Chapter 14
I woke feeling like someone was drilling a ten inch screw through my head. Tess had managed to lighten me up and persuaded me to go downstairs for a few drinks. A few turned to a few too many, and that's where my memory of the night ended.
I was happy for the distraction, happy to forget about all the shit being flung around my head for a while. Waking up in that dreary prison cell of a dorm room with a heavy hangover pressing into my skull, however, wasn't so productive.
I'd spent nearly two weeks now looking for a job, two weeks traipsing from bar to restaurant to club looking for something, anything. It hadn't worked - there was f*ck all out there. Literally nothing.
Memories of the previous night filled my head. Thoughts of Kyle clouded my brain. That kiss, those lips, the strong feel of his hands at my waist, brushing through my hair. He was the sexiest man I'd ever met. I just wish he'd felt the same about me, but he hadn't.
I felt embarrassed about my performance, flashbacks bombarding my alcohol-soaked and sleep-deprived brain. The way I fumbled around on that stage, trying to dance sexily, trying to turn him on. He'd turned me on more just by sitting there, by the way he looked at me. It was humiliating.
Money. The word drilled itself further into my head. Rent was due in two days. Two f*cking days and I had nothing. No job, no money, no car, nothing.
Shit, the car!
I checked the time - 11.30 AM. He said to get the car at midday.
I jumped out of bed and threw on whatever I could find on my floor. A pair of sweatpants and an oversized woollen jumper. I caught my reflection as I bounded out of the room and down the stairs.
The nearest bus stop was just round the corner. I quickly deciphered the frankly mind-boggling route plan and managed to just about sneak onto the correct bus. Why is everything so much harder with a hangover?
With the time edging towards the midday mark I got to my stop and popped out my phone to direct me the rest of the way to the garage. I was freezing as I ambled down the street, my jumper so full of holes you could have driven that bus straight through it. Should have put another layer on Alice!
After a short Arctic trek I reached my pole, seeing the grizzled mechanic, who'd done his best to wrangle as much money as possible from Kyle's wallet, with his head in a motor.
He looked up as he saw me approach. “Ah, Miss Newton, your car is good as new, as requested. I worked all morning on her just to get her ready for you.”
Yeah, no good sounding gracious when you're a swindling thief.
I nodded my thanks as he passed me the keys. “Even got that heater of yours fixed for you.”
Now that was pretty nice, forcing me to step up from a nod to an actual vocalization of my gratitude.
“Thank you, that's a big help, especially this time of year.” He laughed more than he should have for such an obvious observation.
“Don't mention it. He's the one you should be thanking.”
He lifted his head and pointed his gaze behind me. Confused, I turned to see Kyle pacing towards me, every inch of his body bar his face covered in black clothing that stood out against the falling snow. His eyes were stern as he approached, a 5 o clock shadow covering his cheeks.
“Alice, I'd like to talk to you if that's possible.” He flicked his eyes at the mechanic who trundled away back into the garage.
“I wanted to apologize about last night, about the way you left. It was my fault really.”
I stayed silent.
“I want you to come back again. I know you need the money Alice,” he said, seeing the look on my face.
There was nothing I could say to that. I needed the money more than anything. I'd do anything right now for it. Well, almost anything.
“But I was awful Kyle. I couldn't strip the peel of a f*cking banana.”
His face cracked in a smile, that beautiful smile. How I loved that smile.
“Every girl's the same when they start. You're perfect Alice, that's something you can't teach.”
“Teach?”
He nodded, his jaw clenched. “Any girl can learn to take their clothes off. They just need to want to do it. They need to learn to tap into their sexuality, to break the taboo. Can you do that Alice? Are you willing to try?”
I looked into his blue eyes, so pure and clear, staring at me, longing for me to say yes. Did I have another option? Did I have a choice?
“I'll do it on one condition,” I said. “I'll do it if I get to practice on you.”
That beautiful smile grew wider, his teeth as white as the snow. “That's all I wanted to hear.”