4. Who on Earth?
EPOV
I was slowly drifting in and out of my sleep. I could tell I was lying on a couch. My back was stiff from enduring hours of cramped quarters, and my eyes felt heavier than a ton of bricks. I tried to remember where I was. The hotel? Of course not. Okay, then it must be Glenn's office. No, no. He was out of the country for the rest of the year. Perhaps in the alley behind Wasabi restaurant? Well, I didn't smell any rotten fish around here. Alright then, where the hell was I? I slowly, excruciatingly, opened my eyes and immediately groaned at the sheer blinding force of the morning light. God damn it! Why the fuck did it have to be so bright in the day? And why on earth was it pointing right at my eyes? I sat up and put my head on my knees. You'd think that after having thousands of hangovers, I would be used to them. Sadly, I was not.
I clutched at my hair to calm my raging headache and looked around in surprise. Mother fuck! Where the hell was I? Dirty floor, cheap wallpaper almost peeling off, the smell of mildew lingering in the room, it looked like a hotel room alright. But, it wasn't my usual; it was better actually. Although I knew I wouldn't, I wondered if I dragged someone along with me last night. Tentatively, I called out aloud, "Hello?"
Silence. Okay then, one disaster averted. I went into the bathroom and stared at my face in the streaked mirror. Bloodshot eyes with dark lines around them. Those were the first things I noticed when I looked at myself. They were a permanent fixture there and gave me a sense of deep satisfaction. I freshened up and went down to the reception. A middle-aged, pimply-faced man was sitting at the counter, watching a game.
"Looks like the Yankees are gonna lose again."
The man jumped up in surprise. "Oh! I didn't see you there. If you want your room to be cleaned, it can't be done. The cleaning chick's out for a couple o' days."
He had a nasal quality to his voice that was adding to my already building headache. "That's fine. I just wanted to check out."
"Okay. What room you in?"
"Uhh… I don't know. I was on the first floor to the left."
"There are five rooms there. Which one were you in? What's your name?" He started going through a register, "The night manager's different and we charge by the hour here so you need to tell me what time you got in. The hourly rate is-"
His pesky questions in his annoying voice were getting to me. I raged, "Look, Pimply, I don't even remember coming to this hotel. And I don't care, okay? How much for a night?"
He flinched and said in a small voice, "Thirty dollars."
I threw a fifty note at him and got out. Apparently, I was at the "Rhino Inn". I couldn't even remember what I was doing there last night. Did I sleep with the Russian girl I met? No, I did her in the alley after she shared her drugs with me. I recalled doing a couple of lines and must have somehow made my way to the "Rhino Inn." It was all very confusing and I didn't want to add any more strain to my poor, suffering brain. Waking up alone in a strange place was nothing to worry about. It was when you woke up with a stranger in a strange place that mattered. Even more so, if that person turned out to be a man. Snorting to myself, I added it to the list of places I would never go back to.
It was middle of the afternoon and the sun was right up over my head. I was hungry, and went into the first diner I saw. I had long ago forgotten to taste food, and ate everything with the same amount of zest. As I finished my meal, my phone started ringing. Lauren.
"Already missing my dick?"
Her hyena-ish laugh sounded on the other end. "EC, you rogue! You know it's your lovely behind I miss more. Where on earth were you last night? I tried calling you for a night cap and it went on zooming to the voicemail."
"You know better than to ask me to spend the night with you. Anyway, what I did is none of your concern, baby. What do you want?"
"You're forgetting something."
"What?"
"You don't remember? Try."
"Lauren, I'm hanging up-"
"Wait! It's my birthday today," she said petulantly.
"Oh… Well, happy birthday then. Goodbye."
"Wait! I'm hosting a dinner for a couple of my friends. You'll come won't you?"
I sighed. This chick was a good lay, but a total annoyance. I didn't want to go, but I was in no mood to wake up at another Rhino Inn the next morning, which I knew would surely happen if left to my own devices. Rubbing across my forehead I replied, "I always do."
