Painful Pleasures

Wild night

I was awoken by the sound of my brother talking and laughing with my mother downstairs. Why were they so loud so early in the morning? I checked my phone and saw that it was thirty minutes earlier than I normally get up. It’d be pointless to go back to sleep, so I decided to get dressed. The morning was already up to a bad start as I walked into the bathroom to see a bunch of small hairs all over the sink. Elijah must have been shaving. I took a deep breath, trying not to get upset. When I get my apartment, I won’t have to worry about this. I cleaned the sink and started to get ready for the day. When I was done, I walked down the stairs to get my shoes. I heard a small smack and turned to see my mother scolding my brother for stealing bacon.

“You're not starving, boy.” she said. “Wait till the rolls are done.” he gave her a smile as he poured a glass of juice for himself. “You got everything packed up? Don’t be calling me complaining that you forgot something.”

“I’m packed ma, I got this.” he said back. My dad came out of the bathroom and started plating his food as my mother took something out of the oven. Eli looked over at me. “Morning, mom made cinnamon rolls.”

“Only because you have a long trip. Don’t need people acting like I don’t feed you.” she said. “Aida, come make a plate before your brother eats it all.” As she said that, Eli looked up with a mouth full of food and smiled. I looked away and continued putting on my shoes.

“I’m heading into work early.” I say as I grab the car keys. “He can have my share.”

“Hold up,” my dad stopped me. “You ain't taking my car, I have got a meeting at noon. You better take the bus or something.” my mother gave him a slap on the neck.

“Boy, if you don’t order her an uber,” she demanded.

“For what? She got her own money.” he grumbled. “If you working all these hours and still broke, I think you need to find a new job.” she slapped him again.

“Don’t worry about it, I’ll walk.” I say as I pull on my jacket and walk out of the door.

It was chilly for summer, but I prefer it over being blazing hot. Especially if I'm taking the bus. I had no intention of arriving at work early, I just wanted to get out of the house. Since I had the extra time, I stopped at the gym. Figured it’d give me more energy and help me wake up. I opened my bag and took out a change of clothes. My phone buzzed and I checked what it was. I smiled. It was Jamila showing me her outfit for the day. She was a little, and often dressed in colorful, frilly outfits. She was sitting in a cafe, posing wearing a frilly yellow dress, white thigh-high socks and black heels. She was also wearing a pink wig and white bunny ears with white freckles sprinkled across her face. I thought she looked adorable. It wasn’t something I’d particularly wear, but it suited her perfectly. I told her how cute she looked and she informed me that she was on a breakfast date with her boyfriend. She then asked me when I’d be coming to Philly. I told her I was waiting to hear back from some of the apartment places I’d wanted to look at. I didn’t want to distract her from her date, so I told her we could talk more about it later. About 20 minutes into my work out, I noticed a man eyeing me from across the room. I made a face, but decided to ignore it. Eventually, I forgot about him and continued my reps. At some point, I switched to the pull-up bars. The bar I needed was higher than I anticipated and I found myself jumping to get a grip. Before I knew it, someone’s hands were around my waist, hoisting me up. Shocked, I ignored the bar and squirmed so they’d let me go. I looked back and it was the same man that was eyeing me. “The f**k are you doing?” I asked.

“Sorry, it looked like you needed a hand,” he said back.

“Well, I didn’t.”

“Easy shorty, I was just tryna help. Don’t need to be so uptight about it.”

“First off, don’t call me that. Second, you shouldn’t go around just touching people. At least have the decency to ask first.” he smacked his lips and looked up at the ceiling.

“Fine, if I can’t call you that, can I get your name then?”

“No.” I said bluntly. “I don’t talk to strangers.”

“We ain't gotta be,” he said with a smirk. “Let me get ya name and ya number and we can get to know each other.”

“No,” I say again.

“Damn, why? You gotta man or something?”

“Whether I do or don’t is none of your concern. Take the f*****g hint dude, I’m not interested.” I was starting to get pissed off.

“Damn, why you being like that?”

“Because you won’t leave me alone.” I turned away and started to walk off. To my surprise, he follows after me, still talking.

“I just wanna be a friend, why you trippin?”

“Why are you following me?”

