"This is the greatest drink I have ever had. Where are we? We need to come back here." I let out loudly, the alcohol getting to me slowly as I couldn't get enough of all these different delicious drinks.
"It's called The London Cocktail Club. But right after our drinks, we are going to Camden to dance." She says, and even though she said enough to make me doubt Marcel, I get instinctively scared of going to Camden.
"Camden?"
"Yeah. There are so many amazing clubs. The nightlife is crazy there. Drink up. This is going to be fun." She hurries me, and the next thing I know, we are taking the tubes.
We get to the club in no time, and the atmosphere is very festive. It makes me forget every worry and every thought related to Marcel that might come up in my mind. This night is for Sophie and me.
I start the night at the bathroom, but I am ready for the two rounds of tequila Soph forces on me after that. It is so disgusting. After all the savoury and sweet drinks we've just drunk, the taste of tequila seems a lot more bitter than I remember it being. So I pay her a round of a sugary shot right after to change the taste in my mouth.
By the time I got back from the loo, Sophie had met with some people she knew and was chatting to them, so I didn't get surprised when we got offered some drinks.
"Here are two Jagger bombs for you, ladies, from the gentlemen over there." The barman says as he points to the two men, clearly way older than us.
I make sure to ask the barman if the drinks are really for us, being so surprised somebody is paying attention to me like that because they are clearly not Sophie's friends like I initially thought. I look at her, taking the drink with confidence and waving quickly back at the men. They might be in theirs mid-forties, but they are very good looking. They are wearing classy shirts, unbuttoned at the collar with their sleeves rolled up as if they headed out after work. It's a very professional look.
I think the thankful wave Sophie did to them was the invitation they needed to come over. I do like Sophie and politely smile at them as I drink my glass. She doesn't flinch if she doesn't feel at ease, but her confidence boosts mine a bit.
"Sorry, we couldn't help but come over." A dark-haired man with hairy arms says, my eyes connecting with his brown gaze.
"You seemed to be celebrating tonight. What's the occasion?" The smaller blond man steals my attention. He might be smaller, but he lets his dominance known through his stance in front of us.
I hesitate only the time of a blink and find myself already responding. The drinks from earlier only now kick in, and it seems to free my inhibition with a doubt.
"I broke up with my boyfriend." I let out and felt Sophie's elbow nudging my ribs.
The men lean more comfortably on the counter to look at me smiling like a little girl, indeed being ridiculous as fuck, but I feel confident.
"That's good to know." The taller man responds.
"...and a good reason to celebrate." The other handsome lad smiles at me. "Let me buy you another round."
"Grace..." Sophie whispers, warning me like a mother to her child.
"What?!" I murmur back but turn my face to look back at our company serving our drinks. Shots. Tequila, I think I heard...
They hand us the small glass and raise their shots, but Sophie drinks hers in the next second and presses me to do the same.
As soon as I put my empty shot back on the counter, she takes me by the arm and pulls me to dance, dragging me far away from them. I don't have the time to react until she stops us in the middle of the dance floor. I feel a little lost and confused as to why we should turn down free drinks. The cocktails we've had at that other place were tasty, but they've cost an arm and a leg.
"That was freaky." I can barely hear her say over the loud music beating a steady rhythm of a popular electric tune I had heard before on the radio.
"What was?" I frown at her as the rhythm takes over my knees, and I weirdly bounce in front of her.
"Those old men." She looks back, even though she practically made us run from them.
"I thought it was a lovely acquaintance. They looked nice." I tell her honestly.
"They looked like pervs. That's what you mean." She leans to my ear so she doesn't have to shout back at me.
"No, not at all."
"Please, Grace, they were looking like the kind of men with Daddy/Little Girl fetishes. You are so cute and naive. They would actually take a bite of you." She laughs at my blindness to all of that and quite precisely at me.
"Oh, I wouldn't like that." I let out and mirror her move, letting the alcohol move my body like the flow of waves on the shore.
I stop myself thinking I would only like Marcel to take a bite from me... because I know just how good it feels. Alright, I am thinking about him.
