Page 53 of Reckless Chances
Charlie didn’t know what to say. He had definitely NOT had fun, nor did he think that either Jason or Adam had gotten up to any kind of fun that this woman would’ve found appropriate.
“It was perfect,” Jason said.
Charlie nodded without saying anything and the elevator doors opened. “This way,” Adam waved the two of them to the end of the hallway. “We’ve got the suite.” Jason slipped the key card in the door and as the three of them stepped into the suite they were hit with the smell of stale beer. Charlie looked around the main room and immediately knew that Alison shouldn’t be there. Empty vodka bottles were toppled over on the coffee table, next to a mirror with rolled-up bills. But the worst part, there was a red shiny purse, one that Charlie knew he had seen before, sitting on the kitchen counter. Charlie pulled Jason aside and whispered, “We should’ve called.”
Alison stepped into the room and surveyed the carnage then stormed to the master bedroom. “Stop her,” Charlie hissed. Jason seemed unable to move and Charlie leaped to stop Alison from seeing something he knew she’d never be able to unsee. His foot kicked something, and he stumbled, falling to one knee – he turned to see a pair of scuffed high heels that appeared to have been kicked off. “Alison, wait.” Charlie stood and tried to get to her, but she had already opened the bedroom door and was frozen with her hand on the lever.
Charlie approached, hoping that Stacy was in the bedroom with one of the groomsmen, and not the groom, but the rigid stance of Adam’s soon to be wife, told him otherwise. “Alison,” he put his hand on her shoulder and could feel her trembling. She swatted Charlie’s hand away, but the touch seemed to break her from her spell, and she stepped into the tawdry scene ahead of them.
“Adam?” The tangle of covers didn’t move. Charlie could see a woman’s foot sticking out, the man a mound under the duvet.
Jason joined Charlie’s side and the two of them watched as Alison approached the bed. “Adam.” This time it wasn’t a reluctant question. She crossed her arms and stood at the foot of the bed as the mound stirred. Stacy’s teased hair appeared first, then her raccoon eyes, her red lipstick smeared across her face like a drunken clown.
“Hey,” she hissed and shook the mount next to her, her eyes squinted at the group staring at her. “Who are you?”
“Who am I?” Alison whispered. She balled her hands into fists and stood staring at the whore, who stared back.
“What’s going on?” A man’s voice croaked.
Alison gasped as Adam sat up and revealed himself. As soon as he saw her, his eyes shot wide open like he’d been given a shot of adrenaline. “Ali,” he said. “What are you doing here?”
“What am I doing here?” she said through her teeth. “What am I doing here?” she repeated, this time a little louder. She stepped to the end of the bed and Charlie and Jason jumped back as she ripped the covers from the bed, exposing not only Adam and Stacy’s naked bodies but Pamela’s as well.
“Oh god,” Jason whispered.
Alison let out a guttural scream and fell to her knees on the Berber carpet.
“Goddammit, Alison.” Adam got up from the bed and rushed to her side. “Get out of here,” he shouted to the women trying to cover up their nakedness with pillows. “Ali,” he crouched next to her and stroked her hair. “I’m sorry. It’s not what it looks like.”
Alison turned her head slowly and then pushed Adam away by his shoulder. Unable to maintain his balance in his unstable crouch, he sprawled backward on the carpet. Charlie and Jason groaned as Adam’s nakedness was upended and visible in its flaccid glory. “It’s exactly what it looks like.” Alison brushed off her hands and turned on her heel. “Get me out of here.” She brushed between Charlie and Jason and marched to the door. “Come on,” she shouted. “Leave him to his whores.”
Charlie shut the door and squeezed his eyes together tightly as if the motion could erase the scene he had just witnessed. No one should ever see what they just saw, especially someone’s fiancée. Charlie and Jason stepped over the mess of booze bottles and random cushions that were scattered around the room.
“Not. You.” Alison held out her hand and stopped Jason in his tracks. She pointed at Charlie. “Please.” It was then that the tears started to form, and Charlie noticed that her hands were trembling so hard she wouldn’t have been able to write her own name. “Please, Charlie. Get me the fuck out of here.”
“Go,” Jason said. He held up his hands like he was in a stickup. “Get her out of here.” He grabbed Alison’s overnight bag and tossed it to Charlie. Charlie nodded and followed Alison into the hallway. She stopped and leaned against the wall and he worried that she was going to collapse right there. “Come on, let me help you,” Charlie whispered. He slipped her hand over his shoulder and helped her to the elevator, the same way he would help someone who had sprained their ankle.
“You can do it,” he said. By the time the elevator had reached the lobby Alison had regained some of her composure and was able to walk through the lobby on her own. Charlie carried her bag and tried to avoid eye contact with the staff, he did not want to be associated with the debauchery that had gone on in the penthouse suite the night before.
Alison walked to the car at a pace so fast that Charlie practically had to jog to keep up. She didn’t say a word, and when she reached the car she pulled at the handle before Charlie could unlock it. She pulled again and screamed in frustration when it locked once again. She slid down the door and buried her face in her knees, seemingly not noticing the puddle beneath her. Charlie clicked open the car doors and reached to help her up, but she slumped onto her hip. The splash into the puddle seemed to awaken the fury inside of her and she wailed like an injured rabbit, one of the most bloodcurdling sounds Charlie had ever heard.
Charlie sat down on the ground beside her, his back against the front tire of the car. “I’m sorry, Alison.”
“Did you know?” she didn’t look at him.
“I had no idea. I’m just as shocked as you are right now.” Charlie squinted as the sun made its first appearance above Sugar Peaks. “I don’t really know what to say right now.” Charlie put his hand to his brow to shade his eyes.
“I’m not that shocked.” Alison let her legs flop to the side so she could face Charlie.
“You’re not? What do you mean?”
“You know that old saying? If they’ll do it with you, they’ll do it to you?”
“I have heard that one.” Charlie dug his toe into the gravel in front of him.
“I should’ve known.” The tears were falling freely from Alison’s eyes. “But I can’t say that I didn’t deserve this.” She could barely get the words out through the sobs.
“Nobody deserves that.” Charlie pointed to the hotel.
