Glam Metal (22 page)

Lucky there was no one there as she didn’t want to have to explain why she was feeling poorly.

She fixed herself a sandwich; it
’
s all she
’
d have time for this evening. When she finished she went into the shower and washed her hair. As she was dressing the phone rang.

“Hello,” she said. There was a pause then.

“Hey Darlin.” She smiled, he always knew the right time to call. He sounded so good. She really wanted to feel his arms around her. “You are lookin good.” Sam laughed.

“Every time I have an opening show you appear.” She could hear him laugh. How she wanted him to be here tonight.

“Baby, I wish I was there with you but.” He said. “I’
m in LA, waiting for you.” A wave of pleasure swept over her as she thought of how he felt when she held him in her arms, when she kissed him.

“Jay, I miss you so much.” He kissed the phone. Sam smiled.

“Miss you too, Darlin.” She was getting weak at the knees. Soon she would be with him.

“I had better get dressed.” She groaned loudly, she wanted to stay here and talk to him on the phone.

“Now, you tell me you’
re naked.” He teased. Sam giggled and for a few minutes longer they talked about the show and Sam desperately wanted to ask him to come over but she knew he was very busy with recording and TV work.

*************

The gallery was hopping with activity. The show was an instant success and an hour and a half into it, four of the twenty paintings were sold and two were on reserve. Edmund was ecstatic with the news.

Sam was still feeling a bit queasy, she put it down to nerves and excitement. She was missing Jay terribly and he promised he would call her tomorrow.

“Unusual style,” said a voice beside her. Sam nodded and turned to face her companion. It was Damon. “Should be big.” He stated.

“Hey there.” Sam greeted him with a kiss on both cheeks. “How have you been?” He smiled and held her hand.

“Alive! A pain here and there but basically alive.” They both laughed. Damon always had a good sense of humour. They talked for a few minutes about the show and how she felt that this was an artist that would be in great demand. Sam felt a little dizzy and felt Damon’
s arm go around her to steady her.

“Are you OK, Samantha?” He asked her, his voice full of concern. She smiled. She felt slightly foolish now.

“Just feel a little stressed nothing serious.” She managed a smile.

“How’
s Jay? Have you heard from him?” He helped her over to the seating area. They sat down.

“He’
s working hard on the new album.” Sam took a glass of water from a passing waiter. “I wish he was here, Damon. I miss him so much.” Momentarily she just let her feelings out. Damon put his hand on hers and squeezed it gently.

“Sam, you have been very good for him and I know he adores you,” he smiled. “You two belong together.” Damon’
s words were reassuring.

Edmund waved to her to join him and an older looking man. Sam patted his hand and got up and said she would talk to him later. She went over to join Edmund and the older man.

“Ah Sam, this is John Montaque, John this is Samantha, my right hand woman.” She shook hands with him and they spoke briefly about the show. Sam liked him and was almost sorry that this was going to be her last show here at the gallery, indeed her last show here in the country. Soon she would be jetting her way to the US to open her own gallery and begin a wonderful life with the man she loved. Her life was perfect.

Gratefully, she opened the front door and turned on the light in her apartment. She looked around and saw her unfinished sandwich still on the table and her CD case on the window ledge. Jay had sent her a copy of their new single as a joke. A smile spread across her face as she thought of the card that he had put in with it.

She filled the kettle and put it on. Lisa was at her parents’ house this evening and wouldn’t be back until later.

Sam still felt very queasy and went into the bathroom to remove her makeup. As she used a cotton wool ball to remove her eye makeup she glanced at her reflection in the mirror. A thought crossed her mind. She caressed her left eye with the cotton ball, the cream was cold but welcome.

She wondered if she could be pregnant. Was it possible? In Crete they had been careless, twice. But surely not, it was way too soon in her relationship with Jay to even consider a baby. Of course, she
’
d love a baby, and to have a baby with the man she loved would be fantastic but just not yet.

The doorbell ringing made her jump. She put the cotton ball in the bin and went to answer it.

She opened it. It was Dan.

“Samantha, can I come in?” He asked. She said no and was about to close the door on his face but he pleaded and began to cry. Reluctantly she opened the door.

She made some tea and brought the two mugs over to the table. She handed one to Dan.

“I really don’
t want to be having anything to do with you after the way you
’
ve behaved recently Dan.” Sam said. She wondered what Jay would say if he knew her ex husband was now in her apartment. She shrugged her shoulder and turned to walk to the chair at the other side of the table.