Fucking liar! I feel utterly disappointed... But now is not the time to think about him. There will be lots of other times where he'll make his way back into my mind, and I won't be able to brush him off as easily as I can now.
I free my mind, let my body loose and follow the rhythm. The music overtakes all my senses. Hours feel like minutes and minutes feel like seconds. I get all hot and sweaty, but I'm having so much fun. I even let a man dance next to me. I move my hips to the beat and feel a body behind me. I don't mind it at all and close my eyes to ravish the moment. It feels great. It's exciting. I understand why Sophie loves this lifestyle so much. The attention is excellent, outstanding even. I have never been flirted with like that in my life. I love that thrill, that confidence and that invulnerability. It feels fantastic until I feel something else on me.
Hands.
They are running on my waist as the man stands behind me and pulls me to him. A little flirtiness was OK, it was good, but I don't feel at ease with that. I pull my little purse to me to make sure he isn't stealing me. He isn't.
Instead, I start panicking inside me, looking for Sophie to take me out of this situation. She is not close to me anymore. I need to do something and quickly. I'm not having fun anymore. I want to leave.
The man pulls me to him, pressing my back to his chest, my bum to his legs as I feel him move against me. I really start to panic the second I feel his nose in my hair, his face trying to hide against my neck. I feel trapped and so tiny, entirely dominated by a man I don't know. I see the blond man from earlier dancing my way to push me deeper against his friend behind me. They grind themselves on me with no shame. I don't know what to do. I panic harder inside. I get scared and think about Steeve bringing his friends home and how I will never let myself be intimidated like that again. I push the memory away like I have always denied it before.
In a rush of adrenaline, I push their hands off me and get a step away. I have a second to look for Sophie again, but he takes me by the wrist to pull me to dance closer to him again, this time, face to face. I recognise the tall, dark-haired stranger from earlier. Everything Sophie had told me runs into my mind, scaring me to be touched or even just in the presence of these men. It isn't exciting anymore. I am genuinely zoning out of my drunken state to be freaked out by the reality of this situation.
Why are they touching me? Have I given them the right to!?
I break away again, more violently to make clear to leave me alone and, fortunately, see Sophie, two persons away, dancing with her friends. I walk to her and pull her away from the crowd.
"Are you OK?" She worries and puts both her arms on my shoulders to have a clear view of my face. Her eyes are glossy with all the alcohol she has drunk tonight.
"I just got scared for a minute. I didn't want to worry you. I am going to hide in the bathroom for a moment to calm myself down. I just wanted to let you know." I tell her, my heart racing like crazy in my chest. I really don't like this place anymore.
"I'll keep my phone close. Text me if you need anything." She smiles at me and joins back the crowd but stays nearby.
I watch her dance a minute, making sure that she is handling herself. I look at her talk to someone. I think she knows a lot of people here tonight. I head straight to the bathroom instead. I don't know what frightened me that much and still does, but I really need to calm down. What right did he have to touch my body like that?!
I run down the stairs to the loo and only let myself relax and breathe deeply when I get inside a stall. I lower the lid and sit on the seat. I focus on my breaths, counting them to calm me down and try to let the alcohol out of my system to reason.
I start to think about all the wrong choices I have made recently, doubting all of them. Why did I leave Manchester? I was doing fine at handling my studies, work, couple, chores, and monthly payments on pretty much everything in the flat. Now, I am not even able to control myself. I am drunk in a dirty bathroom stall somewhere in the middle of Camden.
My phone vibrates in my purse, and it's the first time of the night that I hear it. My screen lights up to show my five unread texts and two missed calls.
Marcel.
I haven't read anything yet, but instinctively, reading his name makes me happy. It calms me down. He is always there when I need him. It's not that I need him, but I just love to know somebody has my back. Maybe he was right... I am so used to having my big brothers being super protective of me that I search to have that support and protection from a man. Marcel fits all of those criteria, and so did Steeve, when he was actually nice. I think he was protective but driven by jealousy and not love...
