A Secret Love Affair

Chapter Ten

(Marshall)

Shit.

Fumbling around the inside of my jacket pocket, I realize that I’d made the mistake of leaving my phone at the office. I pinched the bridge of my nose, uttering a few choice words. I’d decided to walk that night as the weather was fairly decent. I was about halfway home. Of course, I was the sort that couldn’t function without my phone so, now, I found myself hailing a taxi to haul me back to the office.

I was beginning to regret taking this job. Peter was useless. He spent most of the day ogling the pretty interns or assistance in the building. I wasn’t a practicing lawyer. Hell, I couldn’t remember the last time I’d stepped foot into an actual courtroom. Now, I was forced to play devil’s advocate by actually talking to clients and advising them on the best way to handle their legal options.

The second the cab pulled up to the building, I launched myself back into the warm autumn air. The doorman waved in greeting. I returned the wave. Under normal circumstances, I would have paused to chat with the older man. Unfortunately, tonight was just not that night. I was already running late. Emily and I had decided to stay in that night. I’d planned this romantic dinner for the two of us plus some...desert for after. 

The elevator moved at a snail’s pace. I fidgeted within the tiny space, eagerly awaiting my arrival to the top floor of the building were my office was located. Finally, the doors opened. I stepped out. The doors closed behind me. The first thing I noticed was the fact that Peter, who never stayed this late, was still in the office. I could see the light flashing beneath his door. 

I stepped around the corner. I froze. My jaw dropped, my blood beginning to boil. Peter was not the only one at the office. Her back to me, I couldn’t see her face but it did not take a rocket scientist to put two and two together. Peter’s face was scarlet, his normally placid features twisted in a look of utter rage. His fingers curled around the crook of her elbow.

“f*****g w***e!” Peter’s loud voice echoed across the empty space. 

The palm of his hand connected with the side of her face. I saw red. Before I could comprehend just what I was doing, I felt the satisfying crunch of bone beneath my fist. Peter staggered back, clutching his face. Blood seeped between his stubby fingers. I gathered the trembling Emily into my arms. She didn’t resist.

“You-You hit me” Peter stammered. 

I turned to face him, “You’re lucky I didn’t do worse.” I took a step towards him. Emily clutched at my arm, silently begging me now to do something I would regret. The stench of alcohol reached me. My nose wrinkled. The man was trashed, “I’m calling the police.”

“Wait!” Peter cried, suddenly dropping to his knees, “I’ll-I’ll lose everything!” He sobbed.

I hesitated. He was right. If I called the police, he’d be fired. Probably arrested. The entire law firm would go up in a blaze of scandal. I’d lose my job. Emily would lose hers. It was a royal s**t show no matter how you looked at it.

With a tilt of my head, I glanced back at Emily. Tears streaked her face, her body still shivering. I couldn’t help but wonder what would’ve happened if I’d not been there to stop him. How many other girls had he done this to? No. I could not in good conscious overlook this. Emily gave a distinct nod of her head, indicating that she thought the same.

“Emily. Do you have your phone?” She nodded, “Good. Call the police.”

--------------------------

Peter was gone. I stood on my balcony, puffing on the lit cigarette I held it my name. My nose wrinkled at the stale odor. It was a nasty habit, one that I had yet to break. I didn’t smoke often, just under moments of extreme duress. This was one of those times. The police had come within minutes of calling them, a record response time if I do say so myself.

Apparently, this was not the first complaint they’d received about Peter. They’d been unable to arrest him as all the complaints had refused to testify. Emily was a different story. She wanted him charged and she was willing to testify in open court about what he had done to her. Perhaps her courage would be enough to obtain other witnesses.

There was a shuffle of movement behind me. Emily appeared. Dressed in nothing but one of my t-shirts, she came to stand beside me. She lifted an eyebrow, eyes zeroing in on the cigarette. “I didn’t know you smoked.”

I grinned, “I’m full of surprises.”

She didn’t speak again, not for a few moments. When I glanced over, the moonlight bounced off the tears currently streaking down her face. I flicked the cigarette away. I curled my arms around her waist, drawing her in for another hug. She clung to me a moment, nails digging into the front of my chest.

I ran the palm of my hand down the back of her head, listening to the stifled sobs that shook her body. She’d been through quite a trauma that night, one I wasn’t so sure she would easily forget. She pulled back, face tilting up. I couldn’t help it. I kissed her. I started slow, soft, silently telling her that she could stop me if what I was doing wasn’t ok.

When she broke the kiss, I thought I’d crossed a line. Instead, a faint smile crossed her face. “Make love to me, Marshall.” She implored. Her hands moved to the hem of her shirt. “Make me forget.”

Was it right? Probably not. But I wasn’t strong enough to deny her this. I plucked her from the floor, carrying her back within the safety of my apartment. We didn’t make it to the bedroom. I laid her across my kitchen table. She didn’t resist. Hell, if anything, she seemed almost eager for much touch. Her fingers tugged at my jeans, fumbling with the button and zipper. I gripped her wrists, forcing them behind her back.

“Don’t move…” I whispered. She didn’t. “I’m going to make sure my hands are the only ones you remember.”