. What’s your name?”

“Josh. And you are—?”

I bit my lip considering my options.
Give the fake name, give the fake name!
my anxiety screamed. “Elle.”

He looked into my eyes as he took a sip of the drink. “Damn, that’s a beautiful name.”

I laughed, shaking my head again.

“What?” he smiled, looking at me playfully.

“It’s just funny, that’s all.”

“What’s funny?”

“Guys.”

“Why?”

“Just all the lines you pull out. Like, seriously? Are you kidding me? Just be real, you know,
sincere
. I’m too old for this sort of crap.”

“Crap?” He laughed at me as his eyes studied my lips. “How old are you?”

I smiled in amazement. “You realize that’s the worst thing you can ever ask a woman, don’t you?”

“Oh,” he said looking at his feet.

“If you must know, I’m twenty-five, well… almost twenty-six.”

He flexed his biceps as he smiled, looking down at my ass. “Hot.”

“What?”

“It’s hot that you’re twenty-five.”

I took a step back looking at him sideways. “Why?”

He smirked. “Well, I’m a bit younger than you.” He leaned forward, whispering in my ear over the bass, “Maybe you could teach me a thing or two?”

I laughed, “You boys are all the same! Hey, it was nice meeting you. See you around.”

I patted him on the back as I excused myself, pushing through the hot and heavy gathering and back over to Jess, who was still in hook-up mode. “I’m gonna head home—will you be ok?” She nodded and waved goodbye without coming up for air.

Walking out of the club, I blinked as my eyes adjusted to the fresh air. My ears were still ringing from the bass. I looked around the dimly lit, cobbled streets, which were now pretty much empty—not one taxi in sight. Home, I guesstimated, was around thirty minutes away on foot. Still warm and filled with courage from the alcohol, I thought walking wouldn’t be
that
bad, and the only thing that would kill me would most likely be my stilettos.

Ten minutes later as I continued to walk home, the screaming sounds of what could have only come from a supercar roared up beside me as the darkened window slid down in one smooth motion.

“Sexy!” a voice called out.

I looked away, afraid it would be some guy offering to buy my “services.” With relief, I discovered it was just Cute Boy. “Hey.”

He pulled out his puppy dog eyes as he drove along side me. “Are you leaving already?”

“Yeah,” I nodded as I kept walking. “I’m not in the mood for this tonight.”

“Jump in.”

“What?”

“I’ll give you a lift —you can’t walk home; it’s too dangerous. You’re swaying in those heels, and you might freeze to death.”

“I don’t even know you.”

He smiled widely. “I’m driving a Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 Roadster. What’s the worst that could happen?”

I stopped walking and turned to look at him blankly. “English, please.”

He laughed, tapping the steering wheel. “I’m driving a Lambo, baby! Seriously, Elle, what’s the worst that could happen?”

“You could murder me and dump my body in this stolen car.”

He laughed, “Whoa. Anxiety much? It’s not stolen, trust me.”

I crossed my arms. “Why should I trust you? I don’t even know you!” I peered into the open car window trying to make his face out in the dimness. “Oh no! You’re not one of those highly overpaid soccer stars are you?”

He laughed, “Nah. I do stuff online—build apps, that sort of thing.”

I nodded as he blabbed on, rubbing my arms quickly as goose bumps started to emerge under my skin.

“Get in the car before you freeze your butt off.”

I pushed a wandering curl out of my eye as I threw my arms up in surrender. “Alright,” I slurred as I stepped into the car.

Wow. Milan is filled with too much money
, I thought.

“Do you like it?” He asked as the tyres screeched across the old cobblestones under his

aggressive
acceleration to get away.

I yawned as I glanced over at him. “Mmm?”

“Do-you-like-the-car?” He asked word by word as if I was from Mars.

“Watch it, cheeky,” I said, smacking him gently on the knee. “What do you want me to say? It has wheels, and it appears to go—sure, it’s great.” I laughed at my rudeness.

“Go?” He looked at me astounded. “It sure does ‘go.’ Do you know that I can go from zero to one hundred kilometers in three seconds flat, and it has a maximum speed of two hundred and seventeen miles per hour?”

His words went in one ear and out the other. I didn’t care two hoots about the car; I was just grateful for the lift. I leaned back, relaxing into the sumptuous passenger seat as I rested my head on the leather and inhaled. “Mmmmm, yummy,” I said.

He laughed at me, watching as my nose pressed against the leather seat. “I like you—you’re funny.”

I looked up at him, his eyes now concentrating on the road ahead. “Funny as in haha, or funny as in cuckoo?”

He smiled. “A bit of both.”

I rested my head on the leather seat, looking at him as I stretched my hand out and touched his baby face. “And you, mister, are pretty.”

He pulled the car over to the side of the road and turned off the screaming V12 power.

I looked at him through my tipsy haze, noticing the silence. “The car sure sounds angry—I can’t believe how much it roars!”

He stared down at the bull on the steering wheel. “It’s roaring ‘cause it wants to go fast!”

“Oh.” I bit my nail, wondering why we had stopped.

He sat in the driver’s seat, looking across at me. His deep, brown eyes swallowed me whole. They were so warm—playful, young. “I so wanna kiss you right now.”

I looked at him in my tipsiness and whispered, “Then do…”

He leaned in and we started to kiss. His lips were full and soft, and as his curious tongue entered my parted lips and started to roughly tango with mine, I could tell that this was quickly turning into a lot more than just a kiss.

Pushing his seat back, I climbed on top of him and pulled his polo shirt off in one yank. “Mmm, you are pretty,” I said, chucking his shirt behind him as my eyes trailed down his tanned, muscular chest. “Look how young you are! What a baby face.”

His breath tickled my neck as his soft lips kissed across my collarbone and down across my pushed-up breasts. They were so pushed up, they felt like they were about to hit my chin.