Alana
Opening my eyes to the sound of my alarm clock, I tried to get up. My head hurt terribly and my body ached. I promised myself I would not drink anymore if I had school the next morning. However, it was not the hangover that reminded me of last night. There was a large surgical patch stuck to my thigh, and a suture kit lay on the bedside table. Thanks to Dad for assembling the first aid kit 'just in case'.
"Either you give us both heaven, or I send both of us to hell..." What did he mean by that? Two things, but one thing I know for sure is that I should stay away from him.
Lord, what's going on in my life?
Sighing desperately, I began mentally comparing the two guys, since images of them were flashing through my head without pause, anyway.
Mike and Mark were very similar: both were from wealthy families, insanely handsome, but at the same time selfish and possessive to the core, but! Norton was accommodating. His behavior, when we got to know each other better, his actions, his evaluative and, at the same time pensive gaze, carried absolutely no threat.
I could not say this about Wood, from whose presence I wanted to disappear: a predatory grin, an intimidating look, and a demanding tone. All these qualities generated a feeling of worthlessness inside me, although this person claims to love me. Mark had such a negative energy, to feel bad, you just had to think about him. He, like a vampire, sucked out all the juices out of life, not leaving even a drop for a joyful existence.
To merely exist is what awaited me with him, and I wanted to live without suffocating with fear.
What should I do to have Mark leave me alone once and for all?
Okay... Putting my thoughts aside until better times and gathering myself, I prepared to leave the house to go study, but in the hallway, I saw an interesting picture. The brunette was sleeping on the threshold of my apartment. He smelled terribly of drink, and immediately questions arose: what kind of wind dragged him here? Did he have nowhere to live? And what should I do now? I was going to be so late...
I could not leave him on the floor like that. What would the neighbors think? I had to drag him into the apartment and lay him on the couch. How much did he weigh, this bastard? I already felt bad, and on top of this I now had to deal with him . After getting a glass of water, I poured it on Mike's face, as he didn't want to wake up any other way.
Norton jumped up, not knowing what was happening. It wasn't until his mind cleared that I made myself felt.
"Sorry, but I don't have time to mess around with you. You know where the toilet, shower and kitchen are. Wash and feed yourself. But there's no change of clothes for you. I'm sorry." I made a face and headed for the door, leaving the keys on the table. "If something goes missing, I know where to look for you. Please bring the keys to the uni. See you soon."
That day, the studies did not go well at all. There was no way I could focus on anything the teachers said, let alone take notes. Good thing my neighbor had the lazy habit of recording the lectures on a Dictaphone. I would have to ask her for the recordings later.
I spent the whole day thinking about Alex's words: Why was I afraid to talk about what happened between Mark and me? And I just could not. I got a lump in my throat and that was it. Amanda did not count. She was so dear to me. We still kept in touch. She also invited me to some party, but I had not thought about it much...
***
I fled out of the house, not knowing where to run. There was a forest nearby and no lighting around. My fear of going back into the house was stronger, so I went down the road instead, relying on my memory. Without walking ten meters, I heard an engine behind me. Well, I thought, that's it - I'm a corpse.
"Get in, I'll take you home," the guy behind the wheel said. Alex, thank goodness! I breathed a sigh of relief.
After naming the new address, I visibly relaxed. The car was warm and cozy. The interior smelled of leather and gum, an awesome combination.
"Lana, what happened? You need to get to a hospital!"
"I don't need to go anywhere... I want to go home. I'm fine."
"Your whole leg is covered in blood! Do you call that fine?"
"Oh, come on... It's only a scratch and I can easily cope with it."
"Alana, what's going on between you?"
"Who are you talking about?" I wanted to clarify that it was not about Norton.
"Mark Wood. It's true? Are you former lovers?" Alex asked, not taking his eyes off the road.
"That's one way to say it. We only dated for three months, then broke up."
"And may I know why?"
"Not worth it. I don't want to talk about it..."
"What does he want?"
"He wants me back."
"What do you want?"
"To disappear," I whispered, but Alex heard anyway.
"How could you even go out with someone like him, Alana? This man's dangerous and looks at you like a hungry animal at a piece of meat."
"I just happened to be in the wrong place and fell in love with the wrong person," I whispered before fatigue enveloped me, and I fell asleep without a further thought.
