Puppet Master

Chapter Eleven

“That Asshole! Who the fuck does he think he is?”

Shannon wasn’t mincing her words, as if she ever did, and Tori was steadily getting more and more intoxicated as she fought down the rising anger at her best friend’s Jayden-bashing, silently sipping down her “Sex on the Beach” in huge gulps in an effort to keep calm and stay quiet.

It wasn’t like Tori didn’t know she was right, she completely agreed with every word, she just didn’t want to hear it. Having always been more of a “stick your head in the sand” kind of girl, she just wanted to forget it as best she could. To avoid him, ignore him, whatever it took, but it’s never as easy as that is it?  

Her mind was replaying every whispered word, every touch of his strong, callused hand on her body, and she drank a little more to block it out. And Shannon was waving her arms around like an old world preacher ranting and raving about the man’s sexual etiquette. Apparently it was all off, as if Tori would know.

Her violet eyes rolling, Tori threw the last of her cocktail down her neck, her long platinum curls bouncing around her slender frame at the swift movement, and, in an uncharacteristically forceful fashion, grabbed her friend’s heavily jewelled wrist on its next venture toward the heavens.

Violet eyes took a long and steady gaze into Shannon’s dark emerald eyes, as Tori took a deep breath, “I know, right? But it’s done, let’s dance, or drink, or something, I need to not think about the prick for a few hours.”

Shannon’s eyes widened, Tori had never spoken about him like that before, ever! And she realised just how hurt and betrayed her beautiful blonde friend was actually feeling at Jayden’s rejection. She was right, he was a prick, and he sure as shit didn’t deserve a girl like Tori! 

Anyone could see he felt exactly the same way as Tori, twenty seconds in the same company as them and he would have asked her ten times over how she was feeling, had she eaten, she looked pale. Shannon had never met a man so protective of anyone, but he, for whatever reason, wasn’t stepping up to the plate and allowing himself that feeling, and in the process, he was denying Tori as well.

They trailed out to the dance floor, every eye in the room on the two stunning girls, and Shannon vowed to bring a smile back to the beautiful, delicate face of her closest friend.

As the night wore on, that she did, and then some! Swaying seductively on the centre of the floor, both girls were approached by hoards of horny men, trying to grind away, and break into the party, but, much to Tori’s silent but amused surprise, were told firmly each time by a rather drunk Shannon that, “This is girl’s night, no boys are allowed!!!” to which she would grab their wandering hands and fling them away!

Tori began to smile at her friend’s uncharacteristic behaviour, and then to giggle delighted, so that, by the time they were waiting outside for a cab to collect them, her face ached from the exhaustion of so much fun. Her body was exhilarated, in a way she hadn’t felt for months, and she felt free of Jayden’s chains for the first time in years.

Tori was still chuckling the next morning, as she stirred her strong coffee, despite the pounding headache that she was nursing. Shannon was still asleep in Tori’s king size bed, snoring quite obtrusively with a stream of drool hitting the soft cotton pillows.