章 8: I'm a Bad Man
Lee drank the red wine, leaving the peachy imprint of her pouty lips on the glass. For some reason, that made me especially jealous. That's what I did on the first night I was with Chase in his hotel room. I rose from the table and walked over to Lee.
Once I was in front of her, I waved my hands gesturing for her to get up. I was intending to confront her, civilly. Of course, Lee was enjoying the attention. Gracefully, she stepped away from the feast.
"You're wearing a scarf again," I said. "Hiding hickies?"
"I see you're in your regularly dumpy clothes."
"Designer clothes are not dumpy. And who wears a skirt suit to an Independence Day celebration?"
"Tsk, you know, you'd be better suited in green. What with all your envy."
"Lee," I said through gritted teeth. "Stay away from Chase today. Just one day. That's all I ask."
"It isn't me who needs to stay away. He's the one who comes knocking. What do you think he does all day when you're at Shetland Tech?"
Was I working at Shetland Tech? I put one hand on my hip and picked up my wine glass. After taking a drink I said, "Are you telling me the truth?" I asked. Lee glanced at me with a slight rise of her left eyebrow then smirked.
The anger was seething in me, and I couldn't hold back for a moment longer. I stormed over to Chase and pulled him by the apron string back from the kitchen into our bedroom. I slammed the door.
"What the hell has been going on between you and Lee?"
"Wait, sweetie, I can explain--"
"I don't want your words. I'm working hard all day long and this is the thanks I get?"
"It didn't start out their way. I never meant for this to happen!"
"You with the cliché responses, again." I rolled my eyes at him. He dropped on his knees.
"Please, don't leave me! I'll do anything!"
As I watched him in his apron and oven mitted hands begging in a praying position, I couldn't help but have a little bit of fun.
"Anything?"
***
After I'd gave him instructions, I brought Chase out in front of my family and made them all watch as he kissed my feet.
"I'm a bad man," Chase whimpered.
"Whatever do you mean, Chase?" I asked, holding my foot out for him to continue to kiss.
"I slept with Lee!" he cried.
"And why is that bad?"
"Because she's a whore and I'm a horrible person!"
"And my feet are the most beautiful you've ever seen, aren't they?"
"The prettiest!"
I crossed my arms as I watched my family's mouths go agape. Lee had a look of disgust on her face as I continued my display with Chase for a few more minutes.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw someone walking down the road. He was cupping his mouth shouting, "Janessa!" It was Luca. I promptly turned around, jerking my foot out of Chase's hands and ran out the front door. I felt like I was moving at half-speed as my feet dragged against the sweet-smelling, green grass.
Fireflies surrounded me as the day was turning to dusk. I batted starving mosquitoes away from my face and arms. If not for the rest of the drama, I'd want to stay. When I reached the end of my driveway, I tried to exit but I was up against an invisible wall.
"Luca!" I hollered. The sound of his name echoed unnaturally. I stared at the other houses around us. They were so much like mine. As I tried to leave again, the same invisible barrier kept me in. Then I heard several sets of feet running up behind me.
Lee spun me around and hit me square in the face. My jaw swiveled to the left, the impact causing me to lose my sight for a moment. Then she held my face and headbutted me. This time when I recovered, I noted the tendrils of hair she'd let hang down because they were 'oh, so beautiful', and wove my fingers in them.
I yanked on her hair, causing her to lose her balance and skid upon the newly tarred driveway in her red heels.
"You b*tch!" she shouted as her skirt split up the back. I kicked her while she was down. On the ground beside her came Chase, groveling, holding his hands clasped.
"Please, don't go Janessa!" Chase said, with tears on his face.
"Hiya," I heard in a deep voice behind me. When I turned, it was Luca. He was able to reach and pull me out of the forcefield that was blocking my exit. Once I was outside with him, I could see my family in the driveway, Lee on her back and Chase weeping like a child. It was like a portrait I wanted to frame.
Luca had me face him again. We hugged briefly.
"I knew I'd find ya."
"Thank you. So, this was another sim," I stated sounded as downtrodden as I felt.
"I'd say so," he said.
"You weren't able to get out?"
"I've been here the whole time. I was a few houses down. Once I noticed the cars, it was a dead giveaway."
