Just Pretend

Chaptet Eight

Gwen
Early Sunday morning, I finish packing the last of Mark’s things that he would need on his trip and walk downstairs with his bag in my hand, meeting him in the kitchen; where he’s sucking down the last of the coffee in the pot.  I stand in the doorway as he drains the pot, lifting it to his lips and tilting his head back entirely.
‘Sorry, have you had?’ he asks, lifting the now empty pot in my direction.  I shake my head that I haven’t and he shrugs, placing the pot on the edge of the counter before walking to me and taking his bag from me.
‘Let’s get going,’ he says and I roll my eyes as I follow him and he walks straight to the garage and to the car.  I grab the keys from their hook on the wall as I open the garage door on my way to the car, where Mark is already in the back seat with his phone in his hand.
I sigh and climb into the driver’s seat, pushing the key into the ignition and starting the car.  Mark doesn’t look up the entire drive to the airport.  He gets out at the terminal gate and grabs his bag from the seat before giving me a wave and heading into the building.
I roll my eyes as I pull away, making my way out of the maze that is the airport parking lot and onto the freeway.  I scan the sides of the road for the offramp to a gas station and find one not far from the airport. 
I pull into the parking lot and head into the shop for a cup of coffee before making my way home and falling onto the bed.
I spend the day curled up in bed with a book and only getting up to go to the bathroom and to refill my coffee cup.  My phone rings around seven that night and I walk out of the house, after checking caller ID, to the fence where Alyssa is standing with her phone at her side.
‘Hello, neighbour.  Will doesn’t mind watching Clarissa if you want to join me for a girl’s night?’ she asks and I can’t help but smile, telling her to give me ten minutes.  She laughs and says I have an hour before she’s at my front door, and I head inside to the bedroom to get dressed.
I get dressed in a tight black bodycon dress with long bell-sleeves, and slip my feet into a pair of round-toe pumps.  I stare at my naked face in the mirror and my lifeless hair hanging around my shoulders and decide to pull my hair up into a high pony tail at the top of my head and running a brush through it.  I sit in front of the mirror and lean forward before grabbing my make-up and applying a dark red smokey eye with dark eyeliner and a nude lip.
I add a thick lash before taking one last look at myself from all angles, loving the sexy way the dress hugs my curves and thighs and the way the shoes elongate my legs.  I don’t dress up when Mark and I go out because he says I look like a whore when I do.  This time I ignore his voice at the back of my head and grab my black clutch from my closet before walking downstairs and out of my front door, locking it and heading down the driveway – carefully.
Alyssa meets me at the end of her driveway just as the cab drives up and stops in front of us, the driver looking at us curiously through the passenger seat.  Alyssa opens the back door for us and she slides in and I quickly follow her into the car.
‘Where to?’ the cabby asks and Alyssa gives him the name of a club not far from the gated community.  He nods and comments on the capacity of the club as he pulls away from the curb.  As soon as our houses are out of sight, Alyssa turns to me with a wide grin.
‘So I hear you’re alone this week,’ she says and I start to nod before shaking my head with a frown.
‘I am, but also not.  I’m without Mark, but I’m not alone in the house,’ I say and she frowns before she scowls and curses her brother.  I chuckle and look out the window of the moving cab, my eyes following the landscape.
‘It was Mark’s idea,’ I say and she looks at me surprised.  I quickly explain to her what happened yesterday and by the end of it her lower jaw is hanging on top of her purse.  She shares my shock and curses Jason for not telling her and then she starts selling the plusses of having Jason around and pointing out the key differences between them.
I’m amused at her efforts but I’m hanging onto her every word, trying to gather more information on Jason. 
The entire drive she tells me about the perks of living with Jason, and I keep informing her that it was only for a week, until Mark returns, and she brushes me off.  I give up when we stop outside of the club and she wraps her hand around my wrist, dragging me out of the car and onto the pavement.  Alyssa drags me to the bouncer, who looks us up and down and pulls the rope out of our way to allow us access to the club.
‘Let’s get a drink and hit the dance floor!’ Alyssa yells over the thumping music and I nod as we make our way further into the club, heading to the bar hand-in-hand.  After ordering and the bartender makes our drinks, Alyssa leans against the bar and looks me up and down before her eyes flicker to the dancefloor.
‘Two drink and four songs, then we can go home. I know you’re starting at work tomorrow,’ she answers my unasked question.   Those are terms that I can agree to, which I do, and we thank the bartender for our drinks when he places them in front of us with a flourish.
Alyssa and I clink our glasses together before I take a long sip of the cocktail I ordered; the sweet coconutty flavour working with the sour pineapple in the crushed ice with a hint of rum in the back of my throat.  I close my eyes at the decadence and the next thing I know, Alyssa and I are on the dancefloor with the crowd, mulling together and rubbing against each other.