"So, do you know how to ride a horse?" she asked in a seductive voice.
I internally sighed. "I do know how to mount one," I said winking and trying to deflect the topic. She took a sharp intake of breath and narrowed her eyes playfully at me.
"Well, maybe you will give me some riding lessons then?"
"Maybe," I smirked.
I was not that into this chick, but since she was sitting next to me at the dinner table, I felt I might as well get some entertainment. Or at the least get a decent blowjob. We were at a hip club in some part of the town. The place was just like every other popular club. Popular, only because of the controversial people frequenting it. That was why, as soon as I stepped in, the owner came running. He spent a good amount of time kissing my ass, while Lauren fluttered her eyelashes and held onto my arm proudly. Such treatment was the reason I hated coming to places like these. The club itself was not that bad. The ass-kisser led us to a private room with a U-shaped couch and a big table in the centre. Lauren tried to make me sit next to her, probably so that she could cozy up and act as my girlfriend. I ignored her and sat at her opposite end, beside this blonde.
Lauren was gloating like a queen bee, surrounded by other insects. She was droning on and on about something I couldn't even bother to comprehend. The waiter brought a huge strawberry cake and placed it on the table. Lauren squealed and clapped happily, as he began to light the candles. Rolling my eyes, I slid down the couch. I signaled the waiter for extra drinks and downed my glass. I felt a hand slide up my thigh and rest on glory land. I raised my eyes at… whatever-her-name-was and she smirked. She started massaging me up and down and I began to stir. I felt her sliding my zipper down and grasping me through my boxers. She slid closer to me and started nuzzling my neck while trying to grab a firmer hold on my length. Just then, the waiter came in with a cake and Lauren squealed while others clapped. I rolled my eyes, continuing to ignore them, while enjoying the ministrations of the slut beside me. She gripped me harder, and I groaned into her hair.
Splat!
I jerked as I felt a huge lump of something hit my neck and jaw. I looked for the offender and saw Lauren smiling at me sweetly. "Cake war," she said and threw another glob at me. I ducked, and it hit the chick beside me who shrieked and covered her face. I swore, zipped my pants quickly, and stood up.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?" I thundered.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I thought she was looking for some frosting," she sneered and hit another one. It grazed me narrowly, and fell in the lap of the poor slut, who was trying pull out the icing from her hair.
Crazy motherfucking bitch! I jumped from my place, grabbed her from the table and dragged her out towards the hallway. I pushed her in the centre of the corridor and cussed, "Are you out of your fucking mind? How dare you?"
"No, how dare you!" she shouted, "I knew you were a jerk, but I can't believe that you would try to get on with that girl right in front of all my friends, at my birthday party!"
"Listen you whore, I don't give a fucking shit about what you think, but if you think that you can embarrass me in front of everybody, you've got another thing coming." I hissed.
"Then how could you be with that slut with me in the same room-"
"Don't act like an old wife. You've done more under hundreds of tables, to god knows how many guys, and I am one of them. Hell, you must have been part of a million orgies. And don't think I don't know the reason you come running to suck my dick."
She huffed, and said, "Edward, you are the most arrogant, obnoxious-"
"And you are nothing - just another whore trying to sleep her way up the social ladder. Too bad, with your skills, this is as high as you will ever climb."
I turned around to leave when she uttered, "And you are nothing but a spoilt son of a rich king who doesn't love you. In fact, nobody loves you Eddie boy, not even your own family. Why else would they not bother about you for years? And the only reason anyone in their right mind would even come within ten feet of you is because of your money and title. Do you really think that cunt would be ready to blow you in front an audience, if you were just another average Joe from the street?" She paused, before adding, "The only difference between you and me, Edward, is that I sleep around for stature, and you sleep around to curb your loneliness. While I may become the most popular socialite this side of the town, you on the other hand, will always remain alone."
