Текст книги "Avoiding Responsibility"

Автор книги: K. A. Linde

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Текущая страница: 3 (всего у книги 32 страниц)

Lexi didn't know how to respond to that. Honestly, a good number of the guys Chyna hooked up with were just those kind of men. They were all relatively well-off, but still they were hardly up to her standard. But it hadn't mattered up until now, because she never wanted a boyfriend. She never found enough interest in any one man to want to be around him for multiple occasions. Now her father, the judgmental asshole, wanted her to just pretend to have a steady boyfriend, because the cheating bastard didn't approve of his daughter's way of life.

It was one of the most hypocritical statements Lexi had ever heard. If anything, the circumstances surrounding her parents' divorce had only further pushed Chyna the direction she was already heading with regards to relationships.

"So what are you going to do?"

"Find a boyfriend I guess," she sighed unhappily. "I have no idea."

"Is that why your dad gave me that creepy once over? Because he wants me to go with you too?" Lexi asked putting the pieces together.

Chyna groaned. "Oh God, I am so sorry for his ridiculous behavior. But yeah that's why and he needs you to bring a boyfriend too," she muttered.

"That's going to be an issue," Lexi said falling backwards on to the plush leather sofa.

"I know," Chyna grumbled sitting down next to her. "I'm so sorry that I dragged you into this." The tears were beginning to well in her eyes, and Lexi could see her breaking point was drawing near. Her bottom lip quavered in an adorable fashion if she didn't look so utterly miserable. "I just can't believe he's doing this."

"Don't cry. It'll be okay," Lexi said comforting her. "We'll figure it out. Let's go out tonight and look for guys. If we don't find anyone, we'll figure it out. Stuff always works out in the end chica."

"The last thing that I wanna do is party," Chyna huffed crossing her arms back over her chest.

"Now that's something I never though I'd hear come out of your mouth," Lexi said giggling despite the dour mood.

Soon enough, Chyna had joined in as well and both girls were laughing out their issues rather than crying. It felt good to release the tension that was so strained from her father's entrance back into Chyna's life. The girls knew that they had a tough night ahead of them. Neither of them could think of anyone they would want to pretend to be their boyfriend's for the afternoon, and the last thing they wanted to do was search for that man.

Regardless, they didn't feel as if they had much choice in the matter. Keeping Chyna's dad happy was of the essence since he still technically owned Chyna. With that in mind the two girls dressed extra careful for the evening out hoping to find a man that would settle for a second date.

Hitting their normal hot spots was out of the question for a number of reasons. Chyna had been on dates with a large number of the most eligible bachelors in the establishments and she knew that none of them would suit her tastes. They also didn't want to be recognized quite as exceptionally as that type of girl. If everyone already knew who they were, then it would be more difficult to find a man who would beg for a second date. Most of them would already know that there was no chance it was going to happen. And they were looking for a different kind of man in the first place. They frequented those locales, because the men who generally happened to be inside were less likely to expect more from the women within.

That's how they ended up having martinis at a Manhattan bar scoping out the men in attendance. The atmosphere was a bit more conducive to casual conversation than the normal, pulsing, hip-hop beats that broke through the speakers at their other destinations. Lexi could pick out several groups of regulars who were stuffed into booths and speaking to the bartenders, and thought they would be the best bet for the fun they were looking for that evening.

The girls had dressed the part for sure. Chyna's black mini dress just skirted her ass and gripped her body tightly in a silky, flimsy material. Her black heels shimmered in the mood lighting that emanated from every hidden light bulb in the place. Her long black hair was swept up onto the top of her head into a sexy concoction. Her long lean features were accented while keeping the focus on her well-sculpted body.

Lexi wore super low-rise, black, skinny jeans with hot red pumps. Her flat tanned stomach was revealed in a tight, red, tube top with custom black embroidering around the edges. She let her dark brown locks flow down her back with thick, chunky bangs covering her forehead. Her eyes were smoky and seductive while her bright red lips were both pouty and inviting. Together they were a dynamic duo, the sirens of the New York City nightlife. It was unlikely that anyone who fell into their trap was going to escape their clutches.

Chyna smiled at a sleazy looking man who had been eye-fucking the shit out of her for the past ten minutes across the bar. He took that as an invitation and sidled up to her side. She downed the remnants of her drink and took his hand as he escorted her out on the dance floor. Lexi's eyes followed them into the dark center of the room, and an uneasy feeling hit the pit of her stomach.

