Blooming (12 page)

She felt like
she was going crazy as she applied body lotion and fragrance, it was like she
was offering promises she wouldn’t be able to keep.

When there
was just an hour to go she opened her wardrobe and gazed in awe once again at
this dress that was designed with her in mind.

It was
electric blue which Sean claimed did something fabulous to her eyes, it was
fitted chiffon falling to the knee but with a sexy long split to her left leg.
The neckline was the clever thing - it was cut straight around her like a
strapless dress, so the tops of her breasts could be seen. But then a two inch
wide jewelled strap snaked a path up the centre of her décolletage, cleverly
concealing her scar, until it finished in a narrow collar that circled her
neck.

Jen drew the
dress over her hips, zipped herself in, and then buttoned the collar behind her
neck. A mix of emotions filled her - she felt sexy and attractive, but also for
the first time like it might actually be true and she had a right to feel that
way.

Next she
stepped into the black stilettos with the four inch heel. Then to complete the
ensemble she put on the drop earrings composed of dyed blue feathers that Sean
had loaned her along with a jewelled black clutch.

She looked at
herself in the mirror and didn’t know who she was anymore - this was a woman
who looked like she knew what she was doing. With a minute to go before the cab
was due, Sean and Seb knocked on the door.

With knees
trembling she invited them in.

“Holy fucking
Christ,” Sean said, Sebastian smacked him in admonishment of the language, “Cinderella
you shall go to an Italian restaurant!”

In the next
second they’d enveloped her in a hug that conveyed comfort and managed to not
mess her up at the same time. “I hate to say this,” she admitted “but I’m
getting used to having you guys around.”

“Ah don’t get
too mushy on us babe,” Sean quipped.

Seb walked
her down the stairs and out to the kerb, seeing her into the cab.

When she made
it to the restaurant a couple of minutes late, she waited for the maitre d to
notice her. The table had been booked in Todd’s name. Jen fidgeted from foot to
foot - part of her hoping he was already here, another part thought it would maybe
be better if he stood her up and she could just go home.

As it turned
out the maitre d never got a chance to seat Jen. Because from the back of the
restaurant Todd had been looking for her and before she knew it there he was,
and everything else fell into place.

“Jennifer,”
his eyes bored into her and all she could think was how beautiful he looked
towering over her in a charcoal suit, a whiter than white shirt and a maroon
tie.

In the next
breath his arms circled her waist and pulled her into him and up onto her toes.
He smelled so incredible it sent Jen reeling. Kissing the shell of her ear his
tongue surreptitiously slipped inside and he said hoarsely punctuating each
word, “You, look, so, beautiful, and I’ve missed you, missed you so much I can
hardly breathe.”

The two of
them stood there, her on her tiptoes with her arms around his neck and he with
his hands stroking her waist, her hips, her shoulders anything he could touch
that would still be in the realms of decency. The pair of them didn’t part
until the maitre d coughed discreetly and indicated they return to their table.

****

Jen asked
Todd to order for her, because she couldn’t give a damn what she had to eat. All
she was aware of was the heat in his gaze and his hand on her wrist, his fingers
stroking her pulse. She had no idea but it seemed like that was an erogenous
zone she’d never heard of.

They ate and
she was aware everything was delicious and the red wine rich and velvety.

“It nearly
killed me not to come see you today. As gorgeous as you look now I would have
been just as happy to see you in your pink robe at 3am.”

Jen looked at
him and for the life of her she couldn’t remember why she was so afraid of
being with him, and in that moment she was sure that was how the night was
going to end.

When they had
finished their main course, Todd got to his feet and said, “Dance with me.”

She stood up
slowly on shaky legs and mumbled, “I’ve never danced with anybody before, but
I’ll try.”

Todd led her
to the small dance floor. Silvio’s specialised in an eclectic mix of tribute
acts, and as Todd drew her into his chest a lone singer was making a good job
of crooning an old Ray Charles number on the piano.