I slowly turned towards her and grabbed her throat. "If I ever see you again, you can be sure that I will kill you. And as you so cleverly pointed out, I am a rich, spoilt kid, with diplomatic immunity I might add." I threw her sideways and left seething.
That cock-sucking cunt! Who the hell did she think she was? I never thought I was capable of hitting a woman, but that whore deserves it. I should have never even slept with that power hungry bitch. I knew what I was getting myself into, especially with girls like Lauren. Shit Cuilinn! You really need a break from this life. Random fucks with unknown strangers were so much better than this mess with society bitches and the lot. Strangers never really bothered who you were, if your penis was the right size. These bitches on the other hand, knew too much and were set on exploiting every moment with you. I vowed to never bother with that set of sluts again. Of all the things in this world, I did not need to use my family name to score. I snorted at that thought.
The thought of my family brought a stab of guilt and hurt. Mother must be worrying about me again. It had been more than eight months since I last spoke to her. "As if she would ever stop worrying about you, or if you would give her a reason not to," the voice in my head scoffed. I exhaled and shook my head, trying to get rid of my thoughts and guilt, making a mental note to call home in a few days. I blinked and looked around in confusion. Apparently, in my anger I had walked around the building's labyrinth. I opened a door in front of me and stepped out onto the roof. This is just what I needed, a few moments of seclusion in fresh air. I took a deep breath and tried to assuage the hurt threatening to creep up at Lauren's words. Not that the bitch knew what she was talking about, but still, the fact of the matter was that I was alone. I was not without family, but it came with its set of complications which were too much for me to handle. Maybe I should go home once, for mother… and Jasper? No, no, I couldn't.
I ran my fingers through my hair and felt something sticky. I groaned, of course, the god damn cake! I took off my jacket and tried to wipe it with a sleeve. I could hear someone calling out nearby. Who was on the roof at this time? I was cleaning my fingers when I heard a girl call out seductively, "Mr. Icin… where are you?"
Oh, great! I could now witness the sexcapade games of this whore and some old fart. Where is a moment of solitude when you needed one? Fucking Manhattan was full of fucking people!
"Show yourself to me," that girl commanded. Why on earth were they fucking on this chilly roof? Couldn't they have found a warm, little corner? Freaks.
"Let me have a lick of your gorgeous… oh! Oh!" She was blowing him right over top of my head. Super! I rolled my eyes, looked up and what I saw nearly stilled my heart. A girl was teetering above on the edge, and like in a movie, everything seemed to happen in a slow motion.
"What the fucking hell?"
She slowly lost her grip and fell down – right in my arms. I didn't even realize when I moved to catch her. All I knew was that - one second she was in midair - the next in my arms.
"Holy mother fuck!" She wasn't heavy. But of course, what girl under 25 in New York was? She slowly opened her eyes, stared at me for two seconds and closed them again. I panicked.
"Hey! Are you okay? Are you hurt?"
She waited a few moments, then opened her eyes again. I thought she would say yes or no, but she uttered the single thing I did not expect. "Are you going to abduct me and keep me as your slave to do experiments with?"
"What the…?" She was definitely some sort of weird, creepy, Star Wars obsessed chick. Maybe that's why they were on the roof, trying to stage an alien abduction fantasy or god knew what. I needed to get away from her as fast as I could. I set her down against the wall and asked, gently grasping her hands, "Miss, I think you need to find your friend."
She replied, "Okay." So, I let go and stood up looking at her. She slowly fell sideways and lay spread-eagled on the floor. She would be okay. Her fuck must be somewhere waiting for her and he should surely find her. I nodded and turned to walk back to the door. As I was about to turn the door knob, I looked back at her form. She was still lying on the floor with no sign of movement. Maybe she passed out. There is no other way she could lay like that in the chilly wind. Where was that dude? He should have come looking for her by now. It's not my problem, I thought and grabbed the knob again. I sighed, let go of it, shook my head, and went back to Star Wars lady. She definitely seemed passed out.