He wasn't the type of person Chyna normally surrounded herself with, and something about him seemed off. His features were too angular, too sneaky. His height and bulk were threatening rather than enticing. Lexi wasn't sure why but the way he had grabbed her hand even seemed forceful. From her view, albeit a shadowed view of the couple, Lexi could even tell he was handsy. That was really saying something for a person dancing with Chyna, because Lexi had seen Chyna get pretty down and dirty on the dance floor.

Lexi sighed heavily and tried to clear her mind. There was no need to overreact. They were just out for a good time out. Maybe they didn't know everyone in the place like usual, but she felt certain that nothing was going to go wrong. After all, this was the one night Chyna wasn't searching for a stranger to bed.

She took another deep breath and let her own eyes roam the crowded room once more. A number of drunken girls were singing and dancing in a corner to a cluster of admiring onlookers. Lexi had a strange reminisce of doing that with her own friends in bars during college. The alcohol was beginning to set in and the different groups of people were beginning to blend together. She wasn't sure why her buzz was so strong already, but she kind of liked it. She would start coming here more frequently if they poured drinks this well.

A stranger approached her, but she blew him off because he obviously wasn't up to the caliber of the person she was seeking tonight. After another martini, she was caring less about who was approaching her. A part of her wished that she had stopped at one because she didn't want her judgment impaired quite as much without Chyna at her side. But she couldn't take back the decision now.

Pressing the palm of her hand to her forehead, she attempted to keep the spinning from gripping her conscious mind. After counting to ten, Lexi seemed to feel a bit better and slowly angled her body back towards the bar. She didn't need a drink, but she did need someone to sweat out this alcohol with. The dance floor was calling her name.

One of the regulars that she had been eyeing earlier seemed to notice that she was without a drink and approached her. "Hey," he slurred smiling drunkenly at her. His eyes darted to her chest and then back up to her face. "I've never seen you here before."

Lexi wanted to retort some snide remark about how completely original he was, but he was kind of cute so she refrained. Instead she just smiled at him in an all-knowing way that made his addled mind kick into over drive. "You're right. I've never been here," she murmured.

"What?" he cried trying to hear her over the music that had increased in proportion to the length of time she had spent in the establishment.

Lexi leaned forward resting her hand on his chest. She rose up onto her tiptoes until her mouth was just next to his ear and said, "I've never been here. Perhaps you could show me around."

The guy's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets at her comment. He turned back to his friends and made some kind of fist pump. They all cheered him on as if she wasn't standing there. Lexi felt a little sick to her stomach at how dumb he was already turning out to be, but she couldn't exactly turn back now. She at least owned him one dance after her forwardness.

His hands gripped her hips forcefully as he corralled her out onto the dance floor. Even as drunk as she was she knew that he had no rhythm. And when she said no rhythm, she really meant no rhythm. If the guy had two left feet, he would be able to do better than he was at that moment. She knew that alcohol typically made you more willing to dance, but this was just embarrassing. She almost felt like someone was playing a practical joke on her.

But she couldn't figure a way out of this situation. His hands were like a vice lock on her hips as he sway backed and forth uncoordinatedly. Every time she attempted to slip away, he would grab her even harder and she was starting to wonder if she was going to be bruised in the morning.

Finally, she reached in for her last ditch effort and leaned back to speak into his ear again, "Can we get out of here?" she asked hoping he would take the bait.

Of course he did as he did one last horrible dance move, grabbed a hold of her wrist, and veered her to the front door. She stood in place for a second as he attempted to yank her around. "Hey, don't move. I have to use the ladies room and I'll be right back," she said watching recognition reach his brain. He let go of her wrist and leaned back against the wall to wait for her…indefinitely.

Lexi made a beeline for the ladies room to check out the damage from dancing with that idiot. She knew it had been a mistake to come out to a place like this in hopes of finding someone who would be boyfriend material. The last thing she wanted in her life right now was some loser pretending to be her boyfriend. She couldn't do that for anyone. She didn't even care if Chyna's father assaulted her with his menacing eyes once more time. A cold chill rushed down her back at the thought and she tried to push the thought aside.

After pushing her way through the line at the bathroom and reassuring about a dozen girls that she wasn't cutting, she eventually made it in front of a mirror. She yanked her tube top up a smidge further than it already was and peered at herself through the dim lighting. Perhaps she had been overreacting when she had been out dancing. The skin wasn't sensitive to the touch and all in all she still looked stellar. Her hair was wild, but it worked for her. She liked how her flushed appearance only added to her sensual appeal.

