Page 98 of Back Room Host

“It’s awesome in the summer! I’ve hung fairy lights and lounge furniture outside. They’re all stored away at the moment.”

“Cool,” I said, taking another sip of my beer.

I had spent the entire day holed up at home, feeling like a zombie. Only when evening came did I drag myself into the shower and get going with some cocaine. Now, I stood here as if everything were completely normal.

“This is the first time I’ve seen the Hardbrücke road bridge from this perspective,” I said absentmindedly.

“I find things like that really exciting. It’s similar to when a building is torn down. One day you pass by and can hardly remember what it looked like before. It seems so strangely new.”

“Yeah.” I couldn’t help but view the comparison as a metaphor for my own shitty life. “But then they build a new building and everything is back to how it was before. As if the whole thing was just a little disruption.”

Thomas laughed, his eyes sparkling with expectation as he peered at me. I knew that look. It often appeared when the guys were horny but wanted to delay the moment a bit longer. I chuckled and took another sip. However, this time I didn’t take my eyes off Thomas and watched as he licked his lips.

“So, you want it rough?” I asked softly, taking a step closer.

“Really rough,” he replied.

“You know my terms. You agreed to them. You can send me the money via the app or give it to me in cash. I take four hundred upfront.”

“Upfront?” Thomas hesitated.

“I always do it that way with new clients. You never know who you’re dealing with.”

“I understand that, of course,” Thomas said, sounding sympathetic. He took out his phone and sent me four hundred francs. “It’s done.”

“Thank you. Shall we get down to business then?”

I walked to the living room table and placed the beer bottle down. When I straightened up, I felt dizzy. Thomas was there to support me.

“Careful. Are you okay?”

“Oh fuck … what…” My heart raced and a tingling sensation swept over my body. I realized that it wasn’t my circulation. Thanks to the cocaine, I had actually felt pretty good. Absolutely normal. But this was something else.

“What did you …” My tongue felt heavy. “What did you put in my beer? Roofies?”

“Come on,” Thomas said accommodatingly, leading me into the bedroom.

I knew I should have fled as quickly as possible, but it was too late for that now. Although my gaze was fixed on the entrance door, it swept past me like a train. When I turned my head and the room around me lagged behind, it took me a moment toregain my composure. I saw the large bed in front of me and two guys. Their faces contorted into sinister grimaces as they approached me. One of them appeared familiar, like …

“No … guys … this won’t work. I don’t do … threesomes … uh … foursomes.”

Finally, I managed to free myself from Thomas’s grip and spun around, trying to flee toward the exit. But I felt like I was on a carousel spinning faster and faster, and my limbs no longer did what they were supposed to. I staggered to the side and caught myself on the kitchen counter.

“Shit …”

“Come here, Juri. You can’t go out on the street like this. We’ll take care of you now.”

I tried to concentrate. The voice also sounded familiar.

“No! The deal is off! Let me …”

The two guys grabbed me by the arms and carried me back into the bedroom. I tried to resist, but it only happened in my head. The drug had already caused me to lose all control over my body. The two men lay me down, and soon Thomas was there too, lying next to me, stroking a few strands of hair from my forehead and pretending to comfort me. One of them seemed to get off on it, as his other hand started wandering, stroking my neck and chest. He spoke to me, trying to reassure me in some twisted way, but I was at their mercy and panicked.

My heart raced, my breath caught, and yet I couldn’t defend myself. I wanted to scream, but I couldn’t even manage that. I was trapped in my own body. Thomas leaned in and kissed me. Almost tenderly. He stroked my head again and smiled gently.

What a psycho!

A jolt ran through me as the other two guys began to undress me. One of them had just pulled down my pants.

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