I feel so relieved to see his name on my screen. I realise just how hard my heart is pounding just at the sight of his name.
Mr Not Wright: I don't know what to answer to that.
I read and don't understand why he would have texted me that at first. So, I scroll on my screen to see that I had texted him earlier this evening, and I honestly can't remember when.
Me: Fucking liar! Are you using me like you did with the girl you were sleeping with that used to live in my flat?!
Mr Not Wright: I don't know what to answer to that.
Mr Not Wright: I am deeply disappointed you are not trusting me.
Mr Not Wright: Why would you even think something like that?
Mr Not Wright: I hope I have opened myself enough with you to make you understand I wouldn't do that to you. I would never use you, Grace.
Mr Not Wright: Pick up, Grace. I want to know why you would think that of me now... Please. Pick up, and I won't get mad.
He must have called before and after the last text. I don't know how he feels, but it seems to me like he is really sad. So, it makes me feel tremendously sad as well. I'm not in the same state of mind as I was when I sent the text.
I call him instantly, and he picks up just as quickly.
"Thank God, Grace. I was worried." He sighs, and it charms everything in me. Why did I doubt him again?
"You were?" I swoon and linger on the last word.
"You text me the most random shit, and you don't respond for hours. Of course, I was worried."
"I'm so sorry. I am too drunk to remember what it was all about in the first place." I murmur and lean my head on the side of the stall, feeling suddenly very tired, the high of alcohol and the adrenaline fading away.
"You're drunk? Grace? Where are you? Why do you always drink excessively?" Marcel complains, but he seems to care so much. It charms me deeply instead of annoying me.
"Can you take me home? I don't like it here anymore..." I let out softly as I picture taking him in my arms right now.
"Where are you?"
"I'm in a club in Camden."
"I'm coming. Grace? Don't hang up, OK. Don't do anything crazy. Are you there alone?" He quickly demands and asks me as I hear loud noises at the other end of the line.
"Thank you so much, Mace. I was so scared..."
"Scared of what, Grace?"
"Are you here yet?" I ask him as I hear a car door close through the phone.
"I am not, but I will be there very soon. Don't worry. Is Sophie at the club with you?"
"Yeah, she is dancing. I couldn't stay there."
"Well, don't stay alone." He asks, and I don't want to get out, but I still oblige, and a cheeky smile grows on my face.
"So bossy. Haha. The things you make me do." I giggle and get cut by hiccups.
"The things you make me do. You always bring me back to the place I hate most." He bursts out, and I feel awful, ceasing to laugh. He is right.
"I am so sorry, Mace. I shouldn't have called you..."
"No, Grace. Do call me. I would much prefer to be there to help you than having you unhappy and unsafe."
"You don't owe me anything. I don't know why I am calling you for help. I am a grown woman. I should be able to take care of myself."
"It's OK to need help sometime. And there's no way I would feel at ease to have you walking around Camden drunk and scared. I am coming."
"Why do you fear it so much?" I ask very carefully, waiting for an answer in the long silence at the other end of the line.
"It's something I would rather not tell you on the phone..." He murmurs, and I understand. I won't push him.
"It's OK, Mace. I am so happy you want to open up to me at all."
"Why don't you open up to me, now? What happened?"
"Two men were flirting with us, buying us drinks. I thought they were friendly. Until they were not." I take a deep breath as I confide in him. "I felt trapped and so uncomfortable. I had to get away."
"You did the right thing to walk away. Don't let a man impose himself on you."
"Sophie had warned me about their intentions at first. I just thought they were nice."
"They have probably liked your innocence. I wouldn't blame them."
"Sophie said they wanted to have a bite of me. There's no way I am letting anyone else than you do that." I let out before thinking, followed by a long silence, but I am too drunk to care about its nature.
"I am here, Grace. Do you remember which club you are at?" I get surprised that he is already here. I hurry up and off the loo.
"I don't have a clue. I am going to take Sophie, and we'll meet you outside. I'll text you the name once I find her." I try to gather my thoughts and try to undrunk myself as I wash my hands.
