Authors: Crystal Smith
“I’m Lois Brown. I work for Mr. Hasting.”
“Well Ma'am, it’s a pleasure meeting you Ms. Brown.” It took her a minute to respond because his smile was so perfect. She almost began drooling over it. Perfect white teeth.
“Please call me Lois.”
“Yes Ma'am. Would you do me the honors of this dance?” She turned back to look at Tom and sure enough, he hadn't even noticed her.
“Sure, I would like that very much Sir.”
“Please Ma'am call me Jade.”
“OK, then Jade, call me Lois not Ma’am.” She flashed him a playful smile.
Just as she had with Tom, she took Jade’s arm and he lead her to the dance floor. . “I have to be honest Jade, I have only danced ball room one other time. But I have to say, I had a really good person to follow so I apologize ahead of time for stepping on your toes.”
“It's easy, can you follow?”
“I believe so. As I just said, I did once before.” Jade smiled and began his lead and true to her words she knew exactly how to follow, if that meant stepping on his toes along the way. But soon she was laughing and he was spinning her around the dance floor as if they had danced as partners their whole lives.
“Excuse me Sir, may I cut in?” Tom didn't give him a chance to answer, he simply grabbed her and took her around the dance floor.
“Well Mr. Hasting that wasn't very polite. I was only beginning to get to know Jade.” Tom’s face tightened at the way she now spoke his name.
“What's there to know, you don't need to know him. Why do you even want to?”
“Why not, I'm single and deserve to be lead around the dance floor like Cinderella from time to time.”
“So is that what that was, a fucking child’s fantasy Lois?” His voice was sharp.
“Don't put words in my mouth Mr. Hasting. You don’t know shit about what this is.” He sure did have a way of pissing her off.
“Look, I'm not putting words in your mouth, I am simply stating my understanding to your statement.”
“Tom, are you jealous, what is it? I was having a good time, and you think you can walk right over here and take the place of my good time. It didn't seem to bother you when I left you standing there with your “history” so why should it bother you now?”
“History!” He had to pause to calm his temper and voice before he made a scene. “Her name is Tamra, and if you would have stuck around longer you would have heard what kind of history we have. Now who sounds a little on the jealous side Ms. Brown.”
“I’m not jealous, I’m simply stating facts. You didn't have two words to say to me while you were talking with your his..... Tamra, and then, the moment when I start to enjoy myself you have to come and ruin it.”
“What were you actually having a good time with him? Would you rather be in his arms or mine Lois, who, tell me that?”
“What are you doing Tom? You know exactly why I would rather be in his arms. Why can't you just leave me be?”
“I can't answer that Lois, I don't know how to answer that right now. I just don't want to see you get hurt that's all. Contrary to what you believe I do love you Lois.”
“You love me. That is fucking awesome. Sure. I know a ton of people who like to inflict pain on people they love before fucking them.”
“You didn’t give me a chance to explain anything before you left me. You left me Lois.”
“Well then, you should probably go see your history again, she's been burning holes in the back of my head the entire time we have been dancing.” Without giving him a chance she was gone.
She grabbed another drink and just again as before commenced to getting herself polluted. She didn’t want to remember anything about this night.
Fuck him and fuck her.
She knew her limitations but she didn't care. She was going to forget the way Tom made her feel. Glass after glass she continued to down em almost understanding events in her past now.
She felt a touch on her hand and then a pulling. It was Jade. She wasn’t surprised though. She can’t even begin to think of why he would come back after Tom so rudely took her away like that.
He led her to the dance floor. This time a slow song was playing and the gap between them was closed. She lay her head on his shoulder and followed his lead the same as before. By this time he was pretty much holding her up.
Every little bit she could hear her own sniffles. “Do you wanna get out of here?” Jade suggested.
She turned to look at Tom and neither Tom nor Tamra were in sight. “Ha they are probably off somewhere having lots of hot and steamy sex. He was right about his one night stands.”
“What was that?” Jade had heard her loud and clear but had to take a double take. She could tell by the look on his face.
“Oh, nothing.”
“So do you wanna go?” She looked up at Jade and without any hesitation quickly said “yes.”
She had no intentions of anything happening but she knew she was in no shape to drive. She told him where to go. When they arrived, she thanked him for the ride to the best of her ability and tried carefully although she doubted she was successful without slurring and went to turn around and walk away.
She stumbled and Jade wasn't fast enough. She simply landed straight on her butt. It hurt to but not as much as her drunk and hurt pride slash ego. “Are you OK?” The look in Jades eyes was either scared to death or sincere. He helped her to her feet,
“Let me help you to your room. It appears you’re in no condition to walk.”
True to his word he escorted her to the room. She was so tipsy he had to use the key. He helped her inside and took her to the couch. At first he just sat there. When she stood, she fell again, landing in his lap. She couldn’t keep her eyes open as the room felt as if it were spinning out of control.
“Well I don't guess this night is gonna end on a good note after all.” Jade simply smiled and again she knew because she could hear it in his voice. He stood keeping her in his arms, made his way to her bedroom and without even losing grip on her, he pulled the blankets back on the bed and lay her down.
