AVERY EMERSON'S POV
The tepid Las Vegas sun of an early Sunday morning during winter boar through the worn out, stained wood plantation shutters framing the windows of the bedroom I found myself in; its heat warm and pleasant against my pale skin, slowly yet surely easing me to wake from the slumber I was so sure I’d fallen into with the intentions of not remembering the events of the night before. Silence had consumed me; it was all that I could hear as I turned my head shyly to rest on one side; the feeling of cold, navy silk threaded sheets beneath my skin alluring to the touch as the alarm clock which sat beside a half filled glass tumbler and portion of aspirin on the bedside table to my right teased me with glowing red digits that read 8.26am. It was later than I’d hoped to be awake yet still felt too early to face a judgmental world.
Stretching my limbs out as far as they could reach; a foot slipping out from beneath the covers I lay under, I circled my toes letting a yawn escape from me; which felt both childish yet devilishly relieved.Combing my fingers loosely through my still half curled ebony hair, I licked my lips with a desire to want to remember everything I’d been through, everything that had brought me to this point, yet wasn’t in the frame of mind to piece together any details I could hardly remember. The liquor I’d ingested only hours before still having an effect on me as I struggled to push myself up to sit; palms shaking beneath my own body weight as I slid out of the four-poster bed I’d been comfortable in. Feet firmly against a grey carpet floor, I noticed a blood red silk robe from the corner of my eye laid out over the back of a chair in the middle of the room and quickly slipped my arms into the over-sized sleeves, tightening the waist band beneath my chest to help conceal the little skin I had already covered by cheap, black laced lingerie.
Tip-toeing to the heavy wooden double doors on the other side of the bedroom; each step I took felt soft and chaste underfoot. As I opened the doors, pushing them ajar only enough to slide myself through quietly, the sounds of Debussy caught my attention along with footsteps belonging to a stranger.
“Ms Emerson I presume”, a middle-aged butler dressed in all black greeted me. I was taken aback by the formalness surrounding my name, pausing mid-step to turn on my bare heels to face him. Arms crossed at the wrists over my chest, I swallowed hard, hair falling before my eyes somewhat unscripted as he smiled sternly, not breaking character. Before I was able to respond with any kind of reaction I was informed breakfast would be ready in 15 minutes – my chance and opportunity to decline the offer revoked prior to having an option to speak.
After being given directions to the bathroom of the suite, I wandered in, shutting the door behind me with a sigh; as confused as a young child trying to fit a square peg into a round hole as to why I was here. The immaculate black tiled bathroom was like something I swore was only possible to see within the glossy pages of a lifestyle magazine. The dress I had on the night before had been freshly pressed, hanging on the back of the door and there was another option to wear, clothes I’d ever seen before folded neatly atop the vanity unit. I was quick to get beneath the water of the shower hoping to wash away any sins I’d committed in the last 24 hours.
Redressed into the same clothing I’d worn the night before, unsure of the other option on offer, I wrung my hair out over the sink one last time before pinching the apples of my cheeks to bruise some colour into them – a vast difference from the rest of my usual milky complexion. A familiar fragrance of cooked smoked ham and eggs filtered into the bathroom like a golden trail of delicious excellence I wanted to force myself to follow but knew too well I needed to escape. Heading out of the bathroom, I found my shoes tucked by the door and slipped them on stupidly, regretting every soft intentional step I took clicking against the floorboards rather boisterously. I could hear whispers and chatter coming from a room to the left of where my exit looked to be and resting against the wall beside what looked to be an expensive, over-priced piece of modern art, tried to listen in quietly to what was being said.
“Madam, your breakfast is ready to be served.”
The sound of the butler once again behind me caused me to let out a shuddering yet muted moan as I slid my trembling fingers across my dried lips startled. In spite of the heat I’d just stepped out of in the bathroom, I shivered when addressed; chilled as a bile of panic I wasn’t prepared for began to burn at the back of my throat. The feeling heightened when the door I was eavesdropping in front of began to open.
“I do apologize Mr….”, I stumbled over my own words backing in small steps towards the exit, not having gotten the butlers name before yet unsure that I wished to be around to find out. The sound of the door handle turning began to make my stomach churn. “Humpfrey, Mr Alfred Humpfrey.”
“Well”, I croaked, my voice breaking as the door from what seemed to be an office began to open, “Mr Humpfrey, you’ll pardon me on leaving with such haste. I um, must be getting home.”
“Why the rush..”
The three most simple words I heard next trickled into my ears as I stumbled back against someone, their hands quick to my hips as I soon realized, the door opening wasn’t the one I thought yet the one I was trying to escape through. The hold, which had me still, was hot under touch; and after forcing myself to spin to meet the eyes of the person who I’d bumped into, I was greeted with an intense glare, eyes coloured like a night sky before the sun disappears, cold like ice.
“I just need to go”, I managed in all of a whisper, my own hands pushing his off as I walked past the young man and his associates; a familiar face with forest green eyes and a whiskey brown eyed girl I hadn’t seen before.
“Avery…”, I heard my name called out with each shrill step I took, rushing out toward any direction that would possibly lead me home. It was again the last thing I heard as I stepped into a lift hoping to get down to the ground floor; swift to try and shut the doors although someone stepped in, backing me into a corner crook before I had a chance to flee. Before those doors a chance to open again.
His stance shadowed me effortlessly and even though I tried keeping my eyes fixed on the ground, strong fingers beneath my chin lifted my dull hazel gaze to meet his. The attire he wore exuded dominance and wealth. Not a single, delicate detail had been overlooked. I trembled vaguely; frightened by the circumstances - just wanting out. The cologne he wore enveloped me into a europhic feeling I remembered having the night before.
“There’s no need to be afraid of me”, he murmured calmly as if the conversation was to be kept amid just the two of us; his forehead dropping to rest against mine, “I’m not going to hurt you.”
“Then… what are you… going to do”, I choked up wanting to cry, pausing mid sentence to gain my bearings before I spoke, “To me.”
‘I haven’t decided yet”, he responded honestly; licking his lips the same way I’d done mine this morning yet instead of desire was fueled by what felt like sweet animosity, “But I’ll think of something.”