An incoming message roused me from my memories. I'm at the entrance. Will you come out? I replied I was on my way and left the auditorium after asking permission. Mike clearly had been to his dorm room, as he had a change of clothes and looked refreshed. Just let him try to say I never saw him dented. For some reason, this thought brought a smile to my face.
"I'm glad you smile at the sight of me. Thank you for helping me out in the morning," Norton said, and handed me a bunch of keys.
"Good upbringing. Have you ever heard of this? Rather, tell me how you ended up at my door?" I stared at him intently, waiting for an answer, but he just shrugged.
"I don't remember. Apparently, I drank a lot."
"You'll be put in jail for drunk driving someday," I snorted, which Mike just responded to with a laugh.
"You're funny, Moore." My opponent smiled sweetly opposite me and gave me a somewhat condescending look. However, as if remembering something, his face took on a more serious look and, frowning, he asked, "Alana, what happened yesterday between you and Wood?"
"I don't understand what you mean..." I said, knowing there would be questions.
How did he know? I hope it wasn't Alex who blurted it out, though... Unlike this truant, Farrell is a very disciplined guy and is now most likely still paired, which means they haven't seen each other. How then?
"I saw blood and shards from a bottle, Moore. Please, don't make a fool out of me..."
I wonder how he got to the back room? Was he looking for me?
"Mike," I started carefully, "we just talked. How do I know what happened after us? Maybe someone got into a fight? I have no idea. I'm fine, really."
I have to ask Alex to keep quiet about this. I hope he'll understand...
Norton scanned me with his prickly gaze, clearly not believing the words he heard, but sighed and restrainedly reminded me:
"By seven, be ready," and he was just about to leave when he saw my puzzled face. "Our date. Did you forget?"
"Mike, I'm not sure that..."
"At seven, Alana... And I don't want to hear anything, okay?" He unceremoniously turned around and headed towards the parking lot.
Impulse made me call Jessica to tell her about that night's date. I nearly went deaf in one ear, as an overjoyed Jess let out a jubilant cheer. One problem remained: I had a dress, but no suitable shoes. My dear friend promptly agreed to help me.
Jessica arrived in full combat readiness: a vanity case with various makeup tools, curling irons, and high-heeled shoes. She also took out a small bag and handed it to me. However, when she asked how I could walk in high heels with fresh stitches on my leg, I had to answer that I would try very hard not to give myself away.
"The main item of the evening. This is my gift to you," my honey blonde said with a smile, waiting for my reaction to the contents.
Inside were black stockings and a delightful set of black lace underwear.
"You and I have the same physique, so I'm one hundred percent sure of the size!"
"Jess, thanks, of course, but this wasn't necessary, really... I'm not sure it's going to come down to that..."
"Alana!" She smiled condescendingly at me. "Who's talking about sex? Every girl, on a subconscious level, feels more confident in beautiful lingerie. So, go try it on. I can't wait to see these beauties on you!"
After my friend left, I stood in front of the mirror and looked at my reflection. I was wearing a strict black pencil dress with long sleeves and high-heeled pumps in the tone of my clothes. My hair had large curls. My lips were outlined with burgundy lipstick and small eyeliner wings accentuated my eyes. Milton outdid herself. Even my own mother would not recognize me... A little perfume, and my preparation was complete.
At exactly seven o'clock in the evening, there was a knock on the door. Does Norton live on a timer? Opening the door, I froze in surprise. In front of me stood a handsome young man in a black shirt with two buttons undone at the top, classic trousers and shoes, and a light coat hanging over his shoulders.
We stood there and silently looked at each other for a couple of minutes.
In his hands, Mike held an exquisite bouquet of pale pink and white roses. Good thing he brought it now: I had the opportunity to put them straight into a vase.
"Has your phone dead, that you personally decided to come to the door?"
"I had to make sure you wouldn't change your mind."
"That's a good idea, but I still want to live. And I also want, like any self-respecting girl, to be ten minutes late, but you don't allow this..." Closing the door, I went on the first date in my life.
We stopped at a posh restaurant in Boston. A friendly girl met us at the entrance and led to the table reserved for us.
I had never been to such an establishment before and I was a little nervous. To say that I felt out of place was an understatement. Approaching our table, Mike elegantly pulled back the chair and gestured for me to sit down.
"I made an order in advance. I hope you don't mind?"
"Of course not. I'm in your hands."
The interior of the room was charming. It had a high but unoppressive ceiling overhead, and beautiful curtains made of expensive fabrics hung in front of huge windows. A spacious hall contained stylish furniture and numerous tables, each without exception seating happy diners. White dominated the color scheme, as well as light shades of green and blue, with the luxury and chic of the Baroque style clear everywhere.
