Chapter 12

Molly awoke to the sun beaming down on her. She went to move the blankets off of her legs before suddenly remembering that she was naked. Oh no, how am I going to get my clothes on? I don’t even remember where my underwear is.

Molly felt around the sides of Xander and underneath the blankets and pillow, carefully trying not to wake him up. After what seemed like an eternity, she found her clothes and quietly got dressed. The corset gave her the most problems, but she figured out a way to maneuver into it without someone else’s help. I don’t care how great my boobs looked. Never again!

Adjusting to the daylight, Molly blinked a few times and took in her surroundings. Where the hell am I?

Piles of hay were scattered across what appeared to be a mostly brown grassy field. The smell of manure was strong, and she wasn’t sure if the patch of dirt they were parked on was really dirt at all.

Molly noticed a soreness, and felt down between her legs. How could I forget? Instantly, a wave of shame washed over her.

A conversation that she once had with her mother played in her mind. It was the typical ‘birds and the bees’ talk about how babies were made, but Molly’s mother took special care to emphasize the importance of waiting for the ‘right one.’

Pangs of guilt made Molly’s stomach turn, and for a moment she thought she might puke.

Xander, still asleep, rolled over to face Molly. He really is beautiful, isn’t he? Molly stared at his luscious hair, scanned over his flawlessly sculpted face and down to his rock hard stomach. Guilt turned into butterflies, and Molly remembered why she had taken to Xander in the first place. This isn’t so bad, she thought, reflecting on how much fun they had at the club, and how comfortable she had felt with Xander while they were talking, and then after, when they were doing more than talking.

But the things you love can kill you.

Molly thought about what Xander had said during their conversation. She assumed that he was more than the one-dimensional character Elodie had made him out to be, but Molly hadn’t foreseen Xander opening up to her the way he had.

I want to be more than strangers. Molly leaned over to kiss Xander good morning.

Xander let out a few grunts before attempting to open his eyes. Molly, now laying down next to him again, tried to kiss his cheek. Xander grabbed the pillow from under his head and put it over his face.

“I drank way too much last night. My head is fucking pounding. Got any water?” Xander said, his voice muffled.

“Morning. I’ve got a purse with a tube of lipstick and some hand sanitizer. I don’t think you want to drink anymore alcohol though. I was thinking maybe we could go for some breakfast? I’ve been told that coffee and grease help hangovers.”

Molly didn’t want this to end, and breakfast would be a great opportunity to hang out with Xander without being drunk.

Xander tossed the pillow to his side and sat up.

“Yeah, about that. I don’t usually uh ... last night was great and all, but I gotta get moving. My manager will kill me if I show up to training like this.”

He pulled the blanket off of himself and Molly, standing up in just his boxers.

“So yeah, if you could grab your things, I’m gonna have to jet on out of here pretty quick.”

Rifling around the truck bed for his jeans, Molly was shocked at the way Xander was treating her. Trying to play it cool, Molly considered asking him for a ride home. The least he could do is take me back to my house.

“I live not too far from here, do you think you could take me home on the way to your gym?”

She was sure he would say yes. He wasn’t like the other guys Elodie had warned her about.

“Love to but I don’t have time for that. Here. Got your purse?” Xander hopped down out of the bed of the truck and waited for Molly to follow.

Stunned, Molly tried to get up but found herself paralyzed. How can he act like this? I thought ...

“How about I help you get moving, okay?” Xander grabbed Molly’s purse, and helped her to her feet.

“Think you can manage to get out of the truck?” Xander wasn’t being the gentle, caring guy he had been the night before. Molly tried to search his face for any sign of warmth, and was left with nothing.

Down from the truck again, Xander walked to the driver’s side.

“Just lift the tailgate up and slam it shut. It’s kinda heavy but you seem strong enough.”

Opening the door, Xander climbed onto the seat and took out his keys.

Molly grabbed the tailgate and tried to lift it. Last night he wanted to help me get into the truck and now he won’t even do this for me? Elodie was right after all.

After a few tries, Molly was able to shut and latch the tailgate.

Xander started the truck and put it into first gear. He stuck his head out of the window, looking back at Molly. “Thanks for last night, babe. You were fun.”

Leaving Molly in a state of shock, Xander drove off down the road and out of sight. A swirl of dust made Molly cough. She waved her hands in front of her face to clear the air.

