Fur Cara

Chapter six

Caroline was exhilarated.
It felt good to be out and free. Though a little voice of guilt nagged her, she still felt good about deceiving Kelvin. It had taken just a little show of tears to make him let his guard down. She ignored the voice that told her that he had truly cared and concentrated more on feeling happy.
She cruised along the street moving out of the high class society that she was familiar with to the local area. The last time she'd been around there, she had been with Kelvin and together, they'd had so much fun. Her eyes caught a worn out neon sign that told her she was close to a club. She found a parking space, parked the car and got out. She shivered in the chilly wishing she'd brought a jacket.
The parking lot was dark and smelt of urine. She spotted figures hunched together in the dark and she guessed them to be beggars. A group of teenagers all drunk and sparsely dressed passed by her laughing loudly as they went. She heard the faint sound of music coming from the club and she set her mind to finding its location. She set off down the road.
The condition of the place seemed to worsen as she went. The stench was worse - a combination of human waste, dung and alcohol. She tripped on empty cans that littered the ground. Garbage bags lay in heaps everywhere she turned. The houses seemed to be in worse shape. They we're abandoned and worn and without roofs. The people were the worst. They were hunched in dark corners, with heavy clothing over skeletal frame. Their wide hungry eyes stared at her wherever she went. She was ready to turn and go back but could not gather the courage to walk the road back a second time so she continued moving forward hoping she would find the club and it would get better. It didn't.
She took a right turn into another narrow street that was darker than the first she'd passed. Drunk men and prostitutes were everywhere she looked, laughing, drinking or making out. Some of them stared at her making her uneasy. She picked up her pace but glanced behind her frequently to ensure she was not being followed by anyone.
She didn't see the huge man until she bumped into him.
    "Hey there pretty. Why the hurry?"
He was a balding man stockly built with piercings in his nose, lower lip and ear. Tattoos covered the visible parts of his body. He smelled of alcohol and he was not alone. She could count two other hefty looking men all bald with piercings and tattoos. They were all looking at her like she was a good meal they could devour.
She took an involuntary step backward and clutched her purse like a weapon.
    "Stay away from me." She said in a warning tone. She didn't feel fear, at least not at first. She was confident she could get past the thugs or turn and outrun them.
    "Well, what have we got here?" The first one who seemed to be leader said. "A stubborn one."
She didn't expect the slap. It came so swiftly that she did not have the time to brace herself for it. She blinked rapidly, stunned. She looked back at him and noticed his pupils were dilated, a clear sign that he was acting on drugs. Her confidence seeped from her like air from a pierced balloon. Fear began to creep in. She knew she could not face them. They would be too strong for her. Her only option was to turn and run and she did just that.
She turned around still clutching her purse and began running back the way she had come. She had not gone far when she felt stocky arms pull her back.
    "Not so fast sweetheart. What do you say about a little fun?"
Caroline suddenly wished she had done just as Kelvin had said and remained home.

Kelvin was more worried than angry when he hailed a cab and gave the driver his destination. He was lucky that he had activated the GPS in the car that now enabled him to track the car. It disturbed him to discover that she had stopped at The Valley.
The Valley was a dangerous neighborhood known to all the locals. It was where the most dangerous criminals lived, a place that served as a market for all illegal dealings and activities, a place known for the worst of theft, murder and rape. He knew that she was not familiar with the surroundings and this bothered him. He imagined her in all kind of trouble and hoped that he would not arrive too late.
He paid the driver and quickly alighted. He caught sight of the black sports car before he ran down the streets in search if Caroline. He would have gone past a narrow street but the sight of something glimmering caught his attention. He turned right and discovered that the object glimmering was Caroline's golden top. She was cornered by three hefty looking thugs with one's hand roaming her body. She was struggling to free herself from them but they were too strong. Even the kick that she had succeeded in giving one of them made no difference.
Knowing that he could not take all three at once, he paused and began to think strategically. When their leader raised his hand and slapped Caroline, Kelvin forgot all about strategic planning. Using all the force he could muster, he took off and landed an alarming punch on the face of the leader. His interruption created enough distraction. With their leader down, the others charged at Kelvin, letting go of Caroline. Kelvin was fortunate to land a blow at one of their faces but the other struck him on the head. Seeing that Kelvin was outnumbered, Caroline searched for a weapon. She found an empty bottle which she picked and brought it down on one of their heads. With one man down, Kelvin kicked and punched the other who doubled over in pain.
He grabbed her hand and broke into a run. He glanced back to be certain they had no been followed. They didn't stop running until they got to where the car was parked.
    "Oh My God!  Those hoodlums, they nearly..." She said trying to catch her breath.
    "Get in the car." Kelvin said firmly then turned and entered through the driver's side.
    "What?" Caroline asked no one in particular, shocked at his cold treatment. She walked over to the passenger side and got in.
    "Is that all you have to say?" She asked angrily as she shut the car door. "I was nearly raped and all you have to day is 'Get in the car'"
He started the car and pulled out of the parking lot.
    "What did you expect Cara? You don't walk the streets by this time of the night dressed the way you are and expect them to just say hello!" He replied just as angrily.
    "Are you trying to say that I behave like a tramp?"
    "You can call it that."
Their voices raised a notch with each statement.
    "You are supposed to be my guide. It is your job to make sure I am in the right place!"
Kelvin slammed the steering wheel in anger.
    "And how am I supposed to do that when you never listen to a word I say."
    "You should have listened to me when I told you I wanted to go out. None of this would have happened!"
    "Oh, so it's my fault now?" Kelvin asked sarcastically, increasing the car speed as they entered into the Benson's property.
    "If course its your fault!" Caroline continued hotly.
    "You have no sense of remorse!" Kelvin retorted. "You act just like a spoilt brat!"
    "And you are not worthy to even tie the shoelaces of this spoilt brat! And for your information, you're fired!"
The car screeched to a stop in front of the mansion and Caroline stepped out and angrily shut the door. She marched angrily into the house. She ignored the fact that both of her parents were in the sitting room. They had probably found out she had gone out and were searching for her.
    "How many times have I told you..." Her mother began angrily but was rudely interrupted by Caroline.
    "He's fired! I don't ever want to see him again! Get me a new driver!" Caroline screamed at her parents before marching up the stairs and locking herself in her room.