The atmosphere made me want to relax and enjoy dinner in pleasant company. The waiter lit a candle and poured each of us a glass of wine.
"I have something for you," Mike said. He got up from his seat and walked around, standing behind me.
On my chest appeared a thin platinum chain with a pendant in the shape of a key. I looked at him, puzzled. How should I accept it? Do I also need to reciprocate?
"I bought this gift the day after your birthday, but I did not have time to give it to you – you left unexpectedly. Then I forgot about it somehow."
"You already gave me a wonderful gift, for which I am very grateful."
"I don't remember giving you anything before," Mike said. He looked at me in confusion, as if mentally asking what I was talking about.
"The headphones..."
"Ah." He just waved it away, visibly relaxing. "It was compensation for damage done, nothing more..."
"Okay... So, the key? What does it mean?" I asked, but Norton only smiled enigmatically, without answering.
The waiter brought us the dishes quickly. Mike's choices lived up to my expectations: the most delicate fish with a creamy sauce, some intricate salad and a chocolate dessert. Was he trying to stimulate my libido for later in the evening?
During dinner, we had a casual conversation. Mike opened up to me from a completely different side. Absolutely the opposite of that idiot from the first time we met.
"Tell me about your hobbies. Where did you learn to dance like that?"
"I've been dancing for as long as I can remember. I seriously got into it, probably six months ago, even started a page on Instagram on the advice of a psychologist..." I fell silent, realizing that I had said too much.
Of course, Norton knew about my treatment, but few people knew the reasons, so the interest rose in his eyes. Realizing that he wouldn't hear more from me, Mike changed the topic.
"What else do you like besides dancing?"
"I study foreign languages. My mother is a Spanish tutor. Perhaps she instilled a love for this in me."
"And have you studied a lot?"
"I'm fluent in Spanish and French. Now I am learning Russian on my own."
"Why, are you going to devote your life to traveling?"
"Why not?" I said and shrugged. "I've never been anywhere. As I don't want to have a language barrier, my training isn't over yet."
"Where would you like to go first?"
"Spain," was my immediate answer. "I'm amazed by its architecture, culture and customs. I want to try the national cuisine and constantly hear this insanely beautiful language."
I have never thought I could sit in such a place in the company of a very handsome guy, and even interest him in something. After a while music played, and all the couples who felt like it got on the dancefloor. Mike sat and watched the dancing patrons with a kind of sadness, without even trying to invite me.
Should I take the first step? And if he refuses... I'm going to look like a complete fool...
Gathering courage, and leaning forward, I finally slipped my hand lightly into his, getting his attention.
"I won't say no this time..."
"I'm sorry, I don't dance." The rejection brought a smile to both of our faces as we remembered that evening at the restaurant. "But for your sake, I'll make an exception."
Getting up from his seat and not letting go of my hand, he walked around the table and helped me get up from my chair. Once on the same level with me, he brought my hand to his face and left a light kiss on the back of it. Then, taking a couple of steps back, he led me to the dancefloor.
We whirled in a slow dance where Mike led confidently, and I followed him as my partner. His movements were smooth, as if we were floating on the waves of the Atlantic Ocean. He pressed me against him, gently stroking my lower back with his fingers while my head rested on his shoulder. The enchanting aroma of his scent drove me crazy. I wanted to close my eyes and forget about the terrible reality, hiding in an illusory world with this man.
Catching his gaze, I involuntarily wondered: Does he see me before him, or another? Is it me he is holding, or the girl who broke a little boy's heart? After all, we have met only relatively recently, but the way he holds me is not how you hold a casual dance partner. And the way he looks at me, is not how you look at someone in a single breathless moment, that passes in a few heartbeats. No. This is how you look at, how you hold your beloved. This is more sensual, more intimate...
And what a pity these moments pass so quickly. I wanted to imprint that dance in my memory forever, because we never know what tomorrow brings.
The rendezvous ended at the seaport pier. We walked along the banks of the Charles River, widening at its mouth into a bay, watching the boats and yachts, the people and glowing skyscrapers. Mike shared some of his memories with me. This mainly concerned his friends, Jessica and Alex. And he asked me to accompany him the next evening, when the Norton family will celebrate the successful opening of their new hotel.
It seemed like the best night of my life! Right until Mike walked me to my apartment.