Chapter 7
On the top floor of an apartment block, Marc was just waking up.
‘Uh, my head... my god, what did I do last night?’
He sat up in the bed, looking around the minimally furnished room.
‘Where the hell am I?’
His head was spinning and he felt nauseous, sick from the toxins he had ingested and another unknown… how had he come to be in these unfamiliar surroundings? He tried to think, to recollect, but last night was beyond his mind and the one thing he knew for certain was that, whatever he had done last night had been outside of his control. His first instinct was to check his Rolex… oh yeah, it was still there. Then he noticed the time.
‘Shit, I gotta get home.’
“Why, good afternoon babe!” A gorgeous young redhead swept through the beaded curtains, greeting Marc with a cup of freshly brewed, aromatic coffee.
Marc blinked and noisily cleared his throat. “Sorry? Please don’t take this the wrong way, but, uh… who are you?”
“What? Are you kiddin? It’s me, you silly man, Adele?” She plonked herself on the bed next to him. “You really don’t remember?”
“Really, you have to believe me… where am I? And I don’t think I have ever seen you before.”
As she handed him the coffee, he knocked it violently out of her hand and it shot across her silk bedsheet.
“What the hell is the matter with you? You think you can just treat me like a dog?”
“Just tell me who you are, please!” He had never been so confused in his life.
“What the hell have you been smoking? And if you want me to remind you that I’m your girlfriend then you’ve— ”
“You have to be kidding!” Marc’s face had turned from red hot anger to nothing. He was speechless. All that came to his mind was Rachel and Jack. They would be sitting at home right now, wondering where the hell he had got to.
“Listen to me, will you? My wife’s name is Rachel and I have a son called Jack, we live in Queens…”
She walked out silently, leaving him talking to himself. In the living room she sat on her couch and flicked on her big screen television.
From the bedroom, he could hear the weather report being broadcast by CNN. He quickly slid out of her bed and dressed. He noticed that his shirt was stained with remnants of whiskey and other unidentifiable substances; nevertheless he had to put it on, as he had nothing else to wear.
He peered round the living room door.
“Look, uh, sorry if I have upset you, but I’m telling you the truth. I already have a wife and kid, who are waiting for me at home right now… I have to go.”
“Didn’t you just see that weather report? The storms are gathering… it’s not safe to travel today, just look outside!”
“Shit…well okay, but I can’t stay here. If it’s too dangerous to travel by car, I guess I’ll have to walk it instead, it’s my only chance.”
“Walk it? You’ll freeze your ass off in this storm! I know I can’t stop you, but I don’t think you should walk back. If anything, I’ll take a risk and drive you back.”
Should he let her do that?
“Uh, yeah I guess that would be okay, then.” He said it with no conviction; the last thing he needed was Rachel seeing him with another woman. But this was the quickest way of getting back, so he took her up on her offer.
