9
At the end of the block, she ran into Tara. Literally. They both fell onto their butts and yelped. Once they realized whom they had run into, they stood up and laughed.
“Oh, you are a sight for sore eyes,” Marisa said.
“Is everything okay? You came bolting around the corner so fast, I had no time to react.”
“Sorry. All I wanted to do was get away from here as fast as I could.”
Tara pulled her a ways down the side road. “What happened?”
Marisa told Tara everything, Tara’s exclamations and sounds of disbelief egging her on.
“He’s seriously the biggest player. I’m so sorry. Come on, let me treat you to something to eat.” They hustled down several blocks stopping at Francesco’s Italian restaurant to grab some pizza.
“You know,” Tara said as they waited in line for a table, “why you’re so upset with his behavior, don’t you? You’ve fallen for him, just like I did.”
Marisa’s face fell and she looked at her shoes. Prickles raced up her neck.
“I know how you feel, and I’m sorry.”
“How can I like such a jerk? To think I almost kissed him.” Hurt sank into her soul as if she were a beaten dog.
“Because he’s handsome, powerful, and very charming, that’s how. Guys like him know exactly how to lure women in and tear them to pieces.”
Their server took them to a table. Nausea settled in as she sat, and she wondered if she’d be able to eat anything. “I’m going to go clean up,” she said, standing up from the table and heading for the bathroom. She washed her face, hoping to get rid of the evidence of her tears.
She returned to their table to find two drinks sitting there. “I ordered you a drink, I hope you don’t mind.” Tara took a sip.
“Not at all,” Marisa said, taking the drink and sipping from it. She coughed. The drink was strong. “I’m so embarrassed. I feel so stupid for falling for him. I wish there was some way to make him feel how I do and how all the women he’s tricked felt.”
Tara drank from her glass and then said, “Hmm. I think I might know a way to get back at him.”
“What? How?” While she liked Tara, none of her ideas to solve the problem had been good ones, but she’d hear her out. She swallowed another drink, and her insides warmed.
“I think he needs to be knocked down a few pegs. What if we used your clearance at the castle to do something to make our dear old captain look foolish?”
Marisa’s first reaction to the idea was that it was a terrible idea, but on second thought, she kind of liked it. Making him look stupid to the people at work would be a real blow to his ego. He could feel just as terrible as she did. “Like what?” Tingles spread through her body as the alcohol charged through her system.
“I’m not sure, but we can figure it out on our way.” They giggled. Tara slapped some money onto the table and said, “No time like the present.” She grabbed her glass and said, “For courage!”
“For courage,” Marisa said, lifting her glass. They finished their drinks and headed out. As Tara drove, they schemed.
“The best way to get back at a haughty man is to injure his pride,” Tara said. “Like make him look stupid in front of his men or the royals.”
“Exactly.” Marisa knew their suggestions were getting sillier and sillier as they drove the fifteen minutes to the castle, but it was fun being with Tara, plotting. “We could hang a pair of his skivvies from his office doorknob.” She giggled.
“Yeah. Something like that.” Tara grinned as they pulled up to the castle gate. Marisa handed Tara her ID to show the guard, who let them pass. Neither spoke as they drove down the long driveway, but Tara hummed an upbeat tune. Marisa led her to the underground employee parking garage.
The moment they entered the castle grounds, her conscience started poking at her. Her discomfort grew the closer they got to the castle. As they parked, she tried to put her hand on Tara’s arm to tell her they shouldn’t continue. She was a royal guard. She had made promises and signed documents that she would never do anything to hurt the royal guard or the royal family. She could not betray that trust. Her body was slow to follow her commands, though, and Tara was out of the car before she could stop her. Whatever that drink was, it was hitting her hard. She took a deep breath and forced her sluggish body out of the car. She looked around to see Tara waiting for her at the employee entrance, looking at her phone, a bag over her shoulder.
Marisa called out to her, but her voice was weak, and Tara didn’t act as if she’d heard anything, so she stumbled over to her.
“Tara,” she said as she reached her new friend. “I’ve changed my mind. We can’t go in there. We can’t. We’ll have to find another way.”
“I don’t think so, Marisa darling. We are going inside the castle right now.” She brandished a gun.
Marisa’s mind commanded her body to react, to take the gun, but her limbs refused to respond. Her hand batted at Tara, but missed the girl and gun completely. She blinked several times. “What is going on?” she slurred, forcing her leg out to kick Tara, but missing by inches.
Tara laughed. “That stuff is amazing. My boss was right.”
Tara swiped Marisa’s ID card and the door clicked open. Tara grinned, wide and bright. Marisa’s normally sharp brain was cloudy and gray now, and it became increasingly hard to think as Tara pulled her into the castle and reached into her bag. “Put this on,” she said, handing Marisa a black jacket. Marisa held it in her hand, but merely stared at it while Tara put hers on as well as a face mask. “I said, put it on.” Marisa fumbled with the jacket trying to put her arm into the hood. “Oh, good grief,” Tara said, helping her into the jacket and then pulling her down the dark hall, a flashlight lighting their way. “Now Marisa, where do you keep your radio and your keys?”
While a piece of her mind was yelling for her not to tell, the other part was giving it up freely. “My changing room.” She wanted to reach out and stop Tara, but couldn’t. Her hand sat snuggly in Tara’s as Tara swung it from side to side like they were best friends going on a walk in the park. “They can see us, you know,” Marisa said. “Cameras everywhere.”
“My boss has taken care of that. Don’t worry your pretty little head. Now, remember. You are happy and want to do what I tell you to do. Take me to your changing room but go a way that we won’t run into anyone.”
Marisa had no clue why she was taking this girl to her changing room, but she couldn’t stop herself.
“You like doing as I say, don’t you, Marisa?” Tara taunted.
Something told Marisa she did, that she wanted nothing more than to do everything Tara asked her to do and she would be happy about it.