"I'll park my car and come find you. There are lots of people in the streets. Can't you say anything to help me locate you?" I frown as he is so cute and helpful and everything, but I absolutely can't be coherent at all. I have no clue where we are.
"Right next to the tube station. There's a band playing inside. Mmhhh..." I searched in my head, but I couldn't remember the name, and it was dark when we got in. I have no idea what the venue looks like.
"I'm parked. I'm heading to the tube station until you find Sophie and tell me where you are. Are you still OK?"
He asks me as I try to get back to Sophie. She isn't where I left her. I walk my way through the crowd. I hate crowded spaces. I don't know why I go out that much. It was fun when the boys were with us, or I had Marcel to impress, but being alone isn't fun, not when creepy old perverts are drunk and think they can do anything they want. Next time, I'll suggest watching movies. But this wasn't my night. It was to change Sophie's mind. What is important is that she is happy.
I find her by the bar, as my phone vibrates to a text from her. I don't read it, I walk to her.
"Where were you? I was looking everywhere for you." She lets out loudly and dramatically. I feel bad to have left her.
"I told you I was in the bathroom," I yell to be heard over the music, but she frowns heavily.
"I just came from there, looking for you." It worries me, why would she be looking for me? She was with her friends...
"Why? Are you OK? Are you having fun?"
"Not anymore. I want to get back home. Are you OK with that?" She tells me, and it reminds me that Marcel is here.
"Yeah, let's go." I nod and follow her to the way out, hanging up on Marcel as we get outside. I take advantage of the quieter environment to ask her what's wrong. "Why were you not having fun anymore?"
"My friend... I don't even know him that well, but enough to say hi and chat if I were to see him at Tesco, you know?" I nod and listen to her as she makes me laugh. "He thinks because Lucas is gone and that we are both drunk that he could sleep with me. I mean, I am not a hole he can use as he wants. Where the fuck does he come from?" My phone vibrates, but I don't take it. Sophie needs to let out some steam, and I want to help her deal with this. "I am a woman. I am still heartbroken I won't see Lucas for weeks, and some stupid wanker wants to take advantage of that, not even caring about me or my feelings. Where has chivalry gone? Why can't men be respectful and not only see us as a piece of meat where to put their cocks in?"
She gets passionate with her argument, and it makes me smile. She is absolutely right. We've both been victims of toxic masculine behaviour tonight. I'm happy we have decided to leave. It's a huge relief. I felt trapped in there.
I see Marcel, and I remember why I was pissed at him earlier. Despite what Sophie had told me about him this morning, Marcel isn't one to fake or to lie. I believe him. Not his words, but his soul, and it appears that both are saying the same anyway. And I firmly believe he is the most respectful man I know. He has shown me so many times and in so many ways.
"See what I'm talking about?" She goes on with her argument, but I don't really pay attention now. Marcel sees us. "Right when I talk about my loss of hope for men, the Player himself shows up tonight. Grace? Why is he coming towards us?"
"I called him. He is going to take us home." I inform her and pace quicker towards him.
"What?" I hear her say from behind me as I rush to him.
"I'm so sorry--" I try to apologise, but he is talking at the same time as me.
"Are you OK? What happened?" He sounds worried and far from the cold frown he always wears on his face. He bends his knees to be at my height. He immediately puts both of his arms on my shoulders to look directly into my eyes.
"I am fine. Thank you for coming, Mace. You have no idea how happy I am to see you." I tell him and take advantage of our proximity to sneak my arms on both sides of him to embrace him.
For once, he lets me hug him as I get pleasurably surprised that he hugs me back slowly. It isn't awkward. It feels more natural every time.
"I'm so sorry I keep bringing you back here," I murmur against his shirt before he parts from me to take my hand of his own will.
"Yeah... Let's get you back home." He loses all trace of emotions on his face and gets ready to go. "Are you OK, Sophie?"
She only nods without adding a word, but I find it nice that he cares about her, even though I know her doubts about his character. We make our way through the streets until we get to his car, thankfully less traumatic than the last time Marcel and I were here.
