Chapter 25 – Mariah
I woke up with the biggest headache that I’d ever had in my life. It was almost like a hangover, but there was a blast in my head that was new to me. I sat there for a time with my eyes closed before I even tried to open them up. The light coming in from the window was too much to take, and I immediately shut them again and groaned.
There was a warm body and movement next to me. It wasn’t until that moment that I remembered the night before, the auction. It all came back in a wave, although I didn’t remember much after I got on stage and saw all of the people and the bright lights. I had to open my eyes, no matter how much it hurt. I had to see who had won me.
“I was wondering when you were going to get up.”
Scott’s voice pushed through my foggy brain and I saw him next to me in the bed. I assumed we were in his room and the bed I was lying in was his.
“I feel like I need to sleep for a week.”
“Elie spiked your drink with something and drugged you. I don’t know what he gave you, but you seem to be doing a lot better now.”
I had to question whether he knew how I felt. If he did, I was sure that he wouldn’t suggest that I was better now. I didn’t remember before, so how could that be any worse than I felt right now?
“I don’t feel like I’m doing better.”
“Do you want me to take you to the hospital? They’ll be able to test and see what he gave you. I tried to get him to tell me, but he wouldn’t.”
“No, I don’t want to go and get poked and prodded. I feel bad, but I’m sure it will pass. I just feel like I drank too much. Did we drink after I got back here?”
“You were stumbling on the stage and you passed out before we ever got here. I don’t think you quite get how messed up you were, Mariah. I had to carry you in.”
I didn’t like to hear that. It was bad enough that I’d been drugged, but I could only imagine what had happened after that. I didn’t remember any of it, though, so I was going to have to take his word for it. That might have been the worst part of it all.
“I’m sorry, Scott. Did you at least get what you paid for?”
He sat up and gave me a weird look. “What do you mean?”
“Well, I mean you paid for a night… I guess I was just wondering if you got what you wanted out of it.”
“Did you hear me when I said you were passed out before we even got here?”
I’d heard that, but I didn’t know what that had to do with anything. Just because I was immobile didn’t mean much. I was still mad at him for the call and his refusal to come. Now I was even happier that it was him I’d woken up next to, but I wasn’t in the mood for games.
“I did. I also know that you said you weren’t coming.”
“Are you mad that I did?”
I wasn’t mad that I was here. Here was where I wanted to be, but I couldn’t think with the light in my eyes and the pounding in my head.
“No, I just don’t feel good and I really want to go home.”
It was not what he expected, and if I’d really thought about it I would have known how wrong I was for saying it, but I couldn’t deal with everything that was going on.
“I’ll take you home if you want, or you can just stay here. Elie wants you there in a couple of hours. I would suggest that you not go. If he’ll drug you and sell you off, Mariah, I don’t think that there’s any way that you should trust him. He’s not a trustworthy guy.”
I knew that about Elie, had known it for a while, but I didn’t want Scott bringing it up. “Don’t worry about me, Scott. I know that I’m no good for your reputation.”
He sighed, sat up and put his legs over the edge of the bed. “I didn’t mean it like that. I just didn’t want to lose my company, but it’s too late now. As much as I paid, it’s bound to become a story. I haven’t heard from the board, but I’m sure that I will soon.”
I wanted to ask him how much, but then again I didn’t. How mad was he to have spent so much money on me and gotten nothing in return? It didn’t seem fair, but what was I supposed to do?
“You shouldn’t have come there, Scott.”
“How could I not?”
I knew that he was just worried about getting me in bed. It wasn’t enough. No matter how much he’d paid, he’d shown me what he truly thought. I was an embarrassment to him. That was all there was to it. There was no love, just lust and shame.
“Can you just take me home, Scott, please?”
“If that’s what you really want, Mariah.”
What I really wanted wasn’t going to happen. I wanted him to love me and be proud to be with me, but that was not going to happen. I’d spent too much time at the club, and if I stayed here in New Orleans, I would never get away from it. That’s why I had to leave, no matter how hard it was going to be. Scott winning me hadn’t changed anything. I was still stuck and in love with a man who just wanted to own me, not love me.
“It’s what I want. I just want to go home and lie down until all of this goes away.”
***
I woke up later that day. Much later; it was dark outside when I looked out. I was feeling a lot better, and now I felt like a jerk for how I had acted with Scott. I knew that what I was and where I worked weren’t exactly the most respectable things in the world, and I could understand why he wouldn’t want to be publically linked with me. It made sense, even if it hurt to hear it said out loud.
I wanted to call him, but something was holding me back. I don’t know if it was my pride or what, but I couldn’t do it. I didn’t know what to say, and all I could really think to do to make it up to him was to actually go and see him. There were no words to get it all out. I was just going to have to show him how sorry I was how everything had turned out. My feelings for him hadn’t changed. He’d come for me, even though it would hurt him in the end. I had to love him more than ever for that. It was impossible not to. I finally picked up the phone and dialed his number.
“Scott, I was hoping that I would get a hold of you. Are you still at work?”
“Yeah, I went in, although everything is a little crazy around here. Did you need something?”
His voice and tone were abrupt. I deserved it for everything that had happened and the way I’d reacted this morning. I’d been feeling horrible, though. I mean really bad. It had felt like I was about to lose myself, and even now I wasn’t sure what tomorrow was going to bring.
“I was hoping that we could have a redo, daddy. I know that I was naughty this morning. Don’t you want to punish me?”
There was silence that stretched for several heartbeats.
“Mariah, I… yes, I want a redo. You don’t need a punishment, though.”
I made a pouting sound. Punishment was what got me off. He knew that, and I hoped that he wouldn’t withhold it from me because I’d withheld myself from him.
“Can I come see you later then?”
“Yes.”
“When, daddy?”
“God, I love when you say it like that.”
I giggled and told him that I just wanted to make him happy. I did. There was always a draw to him, and a need in me to make sure that everything was good. I wanted him to be as happy as I was with him those few hours a week that I got to see him.
“So what time do you want me to come by?”
“I’ll be home around seven.”
“I’ll be there.”
“What about work and Elie?”
“I just woke up and I don’t know about any of that. I guess I’ll see him tomorrow.”
“Good, then I’ll have you for the whole night.”
“That’s what you paid for, Scott.”
“Mariah…”
“What?”
“It’s not like that. I bid on you because I didn’t want you to have to be with someone else.”
“So you don’t want me, daddy?”
I gave him the voice that had I noticed bothered him so well, and I got the growl that I was looking for. It was sweet music to my ears, and there was nothing more I wanted to do then but be there. Seven wasn’t that long to wait, but suddenly it felt like an eternity.
“You know damn well I do, Mariah.”
“Then I’ll see you soon.”
His answer was more sounds than words, and I hung up with a smile on my face. I must have had some kind of dream, because I’d woken up thinking of Scott. Now I was feeling like the day was not a total waste. I had a lot to deal with, but one more day wasn’t really going to matter that much. I still had too much going on to pretend like it was all going to be okay, but just for tonight I was going to pretend like it wasn’t all coming down around me. Elie and the club could wait. Tonight was going to be about me and Scott, as it should be.