CHAPTER FOUR
1217 Words
She walked briskly out of the bar, regretting the decision she had made to park her car blocks away. She was avoiding the unwanted attention her car would bring. She walked fast, knowing Mark would come after her. Her heels were slowing her down and she felt tempted more than once to remove them.
She regretted another life’s choice she had made - dating the scumbag of a man. When she had first met him, he wasn’t like the shadow he had become now. But somehow, Tyla could always see through him.
Tyla parked her car in front of Clinton bar. She had only managed to escape from work because the meeting had been brief. She knew Mark was bad news, and for Ava to text her, she needed to be there. She hadn’t bothered to change, but then, people in corporate dresses also visited that bar. She had been there with Ava a couple of times after work, but usually after working hours, not midday.
Why was she drinking at a bar so early in the morning, she grunted as she scanned the room for her friend. Some men were clumped in a corner, making glances at her. She didn’t know who they were but she had a feeling they knew who she was or why she was there. She looked around for Mark, and he was nowhere around either.
She pulled out her phone from her purse and called her, still scanning the room for her friend or Mark. She hoped nothing bad had happened. The phone rang repeatedly with no answer.
‘’Please I’m looking for my friend,’’ she spoke to the man beside her, describing her and noticing the group of men were still looking at her.
‘’She left,’’ the man replied, pointing at the door.
‘’Thank you,’’ she nodded and left the bar. She tried calling again while looking around. There was no response. Next call, the phone was switched off. It set so many alarms in her head. She ran down the street.
‘’Ava!’’
She found her on the next street, backed into a corner and pressed into the wall by Mark. He was running his hands up her thigh and making jerking movements against her.
‘’All the while you were claiming to be Virgin Mary with me, yet you’ve been spreading your legs for every man in Hollywood.’’
He yanked at her blouse, undoing her buttons and revealing her breasts. ‘’You are still mine.’’
‘’Ava?’’ Tyla called from afar as she rushed down to her friend. She called out to her. ‘’Tyla!’’ She couldn’t imagine what would have happened to her if her friend did not show up. This monster was planning to take her by force. She hit him hard, and he struck her across the face.
‘’You like it rough, huh? Don’t you?’’ He said as he turned her roughly to face the wall, pressing her head against the rough wall. ‘’I’ll give it to you roughly then.’’
Tyla arrived just in time, pulling her friend away from his grip. Ava was shaking and crying. ‘’Tyla,’’ she cried, hugging her.
‘’You monster!’’ she lashed at Mark, hugging her friend. ‘’You are going to regret this.’’
He laughed, revealing his stained teeth. ‘’The more, the merrier.’’
‘’I’m sorry to disappoint you. I’ll never participate in such, not ever, and especially not with you.’’
He huffed and attempted to pull Ava away from her. ‘’Then mind your business, bitch.’’
On impulse, Tyla pushed him from the shoulder, turning his face towards her and landed a slap across his cheeks, leaving the red imprints of her fingers. Mark’s face burned from pain and embarrassment.
‘’You b***h!’’ He attempted to throw a punch at her which she dodged. Before he could recover, she threw her heels into his crotch, sending him rolling on the ground in pain.
“A pig like you isn’t supposed to live in this society. You are lucky I’m not in a bad mood. Hurting the people I care about, you must be courting death.”
She pulled Ava to her side as they began to walk away. Tyla grew up with her grandfather who was a police officer and her uncle who was a detective for a while, and they had both taught her self defense. No one dared mess with her or her friends throughout high school and college.
“b***h! Don’t let me ever catch you!” He yelled.
‘’Thank you,’’ Ava mouthed, pulling her torn blouse over her exposed body. She didn’t respond. They got into her car.
‘’Hey, you are so handsome right now,’’ Ava teased her as they got in. Tyla was still seething from anger. She managed to roll her eyes, wondering what could have happened to her friend if she had been a moment late.
‘’I know what you are thinking,’’ Ava said, facing her. ‘’You were right. I should have known. I must have been blinded by a spell. That man is a great pervert. I knew what I went through in order to break up with him!”
‘’You should be angry,’’ she responded, knowing her friends would rather sweep the incident under the carpet than take any legal actions.
“Sweetheart, don’t be mad at me. I didn’t think he would come to this bar today. I tried ignoring him. But he acted just as he always would. His friends couldn’t stop him from his outrageous behavior! They were encouraging him.”
Birds of the same feather flock together,” Tyla dryly commented as she slowly regained her calm composure.
“By the way, I just came back today, are you surprised to see me?” Ava shrugged and asked excitedly.
Tyla rolled her eyes.
“Hey, don’t give me that boring attitude. How is the relationship between you and your boss? I saw you both on TV yesterday. Is your company working on a new project?” she asked while perking her ears for gossip.
“What relationship should we have? Isn’t being a boss and subordinate good enough?” Tyla asked, casting her friend a confused gaze.
“Shouldn't a normal secretary be drooling after their boss's pants? The fact he is so cold, hot and sexy is dreamy enough.”
“He might strangle me before I even try to covet him in the way you are thinking. Besides, he thinks with his brain, not with his lower body. I don’t even have the leisure to fantasize about him that way.” She was lying because Kevin was the man of her fantasy.
“Tut tut tut. If your mother hears these words, I’m sure she will have a heart attack.’’
Tyla laughed.
“By the way, do you have food at home? I won’t go back to my condo tonight. I want to sleep with my bestie tonight.” Ava said tracing a line on her friend’s bare skin.
“If I didn’t know you, I would think you really wanted to do it with me.” Tyla
said, as she started the car. Ava would have her car picked up later.
“Eww. Your mind is so dirty.”
They laughed.
- Writer