He unlocks his doors, and I immediately take a seat up front, but Mace opens the door behind me and gets inside. I frown and wonder what he is doing. I turn on my seat and look back.
"I'm so sorry, Sophie. You'll find yourself among my many books. I never have anyone in my car." He cleans up quickly before he lets her get in, and he closes her door.
He hurries back inside the car and drives us away from here. I think back on everything I keep demanding from him. He was maybe getting ready to sleep in bed, and I called him to come to pick me up at the place he hates and fears even. Then, he has to drive us back home, in Hayes, on the other side of London. I really appreciate it. He was right. He really shows me who he is through his actions and not his words.
"Did you have fun tonight, ladies?" He asks, being very awkward, which brings a large smirk to my lips.
"Are you making small talk, Marcel?" I giggle silently. It has been an issue often. He hates small talk.
"No, I care, Grace. I'm not heartless." He rolls his eyes at me, but he can't fade the smile on my lips.
"I know that." I slide my hand gently on his thigh, and he looks back at me before sliding his hand on mine.
This only little gesture is enough to set my heart free, in my chest, to start racing.
"We did have fun," Sophie answers, and it makes me happy.
"She introduced me to this bar that serves lots of exotic cocktails. It was wonderful, Mace. I had one served with a slice of bacon on the rim."
"That's gross."
"Oh my God! I'm so sorry, I forgot that you're a vegetarian." I start to laugh, and once I calm down, I go on. "It was good. They have a large variety of cool cocktails. I tried lots of them."
"I don't doubt it. You, girls, reek of alcohol. Why did you call me?" He wears a shadow of a smile for a second before it hides behind a big frown as he looks at me.
"The old men had their hands all over me, and they were very insistent. I just needed to get away from them."
"You kind of led them on, Grace." Sophie lets out, and I furtively turn to look at her. It isn't true at all.
"I did not! They offered us drinks. They were nice people. We chatted a little to be polite. I didn't ask them to follow us to the dance floor and touch my body inappropriately."
"You can be a bit too naive sometimes, Grace." She gently responds back to me, and I take it to heart.
"I know, I'm sorry, OK... It's not like I was doing this on purpose..." My heart slowly sinks to think something like that could be used against me.
I lose my smile, and I am being overwhelmed by sadness. I feel so heavy on the front seat. My heart beats loudly as tears rush to my eyes.
Marcel tears me away from my sad thoughts as he pulls on my hand to bring it to his lips. I stop looking through the empty streets of London to look into his eyes a second, and I weirdly know what he thinks. I think he likes my naivety because he lost all trace of his since his father's death.
"Thank you," I whisper to him with a gentle smile on my lips.
I lean more comfortably on the seat, and I keep on looking at him. I keep a lower tone to calm down the atmosphere in the car. The alcohol in my blood makes me float on a cloud at the moment. I am in a wonderful bliss that contrast the sadness I felt seconds ago.
"What were you doing?" I ask him calmly, looking at him with a growing feeling spreading through me of admiration and comfort.
"I was reading."
"What were you reading?"
"Herman Hesse's Siddhartha. Do you know it?" He looks at me quickly.
"Only by name. Is it good?"
"It's very inspiring. I like it a lot so far."
"By the way, did you like Murder On The Orient Express? You've never come back to me on it." I get slightly excited, and I see him smile gently before glancing at me.
"I loved it. I had this whole theory about who had killed Ratchett, and I firmly believed it. I thought I had figured it all out. I got all the more surprised when I was found wrong. I didn't see that coming at all." His smile grows with each word he says. It makes me happy to see him express himself more and more freely.
"Who did you think it was?"
"His assistant."
"See? I was more convinced it was the governess."
"Well, neither of us is wrong. Do you recommend me another book?" He squeezes my hand playfully on his thigh as he furtively looks at me.
"Not now. You've got your thesis to finish."
"Oh, come on..."
"Did you just whine at me?" A fat smirk grows on my lips.
"I think I did. What are you making me become?!" He mirrors me with a simple look into my eyes. He is joking!