"I'm glad you were able to deduce where I was. Any idea how to leave this one? I don't like it here."
"Sure. Come with me."
We ran down the cul-de-sac toward the main road. All the signs of summer were there. The fireflies were flickering their chemical signals, the smell of cut grass in the humid night, the dusky pink clouds spilling into orange, and again, the lovely fireflies. As we got to the busy street, we glanced at one another.
"I believe once we step into this street, we'll split up. If that's true, no matter what, find me," he counseled. I gazed up at him, his eyes mirroring my own. I nodded with a smile, feeling tears collecting in the corners of my eyes. "Don't cry, lovely. I'll see you soon, yeah?"
I nodded as Luca stepped out into the street. In an instant his image was gone. I could see cars speeding by at unnatural velocities. They were only blurs in my field of vision. When I reached out, they all slowed nearly to a stop.
Just as I was about to pull my hand back, someone clutched my wrist and tugged me inside. I thought I felt claws rake my skin and as I glanced down at my palm, I was bleeding. My heart was pounding as I studied my surroundings. I was in some type of old-fashioned carriage.
The unearthly speed resumed but all was calm inside. A man was sitting with his eyes shut and a black hood over his head. I thought I could see some gaudy jewelry on his fingers. He was mostly covered so I couldn't tell who it was, but he resembled my ex-husband.
When I glanced down at myself, I was in a white, lacy dress with a corset underneath and my waist cinched tightly. Around my neck was a heavy amulet that was made of onyx. I reached up to my hair and felt an unusually oversized hat.
After the sun was down, I noticed the man stirring. I tended to my hand, trying to locate something to clean it with. As I was bent down hoping to find something under one of the seats, I felt his presence come closer to me.
Cautiously, I sat up and peeked to my right where he was sitting. He withdrew his hood and inched closer to me. It was Chase after all, though he didn't look well. The skin that I could see was pale and underneath his eyes were dark circles.
"Chase?" I said, but when I did, I had an accent that I didn't recognize.
"Yes, it's me," he said in the same accent, giving me a strange and eerie smile. I could see fangs in his mouth. I sucked in a breath as he--
"Hang on. This is supposed to be a sci-fi sim. I'm a robot, aren't I?"
"But these are my fantasies. You must come back to me, always," said Chase, pausing from his attack. I turned, our eyes locked, trying to get through to him.
"Chase? Can you hear me?"
"Well, yes. I'm right here."
"What are we doing? Why are you putting me through these scenarios?"
"Whatever do you mean, Janessa?" he asked mocking me from the last sim.
Before I could say anything, he was on my palm kissing the blood from it. Then he pushed me down on the back seat of the carriage. I had no other choice but to succumb to his bite. As he held me and drank greedily from me, I felt life leaving my body and entering his instead.
The world went dark but within moments I was awake again. This time when I glanced down, my formerly white dress was now spattered in my blood down the left where he'd bitten me. Chase was petting me and then he pulled me out of the carriage. We both flew up to his castle, literally.
Once we were inside, I was impressed with the size of the place. It was truly built for a king. And of course, that was what Chase would want. He was the king of his own castle.
I glanced at Chase in his tuxedo with his hooded jacket. He walked in front of me, turning around with a naughty smile, bearing his right pointed tooth. His left eyebrow rose, and he blew me a kiss. I felt an unseen force hit me.
I fell to the ground. Chase erupted with laughter. I could hear the same dress shoes he wore when we were in NYC, now unhurriedly strolling to me. He tapped me with his foot like I was a dead animal.
I opened my eyes and sat up.
"You can't leave me now, Janessa. In fact, you'll never leave me, again. I have you captured here. You are in my thrall!" He bent to me and grabbed me by the throat. His nails dug into my neck causing it to bleed black.
When he pulled me to him, he kissed me. I don't know if it was because I was under his thrall or not, but I wanted him to. We ran our tongues together, me tilting my mouth to adjust to his desire. I loved the way his cold lips felt against my own.
He ran his tongue along my neck and then kissed my cheek. Then he gripped me and pulled me up the marble double-sized staircase. I had no choice but to go with him. If it was up to me though, I wouldn't say no.
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