Chapter Fifty-four
The following night, Lauren couldn't sleep. She'd been lying in bed replaying the day over and over in her head; unable to settle. She glanced at Joey's empty side of the bed, wishing he was home. But, unfortunately he was working late at the club tonight. Lauren decided she would go for run and then maybe meet him after the club closed and walk home with him. Climbing out of bed she pulled on some clothes she could run in, put on her trainers and grabbed a jacket off the back of the chair before she crept out of the house.
As she ran she thought.
*JL*JL*JL*JL*
That morning she and Joey had both woken up and were both sorry for the argument they'd had the day before….Another argument about Michael. Michael was all they seemed to fight about recently.
Joey had spent the night on the sofa. When he got home he'd found Lauren asleep on his side of the bed, and decided to leave her be. He left the vase of roses on her bedside table and the box on her side of the bed for her to find when she woke up the next morning, or in the middle of the night. He woke the next morning a little sore and stiff from spending the night on the sofa. He stood up and stretched before he went into the bedroom to get some clean clothes. He discovered Lauren was awake and she was staring teary eyed at the roses he'd left for her. She'd opened the box and found it contained a new mobile phone. Joey had already programmed his number into it. Joey had then told her he was so sorry for what he'd said to her and he knew he should've been supportive towards her but he felt angry and hurt she felt she couldn't call him. He'd then admitted he'd become a little blasé about her recovery. He thought she wouldn't need to call him for help and he'd turned his mobile phone. He was very apologetic and promised it would never happen again. He'd told her how guilty he felt that she'd needed him and he wasn't there for her… again. This in turn had made him feel angry with himself and he took his anger out on her.
He also told her he'd gone to talk to Phil and Phil told him he was an idiot, which Joey said he had already figured out.
Joey asked Lauren what had upset her yesterday, causing her to turn to vodka. She'd told him what Michael had said to her and what he'd done to her desk. Destroying the little ornament Oscar had made for her when he was 3, something that could never be replaced. She was heartbroken it'd been smashed in a fit of rage by a man that seemed to be angry with her for her relationship with Joey.
Lauren had even told Joey she was a little frightened of Michael now and she didn't want to work there anymore. She told Joey that he'd been right and she should've listened to him earlier. She told him Michael had witnessed their fight and had smirked at her as she walked out of the pub.
So that morning, Lauren had promised Joey that she'd quit the gym. Joey in turn, apologised for being jealous. He knew he had no reason to be and he also knew Lauren would have, in no way shape or form, encouraged Michael's infatuation with her. Joey knew Lauren loved him.
Joey told her, he in turn, loved her more than he even thought was possible and the thought of not being with her terrified him. So they'd kissed and made up, and Joey had made love to her, so gently and tenderly, that she felt like crying at the feelings he was evoking in her. They'd laid together talking softly, making plans together for the next week. As they talked, they kissed occasionally and passions were aroused again. The second time was much different than the first. More about fucking than making love and Lauren's nails had dug painfully into his back, breaking the skin, as she dragged them over his back, making him bleed.
Lauren had apologised profusely while she was cleaning the cuts, gently dabbing them with antiseptic. Joey told her not to worry, reassuring her they didn't hurt, which was a little white lie. She promised herself she would go to the salon later that day and have her nails cut and filed a bit shorter.
Keeping her promise, she'd gone to the salon at lunchtime, before she needed to go to the gym. She'd prepared a speech she was going to say to Michael and was going over it in her head… and had been all morning. If she was truthful she was a little worried, but she also knew it would be a huge relief not to be working there anymore. She also knew it would relieve a lot of the tension in her relationship with Joey.
Of course, telling Michael wouldn't be as easy as she thought it would be. She thought he'd be pleased she wouldn't be working there anymore, but in fact, it was an entirely different story.
Michael had been quiet as Lauren told him she was quitting. He said nothing to her. She placed the keys to the gym on his desk and turned to go when he spoke. He told her he thought it was for the best that she didn't work with him anymore, under the circumstances. It would make things easier for them to have a relationship, now they wouldn't be spending so much time together.
Lauren frowned at him telling him they didn't have a relationship and they never would. She told him, in no uncertain terms, that she was with Joey. She loved Joey. When he questioned her about the fight he'd witnessed, she told him they'd talked and had made up and everything was okay between them again.
Michael had scoffed at her and told her she needed to be with a real man, that Monkey Boy was weak and pathetic and he thought Lauren could do so much better than him.
Lauren had asked him if he meant like him. And Michael had smiled and nodded 'Yes like me, exactly like me' he'd told her. He promised he would make her happy, he would show her what making love with a real man would be like.
Lauren had lost it then and she had told Michael that the thought of him touching her made her feel physically sick. She thought he was repulsive and slimy and she would never be attracted to him even if he was the last man on the earth. She'd seen the shock and hurt on Michael's face as she told him exactly what she thought about him. She'd then turned on her heels and fled the gym, seeking solace in Joey's arms.
Michael hadn't come home that night and she was worried she might have gone too far. She was worried he would do something stupid. When she'd voiced her concerns to Joey he had said 'good riddance if he has'
*JL*JL*JL*JL*
Lauren's run had brought her to the gym. She paused outside frowning when she realised the door wasn't locked. She pushed it open, concerned the gym had been broken into or vandalised.
'Hello?' she called out with a shaky voice. She crept down the stairs and saw a light on in the office, she moved forward and saw Michael was there.
'What are you doing here? Come to say more nasty and hurtful things?' he slurred his words. Lauren saw the bottle of scotch in front of him on the table, he downed the full glass he had in his hands and poured another glass 'Oh, I'm sorry where are my manners… would you liked some?' he held the glass out to her. She shook her head.
'The gym was open, I was worried someone had broken in, vandalised the place, stolen things' she told him. She turned to go, she didn't even hear him move but the next thing she knew he'd grabbed her upper arm with a vice like grip and turned her round, pulling her towards him, pressing his body close to hers.
'Really? Maybe you came for this' he said and he caught hold of her ponytail, pulling her face to his as he kissed her roughly. She managed to push him away and slapped him hard across the face. Michael raised his arm and backhanded her across her face in return. She felt her head hit something hard, and then everything went black…..
AN: Lauren and Joey have made up and things between them are better than ever. Lauren was right to be worried about telling Michael she was quitting….but even Lauren didn't expect Michael to react the way he did. R&R as always.
