Charlotte

As I approach Nick’s office, I hear a commotion inside. I knock.

“Hold on,” I hear Nick grunt. He sounds about the same as he did in high school, like an impatient jerk.

As I wait, I turn to see if I might see Mr. Nine or hopefully Elliot, but the hall is empty.

“Come in.”

When I open the door Nick is half dressed and a woman—dark brunette, thin, and sexy with legs as tall as the Empire State Building, is finishing buttoning up her blouse.

“Sit down,” Nick tells me and goes to collect his shirt. I admit he’s handsome—dark hair, bedroom eyes, and pouty lips that look swollen all the time. He’s filled out some, making him more attractive, more desirable than he was in high school. Instead of the bad boy he was, he looks like he’s grown into a genuine, bonified playboy. I knew he was trouble back in the day, but I’m sure he’s just downright dangerous now.

The woman eyes me from head to toe with her beady eyes. I’d like to tell her off, but that probably would be as inappropriate as the two of them having sex in the workplace and allowing me to catch them in the after show.

Don’t want to stoop to that level—at least, not the getting caught part.

I try to make eye contact with Nick. I hope he might be able to clue me into what’s going on with Elliot. “How have you been, Nick?”

“Don’t speak unless I tell you to,” he commands from behind his desk as he points a finger at me while not even looking me back in the face.

Asshole.

They both finish getting dressed—I try not to stare too hard. The brunette grabs Nick’s face and plants a kiss on him. He grabs her ass and it makes me want to puke, so I cough.

 They both get distracted and she finally turns to leave. Thank God!

 I’m about to open my mouth when Nick finally looks at me, holding up another finger to shush me. As soon as the woman closes the door behind her, Nick exhales and picks up the phone.

“Lou,” he blurts into the receiver, “bring me my meds.”

Meds? Jeez, I had no idea Nick might be ill. “Nick, are you sick?”

“I told you not to speak,” he says. I squint and he smiles coyly. “I’m just fucking with you,” he chuckles as he slides into his smoothed black leather chair and I notice this room is as plain and empty as my office except it’s decorated in black rather than gray. The sunlight beaming in from behind him through the frosted glass is such a contrast to his black suit. He seems to be melting into his seat.

“I’m not sick,” he says. “It’s more like a vitamin.”

I catch him checking out my legs, so I cross them. “How have you been?”

“I’ve been good,” he nods. “I run a multimillion dollar corporation, so things get a little hairy. How about you?”

“I’ve been pretty—”

“Are you happy at NIM?” he interjects.

“So, far I—”

“Have you run into Elliot yet?”

The question has caught me off guard and I choke on my own air.

“Poor Elliot had the biggest crush on you,” Nick says leaning back and slouching deeper in his chair as he taps his fingers on the armrests. “The guy used to watch you dance across your window. I felt so bad for him—how you broke his heart day after day—teasing him like he was a frog that would never get to kiss the princess.”

“I—”

“Don’t talk,” cuts in Nick. “You knew what you were doing back then but to be totally honest, I’m thankful. You were a great motivator. Guys like Elliot needed chicks like you to put them in their place, although it doesn’t take away from the cruelty. Don’t you think?”

All right, I’ve had enough.

“Nick, I don’t think it’s a good idea that I work here.” I lean forward to stand up as I hear Nick’s office door reopen with the clacking of high heels coming up from behind me. I turn to see Loulah.

“Loulah!” I’m surprised to see she’s grown so pretty, but she doesn’t look well. Her eyes seem bigger behind those glasses, but only because her cheeks look sunken. She doesn’t look as cheery as she sounded over the phone. I reach out my arms and step towards her to give her a hug. “How are you? Are you well?”

“I’m fine,” she says and nudges her glasses higher up her nose to study me. “You look as beautiful as ever.”

“You look great, too!” I respond and reach in to give her another hug because I feel like she needs it.

“Girls!” shouts Nick. “Will you cut that shit out? You’re giving me a hard-on.”

