"What I've been up too?" Claire asked innocently.
Bender grinned, "Did I stutter my love?"
Claire rolled her eyes, "No darling, it was crystal clear."
"Good," Alison said, "now get on with the story!"
Claire laughed, "Okay, well, I graduated from Shermer, and then went to live with my brother out east and went to college at a local fashion design school. I didn't make a lot of new friends right away, but gradually I started to go out with people and make new friends.
"I was out one night with a group of girlfriends when I meet this guy. He was super nice and bought me a couple of drinks and we danced and talked. We exchanged phone numbers before I left and he called me the next day. We started to meet each other for lunch and eventually he officially 'asked me out'.
"We had been going out for about 5 months when things got ugly…"
(Flashback)
Claire glanced at the grandfather clock in the living room of her new apartment. Her boyfriend Jack was supposed to be home at midnight, but it was now going on 2 o'clock. "Where is he," Claire asked herself. Thoughts of finding his dead body in the river made her shiver in fear.
But then, Claire heard the rattling of keys outside their front door and knew Jack was finally home. She got out of comfy leather chair and went into the kitchen to greet him. What she saw when he walked though the door made her cringe.
Jack stumbled into their apartment drunk out of his mind. His clothes were messy and his hair was tousled. He looked like a homeless man and smelt like a drunk.
"Jack!" Claire whispered and ran to go help her boyfriend before he passed out. When Claire reached out to take his arm, Jack mumbled, "What do you want from me, bitch?" and took a swing at her face.
Claire gasped and backed away. "Just go to bed Jack, you're drunk and not thinking straight."
"I'm thinking perfectly fine thank you and my mind is telling me you're a worthless bitch who needs to get the hell outta my home!" Jack slurred as he advanced on Claire.
Claire felt hot tears sting her cheeks as she backed away from this monster her boyfriend had become. With each step closer to the wall, Claire grew more and more frightened.
Too soon, she had backed herself right into the kitchen wall. Paralyzed with fear, Claire just stood there not knowing where to run.
Then, Jack's face was inches from her own. He smiled at her, "Do you remember that night we first met? The only reason I called you the next day was because you were hot and looked easy. And guess what, I was right. We'd seen each other, what, once after and you already gave it up to me. And you kept giving it up. And to be truly honest with you, all those times I said I loved you, I had my fingers crossed."
Claire stared at him in disbelief. Words could not explain how she felt. But she started to try, "I-"
"Shut up bitch!" Jack yelled and slapped her across the face. Claire winced in pain, putting a hand up the stinging cheek.
"Did that hurt you, babe?" he asked mockingly before winding up and punching the other side of her face. Claire felt the warm blood drip down her face from a cut near her eye. She tried to push and kick her way out of Jack's grip, but even in his drunken state, he was still stronger than her.
"Think you're going somewhere," he asked before slamming her in the wall. Claire knew he wasn't going to stop anytime soon. Her only option was to start screaming and hope someone heard.
And that's exactly what she did. Claire screamed anything she thought of and at times when she couldn't think, she just screamed. Jack tried to cover her month but Claire just bit him.
Claire stopped for a breath when she heard voices outside the door. It must have been the landlord because soon the door swung open.
Jack cursed loudly before letting Claire go and running into the back bedroom. Mr. Stahr, the landlord, and Claire's elderly neighbors, the Cunningham's, rushed into the apartment. Mrs. Cunningham gasped when she saw Claire and rushed her over to their apartment while Mr. Stahr and Mr. Cunningham went to find Jack.
(End Flashback)
Claire had silent tears running down her face as she finished her story, "That next morning I left those apartments and moved back in with my brother until I could find a job and apartment back in Chicago. Within a week I was back where I started working as an assistant manager at a clothing boutique downtown.
"And just for the record, I haven't been to the clubs or even thought about men yet," Claire added. No one spoke right away after that, I mean, would you?
Brian finally asked, "Did you press charges?"
Claire shook her head, "All I wanted to do was get out, but I guess he was already wanted for some crime or another so he got some jail time anyway."
Bender can only be serious for so long. He looked at Claire suggestively, "So when are you going to start thinking about guys again?"
Claire laughed but winked flirtatiously, "I already have."
Bender smiled but then Claire turned to the man next to her and said, "I mean look at him, Brian is such a hunk!"
Everyone started to laugh as Claire said, "You know I'm only kidding John, you three are the only guys I think about, but you most often."
"I know, I know," Bender replied, "but now that we're on the subject of Brian, what have you been up to, Big Bry?"