Jade left her there sleeping peacefully or at least trying to get there. He never lay a hand on her.
Suddenly nausea swept over her. She jumped running to the bathroom. She could hear movement behind her and thought to herself that Jade must have stayed. She felt him pulling back the curls that had come loose, and that were dangling down. “Please, I don’t want you to see me like this, it was very kind of you to bring me home, but go. This was stupid mistake I made out of anger and jealousy and I didn’t mean to lead you on. I had no intentions of anything happening here tonight. I know that’s no excuse but my heart I fear belongs to another man. I hate him but at the same time he owns me. Please go home. Good night Jade.”
“So do I know this man that your heart belongs to?” He dropped a towel at my knees. “Here put this under your knees, this will help.” It wasn't Jade. She knew this voice all too well. It was Tom.
What was he doing here? And I had just spilled her guts to him.
“Tom, just go, you don't need to be here. Just let me be.”
“Apparently someone needs to be here. You’re in no condition to be by yourself. What were you thinking bringing a complete stranger up here to begin with? Did you even think about what could have happened?”
Lois could hear the worry in Tom's stern voice. “If you were so concerned you shouldn't have let me leave with him. Oh wait a minute that's right, you weren't around. Off with Tamra who was doing nothing more than whispering sweet nothings in your ear I presume.”
“You don't know what you’re talking about. You have no clue.”
“Oh yeah, well then, why don't you leave me alone so I can continue to be clueless alone.”
She jumped to her feet only to become dizzy and land in Tom's arms. This felt familiar to her. This is where she wanted to be. She wanted him to wrap his arms around her and hold her and no other again. She wanted him to tell her everything was OK and that his heart belonged to her. That he didn't want another woman whispering anything in his ear, only Lois.
Tom grabbed her up and walked her to her bed. He lay her down gently covered her up. He reached back behind him and grabbed the trash can and placed it next to the bed. Then he went and grabbed a few wash clothes and wet them and lay them down on the nightstand. “There, that should be a little easier than trying to make it to the bathroom. Although, I don't know how much more you could possibly have in there.”
She couldn't say anything. She was far too drunk to argue. She watched Tom leave her side and exit the bedroom. When she thought the coast was clear, she pulled the blankets that were covering her and sat up on the side of the bed. She tugged at the zipper to the back of her dress.
When she finally was about to just rip it completely off, she felt tender hands helping her undo what felt like a super glued zipper. With ease she felt her dress slide down over her shoulders. There was way less fabric under her dress. She was wearing a thong. Her whole entire backside was exposed.
There was only the stove light from the kitchen shining in through the doors. She felt familiar lips caressing her back. Fingers were tantalizing her buttock. She yearned for more. She needed to feel his touch. She needed to know that for if only just one night, she belonged to him again. She felt a tugging of her shoulders pulling her back down to the bed.
Tom covered her up on the bed. He was going to return to the couch where he intended on staying. But he doubted he would be able to accomplish much sleep after taking in this view. He was sure he would lay there thinking of all the pain I had just caused himself by seeing her.
“Mark, it’s Tom, I uh, overslept, I will be there in a few hours.”
“Don't bother, take the day off.”
“Are you sure? There isn't anything going on today is there?”
“Nope, Lois and I were just thinking about taking the rest of the day off to.”
“Lois, she's there?”
“Yes, where else should she be? And by the way you are on speaker phone and she is sitting here with me.”
“Hello Lois. Ok, well I guess I will talk to you all tomorrow then. If you all need me for anything, emphasis on anything, call me.”
The look on Lois’s face must have been quite apparent because Mark wanted some answers. He didn’t specifically ask any questions but she knew he did. She didn’t feel like answering his questions though.
Mark, Laura, and Lois all went out and had a great time. Michelle met up with them. They drank and danced. Mark proposed to Laura and she accepted. It was a good night. When Lois made it back home, she showered and went to bed rather easily.
She woke thinking about Tom and all of the things that he had said to her. She sat at her desk thinking about it long and hard. She needed to get away. Not to run, but to clear her head.
She finally realized that there was nothing she could do to make this relationship work. Tom was never going to be her knight in shiny armor.
Maybe he was right, maybe it was a Cinderella child- like fantasy she had. And after all, it never comes true except for the movies. As bad as it hurt to, she was going to have to say goodbye. Goodbye to the possibilities she had dreamed of experiencing with Tom. Goodbye to the sweet kisses, goodbye to the tender caresses, the hot erotic nights, and goodbye to her heart.
She wiped her cheeks and looked towards his office. She couldn't see in, but it didn't matter she knew he was in there. She grabbed her purse and walked out leaving for the day. She didn't say a word. Just simply left. She didn't care anymore. What was the point? Every time she thought she was going to be happy, something dreadful would happen. But what was happening now was shredding her heart to pieces that she couldn’t take any longer. It wasn't like she could just pack up and move away and forget the feelings she had for him. But she admitted to herself she did need some time to herself.