Page 52 of The Wife
“Want another one?” Bobby asked. Close in my ear so I could hear him.
I was planning on two. That’s what I told myself coming in to tonight. I could have that and still be okay to drive home. But the way I felt now, there was no way I was driving. I needed to call Jake.
“No. I don’t think so. I feel really…”
Not drunk. Not like I was out of my head. More like I was out of my body. The press of people around me felt like it was all too much.
“Yeah, I can see you don’t look so hot. It’s too crowded in here. Let me take you out back to get some air.”
Air. Cool air on my face and skin. Yes, that was exactly what I wanted.
“But I can’t leave Chrissy.”
“I’ll text her. Let her know I’ve got you. Karen and Lisa are still here.”
That was true. I needed the air so very desperately. Bobby helped me off the stool and I caught myself before almost falling. His arm was around me, and that felt good. I had this longing to touch every part of him, which was crazy because I had never wanted to touch Bobby MacPherson. Ever.
We may have called a truce, but it was not like I was interested in him. Despite what Jake said about him having a thing for me. Although I might be more inclined to be grateful if I could get some air. The crush of people as we moved through the crowd was disturbing, because in some ways I hated it and in other ways I liked the contact.
He was guiding me down the narrow hall where the doors to the bathroom were, and I could see the door at the end with the exit sign over it. Yes, that’s what I wanted. To be gone. To be able to breathe. To shake this crazy feeling in my head like I was flying so high. Higher than I ever wanted to fly.
Bobby pushed the door open and there it was. I tilted my head back and breathed in as deeply as I could. As if I hadn’t been able to breathe at all and suddenly there was all this oxygen. I teetered a few steps and pressed my back up against the brick wall which was the back of Pete’s. There was a light attached to the wall that was shining, then suddenly it went dark.
“Why did it go dark?”
“Don’t worry about it.”
The next thing I knew, Bobby was trying to kiss me. His lips were on me and I could feel his tongue trying to press into my mouth. I lifted my arms to push him away, but he was too heavy.
“Bobby, no!”
I think I said that. I tried to say that. But I didn’t want to open my mouth. I turned my head away from him and he started sucking on my neck.
“Stop. No.”
“Come on. You know you want this. You’re begging for it.”
Begging for it? Hardly. “Seriously, stop. This is not cool.”
I tried pushing him again, but he was like this wall that wouldn’t move. Then he was spinning me, so that my cheek was pressed against the rough brick.
“I know you want it. I’ve seen your toys.”
I was trying to make sense of what he was saying. But I could not fucking control my brain. He pulled my hips back against his and then I felt his hands on the buttons of my jeans. I bucked against him hard and that moved him away a little.
“See, you’re like a bitch in heat,” he laughed. “I’ll make this so fucking good for you.”
“No!”
Not this. This was not happening. I was not about to lose it to Bobby MacPherson behind Pete’s bar when I didn’t want this to happen. I should have done it with Jake when he was drunk. That would have been better than this.
Jake. God, he was going to be so mad at me.
“Jake!”
“Jake’s not here,” Bobby growled in my ear. “I am.”
Then he was tugging off my jeans, or trying to, when I heard a crash. I turned my head toward the sound. The back door had popped open and there was Jake. Like I had somehow summoned him. He was this amazing superhero who I could see from the light pouring out from the bar behind him.