Todd’s right
hand was on her waist and his left held her hand tight, Jen’s left arm moved to
encircle his upper back and the benefit of heels enabled her to hook her
fingertips on his shoulder. “I’ve never been much for dancing before, but
doesn’t it feel good?” he whispered.

Jen felt more
than a little out of control. She’d been too nervous to eat much all day, and
between the wine, Todd, and the charged atmosphere it was like being punch
drunk.

She surprised
herself a few minutes later when she raised both arms to lock around his neck
and leaned up in the hopes of a kiss.

Todd stopped
moving and just looked down into her eyes. He held her gaze, looking for clues,
as both his hands sank to her waist and then his fingertips wandered
dangerously lower. He met her lips and kissed her softly, gently caressing,
waiting for her cue for more. When she made the move to deepen the kiss his
tongue swept straight inside. Jen responded eagerly and encouraged him in
deeper. When he softly suckled her tongue her eyes flicked open startled,
before she relaxed back into it, a little giggle burbling in the back of her
throat.

They stood
there locked together kissing passionately for what seemed like minutes. Then
Todd dipped her so low her head was inches from the floor and a burst of laughter
came from deep inside as he swept her back up so he could kiss her neck, his
open mouth caressing right from her collar bone to her ear.

“Christ, I
think we’d better sit back down before we get tossed out on our asses,” he
groaned.

Jen’s heart
was beating so hard that Todd was finding it hard to drag his eyes away from
her breasts which were peeping over the top of her dress. He briefly brought
her back towards him and using his broad body as cover he stroked his strong
right hand up the slit in the dress, so his thumb stroked nearly all the way to
her groin. Jen exhaled sharply and nearly fell over.

He spun her
and guided her back towards their table following close on her heels making
sure more than once that he bumped into the back of her so he could be sure
she’d feel his erection against her backside.

Jen was
almost delirious with excitement but as she got back to the table a strange
noise caught her attention momentarily.

She shook it
off and her gaze lit on Todd taking the seat opposite her.

“Dessert?” he
asked hoping for a negative answer.

“I’m not big
on dessert, maybe some coffee?”

“Fine, the
sooner we’re out of here the better,” he said heatedly.

Christ why
could she still hear that sound, she felt so tuned into everything Todd was
saying & doing, but for some reason her brain was screaming, “pay attention!”

The waiter
came to them and Todd ordered coffee and the bill never taking his eyes off
her. He licked his lips and nerves sparked in areas she didn’t know existed,
then that god awful sound again.

A second
later and her stomach turned over, the hot oily nausea that had plagued her
during the most stressful times of her life, almost knifing through her.

It was Homer
Simpson’s laugh.

She shot
upright and for a minute Todd thought she was going to tell him they were
leaving now, then he caught the strange look in her eye. She was wild and
vacant at the same time and for a weird second he felt a flash of fear.

Jen was aware
Todd was speaking to her but she was in a strange bubble where she couldn’t
make out the words, her eyes raked the restaurant looking for that voice.

He really was
there, the table nearest the entrance; his fucking blond preppy head bent to a
female companion - his hand on her wrist just as she’d seen it on Lily’s. Jen
was up and moving faster than she realised, she upset the table in her haste
shocking Todd to the core as he tried to right it and get his footing at the
same time.

“Jennifer?”
he yelled, aware other patrons had turned to look at them.

By the time
she reached his table her feet were pounding into the floor, the man didn’t see
her before she had him by the shirt front and had thrown him against the wall, all
consuming anger fuelling her strength beyond anything she could imagine. All
the air lurched out of him as his chair cannoned into an adjacent table.

 “Bitch,” he
croaked on a shocked exhale, and she hauled her arm back as far as she could
and launched it at him.

Too late, a
hand easily twice the size of hers caught her fist and spun her, an arm circled
her waist lifting her feet from the floor. Todd pinned her in his arms, an alarmed
question on his lips. He saw the total fury in her face and in that second he
knew, and Jen was deathly afraid of what was going to happen next.

Todd dropped
her and she tottered unsteadily on her heels, the next second his right fist
connected with the mouth of the man she knew as Philip Lorenson and the force
of it sent blood spattering across everyone in the immediate vicinity.