We are looking at each other and spontaneously start to laugh. It's genuine and warm. In what mood is he in tonight? I like it a lot.
"Thank you for picking us up tonight." I grin softly at him, and I see him rolling his eyes at me. "What?!"
"You have thanked me like three times."
"Because I really appreciate it."
"Well, don't get too used to it."
"Believe me, I am not. It's nice to see somebody care for me for once..." I let out softly, looking at him, but I turned my head away, realising how awkward I got the atmosphere in the car.
There's a silence that makes me grow more and more sleepy. My hand is still between Marcel's and his thigh. I get comfortable against my seat and close my eyes, letting his warmth spread inside of my body. I feel so much at ease. I still can't believe he came running when I called. I wanted his attention, yes, but I never thought he would actually be coming. It's not like my life was in danger.
Steeve would never have done that. He would have been at the gym or drunk, or he would have waited until my life was literally in danger to come. I often used his jealousy to get him to do what I wanted. It's terrible, but I blinded myself that it made me happy.
Marcel is very guarded and cold, but he intrigues me so much. We have so much in common when it comes to our interests, but we are so different. He has this lack of emotion, probably created by the death of his father. That must be why sex is so important to him. That's where he channels everything he feels, as he emotionally lacks in every other aspect of his life. Hereas me, I feel everything so damn deeply. I am a dreamer, and only my story has made me express myself that way. Steeve hated when I was loving. He called it 'clingy'. He is all I have ever known, so I was fine with it, thinking the problem was me. Somehow, with Marcel, I don't feel like that. Mace has seen me grow and accept who I am right in front of his eyes, and he seems to somehow like it. It couldn't mean more to me than that.
He parks the car once we are home, and I was too deep in thoughts to even realise it. It has gone by too quick. I don't want to say bye to him already. I won't see him for the whole week.
"When do you head back to Manchester?" Marcel looks at me, a face empty of any emotion but his usual cold grin.
"Tomorrow. I'll be back Friday to celebrate your new title, Doctor Wright." I smirk at him and bite my lip as our eyes can't seem to let go of each other.
He doesn't add anything or move, so I undo my seat belt and let it go against the door. The moment I look back at him to say good night, I feel his hand taking a solid hold of me by the side of my face. It slides to my neck. I feel his proximity and the warmth of his breath. He grabs me more strongly before I can set my eyes into his. His lips take mine captive in a surprising but sinfully delicious kiss.
It feels as if everything I thought I knew about him is wrong. He is so unexpected that it excites me more than the kiss does. I can feel half of his face pressed against mine as his lips are devouring mine and his tongue wakes every nerve that his lips weren't already waking.
As quickly as it happens, it is over, and he gets back into his seat. I blush hard, but he has awoken the lusty lady inside of me.
"I guess that means you will miss me..." I let out as I heard Sophie's door open.
"You would like that, wouldn't you?" He teases me seductively.
I secretly love when he answers me back with a question. It drives me fucking crazy, and, right now, it's in a good way. He is acting so desirable, I can't seem to get away. He has me completely caught in his charm and under his spell. I don't know if he knows how bad it affects me.
"How about you follow me inside so that I can show you just how you will miss me?" I bite my lip again, making sure my eyes are sinking deep into his before I get out of his car.
I slowly start to walk my way to Sophie to head to the outside door of our building when I hear the engine stop and a car door open. I am not as surprised as is Sophie as we both turn around to see Marcel joining us on the sidewalk.
"May I walk you, ladies, to your door?" He politely asks as I am overexcited for him to do so.
I quickly glance at Sophie and see the doubting look on her face. Right... she doesn't trust him... I so badly want him with me tonight, but I wish she would approve. I need to do something because he clearly wasn't on her best side earlier.
So I see two ways this could go. Either I convince her with all the luck in the world, and she is willing to get to know him, or she doesn't let him walk the front door, and he leaves, leaving us both very sexually frustrated. I know I would be very frustrated. I get at least a bit relieved to know she wouldn't go as far as to murder him. But she is drunk... so I don't really know how far she can go...