Several girls began shoving Lexi out of the way so she quickly exited the bathroom. Surveying the surrounding area to make sure that guy had followed her, Lexi wandered back towards the bar in search of Chyna. She hadn't found anything like what she was looking for here tonight. All she wanted to do was go home and take a long hot bath. She didn't have class tomorrow, but she had enough homework to stress over that partying tonight any longer would be a mistake. Her mind was already muddled enough to dance with some loser who was way too aggressive for his own good. She just needed to get out of there.

As she approached the bar, Lexi noticed the crowd clearing from the direction of the dance floor. Curious, Lexi moved forward to find out what was going on. Her heart began pounding furiously in her ears. She immediately felt sober and alert as adrenaline pumped through her system at record speeds. She darted forward into the open space her breathing accelerating with fear.

"What happened to her?" Lexi asked reaching her hand and placing it on Chyna's forehead. A man was holding her limp in his arms and she looked as if she were completely passed out. There was no way that this could have happened in the time they had been separated. Chyna drank too much to get black out drunk in this short period of time. There was just no way that alcohol could have made her pass out this way with her tolerance.

"Is she okay?" She knew her voice was hysterical, but she couldn't control it.

Lexi didn't even care who the guy was that was carrying her. She was just so terrified that she was losing her best friend. How could she let one more terrible thing happen in her life? Hadn't she suffered enough?

"Do you know this woman?" the man asked his voice deep and husky.

"Of course I know her. She's my best friend. What's wrong with her?"

"Let's get out of here," he said nodding his head toward the exit.

Lexi didn't even think twice. She bolted towards the door. All she could think about was Chyna's safety. A wave of guilt washed over her as she thought about how she had let her wander off even with a bad feeling in her stomach. Had she allowed this to happen? Somehow she couldn't help thinking that this was partly her fault. What type of person let this happen?

Just as she reached the door, she felt a hand reach out and grip her wrist. "There you are." Lexi recognized the man who she had been avoiding and nearly cursed a loud.

"Get your hands off me," she cried unable to deal with him while she had Chyna to worry about.

"Oh come on baby. Let's go back to my place," he moaned groping her body. She smacked his arm with her free hand, but he was too drunk to even notice.

"I hope I never see you again, you sick, twisted fuck," she yelled rearing back and kicking him full on in the shin with her high heel.

The guy stumbled backwards a few steps directly into a large bouncer dressed head to toe in black. "You stupid bitch," the guy yelled pulling his leg up and hopping on one foot.

"Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to leave," the bouncer commanded gripping the obnoxiously drunk man by the shoulder and shoving him out the front door.

Lexi couldn't even take time to consider what had just happened because Chyna was still on her mind. She followed the man who was carrying Chyna out the front door. "Sorry about that. What's going on?" Lexi asked concerned.

"Honestly, I think she's been drugged. She's still conscious. She just needs some looking after and will be better in the morning," he said setting Chyna uneasily back on her feet. She took one step forward giving Lexi the faintest burst of energy and then slumped back into the man's arms.

"Oh my God! She's been drugged. Like roofied?" Lexi asked hysterical. "How could this happen?"

"Can we get her somewhere safe first?" he asked obviously worrying about her safety first and foremost.

"Oh you're right. Hold on," Lexi cried punching a number on her cell phone. Less than a minute later, Chyna's town car was pulling around the corner. Her driver parked and hopped out anxious to see that his beautiful celebutante was all but dead. The two laid her down carefully in the backseat before diving in after her.

"I'm Adam. Sorry about your friend," he said consolingly slumping back against the leather interior.

"Lexi," she managed a half-smile in his direction as an introduction. "What happened?" Lexi asked brushing hair out of Chyna's face and staring at her with a worried look on her face.

"I don't know everything really. She was dancing with some guy. When I finally noticed something was off, he was nearly carrying her out of the backdoor. She wasn't quite this bad then, but she was a mess for sure. I politely told him to back the fuck off or I'd deck him. He didn't listen," he explained calmly.

"Wow how did you know she was drugged?" Lexi asked her eyes wide with admiration for Chyna's savior.

"My girlfriend…uh ex-girlfriend," he said sighing heavily, "it happened to her a couple months ago. Same signs." He shrugged it off as if it meant nothing, but Lexi could see the hurt take over his features. She knew that feeling and could empathize with his pain even if she didn't know the whole situation.

"Wha…what happened with your girlfriend?" Lexi asked cautiously.

