Authors: Crystal Smith
“You know me, it’s a game. Chess. She’s just another pawn.”
“Then end it with her. Don’t do this again. Jesus Tom, women are not pawns.”
“There is nothing to end, because it was never started. She pacified my needs and I did
the same for her. That’s all it
was. Now drop it.” She shut the door, but she didn’t move. She replayed what she had just heard in her head. The door opened.
“Lois, good morning.” Mark could tell by the way she looked at him she knew. He
walk
ed by her. Tom stood staring at her. He almost had the ‘I hope she didn’t hear it’ look on his face.
“A game, Chess. Pawn.” She heard herself saying it.
“Lois look can we talk about this later, it isn’t what you think.”
“Yep, you’re right. It wasn’t what I thought, it wasn’t what I felt before us last night, it’s not about how you made me feel after, it isn’t how I feel right now and there is no need for further explanation. I heard you loud and clear Mr. Hasting.”
“Lois you don’t mean it. We can talk later.”
“No!!! I’m done. I don’t like Chess. It’s a stupid game. And I am nobody’s pawn.” She turned quickly but he snatched her arm.
“I said don’t do this. We will talk later.” Suddenly the demanding thing just wasn’t working for her.
“You are an arrogant asshole and you will grow old and lonely. PIG!!”
“First of all, you wanted it just as much as I did. Secondly I didn’t force you into anything. Third, you still want it.” He cupped her breast. She slapped him moving back.
“You were a pawn Lois. I warned you. I said I wasn’t good for you. You said you don’t lose fights. Remember?”
“I didn’t think I was going to fight with a total and complete ass.”
She stormed out. Before the elevator had reached ground level she was in tears. The doors opened and she walked out. She was mess. Didn’t really understand what really just happened. She couldn’t seem to wrap her mind around it. She walked around for a few hours. Her cell was getting tore up. She didn’t know by who, she didn’t take it out of her pocket to look. She didn’t care.
How could he do this to me?
She made her way back to the hotel long after she was sure he would be gone. As soon as she seen Michelle she burst into tears.
“What, what, tell me what is it?” Michelle was panicking. Michelle hugged her holding her tight. Lois cried, screamed and cursed him. It wasn’t long and Michelle knew exactly what had happened with great detail. From day one until moments ago. Lois spilled it all out. She couldn’t take it. She felt her heart had just been torn out of her chest and cut into little pieces.
“It’s ok. We can deal with this.”
“We have to move, tonight. I don’t want to be here anymore.” Lois wiped her eyes.
“Ok, we can rent a room somewhere and find a place but tomorrow, early okay?”
“Ok.”
Lois woke up on the couch in the same place she had sat and talked to Michelle. She looked at the time. 7am. She slept all night.
“Just let me get dressed and we can go. I have found us a room across town and I have packed everything.”
“Michelle, no. We aren’t taking anything with us. Nothing. I know you want to, but we can’t.”
“I thought you would say that, that is why between the two of us we have two bags. The clothing we bought and our toothbrushes.” Lois took one more look around and walked out the door.
When they got to their new place Lois really wasn’t interested in looking around. She wanted to go to bed and forget everything she had heard. Everything that she had experienced. She wanted to forget it all. Going to bed was the easiest thing she could do. But it didn’t help keep the tears running down her face at uncontrollable rates.
“Lois, come on now, it’s gonna be ok. I promise.”
“Michelle, you don’t understand. I love him.”
“I don’t think you understand. I think he loves you to. Problem is both of you have a past and neither of you want to share it with each other. You can’t love each other and have secrets and expect it to work out. It just isn’t that way.”
But how do I tell him. The very thought of it made her nauseous.
I won’t be his victim. It won’t happen. I won’t allow it to happen.
“Michelle, let’s go, we are going out. No more sitting at home crying. I am going to change my stars right now. Let’s go eat breakfast, then spend the day shopping. Then go out and get totally wasted. Come on what do you say?”
She just stood there staring at Lois. “I know I sound different Michelle but I can so do this. I have been through a lot and survived. I can survive this. I will survive this.”
“Come on. Let’s go.” Michelle got ready and they did just as discussed. She found the perfect outfit to wear out and couldn’t wait to get it on.
When they walked into the club it was still pretty early. Club wasn’t really busy. They found them a table and sat.
“Lois, look by the bar.” Michelle had a lot of interest in her voice. Lois looked over and there were two very attractive men looking back at them. Talk dark and dangerous had captured Lois’s eye.
Hmmm. Keep it together. I can do this. Maybe I should make him my pawn for the night.
Lois smiled the sexiest smile she could at him.
She picked up her drink, smiled at him again, gestured with the drink and took a sip. It did the trick, they were both coming over.
“Hello.” Lois smiled. Michelle isn’t saying anything. She had locked eyes with the other guy. “I’m Lois, this is Michelle.”
“I’m Seth, this is Roger.”
“Nice to meet you Seth. Would you like to join us?”
“Absolutely.”