“I’m not, but you tryna act like I’m some typa weirdo or some typa lame,” he said. Honestly, that wouldn’t be far from the truth considering his approach right now. Before I could say another word, a man approached us, placing a hand to stop the other guy. He obviously worked at the gym, considering his uniform.

“Is there a problem here?’ the man who’s name tag said Kevin asked.

“Yeah, this creep won’t leave me alone.” I said before he could speak. He frowned at me, turning his lips up in disgust.

“Man it aint even like that.” he lied. “I was just tryna holla, but she wanna be a b***h about it.” He gave me one last glare before turning away. “Wasn’t all that no way.”

“As if we don’t have enough meat heads coming in here.” Kevin said. “Let me know if he bothers you again. He tends to be persistent with some of the females around here.”

“And you guys allow him to keep coming back?”

“Well, it’s complicated. A lot of women don’t report him. I find out by watching. He still pays his subscription and doesn’t get in trouble too often.” I sigh.

“Thanks anyway.” I say as I headed off toward the locker room. I usually do a cool down, but I wasn’t in the mood to stay here any longer. I guess I’ll clock into work early after all, maybe get some breakfast. I wash away any sweat and change into my uniform before leaving and calling myself an uber.

Today obviously was not my best day. Work started off well, but half way in we ran out of potatoes. I work as a barista, usually making drinks and handing out meals at the counter. However, today we were understaffed and I ended up working as the cashier as well. Usually I wouldn’t mind, but there was a major lunch rush and I was struggling to juggle both. I was dropping drinks and messing up orders. To make matters worse, I was stressed by the number of people complaining about not having potatoes or fries with their meals. Despite the mishap, there were a few kind customers who saw I was stressed and tipped me up to 90 dollars. I was grateful and it helped lighten my mood for the rest of the shift. Thirty minutes before the end of my shift, I checked my phone and saw that there were several messages from close friends, asking if I wanted to go out with them tonight. Honestly, I really wasn’t in the mood. I was stressed, tired, sweaty and I had a headache. However, it’d been months since I last hung out with them, so I ended up saying okay. When my shift was over, I noticed my dad had come to pick me up. Mom must have made him. Thankfully, he didn’t say anything the entire ride home. It was rare we’d speak without winding up in an argument, so this was a relief. When we got in, mom was sitting on the couch next to the dog, watching TV. She greeted me and told me there was food prepared in the kitchen if I was hungry. I informed her that I’d be going out with some friends. My dad didn’t like that.

“So you got money to go out, but not to get your own ride,” my dad commented. Do yall what I mean?

“Boy hush.” my mother scolded him. “Always talking s**t. Just be safe Aida, watch ya drinks and let me know if and where you sleeping if you stay out all night.” I nodded and headed upstairs to get ready. Once I showered, I styled my hair in a high ponytail and curled the ends. I put on a small amount of makeup, going for soft glam and put on a dark green dress that opened in the back. It was still chilly so I put on tights and thigh high boots instead of heels. It was refreshing seeing myself dolled up after weeks of gym and work attire. I texted my friends to see if they were ready and if they wanted to carpool. It took a while to get a reply, but one of them said they'd meet me at the club. Considering the fact that my other friend didn’t reply, it was already a red flag, but I ignored it and figured she just hadn’t seen my text yet. Thankfully, my parents let me use the car and I drove to the loop of Chicago. When I arrived, I was surprised to see that it was a hotel building with a nightclub attached. The music could be heard from the lobby, but it was very faint and muffled. I saw other people in the lounge either waiting or checking in. When it was my turn, the bouncer checked my ID and I paid the fee. He gave me a nod, complimenting my dress as I entered. It was so loud once I stepped in. The club was huge with hundreds of people dancing in the middle of the room. There was a gentle stream of fog coming from the ceiling as well as strobe lights flashing everywhere. The room was dark and slightly difficult to navigate. Two men walked past me, smiling as they checked me out. I texted my friends to see where they were but no one responded. I’ll give them 10 minutes before I call, they may be driving. I take in the scenery, the group of people laughing while drinking in the booths, the men getting lap dances against the wall, the Dj as he too dances to the music. A cute bottle girl passed me and complimented my outfit. I complimented her in return. The music was nice with a nice beat. I found myself starting to bob and move to the rhythm. I’m not the best dancer, but I sure as hell like to do it anyway. Minutes passed and before I could dial their number, one of my friends messaged me saying something had come up and that they couldn’t make it. I called the other friend but she didn’t pick up. A part of me felt frustrated that I’d gotten all dressed up just to get stood up. But I was over being frustrated. That seemed to be the only emotion I felt lately. It’s not like the club gives entrance refunds, so I might as well dance for a bit. I let my worries and problems go. Before I knew it, I was merging into the sea of dancers, vibing with the music. I dipped and swayed my hips, not caring really who was watching. And I knew for a fact someone was watching. I felt someone grab me from behind, pulling me into them. I didn’t bother to look at who it was. It didn’t really matter, so I let them lead. I let them hold onto my waist and push into me while I moved against them. Whoever this was, was obviously enjoying himself, judging by the hard bulge I was feeling pressed against my ass. I felt him bend down and whisper into my ear.