"Hey! Miss. You need to get up and go to your friend. There is a chilly wind blowing and it might rain soon. Do you want me to take you back to the club? Perhaps he has left for there."
She stirred and replied, again not the answer I was looking for, ""Who? And I'm not Miss, I'm … umm … umm … Bella. And I would like to close my eyes and lay here, thank you very much. You can kidnap me after some time. There's no hurry."
Oh, she was definitely a nutter. "Look Umbella, I don't know what-"
"Bella," she got up suddenly, looking at me with an irritated expression, "it's Bella. B-E-L-L-A. I think you come from a dumb planet. Wait a minute." She looked at me closely with goofy eyes, probably trying to decide if I were her Luke Skywalker or not. "You are not an alien. You are a man," she observed.
"Wow! That's brilliant of you. Now would you be kind enough to allow me to take you to the bottom levels of The Star Destroyer?" I asked sarcastically.
She continued to stare at me, and I wondered if I had gotten the name of the Star Wars ship wrong. "You want to do what with me where?"
Rolling my eyes, I let out a sigh and answered, "Look, I don't have freaking time for this. Do you wanna get off this roof or no?"
"I don't wanna get you off on this roof, you sicko!" she raged.
What? "What are talking about-" I moved two steps closer to her when she cut me off and started screaming like a banshee.
"Help! Rapist! Help!" She scrambled to her feet and tried to run away from me. I was in too much of a shock to respond, when, she reached the exit door and began to rattle the door knob noisily.
"Open," she yelled and started banging the door as if intending to break it down. "Open Sesame."
Good Lord! I was done doing my noble act for the day. Crazy drunk bitch couldn't even open a frickin door! I went up behind her slowly and said, "Move."
She stilled and slowly turned towards me, and then she restarted her screaming.
"Ahh!" I groaned as I closed my ears. "Shut it!" But she continued, and I could take it no longer. "Would you SHUT THE FUCK UP!"
Silence followed as she stared at me with furrowed brows. I moved past her and twisted the door knob. At least I tried to. Motherfucker wouldn't budge. Thinking it was probably stuck, I applied pressure, and soon I was making noises just like Crazylady before me.
"Why'd you lock it? What are you planning?"
"I did not fucking lock it. Unless you jammed it with your bony hands, I'm assuming this door won't open until someone opens it from the inside. And what I am planning is stuffing your mouth so I wouldn't have to hear you screech like the wicked witch of the west."
"How dare you talk about stuffing my mouth, you pervert!" She yelled and grabbed my shirt, "I will knee your balls so hard, you would choke on them," she added.
That was it! Who on earth did this whore think she was? She was grabbing Edward Cuilinn's by the collar and threatening him? I seethed and pushed her against the door. "Even if by some divine intervention you do get to touch my balls, it will be only to receive the best fuck of your life… which," I added, looking her from top to bottom, "by the way I am not least interested in. Got it, bitch?"
She shook her head slowly, looking at me strangely. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath and tried to rein in my temper, lest I cause any damage to Crazy. I smelled alcohol from her (obviously), and a sweet sugary smell that I couldn't place. I opened my eyes to observe that we were less than inches apart and my hands were gripping her small waist tightly in anger. Her fingers were still clutching at my shirt and she was taking quick and small breaths. If it weren't for the fact that we were a set of strangers stuck in a very irritating predicament, one could think that we were making out, passionately. Just then, I felt a drop on my cheek. What now? I looked up at the night sky to receive another drop, this time on my forehead. Great! Just what this night was missing. A downpour. I hated rain. I hated getting wet, I hated walking on wet roads among puddles, and I hated the dull and dreary atmosphere. I was cursing even getting up in the morning and contemplated that I should have probably stayed back at the Rhino Inn. The rain began pelting more seriously now, and I scrambled to a nearby small shelter.