“Nick doesn’t like when he’s not the center of attention,” Loulah whispers and we both giggle.

“Lou, did you bring what I asked for?” Nick seems impatient, tapping his fingers on his desk.

“I did,” announces Loulah. She walks to Nick’s side and places a tiny, clear plastic cup right in front of him that holds a little white pill.

Nick stands up to lean over it, peeking at what’s inside, and raises the cup to his lips.

He pauses to look at Loulah. “Lou, get out.”

“What? Why? I thought you said we would talk to Charlotte together,” she whines.

“Yeah, and things have changed. Now get out.”

Loulah looks at me with puppy dog eyes and Nick slams his fist on the desk. “I’m not going to fuck her, Lou. Okay?” he yells and I see a tear fall from Loulah’s eye.

“You know what?” I interrupt. I feel like I’m being dragged into a love quarrel. “I think I’m just going to leave.”

“Sit the fuck down,” Nick tells me.

“Excuse me?” Who the fuck does he think he is?

Nick marches towards Loulah and grabs her by the arm to lead her out. My eyes feel like they are about to pop out of their sockets, shocked by the drama unfolding before my very eyes and I have no idea what’s going on!

Nick pushes Loulah out and shuts the door. “Can I ask you a question, Charlotte?” he asks with a short strut. I’m sure I have no choice but to allow him to question me since he’s blocking my exit.

I look around and see a small shadowed hallway, which I didn’t notice earlier and I wonder if there is another way out through there.

Nick slides a foot across the floor, performing a two-step like he thinks he’s Gene Kelly. “Were you ever attracted to me?”

“That’s an odd question,” I reply and take a few steps toward the hallway.

Nick folds his hands behind his back and smoothly walks around me, keeping his eyes on me, like he’s an animal of some sort stalking his prey. He heads towards his desk to pick up the pill. He shakes the container and it makes the same tic-tac noise I recognize from the elevator made by Mr. Nine.

This whole thing feels very strange and a chill runs down my spine as I see Nick raise the container once more. For some reason, I don’t want Nick to take the pill and I feel an urge to lunge and stop him but instead, I remain stuck in my shoes.

I look to the hallway.

“Do you want to see what’s down there?” he asks.

I don’t say anything. I don’t have to. I’m confident he feels the burn from the flare in my eyes.

“At the end of the hall is what I call The Bank,” he says proudly. “It’s where I take all my girls who like to receive deposits—cash and...well, you know?” He points to himself. “Do you want to see?”  

I shake my head.

“You know Elliot has been in that room a few times.”

I close my eyes as I feel steam is escaping through my lashes. Wet eyes have smothered the burn. I don’t know why I care so much about what Elliot is doing. I can only imagine what’s in that room and the idea that he’s been...

I don’t even want to think about it.

It’s been so long since I’ve seen the guy—the boy with the bugs. Ironically, it makes me smile nowadays when I think how he used to chase me with them. I guess I genuinely always hoped Elliot turned out to be successful and happy. Happy and with a family—not miserable, like Nick and me, living with only our self-righteous selves.

“Are you sure you don’t want to see the room?” asks Nick.

I look at him sternly and shake my head again.

“Sure you do,” he exclaims, lifting his tongue and tossing the pill under it.

I suddenly feel hot. The burn in my eyes returns but with a fury and my nose feels like it's been gassed with carbon dioxide from regurgitated Coca-Cola. The sensations spread down my neck and my nipples perk up. My bra feels like it itches. I squirm and the rest of my clothes feel prickly.

What the fuck?

I look up to Nick as he approaches. I gulp trying to keep down urges that are arising. Urges that make me want to tear off my clothes because they are itching so bad. Urges that are taking over my body with intense, restless agitation. Urges that make me want to go commando to teach Nick a lesson. I hate him. I fucking hate him.

“Hey,” he says, cupping my face in his hands and it burns my skin. “You look like you’re in desperate need of some relief.”

