CHAPTER THREE

"Is it okay to go out like this?"

We were at Tatiana's house again, dressed in one of the clothes she had ordered for me. It was a black leather short skirt with a black crop top paired with a pair of black boots.

"Of course, it is. People wear much worse these days, believe me, you're decent."

It was another Friday night and Tatiana said we were going back to the club she had made up with her boyfriend, after much pleading on the part of Dimitri.

"I don't know…"

"Exactly, you don't. But I do. Now it's time for us to leave…come on"

She shooed us out of her house and into the Uber waiting for us out on the driveway. We got in and after giving the driver an address, we were on our way.

"Hey, Arizona. What do you think about moving in with me?"

My head spun towards Tatiana in shock, she honestly wanted me to move in with her? What do I say?

"Really?"

"Yes, I mean I love you and we've become like sisters; the house is boring without you so why not?"

"I don't know, I already paid for the whole semester."

"You seriously did not just say that. You'd rather live in a noisy dorm with crazy girls and an annoying roommate that stay with me, your soul sister?"

"I didn't mean it like that…"

"That means you'll move in with me."

"Okay, it's not like you're giving me much of a choice."

She laughed and hugged me fiercely and began planting kisses on my cheeks. The driver pulled up in front of the club and we got out. Once again, we didn't need to wait in line or flash any ID. The club was more packed than usual, and the smell of sweaty bodies mixed with cologne and alcohol filled the air, it felt like a unique drug of its own, a heady feeling.

Tatiana dragged me to the table where we sat the previous Friday, she had said that it was specially reserved for her and whoever she brings with her, in this case, me. I was glad because I know that if I had to be in the same space with everyone at the same time I might pass out. Tatiana ordered us drinks, I learned what I drank the previous Friday was whiskey but Tatiana insisted that I try other 'varieties' so she ordered ten shots of Tequila. I looked at the shot glass of clear liquid in my hand skeptically while Tatiana was on her third bottle, she urged me on and with a final glance, I closed my eyes and threw my glass back. The liquid burned through my throat and with that came a feeling like none I've ever felt before. I drank two more shots and I was more than ready to take over the world, I stood up and dragged Tatiana to the dance floor, I don't know how long I was dancing for but at a point, I couldn't see Tatiana again and the alcohol was beginning to mess with my bladder and my vision.

I pushed past bodies and brushed off catcalls from men to get to the bathroom, after relieving myself I splashed some water on my face and dried it off with some tissue. I stood in front of the mirror until I felt a little better, as I got out of the bathroom and shut the door behind me, I got pushed back against the door. I looked up at the face of my attacker, he was a huge man and he seriously smelt of alcohol and something else.

"Oh, darlin'. I and you will have loads of fun."

He tried to tear my skirt off, I looked down the hallway and it was deserted, that was when I began to scream. That didn't stop him, he began fondling my breasts through my blouse and licked my neck up to my face. I closed my eyes started to cry when he pushed his fingers past my underwear, suddenly I couldn't feel his weight on me anymore, I looked to see that he was been beat up by someone and that was the last thing I remember.

***

I woke up in an unfamiliar bed, but that wasn't what freaked me out. It was the fact that I was wrapped up in someone else's arms that made me scream. The man jumped up from the bed and brought a gun from his nightstand and I screamed again, this time louder. He looked around the room, went to the bathroom and closet, and after confirming that there was no danger, he kept the gun back in the nightstand.

"What is the problem?"

In my fright, I had failed to take a good look at him, he was none other than Viktor. I calmed down a bit as he was a familiar face but that in no way calmed the storm going on inside me. Did anything happen?

"Viktor…how did I get here?"

"What do you remember from last night?"

"I went to the club, I was dancing…drinking…went to the bathroom, and there was a man…he tried to…Oh my God!!!"

I began to panic afresh as I remembered the events of last night. I ran into what I assumed was his closet, found a hand mirror. I raised my right leg on the counter and tried to assess the state of my vagina by looking at it through the mirror, so far, I couldn't tell anything. I nearly broke a leg when I heard Viktor clear his throat behind me, my embarrassment only grew when he caught me on my way to the ground.

"You need to be careful, besides nothing happened."

"Nothing happened, like nothing like him doing…you know…?"

"Yes, I was able to stop him in time. You really shouldn't be walking alone in a club; you should always walk with someone. "

He carried me and dropped me on the bed, gave me some Advil and a glass of water. I muttered thanks and he nodded before sitting beside me on the bed.

"We didn't do…anything…either, right?"

"No worries honey, if I were to do anything to you, you will be a full and more than willing participant."

I looked away from his intense gaze and cleared my throat, I was still dressed in last night's clothes so his story was believable.

Tatiana.

I immediately ran around the room looking for my purse and my phone, I finally found it and saw twenty-two missed calls from Tatiana and some other number. Just as I was about to call her back, she called again. I didn't hesitate to pick her call.

"Tatiana…"

"My goodness, Arizona! I've been worried sick about you, where are you?"

"I'm at umm…never mind that for now, okay? Just wanted to let you know that I'm alright."

There was silence on the other end of the line for some time and then some sounds before she was finally back on.

"Alright, but you're giving me all the details the second you get to the house, okay?"

"Okay…who's there with you?"

"Dimitri. I called him last night to tell him you were missing, as he owns the club and all…"

"Okay, that makes sense. Send my regards and thank you."

I dropped my phone in my purse and began to wear my shoes, I was already halfway to the door when my earlier conversation with Tatiana came to mind. I turned around and found a desk and a book and a pen, I scribbled my phone number on it and handed it over to him.

"I know this isn't the most ideal circumstances but I would love if we could maybe get coffee together sometime…"

He took the paper from me and nodded with a slight smile on his face. I turned and tried my best not to run out of his room but I was stuck when I got to the apartment door which was locked. I turned and went back to his bedroom, he sat on his bed with a smug look on his face.

"Was there something you needed?"

"Yes. The door is locked, could you please come to open it up?"

He nodded and picked up a bunch of keys from the nightstand, got off the bed, and walked ahead of me to the door. He stood by the door as I squeezed myself past him to leave.

"Bye, princess."

I blushed and hurried out of his apartment building, hailed a cab, and high-tailed it back to Tatiana's house. She must have been waiting for me by the window because the second I got down from the cab, Tatiana rushed from the house and enveloped me in a bear hug.

"I was worried sick…"

"I know, and I am sorry."

We made small talk as we walked the short distance to the house; Tatiana was on to me again as she closed the door behind her. I calmly hugged her again and whispered into her ear that she would get all the details she needed but she would need to wait for me to have a bath and a decent sleep. Thankfully, she agreed.