linxy - part XI
Henry strides in and Olivia goes pale. He’s
an imposing figure, that’s for sure, at least a foot taller than her, broad
chest, muscular, heavy black boots. Not at all what you’d picture for an
author. Hey, if the ‘writing books’ thing doesn’t work out, he
can always be a bouncer. He crosses his arms and stares at her from across the
room with his head cocked to the side, regarding her like an abstract statue.
Then he strides over, pushes up her nightgown and frowns, standing back to examine
her.
"This has to go," he says, running his
fingers over her short, soft pubic hair. "It’s nice and neat and everything,
doll, but I like ‘em naked." He wags his tongue at her, she looks
over at me in horror and I just smile.
"He said he wanted to rape me," she says
to Henry. I feel like I’ve been slapped, punched in the stomach. Now I
know how she made that betrayed face. It just comes organically. Without warning.
He stands and finally pulls the cigarette from his mouth, looking at her with
a frown. She thinks she knows the game, that because she’s on the block
that the buyer will protect her. That he’ll be mad that I’m fiddling
with his goods when I told her that it wasn’t allowed. He only smiles and
looks back at me.
"And you didn’t follow through?"
He asks. I shrug. "Come on. Don’t make empty threats Linxy. It make
them think they’re winning." He turns back to Olivia and holds her
face still with one hand. "Nobody likes a tattletale, bitch." He pulls
one of the straps of her nightgown down and examines her exposed breasts, squeezing
them, pinching them, laughing at how she tenses beneath his touch. "Nice
tits. You’re going to be fun. I can tell. Sensitive, modest. You like to
fuck in public?" She looks away from him and he kneels between her spread
legs, the cigarette firmly between his lips with a little trail of smoke rising
between the two of them. He quickly slips two fingers inside of her and she
jumps in her chair. "Tight," he says, nodding. "And squirmy.
That's fun." She’s beginning to get teary eyed and I feel my own smile
fading at her harsh treatment. He pulls his fingers out and sucks them clean.
"Well, I’m impressed. She’s a good one. I’ll be back for
her in a few days."
A clever, bitter grin creeps across Olivia’s
lips that Henry doesn’t see. "I’ll be gone by then," she
hisses. "You think I’m a weakling. I can get out of here."
There’s a moment of palpable silence wherein
I find it necessary to cough into my fist to keep from laughing. She looks so
smug, and he, frankly, looks shocked. It’s a new expression for both of
them from my point of view. After composing himself, Henry turns around and
backhands her hard. He’s a right hander, so he catches the other cheek.
The expression on his face never changes, he doesn’t even raise his voice.
The action is completed with all the fanfare of passing the salt. He blinks
once, swallows, exhales, cracks his neck to one side and stares down at her
head hanging limply to hide her tears.
"First of all, you’re insulting my friend.
Secondly, you’re lying to your owner in regards to your ‘escape’.
Thirdly, and what I feel is most important; you’re speaking before anyone
told you that you could." He grabs her by the ponytail and snaps her head
up to look him in the eye. "Listen to me carefully, whore. Linx is in it
for the pussy and the money. He likes to get laid, and I hear he’ll probably
even be nice to you when he does it. I, on the other hand, am in it for the
power and to see you in tremendous discomfort. I’m a sick bastard, deeply
ensconced in unresolved childhood issues, mild antisocial disorder and closeted
homosexuality and the worst part is, I get off on it. So I suggest you keep
your cock sucking mouth shut when you’re around me, or you’ll suffer
beyond your wildest nightmares. Have a good weekend my darling, I’ll be
back on Monday." He lets her head go and she falls forward, her arms stretched
behind her, her nightgown bunched up around her waist, the straps pulled down,
leaving her completely exposed. She cries. Henry turns to me and smiles.
"I’m your friend?" I ask, grinning.
"Let her stay in this chair for a while. Think
a little bit. I’ll send over some clothes for her to be in, and I’ll
bring your checks." He crushes his cigarette out on the dresser and leaves
the butt behind.
After he’s gone I just stare at Olivia for
a second. She won’t lift her eyes to me.
"I told you to stay quiet, baby," I say
softly. She shakes her head slightly but doesn’t say anything. Something
burns in my stomach. "Look at it this way. He’s richer than you could
imagine. He’s got a house three stories high that looks out over the lake.
I’ve seen his other girls. They have everything they could ever want. You’ll
be living in the lap of luxury."
"So did Nicole Brown," she whispers.
I touch her chin to make her look up at me. Tears
are streaming down her face, her eyes are bloodshot, her cheek swollen. I can’t
come up with anything to say. It’s this look she’s got. This look
she gives that makes you feel like dirt. Not a glare, not a pout…it’s
just quiet…sadness.
"Can I lie down?" She asks, turning her
eyes to the floor. "I know he said I should stay here, but I can’t
hold my head up anymore. My cheek hurts," she mutters to herself. I crouch
in front of her and untie her legs and wrists, careful to shackle her ankle
before walking away. Her toes are painted pale pink, a little chipped around
the edges. "He made his point," she says, crawling into bed.
"I’ll go get you something to eat."
"I don’t want it. I don’t want anything from you. I just want to be alone for once. Leave me the fuck alone." She covers herself with the blanket and curls up into a ball.