I looked back to find Crazy still in the same place, with her smiling face turned upwards, letting rain spray her. Good. She could stay there and drown herself in a puddle, I thought, settling myself down against a wall. It would be a much welcomed solitude. Suddenly, there was loud thunder and then it really started to pour. She squealed and ran towards where I was and made a move to sit beside me.
"You stay away from me," I warned, wary of her wet state.
She giggled and sat down, leaving only a few inches gap between us. "You scared of me now. I told you, you shouldn't have tried to rape me."
I sighed exasperatedly, "For the love of god, I was not raping you! From your dress I'm assuming you came from the club and thought that I should take you back. You know, instead of leaving you to die from frostbite in the rain! Jesus!" I added, shaking my head.
She went back to staring at me, and this time, having nothing to do but wait out the rain, I looked at her too. She had deep, brown eyes. No wait, not brown. Brown was too simple a word. It was a color you got when you mixed deep burgundy and chocolate. And those eyes were staring at my jaw with a hungry look. I shifted uncomfortably. Did she want to kiss me?
"Mr. Icin," she muttered softly.
Huh? "What?" I asked blankly.
"Mr. Icing," she repeated more clearly, "there." She pointed at my jaw and shifted closer to me. Turning her side towards me, she almost pressed her cheek against mine, and I felt a surge of electricity at her close proximity. She poked her tongue out a little below my ear, at the curve of the jaw and gave a small lick. I gasped with pleasure and shock. Moaning in contentment, she then proceeded to lick the entire path the curve of my upper lip. I closed my eyes and felt little surges of shivers and excitement run through me. I opened my lips automatically to take her in, but she skipped over to my neck. She swirled her tongue around my Adam's apple and made her way around the area, tasting everything with slow precision. It was as if she were tracing some invisible path on my neck. I became rock hard, and the pressure in my pants was getting uncomfortable.
She pulled back and stated, "You taste amazing."
I immediately imagined her saying that after I blew my load in her pretty mouth. She did have a pretty mouth, I noticed, looking at her lips. She could be perfect to jump start my plan of only sleeping with strangers. Maybe there was a God, and he listened. Or maybe not. When I moved forward to kiss her, she moved back and again lay down on the floor, closing her eyes. What the…? Was this girl capable of behaving like a normal person? How could she snap out of that so suddenly? She moved around a bit, as if trying to get comfortable on the cold floor, and moved to rest her head on my lap.
I clutched the wall behind me with both my hands and stared at her, "Umm… what are you doing?"
She remained silent and began snoring softly. Great! I was stuck with a crazy stranger, on the cold roof of a god damn probably hundred floors building, covered in pink frosting, in motherfucking rain (which, by the way, was spraying my side due to the wind), with a raging hard-on. Just what I needed.
I waited in that position for at least half an hour, part of which was occupied with deflating my hard-on. A burst of wind blew and goose bumps came over both of us. Unfortunately, that involved in the rising of certain peaks of hers. Fearing the need for another deflation, I quickly took off my jacket and covered her. Still, I could feel her tits call out to me, so I tried to avert my eyes elsewhere. Her hair was blowing softly, and a strand was troubling her nose. She frowned a little and wrinkled her nose. With a small smile, I put the offending strand behind her ear. Cautiously, I felt her cheeks with the back of my fingers. Her skin felt silky smooth and warm under my touch. It made me curious how other parts of her body would feel…
Suddenly, the door burst open and a blonde hurried in, with a security guard and a couple of other people in tow.
"Bella! Where are you?" She called out, and began to search furiously.
I raised my hand and waved them over. "Here. Over here."
Wondergirl and her crew came running. "Bella! Is she okay? What did you do to her?" She lifted Bella off my lap and began to shake her. "Why isn't she respo-" she paused and said, "wait a minute. You are Edward Cuillin."
Damn! Finding anonymity in New York was next to impossible, especially with this crowd. I didn't bother to respond, and stood up. I took one last look at crazy girl and said, "Next time she drinks, try keeping an eye on her." They all stared at me with blank expressions and dumbfounded eyes. I turned and left.