“I am.” I nod and punch Nick in the face.

“Ow!” he cries grabbing his cheek and I go to punch him again.

I hit him, this time square in the jaw, and he drops to the ground. I try to kick him, but he grabs my legs and my whole body comes crashing hard onto his slick marble flooring. My bones are throbbing at every joint where they’ve collided with a thud on the floor and I want to rub at them, but when I catch sight of Nick lying next to me on the ground I want to choke him.

I reach for his neck.

“What the fuck is up with everybody trying to choke me?” he squeals, pulling my hands off, but I get on top of him.

“Because you’re a fucking savage!” I yell.

“No, I’m a lord. The Dark Lord. That’s what your geek calls me,” Nick chokes with a sinister smile like he’s some psychotic escapee from a mental institution. He manages to push me off.

Nick is stronger and more powerful than me but I’m able to get in a few kicks and punches. I want to hurt him. I blame him for what’s become of Loulah. I also blame him for coming between me and my neighbor, my friend, Elliot Crowe.

I manage to smack Nick right in the ear and he shoves me, knocking me flat on the ground.

“Damn, Charlotte! I didn’t know you hated me this bad. I thought you’d at least find me remotely attractive.”

I feel a nasty pull at the top of my head as I feel myself moving. I reach up to grab the hand entangled in my hair pulling me across the slick floor. My insides burn with more ferocity as Nick drags me into the shadowed hall and I hear a door open. I look behind and between his legs. I make out a room with a leather couch and a bed. There are things, freaky things, hanging on the wall—I don’t even know what they are. The room looks like a dungeon.

I always knew Nick was a sick fuck.

I growl. “Nick, don’t you dare.”

“Be quiet,” he says and I struggle to fight him as he picks me up, plops me on the black-sheeted bed, climbs over me, and straddles my chest, pinning my elbows. He grips my wrists together and cuffs me to the headboard.

“Nick, I swear to God!”

I manage to kick Nick and he raises a hand to me, but his hand stops mid-air.

“Damn, Charlotte. You really do bring out the worst in people.”

How dare he?! “No, I don’t. It’s you! You bring out the worst in people.”

Nick climbs off the bed and my eyes wander about the black walls regretfully absorbing the freaky images of what’s hanging. I know I should be freaking out. I know I should be scared, but my core is burning. I growl again.

Nick yanks at my leg as I try to kick him once more. We fight painfully until he loops my ankle into a rope.

A rope! What the hell does he do in here?

“No,” he argues, grabbing my other leg to loop that one as well. “I bring out the best in people. I see their potential and I push them past what they believe to be true of themselves. I help them find power, real power. Untapped and ready to be used for good.”

Nick trails his fingers along the inside of my leg from my ankle up to my thigh and I realize I’m pinned—wide open. My pencil skirt has gathered up around my hips and my underwear is peeping out at my center. I should be scared, but I’m not. My body is hot with fury. I’m so pissed.

I yank at the binds that grip me and I growl once more. “Nick, when this is over, I’m going to the authorities. I swear if you don’t get your hands off of me, I will—”

Nick grips my face with his hand clawing his fingers into my cheeks and jerks my head back and forth as if examining me. “I don’t know what he sees in you,” he scowls. “Sure, you’re pretty. I’ll give you that. But beyond being a sexy tease, I have no idea why Elliot Crowe—the smartest guy I’ve ever known, would fall dumb in love for so long with someone like you.”

My chest aches. Elliot is dumb in love? With me?

I haven’t seen him in forever. My mind wavers. I want to think about it more, but I can’t. I’m too consumed with hate like my hate has been induced by a drug. I buck my hips and jerk wildly. “Let me go, asshole!”

Nick removes his hand, runs it through his hair, chuckles, and heads towards the exit, which leaves me with unfathomable fury. “Don’t worry, princess,” he smirks. I can’t see him now. “If there’s one thing I know you’re good at,” he calls out, “it’s needing a rescue.”