Several drinks later and a lot of dancing and flirting later, Lois was feeling no pain. She felt much, much better. Her phone continuously vibrated in her pocket. She was irritated with that. She never even looked at it. The only thing she wanted to do was find out if Seth could do to her what Tom had done with his breath.
He took her hand and lead her back out to the dance floor. Again her phone was vibrating.
“Excuse me for a moment please.” He released her. She pulled out her phone.
I knew it would be him.
“What do you want?” She snapped at him.
“I was worried about you. You didn’t come into work today. I came by your place and you weren’t there.” His voice was so sincere, but then everything else he had said Lois had thought he had meant to.
“I moved. I won’t be in this week. I am taking an early vacation.”
“Lois, where are you? Have you been drinking? You sound drunk.”
“Yes, I am dancing with this tall, dark, and dangerous eyed man, I have been drinking, a lot and yes I am feeling no pain.”
“Where are you?”
“None of your business.!!!! I have to go.”
“Don’t you dare hang up on me! I don’t know what the fuck your problem is but you’re gonna tell me where you are.”
“No, I’m not, don’t have to, not going to. Now I have to go, I have a hot date waiting on me. He isn’t a chess player. AND I DON’T HAVE A FUCKING PROBLEM! But I may need to fuck.” She hung up, put the phone back in her pocket. As she was walking back across the room to him she was looking at him. He was very attractive. Downright sexy as hell. But he wasn’t Tom.
This was stupid. No it’s not. There is no Tom anymore.
Lois sat next to Seth. He put his arm around her and kissed her.
You can do this. Please God let him make me forget Tom.
And just like that he was gone. She opened her eyes and Tom was standing there, Seth was on the floor.
“What the hell are you doing?” Lois screamed at him.
“I told you, I was coming to get you. Let’s go.” His voice was raw.
“I’m not going anywhere with you. You need to leave and do it now.”
“The hell you aren’t, and I am leaving, but not without you.” With one swift movement he had her over his shoulder taking her out of the club.
“Tom wait, I can’t leave. You don’t understand.” She begged him.
“Why not?” They were outside on the street and he sat her down to look at her.
“Michelle is still in there. I can’t just leave her.” He took a deep breath and made a call from his cell. Lois had no idea who he was talking to but it didn’t take long and Mark was there.
“Hello Lois.”
“Don’t let her move.” And just like that he had ordered Mark to babysit her and from the looks of it, he wasn’t even going to question him. Tom hurried in the club. Lois turned to walk away. She knew he had gone into get her. He wouldn’t leave her. Lois didn’t have to wait on him to find that out.
“Lois where do you think you’re going?” Fingers wrapped around her upper arm.
“Look Mark, just let me go. This isn’t any of your business.”
“Oh, that’s where you are wrong. I spent the day with him worried out of his mind about you.”
“Oh, that’s funny. I thought I was just his pawn.” She yelled. The look on his face deepened.
“Lois, you have no idea what you are talking about. You don’t understand. It’s not a game.” He released her arm.
“Oh, I heard you guys loud and clear. And your right it’s not. People don’t get hurt in games.”
“Look, it’s not my place to tell you shit. But you will hear him out. One way or another.” He reached grabbing her arm and squeezed it to prevent her from leaving.
“No, I don’t think I will. Let go of my arm.” And then Tom was there. His hand on Mark’s shoulder. Both of them looked at Lois as if she was a child fixing to get a hard lashing.
“Thanks Mark, can you see to it that Roger and Michelle get back to her place safely.”
“No, you don’t know him. He could be some kind of murdering asshole.”
“Oh, I don’t think he is.” Michelle smiled at Lois.
“Are you rooting for him. You’re my best friend. You are supposed to be on my side.”
“Lois, meet special agent Roger Long. I am going to get to know my new favorite FBI agent and you are going to talk this out.”
“I see how it is. Fuck you to.”
“Oh you don’t mean it, but you’re the one who needs the fucking, remember. Mark, I’ll take that ride now.” Lois’s mouth dropped, why did Michelle just talk to her like that? Lois watched them get into Marks SUV and then drive away. She looked back at Tom and he was still very pissed at her and it was easy to read in his glare.
“What?” Lois threw the word at him.
“Oh, you’re gonna see what.”
He grabbed her arm, squeezing it causing her just enough paint let her know he was dead serious. He escorted her to his car. It wasn’t the Camaro, instead a black SUV. “Back to my place. Music.”
“Yes Sir.”
A glass came up between the front and back. Darkly tinted. Tom reached up and turned on a light. It wasn’t bright. Just enough to let her see his face. He was still very angry and he was still glaring at her. Made her almost want to cower down or jump out. Not this time
. I won’t be his victim, another man’s victim!
“What are you looking at?”
“You!” He growled at her.
“Fuck you, I’m not your pawn, I don’t like chess, and I am not playing a game. Take me home. You no good sorry piece of shit. You don’t have the right to do this to me. You can’t keep doing this.”