“I gotta go, ma, but shoot me a text sometime.” the man said as I felt him slip a small piece of paper into my bra. I didn’t really care, so I didn't turn to watch him go. I just continued to dance. Moments later, I spot a group of girls smiling at me. I’d never seen them before but they waved at me, inviting me to dance with them. I often don’t interact with strangers, but at this point, why not? It’s just for tonight. I danced with the girls, all of us shaking asses and grinding on each other. One girl in particular seemed to favor me, holding me close to her as I moved. When I turned to her, she leaned in and kissed me. I jumped, hella startled, but didn’t push away. Her girlfriends started to cheer and it left me feeling slightly embarrassed. She bit my lip before breaking the kiss. Don’t get me wrong, she was hella pretty and tall, but I’d never kissed a girl before, so it must have amused her to see how shy I’d become. I told the girls I was thirsty and left the crowd. Well, that was interesting. I went to the bar and sat down. My feet were killing me. I ordered a drink from the bartender, something sweet and not too acidic. Someone sat next to me.

“Damn, I didn’t know you got down like that.” I looked over and curled my nose up in disgust. It was the same guy from the gym. “Where was all that energy when I was feeling you?”

“Are you some typa stalker or something?” I asked, not hiding my distaste for his company.

“Why you still on that? Am I ugly or something? Is that why you keep tryna curve me?”

“Yes actually, inside and out.” I say as the bartender gives me my drink. “And you’re really starting to get on my nerves by approaching me as if I wasn’t clear earlier. I am not interested.” he frowned, but then smiled.

“Ight, hint taken. It was nice meeting you anyway, miss.”

“Can’t say the same,” I say as I took several sips of my drink. After a few minutes, he left me alone and instead talked to the bartender. They laugh and dab each other up, obviously friends. An hour passes and I’m starting to grow tired of dancing, so I aim to leave. As I’m on my way out, I notice everything looking a bit blurry. My head felt heavy and I felt the slight urge to vomit. I’d only had one drink, I couldn’t be drunk already. I’m not that much of a light weight. I tried my best to walk properly as I made my way out of the club and into the lobby. There were people waiting outside who giggled as I walked past.

“I’m tryna get like her.” one guy said. Stupid. I continued walking but at some point my head was pounding and I had to sit down. There was no way I could drive like this. What the hell was happening? I’d kept my eye on my drink all night, someone couldn’t have messed with it. f**k it, I needed to call someone to come get me. I grabbed my phone out of my bag and tried to dial my mom’s number, but it was getting really hard to focus.

“You don’t look so good.” someone said. “Here, have some water, are you okay?” The person handed me a cup of water and I drank it, hoping the coolness would help me wake up a bit. “Are you okay?” the person asked again.

“Yeah, yeah…I just…need to call my parents.” my phone slipped from my hands and I almost fell trying to reach for it. The stranger caught me.

“Easy there, let’s get you somewhere comfortable. You look like you’re gonna be sick.” I furrowed my brows, everything felt so confusing. Who was this again and where was I going? Somewhere comfortable? No, I don’t know them…I can’t even see them. I need…to call…my…mom. Before I knew it, everything went dark.

