Laura

Laura 11.0

The plane ride comes to an end, finally. I felt like I was going to throw up the whole time. Yeah, these aren't for me, I thought.

I get up and stretch my legs and take a peek out the windows and see nothing but brightness coming through.

"Just follow me." brett says and holds out his hand. I look at him and immediately grab his hand and he directs us off of the plane. 

we walk off and walk towards the vehicle that is waiting. He opens the door to the car that was waiting. He motions his head for me to get in.

"Why isn't Michael going to be there?" Brett says and I look over at him and he's on the phone, again.

"Noelle, this is your damn job, not mine! just get steve on the damn phone." brett yells making me jump and the driver looks back at us through the rearview mirror. 

I give an apologetic smile and look out and see the trees passing by. 

I take a quick glance back at brett and see that he is typing fast on his phone.

"what Laura," Brett says making me freeze and be completely still.

"Nothing, sorry," I say and look away

"if you need to say something, say it now." he huffs

" are you always like this?" I ask and turn my body towards him.

I've seen people like him on the streets where I am from. And I never thought it was right for them to act such a way towards someone who is working for them. 

"like what?" he scoffs

"A boss that yells at his people," I said reluctantly.

"I think you just answered your question, didn't you." He says, still not taking his eyes off the phone.

I squint my eyes and think for a second.

"no, I don't think I did," I say 

"you did and I quote 'a boss that yells at his people,' therefore they, mean my people, work for me and they get paid by me laura. So, I can yell at my people." he says emphasizing the word people.

I roll my eyes and turn away.

---------

"I got you, your room. Considering you are underage, and it'll look weird with you as my underage assistant rooming with her boss." he says as we stand in front of the door that says "415"

"that's okay, that's understandable." I shrugged my shoulders.

he put in a pin and the door opened I walked in and he followed. Maybe he just wants to make sure I found my room and get settled in before he leaves for his own room.

I looked around and saw that the room was too big for someone like me to have all to themselves.

"Is this all for me?" I ask and look at him and he's smiling at me and opens another door.

"no, this isn't all yours, it's both of ours. All it is is just a big ass condo with two rooms for two different people," he states.

All I could say was "oh" and walk into my room that was well across the room.

I opened it and was welcomed with cold air and clean linens on the bed ready for me to slip under and fall asleep.

I plop onto the bed and spread out my limbs and stretch. The bed is so soft and a lot more comfortable than the bed that I sleep on at the motel.

Is this what life is when you have money? because if it is, then I need a lot of it. 

"You like it?" a voice interrupts my thoughts,

I look to the side and see brett standing at the door with his hands in his pockets.

startled, I jump up and sit at the edge of the bed.

"uh yes, thank you for bringing me along. I'm starting to really enjoy this." I smile.

"that's good, I knew you would," he says and walks over to me and meets me on the bed but sits further away.

"Laura, I need to tell you something," he says but still doesn't look at me.

I look straight ahead, afraid that he might say something that will ruin this trip not only for me but for the both of us.

"Okay, what is it?" I ask

he stands up and sits in the desk chair that the room provides and crosses his legs.

He clears his throat and licks his lips while slowly biting down on them.

I look down at my hands.

"I am utterly in love with you, but it's wrong because I'm married. Two, you are my assistant, and third." he pauses and looks at me, but I don't I continue to stare at my hands.

"You are under the age of consent." he finishes.

I am shocked and just speechless.

"I don't think I know anything about what you just said." I say " but your wife Andrea, she's kind and so nice and-  and beautiful." I cry out.

he rolls over to me and takes my hands and rubs his over mine.

"I'm telling you this now because I know that if something happens, I want you to call the police on me," he says looking at me.

I look at him and shake my head.

"Is this what you do? sleep with every girl you come in contact with, off of the street?" I say and shoving his hand away and standing up.

"no, I have never done that," he says looking up.

"well, you sure about that? because of this." I say and motion my finger between me and him. "this is never going to happen, I have already apologized for what I did to you. I'm sorry that you feel that way about me. I'm only 17." I argue.

he stands up and towers over me and I immediately feel so small compared to him. He leans over and meets my eyes.

"you may not like me now, but what you did back there a couple of weeks ago says something else. And you say that you don't do sex work, must be a lie. If I have seen you walk out of that guy's room with a damn towel on and him coming out afterward!" he shouts.

I lower myself to the ground until I am literally sitting on the ground. 

"I got my fucking period this morning asshole! I didn't have any sanitary pads for myself, I went into jo's room because I know she'd have some. And that fucking guy was her pimp!" I shouted back at him and stand up to walk towards the door.

But he grabbed my arm and pushed me against the door with his head nuzzled in between my neck.

I looked the other way and I start to cry.

"I'm sorry" he whispered

I look at him and see his brown eyes that have all of a sudden turned soft.

he looks at my lips and our breaths become heavy. But I moved out of the way and disconnected our bodies' heat.

"I need clothes" I calmly say and walk towards the window.

"I had someone shop for you before we landed. they should be here shortly." is all he says and walks out.

I rub my neck and try to scratch it because I didn't like how dirty it felt from him breathing on me.

the way it felt was dirty because that is what the same feeling felt like when I was raped by my foster brother. 

And I promised myself to never let a man or anyone else make me feel that way.