“You gotta sex him up, get him hooked on the pussy and give him time to get hooked on all of you.”
Carrie blushed so red she got lightheaded. “Jesus, Bethany, I can’t believe you sometimes.”
“Shit, you’re still a virgin? Damn girl, okay this makes it a little harder. He’ll be scared you’re going to start planning the wedding the minute he pulls out. So you’ll need to reassure him it’s no big deal, you’re just trying him and taking him around the block a bit before you want to buy. Stop hyperventilating, I can hear you and I’m telling you if you want him then you got to step up your game.
It’s a sad fact of life, guys fall in lust, women fall in love. Jim is a great guy but when I met him, you remember he was still a pot-smoking, gamer nerd who barely left the apartment he shared with a roommate. I wasn’t in love with a pot-smoking, gamer nerd, I was in love with the funny, smart guy who thought my fat ass was hot. I didn’t care he probably only thought it was hot because he saw so few women. So yeah, I got him hooked on the pussy. He loved it enough I didn’t have to ask him to stop smoking pot or spending hours on his games. He figured out I didn’t like it and if he wanted more sex and to spend time with me then the other stuff had to go. It took a few months but he came around all on his own.
Carrie, you’ve never been the type to back down before. What’s the matter? Are you scared about the whole virgin thing?”
Sinking down on her bed she shook her head. “No, it’s not that. I guess I’m just scared I’ll be more in love with him than he’ll be with me. What if I do what you say and he walks away again?”
“Huh, now the idea does seem scary but what about the alternative? You do nothing and nothing happens. It sounds like you’re already in love with this guy, you can have some time of something really great or nothing at all. Only you know what’s the right thing for you. Now, I love you but I have to go. We have to drop Jim’s car off at the garage, it needs new breaks.
Call me soon, love you.”
Staring down at the phone, she thought about what Bethany said. It sounded a little sneaky and manipulative and she hated the word game. She didn’t want to play games and wasn’t sure if she could pull it off. Yes, she wanted Rafael badly, it wasn’t even a question of giving up her virginity. She had remained a virgin simply because she hadn’t trusted someone enough to let them into her life, let alone her body. Seeing her mother become practically a slave to her boyfriend’s wants and needs had made Carrie wary of ever giving someone power over her. Of trusting someone would care about her the same way she cared about them.
From that first day she had trusted in Rafael not simply because of how he treated her but on some basic level she knew he wasn’t a predator, out to only take and not give back. In the weeks she had worked for him the respect and admiration of those who worked for him was clear. Everyone made it clear he expected his worker’s best but he also paid them back with not just some of the highest salaries of others in their positions but a high number of paid time off and excellent benefits. He also paid out year-end bonuses, based on the performance of his company and knew his employees and their families on sight. As she had told Javier, she trusted Rafael and after more than two weeks of wanting and not having him, she was pretty sure she had fallen in love or at the very least complete and utter obsession with him. Alone in bed at night she didn’t just want Rafael, she craved him. Would what Bethany said work and how would she even get close enough to him again to try?
The morning went by quickly, her m
ain support for the front desk was a funny Vietnamese extremely proud graduate of A&M Oliver Tang. Oliver and she had clicked from the beginning and he was easy to work with. Denise and she hadn’t clicked, then Denise had become abrasive. Carrie had asked for prospects to replace Denise and HR had been content to have her made any changes she saw fit. To fill in for her time off and later in the day when there was less traffic, Carrie had found an older, very experienced woman Linda who preferred the part-time hours.
After handling an irate owner, she got a call that made her shiver. Kent Marshall, an extremely demanding owner, wanted her to come up to his condo. Of course he would demand her and she wouldn’t get away with sending Oliver in her place. She took a walkie-talkie and left the channel open, letting security know. Kent Marshall had come onto her more than once, in extremely graphic words. When she went up it seemed relatively innocuous. Jeff in maintenance was there, Kent was complaining about the poor job Jeff had done. Her defense down, she sent Jeff down for Walt, the head of maintenance. The door hadn’t even closed behind Jeff before Kent had his arms around her, pulling her roughly to him.
“Oh yeah, finally got your sweet ass alone. Damn, you’re a sexy little bitch. Come on, baby, open up and give me a kiss. Fuck, a thong, it’s always the quiet ones.”
His hands seemed huge and wet everywhere tugging at the top of the thong she wore, his fingers digging into her skin. Fear flooded her, she screamed loudly but he covered her mouth. Feeling faint, she did the only thing she could do, she bit down on his tongue. He pushed her away and seconds later the room was filled with maintenance and security. She was still trembling as Walt wrapped a protective arm around her. Kent was yelling Carrie had come on to him, not aware the open walkie-talkie told a different story.
Carrie was embarrassed, wanting it all to go away. Once she was back in her office she talked with Roger, the head of security, it was agreed she wouldn’t press charges. Kent Marshall would be warned, another misstep with female employees or residents and he would be forced to sell his condo and leave the premises.
She managed to get through the day by doing her hardest to not think about what happened with Kent. Every time she did she flinched from the memory, the boys mentioned she was quiet but she waved it off saying she was tired. They took the hint and went to bed early without her asking. Yet the idea of going to bed and laying in the dark had her up pacing, not wanting to close her eyes. The mindless television blared at a commercial and she turned it off. Okay, maybe tonight she’d sleep with the light on in the bathroom. Turning off the light in the kitchen her heart stopped at the pounding on the front door. Without thinking she opened the door. Rafael looked angry and disheveled, his tie was half-undone and his hair was finger brushed. Her mouth went dry and her stomach flipped at the sight of him.
“What’s the matter?”
“What’s the matter? You were sexually assaulted and you barely gave the man a slap on the wrist and you ask me, what’s the matter? Have you lost leave of your senses?” The words were tight and angry, as if he were speaking to a child.
Hating his anger, she turned away and shifted the robe tighter around her. “It was nothing. He made a grab, there was no damage. Walt was on his way up, there wasn’t much he could have done. I don’t understand why he took a stupid chance. Please leave it, it’s been dealt with.”
“Bullshit, a typical sexual assault takes less than ninety seconds. The bastard laid his hands on you, he violated you, a virgin and you say it is nothing. It is fucking something and it will not be brushed away. He has been removed from the building a forced sale will be done on his property. His name is dirt in this city.
If not for yourself, than the other women in this building deserve consideration. This is their home, they expect to be safe here, not have to worry about a fucking pervert running the halls.” He grabbed her wrist but she cried out in pain. Going still, he pulled up the sleeve of the robe and saw her wrists were covered in bruises. The look on his face was scary.
“Rafael, please don’t.”
“That bastard.” He hissed out the words and he started for the door.
Terrified of what he would do, Carried grabbed him, her arms going around his waist and clung. All she had been thinking was to keep him from leaving, now she knew the anger was for Kent not her and now she was afraid of what Rafael would do if he got ahold of the man. She had no idea she was trembling until he whispered the words.
“Calm down, sweetheart, it’s okay. I’m not going anywhere, he’ll never touch you again.”
Slowly, she was able to calm down, simply enjoying being in Rafael’s arms again. Then something he said struck her, too embarrassed to look at him, she hid her face in his chest. “How did you know I’m a virgin?”
He went stiff and began to pull away. She clung, not letting him go and he sighed and ran a soothing hand down her back. “Just things you said and the way you reacted.”
“Is that why you don’t want me anymore? You don’t to be with a virgin.” If she had been thinking, she never would have said the words.
Sighing, he shook his head. “Carrie, you need to rest. Go to bed.” Taking her arms, he gently but firmly pulled away from her.