I awoke to the sound of my alarm going off. I groaned sleepily as I reached for it, but surprisingly it wasn’t on the side of the bed that it usually was. I slowly open my eyes, they swim groggily across the ceiling as I try to focus them. My head hurt and my room was a lot brighter than usual. I felt the left side for my phone and was surprised by how large the bed was. That realization woke me up and I snapped my head to the side to locate my phone. I squinted my eyes against the bright light. When they adjusted I realized I was not in my room. I was in a hotel room. I shot up from the pillow which was a big mistake because my headache grew significantly worse. I saw my phone on the nightstand, plugged up to a charger. I reached over and turned off the alarm. I lay back on the pillow, massaging my temples as I tried to remember how I’d gotten here? Don’t tell me I slept with some stranger. I was more than convinced I’d been drugged. There was no way I’d be this out of it from one drink, especially when I know for a fact bars are too stingy to put nearly enough alcohol in their drinks. I tried to remember who I was talking to before, but I was coming up blank. I tried lifting up again, this time slower. My head still hurt, but it was barrable. The blanket slipped down and I noticed I was still wearing my clothes apart from my boots. However the straps of my dress were torn and there were holes in my tights. My left shoulder also ached. I turned on my phone and was dejected to see how many messages I’d missed from my mom at 3 in the morning. She’s gonna chew me out when I get back. Suddenly, I heard a knock at the door. My nerves peeked. Whoever was there was either housekeeping or my attacker. I searched for my purse which lay at the side of the bed and pulled out my pepper spray. I should have brought my taser, but I hadn’t planned on needing it considering I’d be with my friends. When I didn’t say anything the door began to open. I sat on the edge of the bed, prepared to run when necessary. I was taken aback when the man from the airport walked in. He looked at me.

“Oh, you are awake.” he said as looked down at my can of pepper spray. He was holding a tray and slowly walked over to the table and sat it down. When he turned back to me, I was still holding the pepper spray. “I know this is probably confusing.”

“What the f**k are you doing here?” I ask.

“This is my hotel room.”

“Why the f**k am I here, then? f*****g creep, did you do this? Did you drug me?”

“Why don’t you put the spray down and we can talk,” he said.

“Like hell, answer me first.” I say. He slowly walks toward me, I point the bottle higher. Despite this, he continues over and sits at the edge of the bed.

“I’m not gonna hurt you.” he starts off. “I know how the situation looks, but I swear I did not drug you.”

“Then who did? Surely you must have seen someone before bringing me here?”

“I found you laid out in the hallway. Your dress was torn and you had a few bruises on your arms. I looked around but there was no one in sight.”

“Liar.” I spat.

“I don’t lie.”

“Bullshit, all men lie.”

“Not I.” he said. “I have no reason to. I try to be someone many can trust wholeheartedly, even as a mere stranger.”

“Am I really supposed to believe that?” I ask.

“I'd have gladly proven that to you had you not blocked me.” he said with a smirk.

“Don’t get cute with me buddy. If you’re not shady, why am I here? Why not call the police after you found me?”

“I was going to try to call your parents, but your phone had died. I’d thought about calling the police, but judging by the state you were in, I wasn’t too sure. They would have likely taken you to the hospital causing a big commotion in the lobby. With the crowd downstairs, more than likely there would have been videos being taken of you in your shredded clothing and bruises. Not to mention hospital bills can be a pain and I’d hate to force you into that situation not knowing whether or not you had health insurance. I only brought you here so you could rest. At least then you could decide what you’d like to do when you wake up.”

Well that’s…weirdly considerate. And I really need to stop letting my phone die when I’m out. I looked over at the tray he’d brought. “What’s that?” I ask.

“Food.” he says as he goes to bring it to me. By that time I’d lowered my pepper spray, resting it on the bed beside me. “I figured something hearty and warm might help with your hangover.” The tray consisted of oatmeal, sausage patties, a bowl of fruit and avocado toast. “I wasn’t sure what you'd like. They have more options if this isn’t appealing.”

I opened my mouth to speak, to protest, to ask why he was being so nice. But instead I picked up the toast and took a bite. He handed me a bottle of water. I hadn’t even realized how dry my mouth had felt. “Thank you.” I say before continuing to eat. Thankfully, he allowed me to eat in peace as he left the room. When he came back, he held out a bag to me.

“I got you something a bit more comfortable to wear. I figured you wouldn’t want to travel home in your current state. When you’re ready we should talk about what you would like to do about what happened last night.”

“Does this hotel have a lot of cameras?” I ask, taking the bag.

“I haven’t paid much attention to them, but I believe so. At most there are definitely a few in the lobby.”

“Good,” I say. “I wanna see what happened last night, and what asshole did it.”