"She was fine. The next morning she had a killer headache, but other than that she was fine," he said avoiding the second part of the question.

"Oh, well that's reassuring," Lexi said letting them fall into silence as the town car took them through the city traffic. Lexi gripped Chyna's unresponsive hand in her own and prayed that Adam was right. Her friend would be alright by the morning and things would be back to the way they were supposed to be.

"Hey," Adam said reaching out cautiously and touching her knee. "Try not to blame yourself."

"Blame myself?" Lexi squeaked out.

"I did. It doesn't help. It was just a mistake, alright? Nothing you could have done," he said sitting back once more and staring forward.

Lexi nodded knowing he was right. There was no way to know that sleaze ball was going to drug her friend. They had been out together a million and a half times and nothing like this had ever happened. What were the chances that tonight of all nights it would happen? That it would ever happen?

When they stopped in front of Chyna's building, Bernard rushed forward to help them, but Adam insisted that he could handle it. Bernard looked at Lexi skeptically obviously wondering if it was appropriate to be leaving her with a perfect stranger. Under different circumstances it would have made Lexi laugh that Bernard was concerned about something like that since Chyna brought a whole lot of strangers back here. Tonight was not under different circumstances though.

Adam carried her up to her room and deposited her on the bed. He left the room allowing Lexi to change Chyna into more comfortable clothes. She then tucked her under the covers and left her there to sleep off whatever was put into her system.

"Are you sure we shouldn't take her to the hospital?" Lexi asked anxiously.

"I think she'll be fine honestly. If I was worried, then I would have already taken her there. I think she just needs to sleep it off," Adam told her standing in the middle of the living room rather comfortably.

Lexi was a bit surprised about this since most people who saw Chyna's extravagance were either amazed or incredibly uncomfortable. "Is there any way we can repay you for what you did?" Lexi asked knowing for some reason that he would never take money even though he could tell Chyna had plenty of it.

"Absolutely not. I would have done the same for anyone," he reassured her.

"Are you sure?"

"Look if you want to do something for me, then take my number and let me know how she's doing in the morning. I'd feel like a real dick if she was really hurt and I didn't do anything about it," he said running his hand through his shaggy, dirty, blonde hair.

Lexi smiled for the first time since she had found Chyna in the condition she was in. They exchanged numbers and Lexi showed him out the door. "Thanks again," she said just before closing the door behind him.

She couldn't believe the night that she was having. But it really put things in perspective. What if something had happened to her or what if their relationship faltered because of it? Isn't that what Adam had alluded to in the car? He and his girlfriend had suffered because of this. It wasn't worth it to wait around and hope that everything was going to be better when so much could come crashing down on your life. She needed to take action. She needed to do something to make sure this wasn't a climactic moment in her life.

Falling backwards onto the leather sofa, Lexi kicked her heels off and then dug around in her purse for her cell phone. Finding the number she was looking for, she punched the dial button and waited. She didn't care that it was almost three o'clock in the morning.

"Lexi?" Ramsey's voice answered obviously very surprised to hear from her. She wasn't sure where he was, but wherever it was had a lot of background noise.

"What are you doing on Saturday?" she asked louder than she wanted to speak, but she wanted to make sure he heard her.

"Hold on one second." After a minute, Lexi heard the noise die down and his voice come back through the line. "What did you say?"

"What are you doing on Saturday?" she repeated her question unable to believe she was doing this.

"Um…working probably. Why? What's up?" he asked his voice tentative but obviously curious.

"I have to go to an engagement party because Chyna's dad is getting remarried. It's a long story, but I'm supposed to bring a boyfriend and I don't have one. Will you go with me?" she asked rambling on despite herself. Her stomach had started knotting all over again at the fact that she was actually asking him to do this for her.

"You want me to go as your boyfriend?" he asked skeptically.

"You don't have to. I just…uh…it's for Chyna. She's really beat up and she got roofied tonight."

"What? Is she okay?" he asked flipping out.

"Yeah. She's just crashing right now. I just need to make this right for her."

"I'll get out of work and be at JFK as soon as I can Saturday," he said altering his decision immediately.

"Oh thank you so much," she said honestly grateful that she wouldn't have to search for another guy to go with her.

"Hey Lexi…"

"Yeah?"

"It's really good to hear from you."

Lexi smiled to herself. "Yeah, it's good to hear from you too."

"Even if you don't have everything together, I'm really glad you called."

Lexi couldn't help but think how glad she was too.

K.A. Linde