I think you were in first year law and couldn’t come.”
“I was,” he confirms, acid dripping from his words.
I swallow the rest of my wine and motion for more, needing the liquid courage.
“That time, she was caught. Someone saw her take a bag of pig’s blood from the AP Science lab that was used for platelet microscopy. She covered me in fucking pig’s blood. At this point, my parents got involved. Things seemed to calm down because she was threatened with expulsion. Of course, she denied everything. So she laid low for months. But once senior grades were posted, she got her piece of revenge.
“I was scheduled to take the Advanced Placement and Dual Enrollment exams, which would put me in the classes to help me start gaining college credits. My parents and I needed that help with my college expenses. Nicky was convinced he’d stay in Florida, but even if he didn’t, I would still be able to use the credits toward almost any school. The day of the exam, the proctor gave everyone their tests and we started. Not even thirty minutes later, he got a call and demanded we all put our pencils down. He came straight to me and asked me to follow him to the office. As we walked out, the principal came in. An hour later, my parents and I sat in a meeting as he explained there was a detailed cheat sheet under my desk. I was never allowed in the program.”
“Fuck,” he spits out, draining his own glass.
“The next two years, she wasn’t around, but I was always fighting the stigma of the cheater. The only guys who ever asked me out were the ones who heard I was easy from Sasha or her crowd of friends. She left me with the reputation of a cheater and a whore.”
Against my better judgment, I finish my third glass of wine and feel it burning in my empty stomach. But I push on, wanting him to know.
“Freshman year of college, I was blackballed from every sorority by the third round. By this time, Nicky was on the warpath. He had enough. He was the football superstar, the campus hotshot, the most sought after guy for all the girls. He made me go out with him and the other players, watching over me with the eye of a big brother. I finally gained some confidence and started acting like a college freshman. The first time I got drunk, I puked for days, but instead of wanting to die, I wanted to keep going. Finally, I felt normal.”
“We’re leaving, NOW!” Shaw motions to the waiter.
In a whirlwind, bags are brought with our food packaged inside, the tab is paid, and I’m being yanked out of my chair to the exit. Shaw doesn’t let go of me, holding me so close I feel the raging anger brewing. He gives the driver instructions to my house in a clipped tone, and I finally find my voice, ready to purge everything.
“I wore a red bikini at Nicky’s signing party.”
“Biz, I remember that bikini. It’s etched in my mind.”
“You know why? Because there were people taking pictures and I wanted her to know I looked okay in red.”
“Fucking fuck… fuck… fuck.”
I keep going. “One time in college, she came into the restaurant I worked. When she saw me, she got this evil glare in her eye. The next thing I know, she’s screaming at me, saying I ruined her order on purpose and demanding I be fired. I was mortified. My manager didn’t listen to her, but the damage was still there.
“Then I busted my ass to get into nursing school. She went on to law school. I haven’t seen her since.”
“Jesus, Jesus, Jesus…” he repeats over and over until the driver pulls up to my apartment and turns to face us.
“Mr. Bennett, do you need me to wait for you?”
“No, I’ll be staying the night. And you’re off duty tomorrow, too. Fully paid. By the way, help yourself to these meals. They were never touched.”
He nods at Shaw and gives me a professional smile as Shaw kicks the door open and lifts me out. I fight against him, insisting I can walk as he lets us into my apartment, kicking the door closed.
He handles me like a ragdoll, twirling us to lock the door then stalking to my bedroom, falling on top of me with all his weight.