Agnes had just put on a pot on the fire when Caroline walked in.
    "Good morning Aggy."
Agnes bright smile expose her white teeth.
    "My angel." Agnes said. "Good morning to you. How was your night?"
    "Bad." Caroline replied matter of factly. Agnes could say the same for Kelvin. She was very aware of what had happened the previous night but retrained from saying anything about it. She was not going to take sides with any of the grown children that she both loved dearly.
    "Where's Kelvin?" Caroline asked casually. "I've been looking for him all morning."
    "He went to college. My boy loves his music so much."
Caroline nodded and turned to leave.
    "What would you like for breakfast dear?" Agnes asked.
    "Nothing. I'm not hungry."
    "You've got to stop doing that. You'd only get skinnier. Just give me five minutes and I'd have something healthy for you to eat."
Unable to resist, Caroline sat at the kitchen dining and had a hearty meal.
After breakfast, she decided to go to College to search for Kelvin. She was more than surprised when she saw she had a new chauffeur. He was the opposite of Kelvin. Old, short and heavily accented.
Caroline frowned in disgust at the man's  polite offer of driving her wherever she went. She went back into the house in search of her father. She found him in his study, seated behind his desk and leaving through papers. He looked up when she came in.
    "Caroline" he said.
She didn't acknowledge his tone. "Who's that man out there?"
    "That's Mr. Denis. He'd drive you wherever you want to go."
    "And Kelvin?"
    "You fired him yesterday."
    "I want him back."
Her father pulled off his glasses and looked at her.
    "You said you never wanted to see him again and specifically asked for a new chaffeur."
    "I want my old one back. I'm not going anywhere without him."
    "There's a little problem with that. Kelvin quit."
Caroline remained silent while contemplating before she turned and headed out of the study.
    "Come back here Caroline. We have to talk about your behavior last night."
    "We can do that later." She said and exited the room.
She quietly dismissed Mr Denis and drove herself to the college. She waited only twenty minutes before she saw Kelvin emerge from one of the buildings. He was Drop Dead Gorgeous in his signature jeans and T-shirts that exposed a little of his muscular chest. He carried a keyboard beneath his left arm and with the other he clutched the arm of his bag. He frowned when he spotted her leaning against the expensive sports car. She waved at him and motioned him to draw closer. When he didn't move,  she went to him. His face was set in a frown.
    "What are you doing here?"
    "I'm here to rehire you."
He regarded her suspiciously.
    "I'm sorry about last night. I didn't mean to act that way." She could not deny that she had acted irrationally and though it tickled her pride, she knew the apology was necessary.
Kelvin sighed. "It's not fair to go around playing with people's feelings. You can't fire and hire me when you feel like it. I'm not a toy."
    "I know but I've apologies and I promise not to let it repeat itself. So what do you say?"
    "Only if you agree to my conditions."
Caroline frowned. "Conditions?" She asked with emphasis on the 's'.
    "First, I have to go to college and I need time for that. Second..." He searched her face. "...You will be coming with me." Caroline looked surprised. "To college?" She asked. Kelvin nodded.
    "But I'm not a student."
    "That can be easily taken care of."
She considered his condition and realized he had not asked for much. Besides if she one day got tired, she would just drop out of college.
Her expression turned eager.
    "Fine. I agree to your conditions." She smiled and stretched out her hand for a handshake.
As he shook her hand, his eyes remained on the curve of her lips. Her smile was beautiful. It lighted up and her far and made her seem like a different person entirely. One who was easy going. It made his heart skip a beat and he felt that pull to her, one that seemed to grow stronger everyday. He tried to identify why he was so attracted to her and secretly hoped he was not falling in love with Caroline Benson.

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