“Are you kidding me!? You asshole!” Molly shouted after the truck, raising her middle finger.

The dust settled and Molly was standing there all alone. Tears welled up in her eyes as she crumbled to the ground. Bowing her head to her chest, Molly let the tears run down her face.

How could you be so stupid, Molly? Having sex with a guy you just met? You should have listened to Elodie.

Molly clenched her fists and pounded the dirt in front of her. The tears kept streaming down her face, but Molly’s sadness turned to anger.

“Pressure!? You’re under pressure? Do you even know what pressure means, Xander? Have you ever had someone stand over you while you’re writing an assignment? Breathing down your neck your whole life, telling you that your future career is riding on this one final exam?”

Molly was screaming into the void, but she didn’t care. This was her breaking point, and she wasn’t going to stop now.

“Of course I was going to do this! It was only a matter of time wasn’t it? Before Ms. Perfect Molly Tompkins lost her pride and got fucked in the back of a pickup truck in the middle of nowhere. Tell the Goddamn newspapers to write an article all about how the pretty little virgin got screwed.”

Molly thought of what her mother would say if she found out.

Not a virgin anymore? You disappoint me Molly Tompkins. I should have done a better job raising you.

Her mother would have eventually understood. Molly pictured how she would react, and how she would open her arms for Molly and tell her everything would be fine. She always went to her mother when something had gone wrong. Knowing that many of her friends had parents who were quicker to anger always made Molly feel grateful for her lot.

Molly looked down at her pants and saw that she had forgot to zip them up.

Should have kept them zipped.

The sun was getting hotter, and since Xander obviously wasn’t going to drive her home, Molly dug in her purse for her phone.

Scrolling through her contacts, Molly realized that she had no number for a cab, and as far as she could tell, there was no signal for calling anyhow.

“Fuck!” Molly yelled at the top of her lungs.

Looking around for something to throw, Molly took her heels from beside her and angrily threw them as far as she could.

“Great. I guess I’m walking now. I swear to God if I see Xander again I’m going to slap him so hard he’ll have my fingerprints on his face for the rest of his life.”

Molly pictured Xander and the way he looked with the moon illuminating his face. He is so beautiful though. Why did he have to be such a creep?

Molly stood up and dusted off her knees. Her feet had blisters from wearing Elodie’s six inch heels last night, so she decided that walking barefoot was the only option. Picking the heels up as she walked by, she slung them over her shoulder.

“I guess if I’m gonna be a slut I might as well act the part.”

The driveway back to the main road was long. By the time Molly had reached the pavement, the soles of her feet were sore and her legs had turned to jelly. Digging her phone out of her purse again, Molly checked for service. Four bars. Letting out a sigh of relief she searched for a cab number.

“Hi. I’d like to get a cab to ... hmm, I don’t even know where I am. Just a second, let me look around.”

Molly looked up and down the street for a familiar building, and saw a gas station sign not far from where she was.

“I’m walking to the Gas Goose on Main St. Right across from the grocery store. Could you send a cab there?”

Molly hung up the phone and started walking again. The pavement was hot under her feet, but she didn’t care. The physical pain numbed the emotional agony, and Molly welcomed any distraction from her thoughts of Xander.

Since leaving the driveway, Molly had lost count of how many car horns and cat-calls she had heard. Nothing could make her feel worse right now than this kind of attention.

I just want to be home. In my bed. I wish I could take it all back.

Shaking her head, Molly knew that those kind of thoughts would only bring her more pain.

Be strong. If there’s anything you can do right now, it’s keep your strength. Keep your head up and look forward.

Molly’s father had said those words to her when she was younger. In grade school, Molly had been bullied time and time again for being a teacher’s pet and getting good grades, when the rest of her peers were more concerned about being the coolest kid.

Lifting her chin, Molly looked up to see her cabbie waiting.

“Ah, are you Molly Tompkins? Ordered a cab to this location?” The cabbie was a middle aged man, and had a thick accent that made it hard to understand what he was saying.

“Yes, that’s me. Can I get in?”

Molly had never taken a cab before, and she wasn’t quite sure whether to sit in the front seat or the back.

“If you plan on paying. Yes, get in my girl. You look like you need a rest.”

Molly laughed so only she could hear.

“More than you know.”