Perversion

22

Rue smiled as Mr. Fox stood before her. She shut her eyes and allowed the intoxication of his perfume. She could die by it. When she opened her eyes again, she found him staring down at her. His hand sneaked around her slender waist and drew her closer to him.

She had a plan, and she didn't want the heat in her body to deceive her. She puckered her lips and saw him gulp. It was now or never. She tiptoed and circled her hands around his neck, pulling him closer as their lips briefly touched. Mr. Fox tried to deepen the kiss, but she pulled back.

"Just a kiss, like I promised," Rue said, though she was fighting her strong temptation to just jump on him and kiss him with all the hunger in her.

He was surprised by her action. Certainly, it wasn't what he thought when she suggested a kiss. He couldn't call what had just happened a kiss. Their lips just touched for a brief second.

"See you around," she spoke, turning and opening the door.

She was surprised to find an unfamiliar man behind the door. He looked at her, then at Mr. Fox. She thought he might have been lost. Then, a thought she hadn't had before occurred to her, "Why did Mr. Fox have a room reserved, yet he could just drive home? It sickened her to imagine it reserved for him and Angie.

"Did the party start too early?" the man asked, and she realized he was familiar with Mr. Fox. "Where is the other?" He seemed to be too excited.

Rue stared at the man, confused at what he was referring to. Was he implying the dinner was already over and people had left? She checked her phone if Xana had called her.

"The dinner is over?" she asked the man.

"I will handle this," Mr. Fox said.

There was something off about the man, the tension between the two men that Rue noted.

"Come on, where is my...."

"Get out of here," Mr. Fox cut off the man, shouting at Rue.

She panicked at his tone and quickly strode away. As she got closer, she could hear jazz playing and a woman who seemed to be in her forties stopped her.

"Rue," she said her name.

Her voice seemed familiar. How did she know her name?

"You have no idea who William Fox is," she said.

Rue was confused. Here, there was a stranger who seemed to know her name and Mr. Fox.

"Who are you?" she questioned.

"Very soon, you will know," she said.

Rue grew angry at the woman deviating from a straight answer.

"I have to go," Rue said.

She took quick, nervous steps. The encounter was strange.

She looked around to see where Xana and the rest were seated. She realized it wasn't just a dinner for doctors, as she recognized most of her neighbors in different professions. Her eyes landed on a particular family. The King Family. Among them was her sister Zoey. As if she sensed someone staring at her, she immediately turned. She whispered something to the father of her child and then stood and walked towards Rue.

"I didn't expect you to be here," Zoey said, as Joe King, her boyfriend, joined them.

"Hello, sister-in-law?" he mocked. He knew that she despised him.

"I can only give you the time once you are behind bars," Rue said.

Joe shook his head, "I am too pretty for jail," he made a sarcastic remark.

"The least you can do is encourage her to go back to school," Rue pleaded. She hated the trajectory her little sister's life was taking.

"She is happy," Joe shrugged. Zoey seemed intimidated around him and barely gave her own opinion.

"Let's go, baby..." Joe grabbed Zoey's arm, and instinctively Rue quickly grabbed her other arm, stopping him from dragging her with him.

"We are going home," Rue said.

"I don't want to, leave me alone," Zoey protested. For a second time that night, Rue was drawing attention to herself in the worst possible way.

"You are not supposed to be here, especially with him," Rue didn't care what people were thinking of her. What mattered was her sister's future.

"Is everything okay?" She turned to the voice of Tony.

She had not seen him for a while.

Rue ignored him and continued tugging on her sister.

"Let me go or I tell him....or everyone," Zoey threatened.

Rue had a decent idea what her sister meant. She was the only one that she had confided in about her and Mr. Fox. A few minutes ago she would not be moved by such a threat. But the words of the strange woman were stuck in her head. Additionally, she didn't want Tony to find out that way. He was a decent guy and the only male in her life that treated her with dignity.

She slowly released her sister's arm and watched her leave with Joe King.

"He carries impunity just like his family," Tony commented.

"I have missed you," Tony spoke, however she wondered why he was here.

"I have been busy, sorry," she apologized.

"Do you want to come and say hi to my family?" he asked.

She was shocked. So far since her arrival here, her attention hadn't been such that anyone would want to introduce her to their family.

"Have you seen what I am wearing?" she asked.

Tony chuckled, "That is the longest dress I have ever seen, it should be a little bit higher," he said. She smiled. He just had a unique way of making her feel good enough.

He offered his arm, and she took it. He walked with her so proudly and unbothered.

His mother smiled at her as they stopped.

"You must be Rue," she extended her arm.

Rue shook it and the rest of the occupants at the table. They expressed genuine interest to know her and even offered her to sit with them. Before she could respond, her phone vibrated with a text from Xana.

I can see you, say hi to Tony

She lifted her head and searched around the room until she saw Xana. Mr. Fox had already returned, and he was deeply in conversation with Angie. She decided to sit with Tony's family. The prospect of sharing a table with them didn't appeal to Rue. And she had decided that her plan would be her absence. After all, absence makes the heart grow fonder. She had seen the raw need in Mr. Fox's eyes, and in no time he would seek her.

Chapter 24 is now available at Inkitt.