The Stripper Equation

Strip Away the Pain

I took it all in.  His apartment suited him well, besides the horrible colored walls.  He hadn’t been lying the other day when he said the color was nauseating.  “Look it’s been a long night.  I’m not usually a big drinker but do you have something to calm my nerves.”  My phone went off again.  I didn’t even want to look.

He nodded and opened his cupboard.  He pulled out a high ball glass and poured the contents of a bottle inside.  As soon as he laid the bottle back down I noticed that it was the same kind of scotch that Vinnie drinks.  He handed me the glass as my phone went off yet again.  “Why don’t we turn this off for the night?”  He said.  He reached out gently and took it from my hands.  Our hands touched and it was like lightening.  He flipped it open and turned it off.  I put the glass to my lips and gulped it all.  It burned the whole way down.  “Easy there sweetheart.”  He looked me over.

“Where’s your bathroom?”  I needed to pee.  He directed me towards the back of his apartment.  I made my way.  As soon as I finished I looked at my reflection.  I quickly washed away all the makeup.  I just wanted everything about the party to go down the drain.  I made my way back out.  Noah was sitting on the couch.  The tv was on and there were sports scores displayed on the screen.

“You are probably exhausted.  You can take my bed.  I’ll take the couch.”  He said it like he meant it.  Not like he was supposed to.  I came over and sat down on the couch next to him.  There were two glasses on the coffee table both had scotch in them.  He saw me looking at them.  “I wasn’t sure if you would want a night cap.  I got you one just in case.”

“I’m not really tired.”  Actually I was exhausted, but I didn’t want to be alone.  Or maybe I just wanted more time with Noah.

He turned from the television and lifted up his drink.  He took a sip.  “Will you tell me what happened tonight?”

I shook my head yes but I took a sip of my scotch before I began.  “I wasn’t lying.  I went there to get more proof that Mark was selling drugs.  I know you think that was stupid of me but it didn’t seem stupid at the time.”  I took another sip.  “I met his friends, they were nice.  Everything was going fine, we were having a good time.”  Noah sat there patiently.  He wasn’t interrupting or rushing me.  “Then before I knew it we were alone in a bedroom.  At first I was okay with it.  I mean I was drunk.  But then he started doing things I didn’t want to do.”  I could sense Noah tensing up beside me.  “He was high.  I tried to get him to stop but he wouldn’t listen.  I finally I got through to him and he let me go.  Then he said horrible things to me.  They almost hurt more than his physical actions did.”

I stopped talking because I was finished with my story.  “Has he ever done that before?  Has he ever forced you into anything?”  Noah sat there anticipating my answer.

I shook my head.  “No.  We haven’t ever had sex.  We haven’t really done too much actually.”  I could see the look of disbelief on Noah’s face.  For some reason it made me laugh.  “Don’t look at me like that.  I have had sex before.  I just don’t take it so lightly anymore.”  Noah looked shocked.  “I’m sorry to burst your porn scenario bubble.”

            “That’s not it.  I just feel bad that you had to go through all that tonight.  That must have been awful.”  He looked like he meant it.