Chapter 6
I did my best to put the previous night out of my mind as I sat at my desk trying to finish my paper. I hadn't managed to sleep much in the end, perhaps catching a few restless hours before settling back into my work in the early morning.
When Tess came knocking at lunchtime I filled her in on what happened.
“Damn girl, this room needs some love.” That was the first thing she said to me when I opened it up to her at about midday. She hadn't seen it properly since Jen had left.
She was overly chatty, still buoyed by the booze in her blood, talking excitedly about her antics the previous night: it seemed the night had morphed into some sort of monster fetish orgy after I'd left, everyone given some sort of anonymity by the outfits and masks they were wearing. It sounded like something out of Eyes Wide Shut - a sex masquerade party with halloween costumes. Damn was I glad I left when I did.
After she was done with the gory details - that I really didn't want to hear by the way - I told her about the guy with the V mask, the guy who broke into my dorm.
She had no explanation, but reacted just as I'd expect her to. Go the the campus police. Go to the real police. Report it. Do something!
Of course, I knew there was no point to any of that. First off, what the hell could they do? Secondly, would they really care? College hijinks, nothing more, they'd say. I dunno, maybe they were right. Whatever the case, best to put it out of my mind, I had a lot bigger fish to fry.
I told Tess, politely as possible, to piss off, dropping my head back into my books to polish up my paper and pushing everything else from my mind. That's something I'd always been good at - pushing unpleasant thoughts out of my head. Growing up the way I did it was a skill I had needed to learn.
Mid afternoon I heard another knock at the door. “Alice, are you in there?” I recognized the voice from the day before. That warm and smooth voice.
“If you're looking for Jen, Kyle, she's not in I'm afraid,” I shouted from across the room. “I told you already, she's moved out.”
“I'm not here for Jen, I'm here to speak to you.”
I dropped my pen and picked my head up from my books. “Huh? I don't know you.” I spoke. I had no time for nonsense.
“I know that. I wanted to apologize.”
“For what?”
There was a short silence before he spoke again. “Last night.”
A frown inched across my face. “That's OK, Kyle. You only disturbed me for a moment. Instead of apologizing about that, maybe you should leave me alone right now? I've got lots of work to do.”
“No, I'm not apologizing about coming here yesterday, well, not during the day at least.”
My heart fell to the floor. It was him, last night. It was him in the mask.
I walked slowly towards the door. “Who are you?” I asked, my words cautious.
“Please, let me in and I'll tell you. I have a proposition for you Alice, something you may be interested in.”
Who the f*ck was this guy. He comes looking for Jen, then sneaks back into my room when I'm out later that night dressed like a creepy comic book character, and now he's telling me he's got a proposition for me. I didn't even know him, had never properly met him.
“Erm, I'm not really interested in anything you have to say. You broke into my f*cking room last night!”
“OK, OK, I'm sorry for that.” I looked through the peephole as he spoke, his stubble slightly thicker than before, owing to an extra days growth, his blue eyes apologetic, his wavy hair swept back behind his head. He was achingly manly, his chin and jawline cast from stone, his voice so deep and smooth.
“Please Alice, let me apologize, let me explain why I'm here.”
He sounded earnest, sounded genuine. Even though I didn't trust him, my curiosity was spiked too high for me to give this up. In any case, he didn't look to me a man to stop at the first hurdle. I had a feeling that if I didn't hear him out, he'd be coming back anyway.
“Look, I don't feel safe letting you in. I'll meet you down the road at the cafe on the corner in ten minutes.”
“Sounds fair,” he said. “I'll look forward to it.”
I watched as he walked away, turning the corner at the end of the corridor and spinning around to down the stairs. I looked to the mirror by the sink in the corner of the room and shuddered at the sight of me. I looked so pale, so tired, so drained - like one of those ghoulish masks I'd seen people wearing last night.
Yuck!
I don't know why I cared but I did. I quickly applied some light make-up and dragged my most dashing woollen jumper from my closet, pulling on a pair of tight jeans and wrapping a heavy scarf around my neck. OK, here we go.
....