The music thrums through my veins and I allow it to take over; swaying my hips to the beat and running my hands slowly over my body, enjoying the silky feel of my dress under my palms.  Several songs in and I feel hands on my hips.  I spin around to look into the beady eyes of one of the clubbers, his face sweaty as the smell of stale alcohol and sweat wafts over to me.  He reaches for me and I dance out of his way, hoping that he gets the message.
When he keeps coming after me, I start making my way off of the dance floor and he still follows.  Finally, he corners me at the bar and I look around for Alyssa, my eyes searching the room for a glint of her gold dress.
‘How about heading home with me, doll?’ the guy leers and I recoil as his breath fans over my face, my eyes still searching for Alyssa.
‘No.  I have a rule of not going home with drunk guys,’ I tell him to stall for time.  It isn’t a lie, though.  His face wobbles into a smile and he proceeds to try and convince me that he’s just tipsy.  I slide along the bar while he follows in front of me and I try to make my way to the bathroom.
‘C’mon.  You’ll like it,’ he says with a hiccup and I can’t help but roll my eyes at his words.
‘I don’t think so.  Leave me alone,’ I warn him as he tries to reach for me.  Strong hands land on my shoulder from behind, and I look behind me, feeling a wave of relief wash over me.  I spin around and throw my arms around my saviour.
‘There you are!’ I say loud enough for the guy to hear me as Jason wraps his arms around my waist, pulling me into him and away from the dancefloor.  His scent wraps around me and I stop myself from leaning into him, but I can hear the guy following along.
‘Is this guy bothering you?’ Jason lowers his head to whisper the words in my ear and I nod, turning my cheek against his so that I can whisper in his ear.
‘He is.  He’s been following me since I started looking for your sister,’ I tell him and I can feel him stiffen against me, replying that I shouldn’t go anywhere alone with Alyssa, especially when there’s dancing and alcohol.
‘Just go with what I’m about to say,’ he says in my ear and goosebumps spread over my skin as his breath finds its way down my back.  I nod and he unwraps one arm from around my waist and pushes gently against my hip to turn me and I face the guy, who’s standing around like a love-sick puppy, watching Jason and my quiet exchange with a disinterested expression.
‘Are you bothering my girl?’ he asks and I stop the surprised expression from crossing my face, instead; I lean against Jason, who keeps his arm around my waist.  I refuse to pay attention to the fact that I fit against his body like a puzzle piece and that I’ve never been more comfortable in the position. 
‘Uh, no?’ the guy says, his eyes falling on Jason for the first time and he takes a step back, almost tripping over his own feet in doing so.  Jason tugs me closer and taps me on the hip with a finger, his head tipping in the direction of the dance floor and I see Alyssa standing on the edge on her toes, barefoot.
I scowl at the sight but I make no move to move away from Jason, knowing that the creepy guy would follow me if I did.
‘I’ll take that as a yes.  Get out of here or I get security, and apologize to my girl for creeping her out,’ his voice is hard when he speaks and the guy stutters his apology before walking backwards and tripping over the lip of the dance floor.
‘As for you; next time you and Alyssa go out, you bring me or Will with you.  It doesn’t matter that it’s a girls’ night,’ he says when I go to open my mouth, moving so that I was standing in front of him.  With me heels, my head reaches his shoulder.  His back is stiff as he looks down at me with an unreadable expression in his eyes.
‘I didn’t know that she was going to abandon me on the dancefloor,’ I retort, putting my hands on my hips and he raises his eyebrows at me, taking a step toward me.
‘Hmm. I’ll accept that excuse, but only because you couldn’t have known.  But I mean it, ask me along next time to keep creeps like that away from you,’ I nod in agreement and we start moving towards Alyssa standing at the edge of the dancefloor, swaying to the music.
I can see that she’s drunk from where I stand and Jason shakes his head when I point it out.  He picks her up off the floor when we reach her and throws her over his shoulder while she giggles her head off and teasing him about living with me for the week.  He looks over his shoulder at me following slightly behind and I shrug in response.
Outside, he puts Alyssa down and I put an arm around her shoulder to keep her upright, while Jason calls a cab.  At registering my presence, she looks up at me and pouts.
‘And now you’ve got work tomorrow,’ she slurs and I shake my head at her, telling her that I’ll be fine the next morning and she nods happily before turning on her brother, stumbling out of my arm.
‘Thank you for taking care of Ris this week,’ she slurs and falls into his arms.  Jason meets my eyes over her head and I just shrug at the situation, unsure what to do other than to wait for the cab to arrive.  Jason informs me that he’s going to let the cab stop at his to get clothes then he’s letting him stop at Alyssa’s, and I look at him questioningly.