By SteveO
It was still dark outside, and I could hear a thumping in my head. I awoke, almost, and opened my eyes ever so slightly to squint at the clock beside my bed. 6.18, far too early to get up. But the thumping was getting louder and I realised it wasn’t just in my head. I sat up on the side of the bed and took in a deep breath. It was dark and cold. I was only wearing my shorts, and I staggered to the front door half dressed. I opened the door, and there was a girl standing there. I was starting to shiver by now, and so was Julie. She was wearing an overcoat and a scarf around her neck, but she looked like she’d been out in the cold for a while. I must have looked a little taken aback, because she apologised.
“I’m so sorry, Pete. I know it’s early and it’s cold”
She could see me shaking.
“Come in. I’ll get dressed while you put the heater on over there.” I said.
She came in and I headed back to the bedroom to find something warm to put on. When I came out she was standing in the lounge in front of the heater, warming her hands. She turned around and told me why she’d woken me.
“Pete, I’m in real trouble. And I mean real trouble this time”
I couldn’t imagine it, but she made it sound like she’d been in trouble before.
I couldn’t imagine it, but she made it sound like she’d been in trouble before.
“It’s Rex. I’ve left him.”
To be honest I didn’t even know she was still with him. I hadn’t seen Julie since the wedding a few months ago.
“And I’ve taken all his money.”
She made it sound like I knew what she was talking about. I nodded.
“All of it” She made sure I understood.
“He’d been secretly saving to take me on a world cruise. Over four thousand dollars. Four thousand. It was going to be like a honeymoon, he said”
“Were you two going to get married?” I asked. As soon as I said it, I knew it was the wrong thing to say. She glared at me.
“Not likely. Not after what I did to him.”
I must have looked confused. I was. She went on to explain what had been happening. Apparently Eric, the one from the wedding, who I had thought only seemed interested in food, had made a pass at her. She wasn’t interested, so she gave him the cold shoulder. But Eric’s her boss, and he started putting pressure on her to go out with him, and not just for a meal either, she tells me. He made that clear. She tried to shrug him off with stalling tactics, which obviously didn’t work. This went on for a week or so, until eventually she decided to quit her job. Her boss was angry.
“I told Rex, and he seemed to be just as upset. Apparently, him and Eric were mates a long time ago - I didn’t even know they knew each other – and he said I must have encouraged Eric somehow…”
I sat down on the sofa. I was almost wide awake by now. More...