A few minutes later I was standing outside the cafe looking in through the glass. Inside I could see him - Kyle - casually stirring a large cup. I hesitated briefly before stepping in through the door, the bell clanging lightly as it opened.
He quickly looked up, our eyes meeting properly for the first time, and I stepped forward. He stood quickly as I approached and held out his hand. I extended my own and took it. It was large and strong, but his touch gentle.
“It's nice to meet you officially Alice,” he said, smiling. I struggled to withdraw my gaze from his white teeth, flashing between his dimpled cheeks, his dusty stubble helping to define his jawline. Jesus Christ he was even more beautiful without a door between us. His face held no imperfections, no a blemish, not a thing out of place. His eyes were even bluer than I'd thought, contrasting against his dark hair, his features strong, yet soft.
“And you,” I said on autopilot, forgetting momentarily that this was the guy who'd broken into my room.
“Let me get you a drink,” he said.
I shook my head. “No, I can't stay. I'm just here to find out what you have to say.”
“With an aim to being hasty then, I'll cut right to the chase. Jen worked for me, that's why I was looking for her. She had an obligation to meet, but she failed to do so. I hope that explains my fervor at trying to track her down.”
“I suppose,” I said, nodding. I understood all too well that employers were never that happy when someone failed to turn up to work.
“It was a matter of some sensitivity, so I was instructed to trace her by all means necessary. That is why I broke into your room. I had to be sure you were telling the truth. I had to be sure that she was actually gone. I never expected you to return so soon from the party.”
“Yes, I saw you there, in the V for Vendetta mask.”
He smiled and laughed lightly. “Ah yes, so crude, I know. I was there seeing if I could find her. A long shot, but worth the small effort it took.”
He lowered his eyes slightly, peering directly at me with a more serious tone to his voice. “I hope I didn't frighten you as you woke?”
I laughed gently. “You're kidding, right? Of course you frightened me! I'm not Sigourney-f*cking-Weaver.”
“Allow me to make it up to you.” The words came suddenly, as if he didn't expect to say them himself.
I leaned back in my chair. “How?”
“Let me take you to dinner. Let me apologize properly.”
OK, now he must have been kidding! “Dinner? With you? You must think I'm insane.”
A look of hurt washed over his face, quickly hidden once more under his confident visage. “Just an offer,” he said blankly, “no strings attached.”
I pondered it for a moment as I looked at him. Tess had been begging me to date a few guys recently, telling me to lighten up. Yeah, easy for her to say, she didn't have to worry about money like I did. But maybe she was right? Maybe it would make for a nice distraction? But this guy? Really?
“I know nothing about you though. What do you do? What was Jen doing for you?”
“I run a club. She worked for me there.”
Ah, so that explained the late nights.
“Really?” I asked, my interest piqued. “Any work going?” I said casually, jokingly.
His reply came quick. “There is now.”
“Oh, you mean Jen's job? So what exactly did she do? Bar work? Waitressing? I've got plenty of experience with both if that's what you're looking for.”
What the hell was going on! How had I gotten myself into a job interview situation with this guy?! I bit my tongue. My need to find work was overriding all the warning signs that were flaring up in my head.
I could see him sizing me up, my desperation so obvious. “She was in client services. Look, how about that dinner. I'll tell you all about it then?”
Suddenly the idea of dinner sounded a lot more appealing. If it might lead to a job, what could be the harm. Right now I'd take just about anything, at least until I found something better. Plus, it sounded like a night time gig, and that was just what I was looking for. Screw going out and socializing in the evening - my life wasn't that easy. Days for college work, nights for paid work: that's how things had always been.
“Sure,” I said, my guard dropping, “I'll take you up on the offer.”
He smiled once more, wider than before, his blue eyes burning into me. “Perfect,” he said, “tomorrow night, 8 PM.” It didn't sound like a question or option, but an order.
“That works,” I said nodding.
“Great, I'll come to your room, again,” he said, a playful slant to his words. “One more thing before I go. What's your surname?”
“Newton, it's Alice Newton.”
“Great to meet you Miss Newton. I'm Kyle, Kyle Logan.”