weren't many people around as college hadn't started yet, but
it was still awesome.
“ So,
this is real is it?” asked Brad back in the bar, sitting down with
a fresh bottle of whiskey.
“ Yeah,”
I said, genuinely, “I think it is.”
Chapter 19
August
30 th 2013
Grace
I want you for tonight. You're just
what I'm looking for.
I woke with the words repeating in my
head, a nightmare that I was still recovering from. Those cold eyes,
that emotionless voice, that callous look on his face as he walked
away from me, leaving me there to die.
It had been a few nights since I'd seen
him again, looking at me with a sly smile. I didn't know whether he'd
recognized me, or whether he was just smiling at his protege's new
girlfriend. Whatever the case, I wasn't going to bring it up with
Chase, I didn't want to go down that road.
What would I tell him anyway? That the
father figure of a boss that he held in such high esteem was someone
who bought women, was happy to leave them to die? That his girlfriend
had almost been one of those women, sold for her body? Neither were
things I wanted to think about or talk about. Best forgotten.
It wasn't as easy at that though. A
couple of nights later he called me, his voice excited.
“ Grace,
I've got some good news.”
“ Oh
yeah? Shoot.”
“ It's
John, remember my boss from the other night. He told me today he was
upset he didn't get to meet you properly, that it was a shame we had
to leave.”
My pulse was rising. “OK...”
“ Well,
he wants to go for dinner, just the three of us. Seriously, do you
have any idea how busy his schedule is? He NEVER goes out for dinner
with any of my colleagues and their girlfriends. I know I've known
him for a long time, but it's still pretty big. I think it means he
might trust me for this promotion I'm going for. Isn't that great?!”
“ Um,
yeah Chase, that's so awesome.” I was trying to feign some energy
in my voice, some enthusiasm, but it wasn't coming.
“ Look,
are you free tomorrow evening?”
I took a breath, trying to think of an
excuse. I'd never been a good liar. “Um – well I kinda have this
thing on with erm – with Katie.”
He cut me off. “Come on, you live
with Katie. Please, this is so important to me, to my career
potentially. Can't you rearrange whatever it is for another night.
John won't have another slot free, no way.”
Shit. I had to support him. After everything he'd done to help me, I had to
be there to help. “OK, I guess I can swap things around with
Katie.”
“ Oh
Grace, that is awesome! You have no idea what this means to me!”
“ Any
time,” I said. Any
time. How about no time, never, it was the last fucking thing I wanted to
do.
The next night I was a bag of nerves. I
would have to sit there, at the table, across from this vile excuse
for a human being. I didn't give a shit what he'd achieved in his
professional life. I didn't give a shit how much money he had. I
didn't give a shit if he'd been a great mentor, a great father figure
to Chase. To me he was the man who tried to buy me for sex, the man
who left me in a cold, dark ally, fighting for my life.
I barely noticed the opulent
surroundings of the restaurant when we entered, nor had a listened to
much of what Chase had told me as we drove there. A few things sunk
in. The fact that John had been a close friend of his dads, albeit a
fair bit younger. The fact that he'd stepped in when his dad had
died, helping to support the family financially through difficult
times. The fact that he took Chase under his wing, supporting him
through college and into his career as his own business began to
flourish. To anyone else he'd sound like the toast of the town, a
wonderful man. To me, he was something else entirely.
As we approached I saw him, sat there
at the table, his legs crossed, sipping casually on a glass of
champagne. He stood as he saw us, Chase moving in to shake his hand
enthusiastically. “And this is Grace, I assume,” he
it was still awesome.
“ So,
this is real is it?” asked Brad back in the bar, sitting down with
a fresh bottle of whiskey.
“ Yeah,”
I said, genuinely, “I think it is.”
Chapter 19
August
30 th 2013
Grace
I want you for tonight. You're just
what I'm looking for.
I woke with the words repeating in my
head, a nightmare that I was still recovering from. Those cold eyes,
that emotionless voice, that callous look on his face as he walked
away from me, leaving me there to die.
It had been a few nights since I'd seen
him again, looking at me with a sly smile. I didn't know whether he'd
recognized me, or whether he was just smiling at his protege's new
girlfriend. Whatever the case, I wasn't going to bring it up with
Chase, I didn't want to go down that road.
What would I tell him anyway? That the
father figure of a boss that he held in such high esteem was someone
who bought women, was happy to leave them to die? That his girlfriend
had almost been one of those women, sold for her body? Neither were
things I wanted to think about or talk about. Best forgotten.
It wasn't as easy at that though. A
couple of nights later he called me, his voice excited.
“ Grace,
I've got some good news.”
“ Oh
yeah? Shoot.”
“ It's
John, remember my boss from the other night. He told me today he was
upset he didn't get to meet you properly, that it was a shame we had
to leave.”
My pulse was rising. “OK...”
“ Well,
he wants to go for dinner, just the three of us. Seriously, do you
have any idea how busy his schedule is? He NEVER goes out for dinner
with any of my colleagues and their girlfriends. I know I've known
him for a long time, but it's still pretty big. I think it means he
might trust me for this promotion I'm going for. Isn't that great?!”
“ Um,
yeah Chase, that's so awesome.” I was trying to feign some energy
in my voice, some enthusiasm, but it wasn't coming.
“ Look,
are you free tomorrow evening?”
I took a breath, trying to think of an
excuse. I'd never been a good liar. “Um – well I kinda have this
thing on with erm – with Katie.”
He cut me off. “Come on, you live
with Katie. Please, this is so important to me, to my career
potentially. Can't you rearrange whatever it is for another night.
John won't have another slot free, no way.”
Shit. I had to support him. After everything he'd done to help me, I had to
be there to help. “OK, I guess I can swap things around with
Katie.”
“ Oh
Grace, that is awesome! You have no idea what this means to me!”
“ Any
time,” I said. Any
time. How about no time, never, it was the last fucking thing I wanted to
do.
The next night I was a bag of nerves. I
would have to sit there, at the table, across from this vile excuse
for a human being. I didn't give a shit what he'd achieved in his
professional life. I didn't give a shit how much money he had. I
didn't give a shit if he'd been a great mentor, a great father figure
to Chase. To me he was the man who tried to buy me for sex, the man
who left me in a cold, dark ally, fighting for my life.
I barely noticed the opulent
surroundings of the restaurant when we entered, nor had a listened to
much of what Chase had told me as we drove there. A few things sunk
in. The fact that John had been a close friend of his dads, albeit a
fair bit younger. The fact that he'd stepped in when his dad had
died, helping to support the family financially through difficult
times. The fact that he took Chase under his wing, supporting him
through college and into his career as his own business began to
flourish. To anyone else he'd sound like the toast of the town, a
wonderful man. To me, he was something else entirely.
As we approached I saw him, sat there
at the table, his legs crossed, sipping casually on a glass of
champagne. He stood as he saw us, Chase moving in to shake his hand
enthusiastically. “And this is Grace, I assume,” he
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