More than one
female scream rent the air as Todd continued relentlessly battering the bastard
who’d raped his sister. Jen heard the man’s jaw snap, and as his head whipped
round Todd smashed a fist into his ear mangling it, then he pounded a huge
combination deep into the man’s guts, so hard that his feet left the floor and
he vomited up his entree.

Jen’s
equilibrium returned like an electric shock up her spine, Todd was not going to
stop until he killed the guy. She launched herself up and onto his back, her
legs locked round his waist and she drew her right arm across Todd’s throat and
heaved backwards with all the strength she had in her. She was aware of people
moving to intervene all around her, moving to attack Todd even as she tried to
stop him herself and in a scream as loud as she could manage she yelled and
pointed, “Rapist!”

Again and
again she pulled back on Todd, until she was aware he was struggling for
breath, then Todd blacked out and he dropped backwards like a stone. As she
fell underneath him, her left arm flung out wild to try and save herself - instead
it crashed against one of the marble dining tables and excruciating pain shot
through her forearm. The floor came at her in a rush and as her back connected
with the tile Todd landed solidly on her ribs, and the last thing she was
conscious of was the sirens screaming outside the door.

****

Jen woke up
in a hospital bed, she felt all foggy in the head. As she struggled to focus she
became aware of someone sitting in the chair next to her. “Ben? Is that you?”
she croaked, confused.

“Hey,” he
leant over her, “don’t try to move, your ribs are all banged up.”

“What are you
doing here?” and in the next second she realised,”Oh my god where’s Todd?”

“He’s with
the cops still.”

Jen gasped
and then gasped again when pain ricocheted through her midriff.

“Sorry,” Ben
said, “maybe we should push the call button and see if you’re due some pain
relief.”

“No, no,
don’t do that it’ll only make me sleep again.”

“Jen, try not
to worry but Todd’s been arrested.” Jen let out a sharp cry and grabbed for
Ben’s hand.

He shook his
head, “sorry I’m saying everything wrong - it’s a bit complicated. First all
three of you were brought here from Silvio’s for treatment. On the strength of
what people heard you shout at the scene, the police were quick to run your
name and came up with you on the witness list in Lily’s rape case, which meant this
Philip Lorenson was arrested before they even treated him. But once Todd came
round, the police arrested him too on suspicion of assault. The docs said he
was well enough to be taken in for questioning.”

Jen moaned in
despair,”Shit this is my entire fault.”

“Ssh, Todd
used me for his phone call and told me how he wanted to handle it, and then I
phoned Seb because he acts as Todd’s lawyer. Meanwhile I came here and
officially identified Lorenson as the man I’d seen assault Lily at “Beans.”

Todd asked me
to make sure somebody stayed with you, and when I found your room Sean was already
here sitting with you. He’s gone to meet Seb now to see if we can get Todd out.”

“God Ben when
I saw that guy in the restaurant every sane thought went out of my head, I
shouldn’t have reacted, I should have found a way to call the cops without Todd
knowing, or asked the staff to do it. Anything but do what I did.”

“From what
I’ve heard you were awesome Jen.”

“No Ben,
Todd’s in jail because I made the wrong decision,” Jen’s eyes filled with
tears.

“Jen if you
had denied Todd the opportunity to kick the shit out of that bastard I don’t
think he would have ever forgiven you. I know I wouldn’t have,” he said
heatedly, his eyes flashing.

“But he could
have killed him Ben, I was so afraid of what would happen to him if he did.”

“You stopped
Todd before he could go too far, you saved his hide, with Todd’s history even
with the extenuating circumstances if he’d killed this creep he’d definitely
have wound up in jail.”

Jen struggled
to process what Ben was saying, “What do you mean Todd’s history?” For a
horrific moment she had visions of Todd as some kind of career criminal.

“Don’t you
know - I thought you too were dating?” He laughed, “Todd was a professional
boxer, if he’d killed someone with his fists, he would have been up shit creek
and no mistake!”