Chapter 3 - New Surroundings

I wake slowly, my head feels heavy, jeez how much did I drink last night? I slowly open my eyes, letting them adjust to the bright light of the morning. I don’t recognise the room I’m in; the walls are whitewashed, the bed I’m lying in is huge, twice as big as my bed at home, mahogany with a beautiful canopy. One wall of the room has a glass bi-folding door leading out onto a decked balcony area with a lounger and small table. It’s magnificent, but where the hell am I?

I look to the bedside table on my right and I see a bottle of water with a note ‘drink me’. I realise then that my throat feels raw and parched, but what if the water is drugged? I don’t take the risk, although it’s sorely tempting. I need to find a way out of here. I slip out of the bed quietly, lowering my feet onto the hardwood floor and realising that I’m still wearing my black evening dress. The events from the previous night come to me in flashes and my head is pounding. I remember dancing, the champagne, I was talking to a man, he was handsome. I remember feeling unwell and being led outside then nothing. I place my hand on my forehead in a lame attempt to make the pounding stop. I gingerly make my way to the bedroom door and turn the ornate knob, I doesn’t budge. I’m locked in. Panic starts to rise within me, almost choking me and I start to pound on the door as hard as I can.

‘HELP! HELP! LET ME OUT! SOMEBODY, PLEASE!’ I scream as loud as I can, continuing to hammer on the door. I hear movement coming from the other side of the door and I scurry to the far side of the room and pick up a bed side light to protect myself with. I hear the lock click in the door, allowing it to swing open and whatever I was going to say dies on my tongue instantly.

‘Hello again Ivory.’

Bryant. No. It can’t be. Why would he do this? He stands in the doorway leaning casually on the frame, one foot crossed over the other, like we’re discussing the weather. I can’t help but notice how muscular his arms are in the t-shirt he’s wearing; they are folded across his broad chest which even through his clothing looks like he’s chiselled from stone. For God’s sake, Ivory, this douche bag kidnapped you, get a grip! I give my head a shake and force myself to focus.

‘Where the fuck am I?’ I snarl at him.

‘Calm down, Ivory,’ he says to me calmly, like I’m some toddler having a tantrum, his patronising tone, sets my teeth on edge and my vision clouds with indignant rage.

‘CALM DOWN! CALM DOWN! ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS RIGHT NOW? YOU DRUGGED ME AND KIDNAPPED ME! WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON AND WHERE THE HELL AM I?’ I roar at him across the room.

He puts his hands up in surrender and takes a couple of strides into the room, I grip my lamp tightly and widen my stance ready to attack him.

‘Don’t come any closer to me, I mean it,’ I warn, making his steps falter. I’m beyond pissed off at this point, and more than a little petrified.

‘I’m going to explain everything to you,’ I promise, he says calmly, ‘Please put down the lamp and come with me, I promise I’ll tell you anything that you want to know.’

I’m really out of options at this point, I have no idea where I am or what’s happening and the only one who can give me some answers is Bryant, so admitting defeat for now, I lower the lamp, put it back on the table then turn to glare at my abductor.

‘Do you want to take a shower? I have some clothes here that you can change into?’ he asks gently, gesturing towards a door to the left of me, which I assume is a bathroom. I’m still in my gown from the night before, my skin is sticky with sweat, and God only knows what my face looks like with last night’s make up still plastered on it.

I give him a stiff nod, then squaring my shoulders I stomp into the bathroom and hear him sigh loudly as I slam the door behind me and lock it.

The bathroom is large, with light grey slate tile from ceiling to floor, a free-standing double ended tub at one end, his and hers sink and a walk-in rainfall shower that could fit four people behind a glass partition. I turn to look at myself in the large glass mirror that hangs above the sink. Ugh, what a mess, my hair looks like a bird’s nest, and I look like a racoon because my mascara is smeared across my eyes. Wonderful.

I turn on the shower to let the water run hot, while I strip out of my dress and thong, I quickly use the facilities, then I step into the shower and submerge myself under the hot spray. The water feels like heaven as I wash away all the sweat and grime on my skin. On a shelf to my right there are several bottles of high-end shampoo, conditioner and body wash, there’s also a loofa sponge and razors. I lather, rinse and repeat with my hair until my scalp is tingling. Then I take the loofa, the shower gel and scrub my skin until it pinks. I get back under the hot spray to rinse off, then turn off the shower and step out.

I feel alert and rejuvenated, as I grab a large fluffy towel from a basket at the side of the shower, wrap it round my body, then take a smaller towel and wrap it round my head like a turban to dry my hair. There’s toothpaste and a toothbrush by the sink, I scrub my teeth twice. When I can’t think of any more reasons to be in the bathroom, I unlock the door and peek out into the bedroom, confirming that I’m alone again, I head out to the bedroom in search of some clothing, thankful that my captor has given me some privacy. There’s a chest of drawers across from the bed, I open the first drawer and find several sets of matching bras and panties. I take a white set out and slip them on, they fit perfectly, of course they do. Frowning at this, I make my way to the wardrobe and open the doors wide. Inside, there are at least 12 outfits on hangers. I pull out a yellow sundress, with cute little cap sleeves. Slipping it on, I realise non-surprisingly at this stage, it fits like it was made for me, it’s neat at my waist then flares out slightly to stop just above my knees. I find a little pair of while open toe sandals on the floor of the wardrobe and slip them on.

Once I’m dressed, I turn my attention to my hair, removing the turban from around my head, letting my damp hair fall down my shoulders and back, and throw it in the hamper at the side of the drawers. After trying a couple of drawers and finding night wear, some t-shirts, shorts, I eventually find a drawer containing a brush, a hair dryer, and some hair products. I add a little mousse to the routes of my hair, then turn on the dryer. Ten minutes later and my hair is dry and falling in soft waves down my back. It’s odd but in completing this simple task, I feel calmer, more in control. As I finish primping, my thoughts turn to the man I know is waiting downstairs for me, taking one last look in the mirror, I straighten my spine, grab the doorknob, and stride out of the door and into the hallway.