Black Temptation

Chapter 3

We are stationed in the elevator awaiting Apartment Lincoln 10th floor to arrive on the little box above us. These people are so stuck up they call offices apartments. Susan said she wanted to escort me to Mr.Earlwind's floor herself, just to make sure I wouldn't get lost, even though I've been here the entire summer.

It is awkwardly silent. I look up at her and she is pale faced with no emotion. I nudge her a bit, hoping to awaken something.

"Susan?" My little voice squeaks.

Her eyes travel down to mine since she is about about a foot taller than I am. Her pained look makes me want to swallow the question I so eagerly want to ask. She stares back at the numbers on top as they count farther up.

"He must be news if he made you go completely silent-"

"He's my ex lover," she blurts through the silence I had come accustomed to. "and yes very, very bad news." She says almost like a guilty victim. I gawk at her shocked. Partially, because she fathomed what I was thinking even when I hadn't shown any interest in the subject and because this is a woman who has so much respect and dignity.

A church going, choir signing, person who always paid her taxes, helping the homeless, doing bake sells and food drives was 10% slut back then? How long back then now the burning question.

I'm oblivious to it when my gaze starts to turn, unconsciously, into a slightly judgmental one. She lets out a deep breath, her left cheek swelling and then deflating as the air rushes out of her body.

"Don't look at me like that, Mckenzie." She harshly begs. My eyes change to the other side of the elevator-ashamed.

"It was forever ago. Charles and I, were having a rough time talking to each other. Fights about money and such. So one day, I just went out with a couple of girls to get my mind off of the horror and dissapointment I faced at home. We walked in and one of my friends, April, offered to buy us drinks... I was downing coolers," She huffs. "I guess my approach wasn't so responsible. Well, as the night drew on and people started passing out and leaving, I spotted him over near the other bar, alone. My friends were all wasted. Their friends were all wasted. The bar tenders were all wasted. A homeless dog somebody brought into the club was wasted. It was acutally quite funny, cause he would bark and some drunk guy would bark back and they just be barking and hiccuping at each other for hours, but anyway so nobody noticed when I got the urge to go over to him. He looked easy-to talk to atleast."

Her vision darts to mine to see if I am still compelled to listen to the story.

Once satisfied with my curiousity, she leaves my gaze again. She starts to lick her lips before continuing.

"I talked and I talked and I talked. a lot. All my problems just handed to him on a silver platter. But he didn't mind. He was so open to suggesting and when he didn't have any, he was open to a warm hug. Something to ease whatever the alcohol had not yet soothed. Well, I thought that was the end. My friends all wanted to leave but I couldn't. He held something in those eyes, that smirk. I leaned in to kiss him. One simple kiss, But that turned into something bigger....much, much bigger."

I am still coming down from my shock when I understand the innuendo she just makes. My eyes rapidly fall on her face. She is holding her lips inside her mouth trying not to laugh. I catch the soft rumbles in her throat as she tries to calm herself. A giggle erupts from her which leads me to play along. I playfully hit her arm, releasing that full bodied gale of laughter she hadn't done in quite some time.

"I'm sorry. I know, that was wrong. Very inappropriate. Just, trying to make light of a bad situation." She calms herself and she continues. "Much props to you for holding out. Maybe, you won't end up like me."

Holding out? My thought process was none the sexual towards him. But her understanding my view on Mr. Lothario is not in my interest.

"Does Charles know?" I anxiously ask, hoping to avoid the topic of Mckenzie.

"About that yes, we are working on it. But there's a slight glitch," Her voice seems to crawl into a whisper. "It happened again, a week ago."

My gasp makes her head fall low. I don't mean to make her feel ashamed, trying to stop what everybody calls 'The Kenz Stare.' But inside I was all "what the hell?" That aching I encountered before grows when I hear her sniffle a bit. I quickly crawl closer to her, trying to bring comfort anyway I could but I am of no help.

"And It was on his birthday." She cries.

My mouth quivers at the words. Charles has no other family except for Susan and on the one day, where your family is supposed to come for you and celebrate another year of your exsistence, his only family goes and cheats on him. Not once. But twice.

I let out a shallow breath. Her eyes swell as she tries to catch the falling leaks on her cheeks. Her chest beats rapidly againt the cloth of her purple shirt. I know if she doesn't calm down her breathing, she will surely pass out.

My hand lightly touches her hair, caressing her tense neck. She pulls me into a deep hug, bending her knees so she can sob on my shirt. As she sobs, I can't believe no one knows except this exclusive group of people. As I said before, curses in the face is the least of your worries in this town, having people know the fronts and backs, butts and breast of your life is what you should dedicate your time to keep low key. I guess that's what she's doing, no, I know that's what she's doing.

"Honey, you are going to have to be truthful him." I say weakily. Her head props up from my soakened attire, inelegantly wiping the stray moisture from her face. Her teeth attack the inside of her lip as she stares, abashed, at me.

"I know. But right now, I have to be truthful with you."

Before I can say anything, her hand claws at the fabric of her shirt, exposing her neck and a never before seen H with a subscript 5 tattooed on it.

"What the-?"

"It's a branding, a code. I'm one of his victims."

"Did he do that to you?" I ask, now even more fearful of the promiscuous stranger.

"That's the point Mckenzie, he didn't have to. One simple moment of needed attention and I complied to every thing he said. I wanted this. And now we are not even on clear speaking terms and I have this permanent H on my skin."

She hurriedly covers the inked flesh once more, her face masked with shame as she avoids mine.

"Why the 5?"

There's a pause before she speaks.

"It means fifth," She eyes me. "I'm Harry's fifth. I don't even have a name, I'm just the fifth."

The bell dings which indicates we made it to the 10th floor. The door opens and welcomes cold air on my shouder which is under my wet shirt. I slide my blue jean jacket over the damp spots to comfort me.

She sniffles a bit as I saunter lightly out of the elevator. I turn around to see her hold out her hand so the doors don't close. Her sharp stare coveys me to reciprocate.

"You stay away from him. I'm serious, don't let him touch you, smell you or even look at you....there are no words that come close enough to describe him. He may tell all of these things, make you feel so special, so loved and then you're thrown to the side of the street like garbage. Tattooed with your shame. Don't fall for it like I did. Don't be tempted like I was. Save yourself because once he has you, you are his forever."

I quake at thought. Susan loves Charles, she blabs about him constantly over the phone, but at the snap of a finger, she would go back that man and disgrace herself. She won't even say his name!

Have I just experienced what she told me to stay away from? Have I already been marked? Was the fact that I searched for him a clear indication of some need to see him?

"Go down the hall on your right. Turn on the first left and it's the door at the end of the hall." I nod, not trying to point out that I already knew where to go. No, I would never be so cruel. Smiling, she releases her hand off the elevator door.

God willing, I was just being curious.