“I’
ve behaved atrociously in recent weeks and I am so sorry.” Dan said. “I made a terrible mistake in leaving you Samantha.” His voice was gentle but slightly slurred. He put down the cup on the table and got up and went over to her chair, quickly Sam was on her feet. A feeling of disgust swept through her as he pulled her into his arms and tried to kiss her. She turned her head away and tried to push Dan away. He struggled to kiss her and she tried to knee him in the groin.

“Bitch! You don’
t fight the gay boy do you?” He spat at her. Tears began to fall freely down her cheeks.

“Dan, please leave before you do something you’
ll regret.” She pleaded. This enraged him.

“Slut! You’
re my wife.” He tried to kiss her again. Sam turned her head again. “You’re a gay boy whore!” Dan pulled her hair hard and forced his mouth on hers. She cried and somehow managed to push him away.

He swore and raised his hand and slapped her face hard sending her flying over the table. She hit her cheek off the corner of the table. It stung. Then she felt him grab her hair and pull her off the table.  He pushed her to the ground and began to kick her in the side and stomach. Sam screamed with pain. She covered her head with her hands to protect herself and curled up into the foetal position. Sam prayed silently for him to stop.

“Tramp!” He was shouting at her. She felt warm liquid flowing down her cheek, she didn’t
dare wipe it away for fear Dan would kick her in the face. She wanted to die.

It wasn
’
t until she felt him try to tear off her panties that she found the strength to fight him off. And forcefully she drew up her leg and kicked him in the balls. He groaned loudly and dropped to his knees and covering his groin with his hands swore at her. But somehow Sam managed to get up and escape from the apartment.

Somehow, but she didn’t know how, Sam managed to get to a hospital. She collapsed onto the floor in the A&E department.

When she came too, there was a gentle voice taking her pulse and asking:

“How are you feeling? You gave us quite a fright!” The young nurse was saying in a cheerful voice. Sam felt awful but she was thankful that nothing other than the beating had taken place. As it was, it was bad enough that she had stupidly let Dan into her apartment in the first place.

A sharp pain in her stomach made her groan loudly. The young nurse looked at her and asked:

“You OK?” Sam shook her head. The pain was excruciating. The nurse called the doctor that was at the end of the ward.

“What’
s the matter?” She asked abruptly. Sam was holding her stomach, she felt like she was going to die with the pain. She could feel something warm running down her leg. The doctor pulled back the blanket and felt Sam
’
s stomach and then she saw the bright red liquid seeping onto the sheet.

“Are you pregnant?” she asked, her tone softening slightly. Tears ran down Sam’
s face, the doctor felt her stomach again and called for assistance from one of the interns.

Sam awoke a few hours later; her head hurt like she had a hangover. The pain in her stomach was still there and her ribs hurt like hell. She felt so alone and right now she really needed Jay by her side.

“How are we this morning?” The doctor who had been there the previous night asked her.

“Not much better.” Sam replied honestly. Her throat was very dry. The doctor was looking at her file and writing something on it. When she put it on the table she removed her glasses and looked at Sam and asked:

“Want to tell me what happened?” She pulled up a chair and sat down next to Sam. Sam could feel the tears threatening to escape from her eyes again.

“Was…am I….” but she couldn’t
find words to say it.

“Are you pregnant? Yes, about six weeks. It’
s not looking good.” A tear escaped. She was going to have Jay
’
s baby. “Did the baby
’
s father do this to you?” The doctor asked abruptly. Sam couldn’t help herself now and the tears ran down her face. She turned her head away and wept into the pillow.

“Will the baby survive?” She asked hoarsely. The doctor filled a glass of water and handed it to her.

“Not likely. You suffered severe trauma to your uterus and stomach. And the foetus is not viable.” She took the glass from Sam and placed it back on the bedside table. “Did the baby’
s father do this? You can file a complaint and you can have him arrested.” She said matter of factly. Sam shook her head.

“Jay wouldn’t
do this to me.” She said gently. “He would have been very happy about the baby.” Sam broke down and cried. Her whole body racked with sobbing. The doctor called a nurse and asked her to bring some tea.

“Samantha, a lot of women go into denial when something like this happens, but-”

“No, you don’
t understand.” Sam broke in between sobs. “Jay is in LA, he doesn’t know about the baby yet.” With the back of her hand she wiped her eyes. “My ex-husband tried to rape me and he beat me.” Sam couldn’t control her crying now and her whole body shook as her stomach went into spasms of pain. She knew she was losing the baby and there was nothing she could do about it. Sam knew she could never tell Jay about it and that was killing her.