James Conway - In Cold Blonde

She peed, winced a bit as she wiped. It was a little tender down there. Overuse, she thought, smiling. But the discomfort brought back the memories of that night eleven years ago when the pain was so agonizing.

It started so innocently. Alice had earned a scholarship to Camden Hall, a top of the line private school for the prodigy of Orange County’s wealthiest residents. She was sitting under a tree in the high school quad reading the latest Harry Potter. She heard laughter and looked up to find three boys looking at her: Adam Devlin, Colin Wood and Blake Hunter. They were seniors, like her. Adam, of course, she knew. The fateful bus trip to the Getty Center was only a month before and she was seriously, albeit secretly, in love with him. She’d seen Colin and Blake around. They were BMOC, handsome but spoiled sons of rich fathers who hung with the cool kids. Alice was on scholarship since her parents made so little money.

The three boys were looking at her, whispering among themselves, laughing, and then Colin and Blake shoved Adam in her direction. With an annoyed glance back at his friends, Adam reluctantly walked up to her.

Her heart did flip-flops as Adam got closer.

“Hi,” he said as he knelt down next to her. “It’s Alice, right?”

“Right,” she said, so nervous she was barely able to speak.

“My friends and I — you know Colin and Blake, don’t you?”

“I’ve seen them around.”

“We’re having a party later at Colin’s house. We wondered if you’d like to stop by.”

She couldn’t believe her ears. She wanted to scream, yes, but fought to stay cool. “Tonight?”

“Yeah, say seven o’clock.”

She was free, but wanted to stay cool. She pretended to consider it for a few moments, then said, “There are a few things I’ll need to move around, but I’d love to come.”

Adam gave her the address, and then returned to his friends who greeted him with high fives. That struck Alice as a little odd, but she ignored it and started thinking about what she was going to wear.

Alice spent the rest of the day deciding between skirt or jeans? Heels or sandals? Thong or boyshorts? She finally decided on black jeans, her favorite blue tank top, black boyshorts and her rainbow strap wedge sandals.

She was hoping to sleep with Adam. At least be able to jerk him off or blow him. All the boys she did it with told her how good she was, so if she could impress Adam, well, before she knew it she could be finally be hanging with the cool kids.

So with sex a distinct possibility, Alice sprinkled a little J’adore by Christian Dior on her nipples and pubes for a little unexpected treat for Adam.

She arrived at seven-fifteen; can’t seem too anxious after all. The house was a typical ten-thousand-square-foot Orange County McMansion. She was surprised that there wasn’t a line of cars parked on the street. School parties tended to attract big crowds. She rang the doorbell and Colin answered. He had a beer in one hand a joint in the other.

“Alice,” he said, all smiles. “So glad you could make it. Come in, come in. We’re in the game room. My dad’s in Cabo so we’ve got the house to ourselves.”

He led her through the sprawling house to an oak-paneled room dominated by a nine-foot pool table. Adam and Blake were in the middle of a game.

“Hi,” Blake said. “Can I get you a drink?”

She looked at Adam, the only boy she really cared about, but he was preoccupied with lining up a shot.

“Yeah, sure,” she said. “I’d like a coke, diet if you’ve got it.”

“Want a little rum with that?”

Alice had had a few glasses of wine before, beer and drinks with some of the boys she’d dated, but never really liked it. But she didn’t want to seem a prude, so she said, “Sure. Rum and coke it is.” Then she looked around, confused. “Where is everyone? I thought there was going to be a party.”

Colin and Blake exchanged a look. “More kids are coming later,” Colin said. “But we wanted a chance to get to know you first.”

Blake handed her a rum and coke. “Cheers.”

She clinked her glass with his beer and drank. The rum and coke didn’t taste too good. Too much rum, not enough coke, she guessed. Oh, well, she thought, maybe it’ll help me relax. She took another big sip.

“You play pool?” Blake asked.

“No,” she said. “It looks like fun, though.”

“Adam,” Blake said. “Why don’t you show Alice here how to hold your shaft — I mean cue.”

Colin and Blake snickered as Adam shot them a disapproving look.

Alice caught the double entendre; a couple of warning bells went off in the back of her mind, but the thought of spending time with Adam was too tempting. “Please, Adam,” she said. “I’d love to learn to play pool.”

“All right,” Adam said finally looking at her. She saw something in his eyes, what was it, regret? “Here,” he said handing her a cue.

She had her drink in her right hand. She moved to set it down.

“Just go ahead and finish your drink, Alice,” Colin said. “I’ll make you another.”

Alice downed the rest of her drink and handed Colin her glass. “Not so much rum this time,” she said.

“Sure, no problem,” Colin said, grinning. “Rum and coke, light, coming up.” That got another laugh out of Blake who joined Colin at the bar.

“Okay,” Adam said. “The key to a good pool shot is the bridge.” He spread his fingers on the table forming a circle with his thumb and index finger. “You try.”

Alice spread her fingers, but as she tried to form the circle, she was hit by a wave of dizziness. She looked at Adam, but his face blurred, and then she felt herself falling.

All she remembers next are fragments.

Hands pulling off her clothes…

Blake’s face looming over her…

Cold hands on her bare skin as she was dropped onto the pool table…

Her legs being spread…

Whoops of laughter…

Sharp, stinging, pain…

She woke up hours later. She was alone in the game room. A clock over the bar said it was three-thirty. She was on the pool table, naked. Her clothes were scattered on the floor. She climbed off the table then crumpled to the ground as pain swept through her. Her head spun and she vomited. She hurt everywhere, her head, stomach, her vagina, her butt.

Dear God what did they do to her?

Terrified, humiliated, she scrambled into her clothes and staggered out of the house. Tears ran down her face as she drove home. Alice snuck in the back door and crept silently into her room. She wasn’t going to tell her parents what happened. She wasn’t going to tell anyone.

Then she found out about the video.

Back in the hotel bathroom, Alice touched up her lipstick. She heard the TV come on in the hotel room. Adam must be awake. She slipped into the plush white terrycloth hotel robe and stepped into the hotel room.

Adam was on the bed, the remote control in his hand, channel surfing. “I must’ve dozed off,” he said. He grinned. “No surprise, you wore me out.”

Alice laughed, slid onto the bed next to him. “That makes two of us.”

He kissed her sweetly. “Thank you.”

“No, thank you.” She kissed him, playfully sucking his lower lip. “Now, you promised me some food. I’m starving.”

Adam looked around, spotted the room service menu on the end table, handed it to her. “Order the five most expensive items on the menu.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

She scanned the menu as Adam went back to the TV. “Hey,” he said, turning up the volume. “I know him.”

Alice glanced up to see a clip of Colin Wood on the TV. “Hollywood actor, Colin Wood, was murdered last night in the parking lot of Havoc, a Hollywood nightclub,” the announcer said. “Witnesses say he was seen leaving the nightclub with a blonde woman, she is being sought by authorities for questioning.” The picture cut to video of a building on fire. “A fire engulfed a warehouse in Culver City…”